Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1855-08-28
BURNERS WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS
BURNERS w. S. SPRINGS
SHENANDOAH Co, Va, Aug. "a, 1855. (

| The whispering air
Sends inspiration from the mountain heights"
| / seize the moment to sketch for your num-
erous readers picture of mountain scenery
upon which few of them have been so fortu-
nate as to gaze, and give them glance Of our
mountain home.
A grander scene than that which greets my
eye, as it sweeps up and down the Valley of
the Fort, from the spot where / now sit, it
! woJld be difficult to conceive of; and the
| heart must be insensible to the finer and
higher emotions of our being which is not
| filled with awe and admiration of the magnif-
cent picture here spread out before it, COM
bining all the phases of landscape which make
up the beauty and sublimity of nature.
The moon is just trembling on the summit
of a lofty peak of the Fort Mountain, as if
loath to plunge behind and leave the beautiful
valley to the cOquetry of the stars. By her
| mild Light, as We gaze enrapt about us, the
valley and the mountain seem blended i'm such
wavy lines of loveliness and grandeur that we
watch with regret the first long shadow that
falls athwart the scene. The valley, varying
from one to two miles in width, stretches out
to the southeast and northwest a total distance
of near twenty miles-a perfect amphitheatre,
having no outlet save the narrow and rocky dc =
| file through which Passage Creek toams its way
| to unite with the Shenandoah. This quiet vale
! spreads beneath us its softer features Of rural
| beauty, its pastoral homes, its fields and mea-
dows, its unduating hills, ard its waving
| woods, with here and there CLEAN of silver
shining through the foliage as you catch a
! glimpse of the meandering stream babbling
! and laughing on its way. This picture Of
| touching and poetic loveliness is framed in on
| all sides by majestic mountains, whose irregu
| Jar and frowning SUBMITS are delineated
| against the sky in awful distinctness. Dark,
| grand and solemn, they seem to stand as giant
H. n,11 - Ill.,
| to guard it from the cares and crimes of the
| great world beyond. They seem to say to the
| pillows of life, ever heaviDg, ever stormy
| ocean, 50 hitherto shalt thou come, but no far
| ther'-this spot shall be sacred from the van
| dal hand of Transforming progress-frOm the
| treache1Ous strifes Of man in all his vain and
| hurrying pursuits; and here the genii of
| Health and Peace shall repose, and Music,
Love, and Beauty shall command them by a
spell
1t is impossible for me to give other than a
| general idea of this truly fine scenery. 1t is
| strange that it has been so overlooked but it
will all the more repay those who wander
| hither, when its unexpected grandeur and its
wOndrOus beauty burst upon them. Those who
have dreamed by Como, or worshipped amidst
! the Alps of Switzerland, will sneer at this en-
| thusa; SIN for mere " domestic scenery" But
| let me tell them that the views from the sum-
mits of the Fort and North mountains rival
| the one In that picturesque and touching love-
| illness which inspires to poetry and love; and
| the other in that wild IN gnifcence grandeur,
| and yastness which fills the soul with high
thoughts and glorious aspirations.
The fine scenery, ard pure and bracing
mountain atmosphere, are not the only things
in which Burners excels The springs are
| the most remarkable in the State if not in the
world. Within an area of One-fourth OF an
| acre nature sends up from her secret labOra-
| tories her most healing drau ghts-white, black,
| and blue sulphur, slate, alum, free stone and
| lime stOne-in the greatest profusiOn. Two
| fine chalybeate springs exist short distance
| up the mountain, in the rear of the build
| ings, the walks to which are most romantic
and appetite-inspiring. The buildings are in
| good style, consisting Of two main buildings
| surrounded with wide and pleasant prone
| ladies. and some fifteen cottages. The pripci-
| al parlor is rOony and pleasant, and furnish
| ed with a fine toned piano The ball room is
| well adapted to the purpose, and resounds
nightly IT, the strains of Il fine cOtillon band,
| and merry feet keeping tune in the waltz,
polka, quadrille, cOtillOn, &c, always closing
| at Il seasOnabe hour with the "Oid Virginia
reel" A ten-pin alley, situated on n cOntig-
u1us hill, is the morning resort of both sexes,
when the exercise is gayly kept up until lit is
| time for dinner The walks and drives arc
| in all respects rs romantic and agreeable as at
the country.
left Washington on the morning of the 10Th
| instant, at six o'clock, by way Of the Alexan-
dria and Orange ard the Manassas Gap Rail-
road, and at twelve o'clock reached Buckton
Station, fourteen miles from Burners. From
this point we were taken by coach and four,
through the widest and most romantic scene
| ~, reaching the springs about four O'clock-
the valley echoing the notes of fine brass
band as we drove to the door. We found the
prOprietOrs, MeSsrs. Burner i Borst, polite
and anxious to accommodate, but rather over
crowded with guests Next day. however, we
were in comfortable quarter; and we must in
| justice, as we leave tomorrow, credit the good
| fare of the springs with sixteen pounds Of good
| flesh to cur party of four, as shown by the
scales, after a sCjOurn of but eight days; and
as | gained not an ounce, the three ladies
| must divide the increase among themselves.
L need hardly tell you that we found an
agreeable company at the Springs-wherec can
one go in Old Virginia and not find that But
| this was an agreeable company, par excellence.
Too few To form separate and exclusive cote
ries, it seems if all had determined to leave
| the rigid letters of cOnventionalsm and the
cold and senselcSs distinctions Of caste at home,
and come up into this purer atmosphere with
hearts overlooking with all generous feelings,
bent on giving and receiving every innocent
aid to the eDjOyments Of the hour. Hence we
could not but be happy in the free flow of So
| ciai humOr, and the healthful amusementS en-
joyed with rare zest and good feeling
To-day, or rather | should say yesterday,
| (ior it is now two o'clock Of the 25th,) our
| usual gayeties have been varied By an indie
pendent tournament, and the usual ceremonies
| Of browning the victor, and the choice by him
of Queen of Love and Beauty" All who
| have visited the Springs know what pleas
urab!c futtcr of excitement the sports Of the
lists begot. The knights are all hope and
| ardor-the ladies, all who have any preten-
| sions to beauty, trembling i'll expectancy of
| the crown. We have had Il most auspicious
| day for the sports, and right mcrrily have we
enjoyed it A goodly number Of gallant
knights, on their prancing steeds, entered the
lists, each renewing his vow 70 his L" ladye
| faire," and determined to do his utmost to lay
at her feet the laurel of victory Of all the
| names assumed for the-occasion, L remember
| only that of Mr.. Massey, of Warren county,
| the VICTOR knight of Ivanhoe." 1t was
| chosen with good taste, and was itself pres
| tigc of victory; and right knightly did he do
his devorr, carrying away the ring at three
| successive tits in gallant style. And although