Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1853-12-31
THE CHEAT RIVER, VIRGINIA.
roR THE NATIONAL ISrELIregycER.

PoE THE NATIONAL INTELLIGRScER.
In Harpers Magazine for December there is very in
terestng article on the subject Of the scenery of this
river The sketches by frstrate artist, and the
description, if by the hand proves that he welds
the pen with as much skill the pencil Few imagined
we had near SO great wonder of.nature the falls
of the black fork of Cheat river which descend five
six hundred feet in number Of successive leaps and
as great curiosity as the falls Of Tequendama in South
America The whole of the Allegheny range, Georgia,
contains remarkable scenery and mountains afford
finer subjects for tourist and artist Correa de Serra
called the Cherokee country the Tuscany of America
There is very remarkable fall in Habersham county,
which believe has never been described.
The country the Cheat river, which contains the
Falls Black Fork, is almost wilderness. There is
district Of at least forty miles by twenty in Randolph
county inhabited only by BEARS deer, and other wild
animals. informed it belongs to the Randolph ia
miy and may be shortly brought into market by sales
for taxes part Of it is beautiful country formed by
the streams which descend the slopes Of the Allegheny
mountains TO the river. The magnificent timber, chiefly
white oak important in Western steamboat building,
directly from the Cheat river 1t abounds in coal
and iron The Monongahela at Morgantown, divides
the river which retains the name coming from the south
the other the Cheat which is the min sem retains the
general course passing through snguarly picturesque
mountain region yet with much fertile land well adap-
ted to cultivation The character Of s picturesque
merry is well known here. Two Of our native artists,
McClurg and Wall made excursion there last summer
for the purpose of sketchng The first is an historical
painter who has had the best opportunities for study in
Europe in cutivating his eminent talents Mr. Wall is
exclusively devoted to landscape painting and VIII say
without hesitation that in representing american scenery
he has superior, il he has equal IN the United
States From sketches taken by him last sumner he
has executed several exquisite views the Cheat river
and neighborinr streams but feel regret that
he is better known out Of his vfnage. One Of
his pictures If exhibited in New York Philadelphia
would produce q sensation. lie has taken high rank
among American artists, and all that is wanting to
his talents TO be every where appreciated as they are
here is to see his pictures and compare them with those
Of other artists
Of course partial to my own country; yet, after
seeing many other lands, think this region round the
head Of the Ohio Of the most desirable and beautiful
on the globe. In picturesque beauty 1t cannot be sur
passed and where is there superior to it in health
minerals agricultural advantages and in its climate
Its valleys and hill tops are equally fertile and watered
every where by ryules and streams. believe it Is the
best watered country in the world and IN state OF ma
ture when covered with its magnificent forests Of oak,
walnut hickory sugar tree covering the whole surface
abounding with every species Of game ana hsn-it must
have been delightful abode to the hunter remember,
when boy that deer and wild turkeys we're so album
dant that they hardly ranked among articles ood
and eaten OF the comparative scarcity Of
pork and beef. But things are wonderfully changed.
At this time wild turkey is curiosity; ana We nave
yenson brought to FIVE hundred miles by railway nom
Illinois and Michigan with fresh fish every day from the
lakes, and oysters in the shell from Baltimore And yet
like the memory of the old times better than our present
advantages, which others will regard as an ample com
pensation. Ii. NJ. BRAChENklDGE.