Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1855-10-12
Eor ths E'ngurrPr.
Summer sketches-A Trip 10 Richmond ana 10
The. While Sulplur.

Impressions oil n summer trip. E.vellts crown Pn,s
one upon the other, and The mind, Let loose from TIT
daily routine of business, is in no mood 10 memuriz
its sensations. This will, | hope, serve ~ IN upOlog,
for any deficiencies in the following attempt tu sketct
some of the scenes which recently fell under the OBJ
servation of your correspondent.
To your own city, Richmond, / first wendell my
way. The name falls pleasantly upon my cur. |
speaks of the past, and calls up the fnmiliar names o
Henry, Jefferson, Randolph, and Il host OF patrio
.tatrsmcI, names q grateful people "will not willing
Is LET die" and whose counsel aud example marsha
Ms TO stern resistance to foreign aggression. But the
name of Richmond calls up other associations.
think of the noble and beautiful river coursing be-
usnth The city, of the sweet music OF the waterfall, o
the tine oid-tiInu mansions where the stranger ye
nrris unndulteratcd Virginia hospitality; but NOR,
than all of its fair danes and damscls, whose merry
laugh yet rings in my eur. In no city have | met 4
penrlr so prninI. gu cultivated and intelligent, as those
of the Cupitul OF Virginia. | always like Il
have u prctcxt for going to Richmond, or stopping
there. On this occasion my stay WAS u briei one
But, though the Summer heat had driven awhy mos
Of my acquaintancrs, ! found enough 10 make my
time pass rapidly and pleasantly. Among these wa
one of those ladies who have made The state OF 'lr'
GINA not less noted for The beauty ana fascination m
lis dau rltcis than for the %rlUqucncc al her solis-onc
linked by blood Ia Il deceased statesman oil the rarcs'
talents, and worthy of her lineage 10y her wit, beauty
and qualities. Nor can my mind fail to call up Il TAR
daughter of the farther South mIngiIng gracefully
and beautifully with the fair plants which flourish
upon the soil Of the Old Dominion. As am not
Iunkrc or snUb, you will not expect iAE!aIS 10 give
point 10 my poor tribute ot esteem.
a ride through pine and oak woods, anu corn ilclds
here aud there, brought me to tiordonsviile. trip
in the cars with nnhudy to talk To, is not particularly
agreeable. First, You can reah the newspapers ana
then, if not beture, look around for some pretty tncc
tn serve as II study md an occnsInnu' hint towards
Lay-,lreams and castle building. This day, uniucki!y,
il seemed rs il all the old women md children were
in motion, but not one pretty face did SEC, until
iinnlly we got 10 Gord"nsville. Here the country be-
rnu to yet more and more interesting, the crops inner,
and the faces Of the ladies THANKS Ia the Alexandra
cars for bringing fhrm) far prctiicI. charlottesville
was PASSED nrXt, with It's noble University. How
strange that any SoutheruGr should send his son 10 II
N"rthcrn College at the risk Of injury 10 his health,
morals and political principles, when he can avail
himself of the University Of Virginia. liz course Of
study, its plan and system, are confessed to be supe-
riur 10 all others, by the President Of one ri the most
famous Northern Colleges. Add 10 this the Salubriiy
ui the climate, and the fact, that the student Is re-
moved from all iree-soll Influences, AMI how can any
southern parent hesitate to prefer this Institution 10
a Yankee College!
Monticello was next passed. The patriot author Of
the Statute for the establishment Of religious liberty
in the Commonwealth Of Virginia. sleeps under lis
soil, and with n deeper and lrarticr reverence the
w~ay.larcr may pause 10 10 honor 10 him who cnun-
ciat-d these principles, 10 which Virginia tut lately
gave n new altcstalion. His lIcinOry and his prInci'
pIr- have not yet died on, in our hearts.
But now the cars begin to wind their way in the
IA VI l"' Ilut itfl-f hI bI-h U"'t 'i''C'
;ntu bold relief the grandeur and benuty OF
fine srrme. After many Ions: and wcnry days
Of summer hcat and dust III III" inwinnu-,
the eye Turns with delight to the blue mountains and
III" heart is filled with gratitude to the great Creator
whose hand has fashioned all things. And now We
taxi. another iron horse, frcsher nni Stronger than the
first, and commence the ascent Of the moun;aiT.-
The grade is Il heavy one and the ascent IL slow. Ent
all The better for that. So beautiful j. Tho view rs wr
progress. that we would :ain lingrr upon it. On the
one side rises the wooded m"umtain boldly, and On
the other It slopes oil, sometimes gradually ani then
abruptly, until, in the distance, the valley smiles in
the sunlight, diversified by cnttagc, tho green rorn,
or cattle grazing coZily AMI comfortably in the inca
dow. The smoke rises and curls up ia the clear AT.
