The New York herald., 1850-09-17
Our Lebanon Correspondence.
LEBANON, September |, 1850. n
The Scenery of lie sjanon Springs.

The Scenery of Lebanon Springs
Around this charming and quiet spot, natsre
seems to have lavished all her embellishments
All that painters GEEK for TO adorn their works Of
art all that the poet images to his fancy when ne
is pouring forth his inspired musings; all that the
naturalist finds in his books or collections and all
that he roams the fields, and rocks and mounta aims
10 study all that is grand and picturesque in
mountain, vale, lake, stream, forest, grove, sun
nse and sunset skies, is here clustered. Columbia
Hall stands on the southern slope OF q wild h
which leoks down upon the valley as it opeas on
the southwest In the distance, the view is termi-
mated by gently rising hills crowned with verdure,
and dotted with habitations to their SUBMITS
while above them in the distance, rise, in success
sion, the blue heights Of distant mountains Lmpid
streams are winding in all directions through the
valley There are thousand alterations Of lawn,
and wood. aud waving grain, and rustline corn,
and broad, shadowy elIns, and round apple trees,
slim Poplars, weeping willows, tufted clumps OF
oaks, pines, beeches, and sycamores. The whole
vale Is garden landscape and II il had been laid
out and embellished by the genius Of Claude Lor-
raine, il could not in it's ever varying diversity,
have blended more sweetly the graces aud the
beauties ef mountain scenery. The sunsets are
rich and gorgeous, and the idle gazer may spend
the whole day in watching the lengtheninR and
shortening shaoows cast by the tall trees upon the
green Meadow, with ten thousand feecy clouds
chasing each others picture shadows through the
valley; and es the sun goes TO his setting, all the
hues for which art has a name, but which painters
never can equal, are pictured along the mountain
sides, as they gently drif their shadows along tn.
valley.
up the mineral spring which has gained so much
celebrity. Long before the soltsdes of this noun
tain district had been disturbed by the European
adveniurer, the Indian tribes from the valley Of the
-.
requentcd the spring for the benefit Of its he alng
water Many has been the worn cheftain, gray
with the frosts Of a hundred winters, who came,
after his wars and conquests with rival tribes, 10
repose himself. and seek the restoration which the
ancients described when, in those abled fountains
the aged baihed themselves into youth, and the
young acquired ihe secret OF perpetual vigor The
Tring, however, did not become popular or we'll
known resort till towards the close of the last CEN
tury. II then began to be frequented chiefly by
gentlemen from the South, particularly from Caro-
lima; and they were m the habit Of comm Z 10 this
SPOT in their carriage, consuming two or three
weeks IN the journey, and passing three or four
months before their return. The Sumpters, the
Hamiltons, and the Moulires, have left their names
here, and some ef them their asher On a green
knoll, about half mile down the valley from the
Hall, is been the tomb Of Mrs. General Haniltou,
of South Caroline, whose Inscription tells us that
she died az the springs in the fall of lS03
On my frs, visit TO this holy place. where all
around are srewn the texts
Which teach the rustic morSist to de
J found this tombstone, which is large Fat
slab, that had gradually slid from its pedestal,
until Il was completely prostrate Ii was CRATE
ful privilege 20 restore u 10 its place, and hope
that some more durable memorial will be placed
over the dust Of that noble woman. know little
OF her hisiory but her tomb is suggestive of many
touching reflections, aside from her own peculiar
character There is nothing that goes 10 the heArt
more soft tenderly than the tomb Of one who died
amidst strangers, Ear from home. When we stand
ny such grave, we recall, unbidaen the knd but
n ournful parting words ofthe Orienials whel they
From ali directions, on the south, east, and west,
the hall is visible but, probably, the most charac-
teTistic view is som the southern hill, half mile
distant This is the we would choose for an Illus
tration. The spectator perceyes that IL is a vast
pile of buildings, commanding from is different
sides distinct views of every portion Of the scenery
The most prominent feature IN the hall ID the new
portion, which is ornamented with Greek poriic 1ss
From no portion Of the hills, perhaps ia the view
90 broad and beautiful as meets the eye of the
guest in the morning OF evening walk along these
great porticoes. The grand saloon is a vast and
beautiful room, Of chasie proportions, aftis;ically
tmbellished with iresco paintings Over the
srTing stands the magnificent sycamore, which has
been famous for many years. IL is one OF the no
blest Of that nobes species ot tree, and s hisery
is curious. Nearly century ago, traveller who
rode UP on horseback to spend day at the springs
stuck his riding.stick into the bank of the spring.
and now IL lifts its immense branches 80 feet into
the heavens, and spreads iis glorious shadow for
two or three hundred feet over the building. From
sonne cause which seems to have eluded the com
prehension Of naturaliss, during the last few years
al the sycemores in the niied states seem IN be
dising. For two years now, do not remember 10
have seen one that not in some stage Of de- |
cay. ltis 80 in every State in the Union, and in
the most distant territories of the continent But
this Tree shows no symptom Of death. no sign OF