Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1856-03-12
Correspondence Of the Spectator.
LEXINGTON, KY, Feb. 81, 1851

| LEXINGTON, NY, co. II 1000.
Dear Spectator have seen your welcome
! face again, and have held some quiet chat with
you anent matters in and about Slaunton. and am
reminded that half promised some account ofthis
locality. Perhaps you may not be aware thar
Lexington is circular 'city-as round as,a has
that hasn't been smashed al an MISUNDERSTANDING
4 Paris perhaps in form. The Coart House ia lie
cpntre,and by the way said G. II. will match that
in Siaun:On, both as regards archnectgral beauty
and also convenience. From the centre the limits.
extend mile in every direction. 1T was in con-
temptation TO have Boulevard and The ground on
part of the circumference was actually obtained.
but believe this idea is abandoned The city is
well built, scarcity of timber ftrbddipg wooden
houses, and well paved, and lighted with gas
As to water custom rather novel 10 one from the
"Valley" is adopted, that is cisierDs are sunk in
every yard into which the rain from the roofs is,
led. Those who are particular filter before drink
| ing and those who are not take il 50. A large
cisern filled from the winter rains furnishes ex-
ceent cool water through the summer, independent
Of ice. 1t has been noted that ;hose who use csteFa
water are less liable 10 cholera, which you know
has been the sc0urge of III is region. Public. els
terms also are constructed under The streets for use
in case Of fire. TIE natural well water is about
as good as that Of the gumps in Staunton. Perhaps
the greatest attraction 10 visitor seTe Is Ashland,
which is about mile to the East Of the town -
One Of the Sons of Henry Clay has rebuilt on The
old site Of the dwelling, following the same model
and using as much OF the old material as possible,
for doing which yoa may recoect, he suffered
good deal of abuse 10 the newspapers. The mortal
remains of the greatest Statesman lie in private
vault, awaiting the erection of The contemplated
monument. which is to be in the handsome Gene
terry on the west side Of the town.
Oathe sou,lside oflhe .'pwn.the Kentucky Agri-
cultural Association have one of the lioest Fair
Grounds in the Union 1t contains about fifty
acres aud is covered with luyuriant sod of tho
celebrated <eniucky blue grass A large amphi-
theatre calculated To seat ten or twelve thousand
people. surrounds the exhibition rIHg,. in which
every year in September are 10 be sesn the fines
specimens Of the produce of this noble country,
animate and inanmaie. while the seats around
are :hronged with beauty and perhaps shanld say
chiyary. but | will only say beaux. Not that
Kentuckians are not chiyalrous ia. the best sense
of the word, bat alas for the decline OF men and
words too, doubt if compliment is conveyed in,
the term chivalry. a Isal OF m0der0 chiyary took
place on these grounds at ths Fair year before
last. I've Young bloods engaged in q shooting
mitch al each other 10 the very midst of thick
crowd near the Amphlhealre.aDd ALTER firing away
all their ammunition without effect. cased with
bowie knives. No particular damage was doneto,
the parties, save that one lost round patch Of his
scalp with its long black oily hair,but negro girl
in the crowd was shot in the mouth. II wasyery
pn,viden,ial that several were MT killed. The
parties escaped with severe fines and perpetual
prohibition trofo the Fair Grounds. sss
Lexington cpniins two Presbyterian Churches,
very furnishing and The other not: enc Me-
th,jisa. one Baptist oe Episcopal aud one Camp
bellite, besides Mass house where an Italian Of
icI1ies.who ;bnses his Irish hearers ia lingo wholly
nniptslligibIc :, t!ap- n,uch the better. There
is large Insane Asylum here, Medical oehool,
with the best Library n.sthe country. at least 81
they cIam.a furnishing Law Schools and q plenty
of good lawyers with plenty TO do. We are eirii-
zed out here. ior.we have just had failure in town
lar an amount oyer two hundred thousand, CON-
p!eiey running about duzen endGrsers, --wben
viii men heed Solvmon 90. sare;ishipR
The frs, working s,sagsboai was Hoa ted on
pond in his vicinity. ell sOslEry claims rotwlth-
Standing. some Of the machinery preserves here
yet. T.as fastest race horse YET kGow 10 America
was pfoducei here Fine greatest plane,srium
ever IN ade. that Of Barlow, which has sslonished
all that have seen it. was invented by tne-s-
citizens and is niade here-ikey sell for ihou-
sand lpllars. So yon see We kase something also,
to boas, Of. Bulno more al present..
w BIB.