%mo-phere, and finally the blue sky. peaceful, and not
a cloud tn intercept the rays of the sun, crowns the
picture. But at length our iron-horsc, c~rcaking and
grooming under the heavy loud he lrs had To draw up
Ill, reaches the summit. Here the view is mos; beau
tiiul uf Nil, but our horse Inns No poetry in biz soul.
and forthwith commences the descent into the valley
Of Virginia. Nor do we wonder or complain. For
the country IL one s'nLIng with rich Suil and fertile.
crop; and, moreover. there il dinner Ia be eaten nj
Stanton. To 10 ru and 20 fast under such rircum-
stances seems ~ me II sacred duty; but not so the rule
| found there, rctlTrIng Try poor hungry wrc,cilcs Ia
Ia eat. iankre-fushiun u dinner in lI minutes. Viz
giria should not tolerate this vile importation, and il
should, moreover, insist upon some time Ia hc allow.
ed for getting Il juIep Ia cuuntcract the dangers al
travel. Let III. hope that annliIcr summer will see
NJ least three quarters at m hour given for this most
important business. Iii not II pleasant choice, either
To 20 without; dinner or to eat like nhog, and yet these
nrr the alternatives which orr Central Rail Ruai
Company, einnlous nj innkecdoin, offers TO gentle
men nnl ladies'.
Sornr twen,y.inilcs beyond Stanton, we left the
Cars tor the Stage. Here WIS u glorious depot in the
wool.-dus md dirt, ''nnisc and confusion, - enough
Ia have kept Gicn. Cnss dumb all his life. Ii was n
nice time for II gentleman with four ladies ~ lonk
uitrr; each lady with four trunks, and 50 on, after the
fashion Of the ladies' coming from St. Ives. a few
dollars expended would have wrought n great change
in this place aud made it far more convenient
inr travellers: but | suppose the idea W II To Savc
money By making the trip H. dIsa.rcenblc H. possible.
Luckily for myself, had only Ia secure sent for one
and thus had time 10 note the busy scene. Stage dri-
yrrS and gentlemen, negroes and Indies, Were mixed
up beautifully, i'll n way that would have thrown Gid
dinss ana Garrison int" m ecstasy at delight, IT such
practical equality. Finally, or driver cracked his
whip. the horse started, md the beauties Of u cross.
road began Ia develop themselves. A. nnw amd then
Il jolt would disturb our rcpnSr, the quarry would
be- put, chow fr il was to Bells !" This was our
stopping place, | new one TO Inc, though l am an
hali:us Of the mountain resorts. | began tn coniurc
up Il cozy Iuouniin retreat, nice beds, broled click
en-, reniznn ant tea ana other creature comforts, UNI
necessary 10 be specified. Tired aud Worn out,
| must confess that Bells seelIird more desirable and
swcctcr far ut thLt moment, ihnm oven Church bells
nr city bellies. My mind and hopes luXuriatcd upon
the prospcct-sO much 81, that | was not particularly
annoyed by TINT most 0mniprcscnt gentleman, and
frequent traveller,
80 S'hob WA" u -
He il entitled to full capitals. He took the floor in
our coach aud KEEP II. lie WAS no mWm politician,
certainly, though t stnunch Wing, erst supporter "f
Gen. Harrison, at Gen. Taylor, and now, suspect,
II Know Nothing. Lie dill not appear To hold the De-
mocrG,ic party III any particular vcn"rati"n or re-
speci, was opposed I" PIERCE. and had n great con-
tempt for your new Governor. Mr. Wise; whom as
he informed Us, confidently, was an arch demag".ne
nnd dccidcdly unsound upon the slavery qucstion-in
fact M abnli;I"rist uf the worst stump. ! held my
breath ut Theses things, yuu may well suppose,
nnd mentally resolved 10 cHi Mr. Wise the next time
| met hiui-alihcu-l, ut one time, | hat held him III
high esteem. HE Politician was rather scedy III ap-
peurance. Ind not slavcd ir several days, aud wns
tar from being prcsrntable. He did not seem 10 re,
lish Il razor ana soap md water, any more tllal ne dd
Mr.. Wise. His Startling developments aided by the
fatigue ni travel, threw my ideas into Il confused
state, which finally ended in slecp,in which my dreams
pictured Mr.. Wise running off with II score of negroes
on the underground rail road-pursued and overtak-
en- by our stnG"-c"hch- politician, and condemned,
finally for punishment, TO listen 10 n disquisition upon
politics from his mcrrlic-s iormcntor. But Bells
was at last reached, aud roast chicken fairly discuss
cd. Worn out, iGTly, was glad even 10 take q pallet
and content myself with three hours sleep.
We were up hetInct, aud reached the Bath Alum
for breakfast. Unlike the other watering places, the
Hotel here has quite h town or city look. Its table
ind sleeping. comforts hHd proved before. lies
time II looked pleasant Ia me ~ hrralding thccelchrn.
ted "Wnrm Spring Mountain, which We commenced
ascending almost immediately. At II point like tins
with r bcautltui ruai, every one of the masculine
sex, vino hhs one touch Of spirit "r manllncss IN ny
composition, gets out i" "walk up the mountain,
enjoy the bracinS MIR, and the beautiful views when
open ut each turn Of the road. This morning was
one OF the lovclicst | ever saw, evenin the mountains:
and it stemcd ~ if each step lent HE II fresh energy. |
know no more delightful exercise than the tramp up
the mountain, with pleasant company, ~ one Is Gnlhs
To- the Springs. The change of scene and OF air, the
expectation III pleasure gives to the traveller n physI-
cal energy, which lnust be appcuscd i'll this way
On this occa'ion, ! undertook 10 Gull by the road side
a bouquet for one OF my fair companions, and found
that | ind gathered OF these wild flowers not less than
twenty varieties.
Dashins down the mountain rapidly we touched nj
the Warm Springs aud held of course n short c"niab