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Letters to the Mayfield Messenger dated: July 19, 1919 / July 22, 1919 / August 5, 1919
Richmond, Va., July 27, 1919
Hello, Mr. Messenger:
Here we are again. We layed over in Wilmington, Del. a few days on account of rains and washouts. Wilmington you know, is the home of DuPonts Powder Mills, Hog Island etc., has a population of 100,000, is a dirty old delapidated town, ... and is as slumy as east New York city. Delaware has not much farming country. We went from Wilmington to Baltimore. It has a population of about 1,000,000 and is very much conjested, more people to the square inch than any place we have seen, although it is the prettiest brick city on our route. The buildings are built right up against the sidewalk and the whole block is solid and the only way to get in is through the front door or back alley. We went from there to Annapolis, the state capital, and here we saw many things of an antique nature. The capital is a small building, but what it lacks in size it makes up in antiquity. We stood on the very spot in this building, marked by copper plate, where Washington stood when he resigned his commission as commander in chief of the Continental army December 23, 1783. We also saw pictures of John Paul Jones, made 15 years after his death, and his features were so well preserved that his picture was very natural. Went through the naval academy, the largest in the world; also ?? hall, the largest building in the world, containing 2,800 rooms and over five miles of corridors. The wireless station is 625 feet high and many other points of interest which I cannot mention. From Annapolis, we went through Maryland to Washington. Maryland is traversed with many streams, both natural and artificial. Central Maryland is fairly good farming country, with land ranging from $100 to $200 per acre, but all the wheat was badly sprouted. Western Maryland was low and boggy. Not much crops. Washington is a regular park city; most all residential, not much manufacturing. Went through national buildings, by special guide, and enjoyed the sights and history very much.
From Washington we went to Richmond, Va., passed Arlington and made a special visit to Mt. Vernon and this was one of the most interesting points we have seen since leaving home on June 27, It puts a sort of somber feeling on you to go through these old premises and have the conductor relate the past history connected with them. There is the ancient furniture, the tall old clock, the big 8-foot fireplace, the bed on which Washington died and many other things.
The country from Washington to Richmond is very poor and so are the people, mostly negroes. Lots of houses vacated on account of non support by the land, which is hilly and covered with scrubby pine and bushes. Old-time houses 1 1/2 stories high, no paint and no front porches, but as you near Richmond the land is better. You can judge any country by its cars, for when you see all Fords, you may know the people are not very prosperous. We passed many churches Sunday and we saw from one to three Ford cars and the rest were buggies.
On the way from Annapolis to Washington we passed mile posts of the old Mason Dixon line, also the monument at Goldbridge where the first United States flag was unfurled. Richmond is ?? quiet old town, ? and sanitary, but ... and not much to arouse our interest. After seeing so many other states, Virginia seems way behind. All burn wood and still maintain rail fences. We go from here to Farmville, Lynchburg, Roanoke, through West Virginia into Kentucky and home. Speedometer reads 2,747 by land and 300 by water and 266 by other appliances, making?,347 miles on 125 gallons of gas.
Yours,
Articles provided by Wayne Youngblood, copied from the Mayfield Messenger Newspaper, Mayfield, KY and transcribed by Nancy Greer, e-mail: ngreer@wk.net