perk afcest Ore is co ne live hebut: Old mate ont es long ns, sore TS. One es is, the walking nstances Peebles Ith-she to stop € matter, d. She ntertain T: springs cond of s sitting no other son and dcat ady had i was to lly ever ders. es per helys But r. cont hepart o per n.com gs 01 ngl er h. ne to er ment breed 10 n. ed doze ne darte at commences. This part of Virginia exports cattle, horses, sheep, whiskey, bacon, sugar, tobacco, cheese, wool, beeswax, feathers, tallow, poultry, hemp, ginseng. Of these articles ginseng, cattle and butter, greatly exceed the others. Greenbriar breeds great numbers of horses and cattle. These horses are remarkable both for beauty and size; they deserve much credit for the improvement they have made within a few years past in the breed of horses. I remember when there were not a dozen horses that could be called handsome in the whole bounds. They likewise take great pains in the art of rearing cattle, to which their soil is favorable, it being better adapted to grass than grain. They furnish the Baltimore, Philadelphia and Washington markets with beef. Their land is fertile, and, though unfavorable to the growth of some things, produces from thirty to forty bushels of wheat to the acre; the best wheat grows iderable on the top of the Alleghany mountain. The inhabitants isburg,) do not take their produce to market; they barter it to coffee, the merchants, who (except the live stock) waggon it todiately. to Philadelphia principally. They have, however, derig ready rived little advantage from commerce; compelled to take man's just what the merchants please to give them. Their ee what peltry trade heretofore has been valuable, and ought to dead in town in feath ticles and e room. stepped ore she oor, and bei breaththeer,) the wiles from blet ong befor vise was 00 do the of then perfect health, so far as was recollected. Many instan- Just pel * The thermometer has been as high in summer as 93, and as low in winter as 5 below zero. of have yielded an immense profit; but from their want commercial knowledge, they always have been and still continue the dupes of the merchants. From every thing I have seen of this people, they lack every requisite essential for commercial purposes. They are without capital, system, or enterprise, nor do they seem ambitious of either. If their sons can get a fine horse and saddle, a fine broadcloth coat, and their daughters a fine dress and bonnet, to show out at preaching on Sunday, (which is probably attended with no bet ter consequence,) it is the heighth of their ambition. If their wives can succeed in converting their butter, cheese, wool, and feathers (their exclusive perquisite,) into as much coffee, tea, sugar, and other frippery, as will serve them the year, the farmer is content. The most of them make sugar enough from the maple, or sugar tree, (as it is called here,) for their own consumption, and many of them make it for market. The numerous mineral springs in these counties afford the people a good market for produce; thousands of visitors attend these springs during the summer months. This would be a great advantage to the inhabitants, were it not for the pernicious consequences which result from it. Those who visit those watering places, are people of the first rank in the United States; they are people of fashion and taste, as well as great wealth; they are mostly from the sea-ports, and great towns, who escape to this pure region during the sickly season. Would these yeomanry be contented with their money, and have no more to do with them, they would still be happy, and realize the advantage. But they, forsooth, must adopt their fashions; the young men must have just such coats, hats, and vests, they must have fine ruffled shirts, two or three per week; the ruffle must be an eighth of a yard deep, of the finest linen cambric, because the gentlemen at the Springs have them so. They must have a fine horse and saddle, with deep pla-kind ted stirrups; they must have fine boots and spurs, whip and gloves; though, perhaps, their father never had a glove on in his life. And what must our young fop do now? He is too fine to work, to be sure; what would The do smok crap ed a or fo ruff, must have 66 pru dle, a broth carria try is servar sists t what fine! whose " seats they a tion. ple are manne which ignora the va sense, But th count willing Gen remari does tent, i: almost lected. a are th mestic. lies, h rsooth, Ge mar re just ruffled Des be an nic, be General Character.-The people of these counties are remarkable for moral and inoffensive manners: there does not exist a country, which embraces an equal extent, in which fewer crimes are committed. Murder is almost unknown; but two instances of murder are recollected, and so of every other crime. They are very p pla-kind and hospitable to strangers, and of all people they Tod whip றம் m so. cle are the least suspicious. Their females are very do- 7 WEST VIRGINIA. 