The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1918-05-10


Young of Asbestine, Virginia to The
True NOrtherner. Mr.. Young and
family were formerly residents Of
Paw Paw and for many years he
was Mail Carrier on Route No.
from the local Office. The letter is
like visit with old friends, and
will be of intense interest to read
ers of The True Ortherner who
have known this estimable family
in the years gone by.
AS number of our friends in and
around Paw Paw have expressed a
desire to hear from US. l thought a
short letter to The True Northerner
would reach all of them.
We have been here now nearly a
year, so have seen the country ir the
different seasons; and while our farm
ing experiences last year were limit
ed on account of our late start, some
bad luck and dissappointments, yet
we are more than pleased with the
country and our prospects here.
The climate is delightful, and the
people as rule, are very hospitable
and kind.
Virginia is noted for it's sunshine.
We have had two rainy spells this
spring, when we did not see the sun
for two days, which were about the
only times we have seen it cloudy for
more than a day at a time since we
have been here, and very seldom do
we have an entire cloudy day. We
had plenty of rain last summer, but
it came in showers. The sun will
be shining brightly, when a cloud
will appear over the mountain tops
and in a very little while we will
have a drenching rain that will last
perhaps for half an hour; then old
Sol will shine out brightly for the
rest of the day. These showers come
usually in the afternoon, and quite
often we have seen the sun shining.
brightly on one side of us. while the
other side was overcast with clouds
and rain pouring down.
We have so many beautiful nights
too. 1t seems as though the moon
shines brighter and oftener here, per-
haps because it is so seldom cloudy.
We have had no severe thunder
storms or wind storms. Though we
had snow on the ground from Christ
mas until February first, it never
drifted, and was not over twelve
inches deep at any time. Our win
ter was more severe than usual here
as everywhere this year. The oldest
inhabitants say they never saw so
cold winter, or so much snow.
Since February 5th, we have had
delightful warm spring weather, so
that | was able to work in my shirt
sleeves in the woods during all that
month.
We have found the climate to be,
very healthful. The children are
growing strong and sturdy; / myself
have put on flesh, and those who
knew show Mrs. Young suffered with
sick headaches will be glad to know
that they have almost entirely left
her,-she having had but few since
coming here, and those not so severe
or long continued. In fact, we are
all feeling "tolerably pert" as they
say here.
The country is nearly all in wood
land. only small patches being clear
ed. Our place of three hundred
acres has seventy-fve acres cleared,
or nearly cleared, and that is the way
it is in the whole country, in pro-
portion, thousands of acres of idle
land. One man, Mr.. Rainey of
North Dakota, owns over ten thous-
and acres adjoining us on the south
which is practically all woodland.
Oak and pine predominate, but
there is great variety of other
wood also. There are hundreds of
cords of wood lying in our woods rot
ting. We have so often wished our
good friends in Paw Paw might have
some of it this winter, when fuel was
so scarce. A great deal of the wood
| H.
to $1,000 per acre, with enough wood
on it to more than nay for the land.
They sell ties of oak at 6S, 78 and 88
cents each; green pine is sold to the
pulp mills and brings five dollars per
cord delivered at the nearest station.
and even dead and fallen chestnut is
sold for $3.50 per cord to firm who
make an extract of it to be used in
dying. Improved land of course, sells
higher, according to Improvements and
nearness to market.
The lack of local markets is one
drawback we have here. The railroad
towns are usually very small, consist
ing Of one of two grocery stores,
hardware and general store. post
office in the store, depot, mill and
few houses: so everything we buy is
high, as all things must be shipped
in or out.
The farmers here produce no more
than they can consume and seldom
as much as that, because of their
! lack Of energy. They do not take
enough interest in their farm work
to try and improve the land. They
do not SOW clover or enough pastur-
age to keep stock. If farmer has
one or two cows that. is all he wants.
and he generally lets them roam all
over. Yet alfalfa and all other
legumes do well here.
The soil is generally red clay, with
red clay subsoil This soil is the
color of brick, and when in good con-
dition, works up very fine and mellow.
In some places we have grey loam,
with red clay subsoil. This grey
soil is little quicker and easier to
work than the red, though the red
loan is considered the stronger.
This part of the state produced an
excellent crop of corn last year. l
never saw corn grow as tall as it
does here. I saw it last fall fifteen