Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1848-09-30


want of affection do not that they deserve be blamed
The height Of Southern mans ambition is to be gentleman
in every particularin word thought and deed and be
perfect gentleman my opinion, to be Christian And
with regard the hospitality Of the weather.
classes in the South, only say that my experience
ought make very eloquent in their praise Not only
does the genuine feeling exist here, but Southern gentleman
gives such expression his feeling by his homeke treatment
of you, that be truly hopabe you might imagine had
been the principal study Of his life.
But the music Of mellow horn" is ringing in my ear,
and in hour from this time shall have thrown myself into
stage COACH and be my way the long and broad valley
Of Virginia.
TIE NAMELEss VALLEY, sarTH COUNTY, (yA)
JUNE 8, le48.
Since my last letter was written, my course Of travel has
led towards the founanhead Of the Hoston river whose
broad and highycuvated valley is bounded the north
west by the Cnch Mountans, and e southeast by the
Iron Mountains The agricultural and mineral advantages
Of this valley manifold and the and farms scattered
along the stageroad all present thriving and agreeable ap
peaanco. Along the bed of the Hoson agaes and
ans found in considerable abundance and though the
scenery Of its valley is merely beautiful know Of dis
ct in the world where and found in such
great numbers. zgzag tour along this valley alone will
take the traveller least dozen many of which
said be remarkably interesting. From my observa
ton, however, know nothing about them, and SO long
retain my passion for the revealed productions Of nature,
will leave the hidden to take Of themselves.
On reaching the pleasant little village ofAbngdon, in Wash
ngon county, friend informed that must not fail to
visit the salt works of Smyhe county did so and the fol-
lowing my of Saltvle, which is the proper
for the place in question Its site originally salt lick,
which immense herds Of elk, buffalo, and deer in the
- I'D I'll
privilege themselves and then occasional hunter
here his supplies, but the regular business Of transform
ing the into salt did until the year $780,
aye located the head of valley the base Of the
Clnch Mountains and about mile from the Hoson II
ver All the population Of the place, numbering perhaps
three hundred Inhabitants engaged in the manufacture Of
salt The here is said I've the strongest and pures
in the world When tested by saometer, graded for sau
ration twenty-five degrees ranges from twenty to TWEEN
ty-two degrees, and twenty gallons of water will yield one
bushel Of salt which weighs fifty pounds (and not tysx,
as at the Noh and sold at the rate of twenty cents per
bushe dollar and twenty cents per barrel The wa
brought from depth Of two hundred and twenty feet
by Of three atesan we which keep five furnaces
saltbock Of eightyour kettles each, in constant employ
men and produce about thousand bushels per day. The
is raised by of horse power, and twenty-five
constantly employed in supplying the furnaces with
wood The salt manufactured here is acknowledged to be
superior in quality that made the Kanawha, in this
State SYRACUSE in New York, bat the Northern esab
shmens by far the extensive. The section Of coun
try supplied from this quarter is chiefly composed Of Tonnes
see and Alabama generally speaking, there but ship
made during the year, which is in the spring. and by
means Of iaboais built expressly for the purpose dozen
or two Of these always ready business and when
the Holston swollen by eshet they loaded and
ned the earliest possible moment, and away the singing
boatmen go down the wild, winding and but pctu-
rescue stream, their desired havens The section Of
try supplied by the Kanawha is the northwest and the
SOUTH while Syracuse, Liverpool and Turks Island
supply the Atlantic seaboard. The Saltvle Of
TO be nexhausbe, and it is supposed would give
active employment to at least dozen furnaces As al
ready stated, the yielding wells somewhat two hum
dred feet deep but within stones throw Of these, other
wells have been sunk to the depth Of four FIVE and six hun
dred feet without obtaining particle Of the valuable liquid
The business of Savie carried on by private enterprise
altogether and the principal proprietor and director gem
eman who from that noble stock which has given
this country such as Patrick Henry and William H.
Preston am present the guest Of this gentleman. and
therefore refrain from giving his TO the public but
his plantation is decidedly the beautiful that have
in the whole Southern country, must be permitted give
particular description for the ed6csion Of my readers
nook OF great world nave
been permitted TO designate The Naess Valley and IL
succeed in merely enumerang its charming features and
sociatcns, feel confident that my letter will be read with
pleasure. Il is the centre Of domain comprising eight thou
sand Of land, which multitude Of bills that
all thrown in shadow the hour by the Cnch Noun
tans The valley in question is mile Ivy hree-quarters
Of mile wide and comprises exactly three hundred and
thy-thee acres Of green meadow land unbroken by sin
gle fence, but ornamented by about dozen isolated trees
composed Of at least half dozen varieties and the valley
waered by tiny stream Of the cleaest water. II is
peey surrounded with cone-ike hills which nearly all
highly cultivated half way up their Sides but crowned with
disdem Of the most luxuant forest little back Of
the bills skng the western side OF the valley, the pctu
resqueB broken Clnch Mountains whose every outline and
Cliff and 6ssue, and rsvne, may be distinctly from the
opposite side Of the valley, where the spacious and taeuy
portcoed mansion Of the proprietor located Clustering
Immediately around this dwelling, but to interrupt
the view number of very large Willows popars, and
em while the enclosed slope upon which stands is
ed with uxursnt grass here and there envened by stack
Of and other flowers The numerous ou,houses Of the
plantation little back Of the main building, and consist
Of neatly painted cabins occupied by the negroes belonging
the estate and numbering about one hundred souls then
the stables, where less than horses
daily supplied with food then have pasture the hill
side where thirty forty nightly congregac be
MIXED, and give suck to their calves and then have
mammoth spring, whose waters issue ont of the mountain