73 66 he do, but get on his fine horse and ride about, and rea had a esfop do est would ble ones. Some of the old men, and a few of the young ones, (if I am not mistaken,) love to drink whiskey; this to be sure is a growing evil, and a very serious one.The following anecdote may serve to illustrate the char acter of these people.-"Three gentlemen from East Virginia, travelling to the springs, missed their way and were lost in the mountains. The name of a mountain, which neither had ever seen, made the hair rise on their heads; but to be lost on one was dreadful. After rid. ing a few miles, they heard the sound of an axe. They therefore made up to the sound, and soon discovered the wood-cutter to be a white man, which they had expected to find black. They told him their business and their misfortune, and asked the favour of him to give the necessary directions for regaining the road. He looked at them for a minute, and laying down his axe, without speaking a word, beckoned them to follow him. His readiness in quitting his work without a stipulated re ward, alarmed them very much, for now they are to be robbed undoubtedly-each one concluding that he could intend no other than to betray them. They thanked him, and said they would not trouble him so far-they would take directions. He insisted, and set off cheerfully as was natural to expect, he walked before, which gave to their fears considerable relief, as they would have the better opportunity of defending themselves, in case of an attack from robbers, which they expected to see jump out of the bushes every moment. They were well armed, each having a brace of pistols, besides a dirk. They drew out their pistols, primed them afresh, examined the flints, and awaited their fate-when at length they found themselves safe in the road! But what was their astonishment, when, upon offering him a dollar, he refused it with disdain. Thus were these sous of courage put to the blush for their mean suspicion, by Blues this generous mountaineer. This trait may be applied to the whole community: you could not offer them a greater insult than to attempt to reward them for any trifling service. These men related this anecdote to me, and added, that nothing surprised them more than his refusing their bounty that had they offered Afty mount they near Thost and G cents it wi nego Fina set a Fu The unev ged rocks grass of go on th the us and with from some cross vario most easily it imp howe viz. Sult ! Moun called Caldw of the comp дреси lions for co pected d their he ne looked vithout His ed re e to be e could anked -they cheer.which would ves, in cted to y were sides afresh, hen at ! But him a se sons leon, by pplied them a JO O for any lote to Ore than d fifty cents to one of their peasants, he would have received Face of the Country and spontaneous Productions.The face of the country, as heretofore observed, is very uneven. Great part of it is covered with high and rugged mountains, some of which are nothing but barren rocks, and others are clothed with timber and luxuriant grass. On the north side of these mountains, some spots of good land are found; but this is rare. The timber on the north side differs from that on the south; that on the north being mostly stunted black oak. poplar, birch, and dog-wood, while that on the south is pitch-pine, with scarcely an exception. Their general course is from north-east to south-west, but it is difficult to tell, in some places, what course they run, as they represent a cross and pile figure, as though it were not only one, but various mountains piled on each other. This being the most mountainous part of the United States, (which may easily be distinguished on the maps,) they have found it impossible to give names to the whole. Most of them, however, are comprehended under the following names, viz. the Alleghany, (which is by far the lowest,) the Salt Pond Mountain, the Cove Mountain, Herbert's Mountain, the Great or Middle Mountain, (by some called Price's Mountain,) the Sweet Spring Mountain, Caldwell's Mountain, and Catawba Mountain. These mountains take different names, in each direction, as they recede from a given point. All this groupe lie near to each other, and are east of the Alleghany.Those which lie west of it are Muddy Creek Mountain, Bluestone Mountain, Meadow Mountain, Suel Mountain, and Gauley Mountain. The mountains which lie east of the Alleghany were taken up sometime since by a company, surveyed, and sold to another company of speculators, who disposed of them to Europeans. Millions of acres were sold to these unsuspecting people, for considerable sums, which are not worth one cent. |