Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1855-08-07
LETTER FROM THE VIRGINIA SPRINGS.
lCorr"sronl"nce Of the Mobile Daily Register

lNpIl Va s'N 'bf'h' bfiiF 80 9.
WHITE SuLrHCR SPRINGS, Va, JuLY Is.
Con.rr4n;cd from all parts of the Uiion, some
three hundred persons are now assembled at this
plucc. ADru; one. :cE,h of their numbc. appear 10
be imvnlidS, seeking the waters with The honrs, pur.
pose OF improving health; the remaining two HUNDRED
and seventy are drawn here, some by the inviguraiiug
air and beautiful scenery Of the mountains, aud some
by the delightful society always 10 be found NJ these
Springs during the fashionable season. Half n dozen
s;agcs daily di-gorse their contents on the rccrivin,
platform, 81 that the nuInbDr of visitors il daay IN.
creasin,. Oar own city Is nunerously represented,
more 30, | believe, than usual. Those of our friends
who have come here i'll search Of health, appear al
ready much benefited h. the Use oi tie waters. ard
will return home .mp.y repaid ior The tol Of tue jonr'
ney.
Raj rDn!, which IL now finished eighteen miles West
of S,ruutou. AT the spot VIII, re- II Crosses the Blue
Ridge, may be seen rs bold Il piece If engineering Us
can o. found in this country, If not u tie world
Some OF the grades ere over three hundred feet 10 the
mile, along which T. powerful locomotive, Of pecu.s:
constructions, intended for this special purpose, draws
the trnia at Z SOW, but steady CANT. To view the
stately progress of the long train OF cars rs they pur.
sue their upward course. cITcllne around the noun.
tain by a narrow path, with ovcrha"giug cliffs above
and fearful p%rccipices below, inspires an involuntary
| feeling of awe, which is speedily absorbed by the
novelty and extreme beauty % the cver-claugng pa
nnraus which seems "a be moving tar, far berrnth
your feet; and then comes tho pioud consaicisnes.s
tha: The scn;us Y! mas: hs been able to overcome ~
| The obstacles which mature has thrown i'll hs way.
Private means could scarcely have accomplished
this great work. STATE A"J, the great buGbear o!
Alabama, was Invoked, and the call wa. freely met,
moi bv .rnutin. i miserable loan of n lew thousand
dollars with undoub,ci security 70: It's repayment,
but bv stopping forward q: Oncc and tak'H, three
tii,ls nf.l- whole amount -: he capital required. aad
undertaking, besides, To tunnel the Blue Ridge NJ her
own cost. This wur; is now in progress, and whca
flushed vii! be- ul enduring monument al the liberal
and f~arsishtcd policy Of the rulers of the Old Domin'
ion.
But the efforts of Virginia to lcvelope her rcsourcss
do not crd here. The terminus of the Cenfrn! r""d
ia ut Cuyiustun, thence 10 the Ohio river. a DISTANCE
OF nearly two hundred miles, over, or through tno
| mountains as may be advisable, the State ut lis own
| expense is constructing Il road so as To form a comm.
u,us track from Richmond 10 the Ohio. The cost OF
this stupenl0us undertaking is estimated al S'V'oVo
per mile through the mountainous reci0n--'serc WI!
b. many tunnels on the line. aud one il now IN the
cnursr Of excavation within n short distance ut 'lls
place: i, is IL mile and Il quarter III lci,gth, hni the IN
Dor Of getting through appeared almost litrr!hiinnIe'
although Il large force Is actively engaged "ornlhg
,D,ir way from either end. AS usual the operatives
are all Irish, they have succeeded in raisim. the ire OF
III. tavern keepers, along the route, by NETTING tue
trout streams, thus cutting short their supply OF q DO
licluus & ,h, on which they calculate TO nuke a large
profit during the season.
The oprriug OF This road will dcvclopc q couutr
hitherto Inaccessible. Tie mountains are rich ID
minerals of Mi k;ud-. Conf, iron, lead and copper
ar. scattered through them IN every direction, rre
await only means Of TRUST TO pour their Treasure;
into tn. lap of the muni'icrnt Stale which has called
them forth from the bowel, of the earth. :,
These railroads have led me from my subject, ana
I fear II trrspu-s further on Your spnrc. wfich must
b, filled with much grHver matter during tho sh1r'
time Row remaining b.i"r" rho election.
The weather here Is pleasant, with almost oa"y
shnScrs.
a cnpital band Of music is discoursins as w~ie,
and 10 il, | believe. vou are indebted tor my closing
here. Truly. your. ="