The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1845-06-30
Notes or a Flying Trip 10 Virginia.
Correspondence of the HERALD


Ferry and Winchester Rairoad-VIginia La
dies--1he Crops-Mouatain Scenery Shannon
dale Sprlngs-H@per's Fsny-U. s. Armory-
Maryland IVheat Rcgios-1Ae Desert Of Mary
land, and its Peculiarities, &c. &c.
Some days ago we wrote you the flying observa-
tons OF run up into Virginia, from. Alexandria,
across into the Great Valley; we now sit down to
give you the jottings of our return trip down the
Valley, via Harper's Ferry and Baltimore
Winchester is busting, active place, of about
four thousand population-the terminus of the rail-
road from Baltimore and the depot by the beautiful
turnpike of the most beautiful valley in the world
OF the agricultural products of that valley from
Staunton, drawn a distance OF one hundred miles
and also of large scope OF country extending
backward over the mountains to the westward
is high and fashionable many beautiful girls
there; great number Of pianos, and quite
fair proportion of idle young lawyers, doctors,
ana gay young gensmsn 81 81 n The
valley there is great reformation and renovation in
progress From thousand to fifteen hundred bar
res OF Hour, with great variety OF other products,
are daily sent down fronfths depot to Baltimore
This is the trade which thirty years since made
Alexandria the third commercial city (next to Phi
ladephia) IN the Union. This trade has been gra-
dualy diverted to Baltimore until that city has
cured the mouopoly and much Of the rapid growth
OF Baltimore OF late years, and all of the decline of
Alexandria, are attributable to the gain and loss Of
the inland trade OF the great valley. Ten years ago,
that foolish aqueduct across the Potomac at George
town, In order to carry the Chesapeake and Ohio
Canal to their town along the margin Of broad ma
Wig ible river, and thus secure the coal trade from
Cumberland-ten years ago, instead of this absurd
enterprise, had they run railroad across the coun-
| try some seventy miles to Winchester, Alexandria
would at this moment be a fourishing commercial
entrepot. Evenyet it would be an advantage to the
| cfoft III, .Iva ,,Ax che
| Great Valley That expected coal trade wilturn
out failure-Banmore has it already-tons upon
tons of that good coal are brought in those iron
boxes from Cumberland via the railroad to this lat
being capable tor the transportation OF heavy freight
there is no weight superior to the strength Of To-
comotIye. a good stout locomotive would pull the
and Cumberland could furnish the iron and coal; and
Baltimore has the enterprise to undertake the job
by contract. The Erie Canal will do, because it in
York State-but elsewhere they are out of date-too
slow and sicky even for the transportation of salt and
plaster. The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, great
work OF enterprise and ar-a curiosity as suchwhen
we consider the mountainous region through which
| II is carrled-was commenced at the wrong era for
success The iron horse defes competition He
can't be beaten, tired down, overtaken. He must
go ahead: Give him plenty Of boiling water, hot
Goals and lard oil, and he will bring down the
tents OF coal mine at single trip. But we
branching off rather too largely; let us come down
| to the matter in hand
Left Winchester Yesterday via the Harper's
Ferry Railroad for Baltimore. There was a
| group of beautiful girls board--beautful
and delicious to the eye ripe cluster of Isabella
grapes-fair specimens of the choice stock of the
valley. 1t occupied us some two hours in making
the thirty miles to the ferry, although from the re-
cent Improvement of the road, and the running gear
of the trains, they make this distance in short
err time when required. One other thing would
perhaps be an advantage to the company--a reduc-
ton OF the fare, so as to make 1t inducemept OF
itself for travellers to take this route to the Springs
The crops were most acknowledgements of acres
of wheat on either hand of the first quality and
quantity were awaiting the reaper, and the reaper
was only waiting for the subsistence of the rain.
The mountain scenery OF the Blue Ridge, sprink-
led all over with tavors up to its very top, and vis
bic for fifty miles, as il stretched away up the
curtains it, if some invisible agency had lift
ed the veil to show you the landscape, was most
glorious to behold. God Almighty has left the i'm
press Of beauty Of light and shade, of magniicence
and grandeur, all along those glorious boundaries OF
the Great Valley. Gods what noble country is
ours 1t is great country, sir and we great
people and when we are equal to the country we
shall still be greater than we are. Let man travel
through the Valley OF Virginia, and he will feel his
religion his patriotism, his love for man. and for
woman, too, God bless her, boiling up within him,
like the sparkles in glass of champagne. Allah
bismillah! glory to God!
Passed near the Shannondale Springs which,
bounded on one side by broad, picturesque and
fresh water river, and on the other with the lofty
Blue Ridge is the very region tor the hunters Of ro
nance, health, love, and matrlmony. AT Harper's
Ferry, with friend, we climbed upon JefTerson's
rock, above the town. sort of trap rock, elevated
like centre table on one leg, and literally covered
with names chiselled or scratched upon it
Here is the spot whence Jefferson is supposed to
have taken his view Of the junction of the
Shenandoah and Potomac, and their rup-
ture of the mountains, when he wrote his description
of the scene MS worthy OF trip across the Atlantic.
Now, the fact is, the scene is rather flat and tame,
and is artlcuarly just now, when there is rarely
water enough in the two rivers to cover their rocky
beds. The mountains are here low and covered
with shrnbbery and trees, and the whole concern
looks if the two streams had crept down to this
natural passage by accident, rather than with the
preconcerted understanding of forcing passage
We could name twenty spots farther up the country
at Harper's Ferry Yet, it is good picture, though
Jefferson has undoubtedly overcoored it, perhaps
it has been spoiled by the engines the furnaces, the
machinery, and the hammers clamors, din and
smoke OF the United States Armory in the neck of
the two streams Nine-tentis Of the travelling pub
lie think that the fame of Harper's Ferry not from
its bold natural composition OF mountains and rvers
but from Uncle Sans mandatory of small arms
and the three hundred men he has there employed.
The train for Cumberland from Baltimore arriv-
ing we met coming ashore to dinner, among other
friends from the East, Col James w. Breedove, of
La, and Major Flennikin, of Western PENNSYLVANIA
Both appeared to be satisfied that the administration
was getting on smoothly, from which we infer that
these two gentlemen have gone home with the pro-
mise OF a custard We also encountered Captain
Watson, of Washington, who had been up into the
Valley on bridal excursion, and who, though not a
handsome man. is decidedly popular with the ladies'
With the arrival of the train from Cumberland, for
which we were waiting, we had the pleasure Of
meeting Gen. McCala, one of the coon hunters of
Kentucky IN the late campaign, now second Audi
tor of the United States Treasury or Auditor of the
War Department. lie was fresh from the neighbor-
hood OF Ashland in kentucky, but said he regretted
he had not time to call upon Mr.. Clay
Lett HarpersFerry with the large train and access
sion Of passengers from the West. Seats made ex-
pressly for comor-even the ladies' sleeping as snug
y in them as upon the sofa in the parlor at home
Penetrated into the fine wheat region of Frederick
county, Maryland. Crops equal to the products of
Boys at stoppage brought us back-heart cherries,
strung upon stick SO as to resemble large
hun "a litAlo haaL