Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1858-08-18
Daily gir9lnian.
Peaks of Otter

oue ot the editors oi the New Orleans Dudd,
has recent, been making tour Of this section of
Virginia From letter published in We'd.
ncsIay's Delta, we make the suL,onea extract:
The town from which we start for tho ascension
is Liberty. the point nj which my last letter WAS
dated, In this place, after leaving the cars, you
meet Your first mountain hotel. The mountain
INNS and tho railrond stoppng-places in NirginiW
seem peculiar 10 that State. They are rcmarka-
bic for their neatucss and cleanliness, and the
home-like feeling that pcr,a,cs them; their meals
are of the very best countr, fare. Spring chick
ems, fresh eggs rich milk, good butter, fine yege-
tables and truit, and, above ALL tho mountain
trout are here tlo constant ingredients Of every
meal And this fare and tho fine mountain air,
together with hracing and healthy climate and
the graudcst scenery IN the world, can all be had
at the moderate charge ot from twenty to thirty
dollars per month. Is 1t notsingnlnr, under those
circumstances, that care.wurn and hout,-scck-
ing citizens will persist in visiting the crowded,
and heated and expensive resorts of the North
Among the country hotels To which have thus
referred, | caunot unit to monton TINT of Mr.,
Hewitt, ut Liberty, and Mr.. Wilkes, within ono
mile Of the summit of the Peaks Of Otter, as bc-
ing among the very best have observed
We started from Liberty Mt o'clock =. NJ, aud
passing by stage through farms an, brond valleys
aud over hills We reached the Wilkes Hotel ut
seven Here We took supper and passed the night
AZ daylight the following morning WE recommended
the ascent of the mountain, the summit Of which
still lowered near two thousand feet over our
heads. The road was mile and half long Wo
went over n good path, on horseback through
dcuse forest, and occasionally over precipiious
rocks, until We reached point about II hall mile
distant from the apex of the mountain. llore, in
consequence oi the stcclness OF the ascent,
were compelled to lcnyc our horses and wall. q
jitd The trees becumc less numcrous. the grass
aud tiny flowers almost entirely Disappeared nn-
l,l l,.. r Al
and here, trees, shrubs aud flowers all alike disap-
rearcd and huge, unbroken. giant like masses Of
granite superseded them. Climbing with hands
nul feet above these suddenly, as il hy magic,
We reached the hgho,t point oi tins mighty pile,
aud above and around aud bcncath ~ appeared
to astonishci vision onoot the suhmcs views
that man ever behold have climbed some OF
the high mountains of Northern MrSico-l havc
walked Ia the uppcrlnost rock Of the White Noun.
ians, and have yet to behold sight grand,
81 sublime, ns that presented by my visit to tho
Peaks of otter. II Is not SO high IA Mount Wash
ngton by two thousand f,ct-it is not 50 iirge ms
other mountains have visited, but rising abrupt
ly almost pcrpcndcularly. some five thousand
feet, it scans higher and commands finer view
AID broader range OF vision than amy mountain
| have ever seen l's shape, too, lnaS' graceful:
its ascent on al sdcs sreni. nuoat uninterrupted;
tits III form perfect cone ] ao sccnr9 from its
summit are varied. GA Gao side saa behold uil.
"'""' '""b'' - '''''''.' "''h',', 'N'''''''S -
for miles beyond hunau vision, until they mnglc
with the distant clouds; on another, scene Of un
| surpassed rural and quiet beauty s presented 10
the view From the foot oi the mountain to II
distance heyohd which the eye c"h not reac', u
Nhiiey extends i'seii covered "'lheni'N"eo he'ds
ana smiling cottages, while iron o'her points OF
u"w mis- undu'.'laS IKE stormy sea mere al"
there intcrspersci with cottages and farms, please
with their varied beauty, while they nstonish us
| by their novelty
regret the inablhiy oil the pen to describe
scenes Ike these ana my own weak language iaiis
utterly lnd"p'c'lng the splenior ana the grandeur
OF the views presented from the feaks "t otter'
! can only say TINT while th" picture "an not but
bo ia'ntl, descIibe IT Will remain Tor years I'M
pressed upon my m''T'.
Th" Peaks I otter are two twin mountains,
over 1000 feet high, They n"ccnd abruptly from
the plaln They viii yet he the fashionable re-
sort of the south and a!e already becoming the
visiting places OF the nc'ghboring states. In the
Immediate Nien'ty, MT 4" pnnt within "bont 800
feet OF the summit Mr' iikcs keepsa good coun-
try h"tel, suffohhaed by iafhs. Inc air ~ pure,
braclng and healthy. me water IRON inc noun
must be ihs'iu'ons inaec", VINO 'a'l' mere 10 hha
oom'or'"hle nome, ana on '''s onn"g" 10 er"''y
his love oi the sublime ana beautiful
rR"N THE i"',,io "o"No iNhA, '"e i'iS'
steamer our ih'eh'Sence rom 'he racine gives
rh'he' more encouraging new ~ 70 'ne "ew'y o'H
covered '"ai.o is'nhas' we nave h'ehdy no'ea
the sailing OF the ''ohn harslaiI' rom tue sand
w'ch Islands, i"r seconu cargo. we aiSo h"hce
'he return 10 the Sahd"ien iSl"hdS cl 'o Su"ho
snip Josephine. a,.er "h absence oi h''y-,"o ahfS
WIN cargo oi ~" IONS oi gum" from "er'lS Is
anu ,ap'' turner ana nr' nnr'es 'noa ha'o
'''"fnea az passengers IN ner; She ,naae, ,.c las-
sag from i.oio'uu 10 ',''' ,si'ni III o'sn: u"y'.