Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1853-12-14

Tls Virginia aud fsAles-es etaIload
Southwest

Through the politeneSs Of the President OF
the Virginia aud tennessee Railroad Company,
we hal The pleasure OF accompanying the mem
beers ri the Directory IN their rceht visit ot M
speesim along the line of the road from this city
to Tennes &c. The pressure an our columns du-
ring the last week, of Messages and other i'm
portant documents. with legislative proceedings.
has prevented an earlier notiec IT the excursion,
which. to Us. "A comparative stranger to The nj
ra.inantnne section Of the State, was one # the
liveliest interest. But in abiding t. II now, we
do So a. a matter If information regarding the
railromi-our great artery OF Saafh-H estcru
aud southern trade. The persuasion is not in
luleea. TINT We sliali be nile 10 inpart 10 the
reader any degree n the general interest which
WE have felt. Though reuiis aIpcars ilnt' beside
thu opportunity uI rsed ta oa.rrse the location
Of the IA lroad aud the progress of The work al"h
it, a visit Ia the heantfui southwest during a
season 80 inviting as that vli eli la just passed.
would afitself possess atirnet en~ fer npt-e'cn
the most p%leiho-io Of city Aldermen.
The Iiac IF The n iroad. viewed ia il whole
extent. fro. lii city ~ + ne SER. la~-es oit'n
thro hat -el, lat 4 ea atna ber, enr oi
he - fc Ia and 5ea ia r.a'1#" #tfEn-
ia at OF .hr Gnioa. Il.erc iZcorcelY -
proslne ct tla docs not plea-e. Wherever The
forest la /. en- elcnrpd-aud Int little If It, com
paruieelv. on the mai soatl Western raod'
i. ta1ding--eridenees Of n "a nriout Veg
#ef4t "a are 10 e#se,uZA And whilst the
eye If the rtycoef -cnr Y ever fe~ts,aS Ih
lid Virginia, upon Lac was' aud siorit'Y con
srquent on neglect, hi spirits are lnsensiniy
bowed by IL, uns, rrassed ife lines aud ralu-
brity Of the atmosphere,
From Lyncbhurg through Bedford county, the
road sweeps through the romantic Piedmont ha-
sin. formed hy the Blue Ridge aud its otter
Peaks. 10 the intersection ot tn mountain
range in its southern bearing between the latter
county and Roanoke. Beyond thi~ point, seen
a. it Is in many places, in lis repor', a. though
wreathed upon the Blossoms nt successive m"nn-
tains, II presents a scenic panorama strltlngly
wild and beautiful. This is particularly the onoo
in its twelve miles ascent, from Big spring along
the cliffs and mountains on lie North side OF the
Valley of the Roanokc, to thc summit range of
the Alleghauy.
In continuation, descending through Montgom-
cry county. its course is through n broken but
highly productive country, a few miles South OF
and parallel with the Brush Mountain, somewhat
celebrated for its immense eonl lields, Ia New
River, up and along the wild and picturesque
banks of which it runs for "A few miles before
crossing. Thence 10 the Tennessee line, through
the counties of Pulaski. NTthc, snythe and
Washington. the soil Qimestonc,) and general
features Of the country urc mlcl1o of ths sm.o
charaeter-agreeubly diversified with "A sarl-
ed scenery of mountains aud dark elen,-tar re-
eoding meadows and grassy, sunny SLOPES, MI M
stinct with riehnoss.und lulIod Y tie sojcings Of
streums, sufficient, IN number and power, Ia drive
the manufacturing machinery 81 the world,
Much has been said, aud much hos been writ
ten of the wealth, agricultural and mineral, to be
developed in the Soutl-wcst. Bat much remains
to he said. A. "a Thule, shut ont by distance
within its mountain harrier- from the principal
thoroughfarcs of commerce, il is zen now one
of Tie fa,rest aud richest districts Of Virginia.
The average price of lis lands for some
years has been higher than ON tins side Of the
mountains. The fact is owing moi only to their
being newer aud uneahau,ted, but generally to
their better natural qualities. They hUro further
advanced fully twenty five. lp,rlups dil1) per
cent ntoye the general advance Of lands N the
state, under the influence # anticipated beuc-
fit, from the railroad. such, Wc say, i, nj pres
ent the South west, agrculturHlly. What must II
be, and how prolific the stream q wealth that will
thence pour eastwafdly 10 the great ocean of
commerce., when her mountain hurlieF~ slali Lc
letoled, und.aiih be products If the piot gil, her
Treasures Of ron and coul, leaJ, plaster and salt,
unlocked by the magic power of steam, shall be
together croWdc in eAhaastle,> ~prefu>ion upon
tie iron channel that will soon be opened for
them.
There Is no where on earth, we believe, "a eoon-
try by nature 50 muniiieently blessed. Peun~yl-
yauiu has her iron and coal deposits, but they lie
in distinct localities, aud benea h Il sterile soil,
The same fact is applicable TO the mineral
sections of England, Wales and Scotland. The
gold of California, wher nature has denied the
husbandman his seasons for planting time and
harvest. like the rapid streams in whose beds it
is found. must ever flow away, 70 mingle else
where with those more material elements of
wealth, as the representative of which it is main-
ly valuable. Here, however, nearly all of the
minerals mentioned are found IN the same coun-
ty-in places tome of them almost minglo on the
same farm and beneath a soil as ricG a. that
which supplies the haryests of Egypt. \ re-
markable instance of this fact is presented in
what has been called the " Nameless Valley, &"
and Smythe counties. The Valley. whose ma
tural beauty is such that a Rasselas would
scarcely desire a loyelier abiding place, is about
eight miles from the railroad and rivals in pro-
Effectiveness the banks of the Nile. The salt