Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1857-06-04
NOTES BY THE WAY.

We not only saw Cumberland to advantage
In approaching il, As mentioned in my last.
but while passing through it. Seated in the
lap Of the mountains, at one time it was FROM
tier post famous for the hair breadth 'scapes
and bloody Indian encounters of those it shell
tered-old Fort Cumberland by name. Those
were revolutionary days. Subsequently it was
renowned as being at the head Of the scarcely
less yenturesome Potomac river navigation in
high water, The sagacious eye Of Washington
always contemplated it in that light, and he
lahored with zeal to complete, in his day and
generation. system of lock and dam naviga-
ton from Georgetown to it (Cumberland,) the
remains of which are yet visible along the
length c. much Of the route.
We saw Cumberland, as before remarked, in
Its best bib and understanding, busy, thrifty,
and prosperous. Half its population seemed to
have rushed down to the depot to greet US,
though but the fag end of the great excursion
party as we were. The evidences of the pros
perity of this, now quite an inland city. were
scattered every where around. 1t owes much
indeed, to both the railroad and the canal and
more to the mineral treasures of which the pic
turesque mountains surrounding it are so full :;
the development of which has scarcely COM
menced comparatively. notwithstanding the
fact that untold millions have already been de-
voted to that end
After leaving Cumberland, one is greatly
struck with the appearance of the face of the
mountains on the Virginia side of the Potomac
valley, which seem hewn square down in solid
rock to depth Of hundreds of feet On the
Maryland side, after reaching point perhaps
Ten miles west OF Cumberland, We have by long
odds the finest view Of the valley upon the whole
route Mountains all sides and some of
them IN the middle Of the lovely plain, rise ND
gracefully as offerings of nature to the Deity
affairs to the praise Of a woodworking and
inscrutable Providence. No more beautiful sight
ever met mortal eyes than the valley and little
mountains, covered with rich verdure ON the
route from Cumberland TO Oakland, diversified
ever and anon By the cleft rock precipices upon
the Virginia side, many of which show 80 repu.
lar seams or layers, as that the beholder NAV
fairly imagine that he has at length caught sight
OF the work of the Titans told of in classic story
A hard, driving rain, struck US at Black Oak
Bottom, which not little marred the endowment
Of tie sight-seers ON the train numbering le-
gion.
Were to pass daily for months over this nor
ton Of the route, would still find new objects
Of interest, entirely new to my ever-actire eve
where the wonders and grace of nature are con-
oerEed- Such an artist and architect as she is
can nowhere else be SO forcibly realized wher-
ever have yet journeyed, and have Travelled
not a little in our own land.
After passing the Black Oak Bottom station
some miles, we again leaped over the Potomac,
whore II Is little more Of a stream than that
which, though Goose Greek once, is Tiber now -
Am numbering Moore Mr. Assistant Editor2l
At New Creek" we were once more greeted
with sight of the face Of Old Sol, accompanied
by such rainbow e. is rarely seen except amid
mountain exhalatiOns and varieties of tempera-
ture occasiOned by the sudden changes Of the
earth'a altitude. The sight Of the old fellow
operated like a charm on the spirits of the
GROWERS along. some Of whom appeared not a
little offended because, forsooth, the lowering of
the clouds, up among which we were gradually
ascending, bad not been duly entered On the
Programme Of the grand excursion. as it were.
At Piedmont one commences to see the Vir.
ginia mines. Here the mining roads branch in
various directions, the deposits in this partieu-
lar region being a. valuable as anywhere else
road is regarded commencing to ascend the
auegoames for the final leap across the ridge
into what, but few years since, was known
everywhere a the western country" though
now thanks to the energy and enterprise ofour
countrymen, 1t is practically little more than
tne suburb OF the tde-water cities of the Allan.
oe coast. The telegraph has brought il within
moment oi US while the iron horse, behind
Wnen am now travelling, carries US into its
heart as soon a, twenty years ago. we conId
Jsunt twenty-five or thirty miles to our cons;rs
out Of town, in the numbering family coach
drawn by the stately family horses Of ,ba,
era. WD. WI.
mo. s. JUNE 2-9.IOa
A remarkable characteristics of this NORTH
western Virginia Railroad is the great propor-
sion Of rock cuts, showing that for its length
the comparative cost of its construction must
have been very great. More than half the cuts
throughout it's entire length are Of that charac-
ter Its western half trayerses an entirely
new country 80 far which, though broken, is
capItally fitted to become grazing country of
considerable commercial importance. On this
western half three-fourths of its twenty-three
tunnels are situated. One enters one, (more
Than once) energies from il on a bridge span
ming a creek with perpendicular banks (waIls)
below, and then instantly enters another.
Thus the road at some points seems to be con-
eruc'ed oy skipping over water courses and
cropping the way through the bowels of the
mountains only.
1 omitted to mention in my last that the
country on both sides Of this railroad. a short
distance from its line, is much more tbickIv
populated than along the northern branch or
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