Free trader-journal and Ottawa fair dealer. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1920-1927, 1920-07-03
Virginia---A State of Old Memories
and New Future.
BY
GEORGE A. CROWDEN.
Editor of the Fair Dealer

For the past twenty years the pr,
priet0r of the old Fair Dealer ha
made many trips and has on each o,
casion let It's readers know OF IN.
ups and downs OF tho same /, ha,
been several years since the oppor
tunity has presented Itself 10 make
trip possible The consolidation al
the Fair Dealer and Ere Tradeg-J0ur
nal made il convenient this year and
hearing so much OF the golden opror
tunities that We're held out in the state
OF Virginia We decided TO take a triF
with the Meriner Land company ui
Streator In looking around for y
good partner 10 travel wish we found
A. l.. DutilelI of Fan River township
OF the same mind, ana accordingly We
left ottawa for Chicago Saturday att
erne0n, June ~. II j. lit.le ,ou,ua-
ing in N'hica~o In getting yuor rain
time Strengthened oat In The city tie
clocks have been set ahead one hour
and the dummy trains all ran On tue
Wilson-Thompson lime while the reg
ular and through trains s:ili ran on
Gods time.
We purchased tickets on lie bAlii
more ana Chic for Frederick sburg
Va. entered Pullman and raiirer
for the nigh Sunday morning when
we arose We found ourselves in Tho
smoky city OF Pittsburgh. ana from
there on ii was A most beautiful ride.
the scener. being all hat could be
expected We followed the Nouon
gahela river, the TRACK winding around
the side of the mountain. \, Nckces-
port was passed through the oil field
Of Pennsylvania, aAi it puf as ia
mind of the oil fields OF oklahoma. a.
hundreds Of oil towers could be seen
from the train.
At Connellaville it was interesting
TO see the coke furnaces where the
coal is mined aud instead OF being
placed on the market a. coal ii j.
dumped into the small kilns or fur
naces which are built side by each
along the side of the hills. some
strings Of furnaces being a mile long
After the coal is placed in the coke
kilns the gases are burned from it. he
coke removed and placed on the
market.
Down Mountain Stcpe7.
AT Myers vile We started down tho
eastern slope and through tae Blue
Ridge mountains. Many places along
the line the curves were SO sharp thati
we could see the engine and rrsri
coach while seated in our coach. A.
Harper's Ferry we could see the noun,
tains Of three states-LoudOr Heights
in Virginia, Bolivar Heights in Nos
Virginia on the south side Of he
., Ia, Iyt
land Near the depot at Harper
Ferry stood a monument which hac
engraved upon it John Brown For,
which marks the spot Upon which
stood the home of John Brown at tle
beginning Of his Instruction From
here we followed the Shenandoah
river and the Chesapeake and Ohio
canal. which is still being used in the
old style--the toWpath and drawing
their large boats by mules. three TO-
a boat in tandem style Arriving At
Washington an hour late, ii was uece4 .
sary to wait until O'Clock TO get q F.
train to Fredericksburg but this city
was finally reacAe1 at 9;4j Sunday
night
Roads in Fine Condition.
A heavy rain fell Sunday afternoon
and night but that did not Keep Us /
from riding all day Monday in autos I
to see the farm lands, az the gravel 7
roads in Virginia aer as level as orr .
concrete roads N Illinois They sure
know how to build road in This coun-
try. California ranks first in the I
largest per cent CT hard roads. Mary
land second and Virginia fourth We
drove onto the farm Cf Lee J. Graves
who operates 600 acres and in euum-
Grating what he took from this farm
last year in corn, wheat, oats hay,I
turnip seed. stock, potatoes, fruit, hut
ter eggs, chickens, etc, we learned
ii was nearly $4,000 and this farm
could not be purchased for $500 per
acre
We had a very pleasant visit at the
home Of r. II, puryis, the head Of
the Great Eastern Land conpany. Nho
operates / 600 acres In the front
yard of this home stands a m0numen,
which has inscribed upon it The spot
where stood General Burnaidc's head
quarters flagstaff Dee. ll-i3, 1862 Mr..
Purvis is sure one prince OF a gentle
man and there is no limit to hi5 hos
pitality
We met Tom Basilion, who formerly
conducted an leo cream parlor ia
Streator, now running a farm OF a,
acres which he purchased less than
year ago and has refused prof;
OF 500. 900 on this land
Visit Grand Ridge Family.
We had a nice visit with William