The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1839-09-11

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT SPRINGS.
used the word Creole In my last letter when
speaking Of Southern lady. Many persons, in.
GLIDING even some photographers, are under a mis-
apprehension as TO the meaning Of the word II have
no doubl some were quite shocked 10 hear Creole"
called lady" professed Johnsonian dictionary
constituting part of the Treasury Of Knowledge"
published In New York, defines Creole, " the Off
spring or black and While parents 10 the Yves, In
dies, and this Is the common understanding Of the
word In the North But with great Difference to the
American photographer and 10 the Democracy Of
numbers" lnus take the liberty OF alleging this 10
be very great mistake. Creole happens 10 be a
French word meaning " descendant Of an European
born in America" large pari Of the population
OF Louisiana being OF French descent This word Is
generally used in the South as descriptive OF that
class of our citizens. The word "mRlatto" Is used
10 describe the "ofispripg Of black and white pa
rents
We ieft the White Sulphur at o'clock In the
morning, and drove to Cailaghans 10 breakfast Of
fried chickens. Thence, directing our course TO The
East we climbed over spur Of the Allegheny,
which afforded US some more fine views, and ran
down the hills to Jacksons river tributary to the
James, soon aller crossing which, we entered the
lils village Of Covingon, the terminus OF the
james River Improvement"
This improvement is one Of great importance TO
Virginia, and coniempates the connection, by rail-
road and canal, Of the James River and Kenawha.
The canal Is to be constructed from Richmond to
Covngton distance, we believe, OF 100 miles
The Improvement is 10 connect with the Ohio river
by railroad from Coyingtoh to Charleston, on the
Kenawha, whence the Kenawha will be made nayi-
gable to its mouth. The original subscription to
this work, which believe was three millions, has
been sometime exhausted, and the canal is not yet
completed TO Lynchburg.
The Legislature authorized loan Tor the prose-
cution Of this work, but money has been raised.
The State Is poor, Its income being liue over half
ambition year. and strange to say, there Is in add
ton, an anti-improvement party in the State, COM
posed OF persons probably who live In section
where such improvements cannot practically be
made, and who are for that reason opposed 10 the
undertaking Of any, even where they can be made
70 great advanlsge lis also embarrassed by dread
fp apprehension very prevalent among the people,
~ the danger Of getting the State into debt An
CHER obstruction Is, an eiernaly talking, never act
lfg, set Of Aaiy-splaters, who will waste as much
dme and money 10 disputing about abstraction
you'd half unfold the energies Of the State Thus
awork is impeded, which, every body ought to see
you'd give Virginia almost any amount Of the trade
with the Western States she might desire, and TO
which her geographical situation would seem natu-
rally TO entille her. The policy Of an Improvement
which should connect The Atlantic and the Ohio by
line through the centre Of Virginia, which should
open 70 Richmond channel of trade accessible 10
lthe West month earlier Than the Erie Canal and
the Lakes and which should give to precedence,
lin point of time, distance, and convenience over
any communication the West may make with New
York, Philadelphia, or Baltimore, especially, too,
when viewed in connection with the vast undevelop-
81 resources Of the State is 50 obviously sound ex-
pedien and practicable that il Is matter Of passing
wonder to me that every energy OF the State should
not be brought Immediately and efficiently TO bear
upon It's accomplishment
Passing along the picturesque scenery Of jack
sons River, we reach remarkable place called the
Forge. BY some strange CONFUSION, lofty noun
tain Of rocks seems to have been rent asunder just
sufficiently 10 admit the passage of this stream On
one side, the rocks form almost vertical wall Of
Immense height, and the other there is just room
for the road upon the margin of the stream, and
some one has found roost in one nook for a
lille furnace for smelling the iron found in the
neighborhood A little below this gorge is long
bridge across the stream, and few rods further
excellent tavern kept by Kaiser, who gave us the
most bountiiu dinner We had seen for MONTH
The view up the stream, including The bridge the
furnace, the gorge, the towering rocks Of various
fanciful shapes, the river the green trees upon its
humble margin, the mountains seen in the distance
through the gorge, Is Of extreme beauty worthy
or the pencil and the burine. One remarkable fact,
occurring frequently on this river, would arrest the
particular attention of geologist. The strata Of
rock at and below the Forge are arehed-some of
them describe slight curve terminating at the
Top of peak-oihers describe nearly half cir
Gle, forming perfect arch, Of which the apparent
level Of the stream is the diameter. AT one place,
gentleman ID the stage pointed out the ruins Of
tie. The resemblance was so striking that we were
completely deceived until our approach dispeled
the illusion. Imagine perpendicular wall 200 feet
high
Below there does cave extend,
Wherein there is SO dark grot,
That should the Sun himself descend
think he could not see a iot."
Over this sprung perfect arches of rocky strata
and on the top OF the arch stands palisade whose
irregular turrets are crowned with moss and ivy
here and there block Of stone has fallen out, and
you may easily fancy the place II occupied port
hole. How easy to Imagine the whole TO be old
ruined castle walls il we could have supposed any
body foolish enough to build such castle in this
country! But how were these arched strata formed
That's the question!
Not far from these scenes you also observe en-
bankments Of pyritous slate out Of which protrude
large dark nodules Of a spheroida shape. What
do they mean 7 Tell us that. On the sides Of The
precipices you also observe sreaks Of copperas mat
ter. and We were Informed thai some of the farma-
tons are 50 strongly mprsgnated with alum, sui
phur iron &C., that the people in their vicinity, by
putting fragments in the water, suppose they gel The
virtue and favor of the Spa water, and derive its
benefits without its expense.