Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1858-08-13
FROM BERKELEY SPRINGS. Va.
Correspondence Of Tie Richmond Enqu:rer.i
p.-, Iu.,,. 49,, 81, lSlS


Having given you, in my last letter, IN account OF
the journey to be performed in order to reach '"'s
summer retreat shall now make a demand upon
your patience while attempt description oil ice
premises. 1t is not my purpose to speak Vi 'he "'
terra in respect of their chemical or hygiene pr"Pe
ties; your readers who desire to be informed 'hefe
upon must consult the volumes OF doctors burhe ana
Norman. But have felt some surprise. IN walking
about the neghborhood Of the hotel that moro Is nor
known of the natural beauties OF The berkeley
Springs and confident that were the attractions
and resources of the place effectively presented 10
the public there would be much larger annual
gathering here than has ever been seen Dy the WI
Iag.rs The hotel of Col STROLLER ls situated amid
SOM beautiful grounds laid out with exquisite taste,
inst at the base and under the shadow OF wild range
vi mountains. IRON VIII 81 northeas'etu siope "u VI
a formation of sandstone, How the copious end Petit
cid waters which constitute The great carm OF Tue
spo'. Lore Fairfax was the original proprietor OF the
soil, and made grant these grounds tn the Com
monweah, which still holds them, under the manage
ment OF board Of trust6ee. One OF the Tour ioun
tains 10 yet called by his name and IL worthy otng
celebrated in verses euch rs those wherein Horace
psid tribute TO the foas Bandus,F. have stretched
myself on the grass beside II, as the fehuean barn
lay on the margin of his own memorable rill, but
could conjure no rhymes az musical as Inc running
stream, aud if had kid, ready Tor loves and ware
l QOu t0luk i 60Oulu reOutn luo oi'eHN wave WIN
its blood. can fancy however, that the ode OF the
Latin poet must have often occurred To the mnd oi
Virginia nobleman. while he sat down by TINS pc
reunial fountain, in the days that ara gone, aud
watched it's rppes al they hurried away 10 the ro'
tomac. And here looking down the vista OF the little
DARK checkered with patches of sunshine and quiet
beneath the August noon | am reminded mat berke
Icy springs has historic associations OF no hnn'eresn
kind. Long before our more fashionable modern
watering places were resorcd 10 Tor health and re-
Las. Nhu oll llIa
cams hher in their pompous chariots, to hahe and
dress and dance and art, a. their most excellent de-
scendants do, at the present time. Perhaps while
Harry Warrington was amusing himself nj Tnnbridge
Wells with the bad, brilliant people who assembled
there his aristocratic mother, Lady Esmond OF Cas-
tlewood, came 10 Berkeley and walked along these
very paths with Mr.. Washington tor the Father
of his Country one of the regular visitors OF The
place. and had cottage here which has unhappily
been DESTROYED by the tooth OF Time, ravenous of
things. And there were minuets danced here by the
dear, departed great grandmOibers OF tho passing
generaiOu-and those lovely ladies' slew the gallans
of their day with shafts from bright eyes the like
slaughter lie carried on now with the same weapons-
There has been no Improvement IN the prCl -ctes OF
Love. What pleasant page in lrviDg's Life might
have been written, it a mornings conversation III
these grounds between reguing beauty and the
gentleman of Mount Vernon had besn preserved 10
us, and how stirring recollection tor the Virginia
Historical Society TO record would BIZ The hutter OF
excitement that was occasoned here in the month al
july l776 when some fresh conner brought the news
of what had been done at Phadephia, just rs gen.
tleman from the railway half an hour ago gave us the
Intelligence, different III lie nature that the Allan
rio Cable had been laid Then Britain and America
had been severed amid dreul threateninga of war
now after lapse of eightytwo years, they again
united, may We not hope, with blessed augures OF
peace!
wne am reviVing these ancient memories, il
occurs TO Inc that have some exact information
rnn nil tho RerkpIAy SurinV6 durup th. RsyOlu
tonary period, pleasantly recorded in the memoirs of
the Baroness de- keiderel. Ii will DO remembered
that the husband OF this lady, who held the rank ot
General in the Hcssian forces taken prisoner III
New York, aud sent by the American Commander III
Chief TO Charlottesville, in Virginia for safe keeping
On their way they stopped at this place, where they
spent portion of the summer and autumn OF 1881,
when the Southern campaign was approaching it's
glorious termination, and when the American and
French columns carrying by storm, the redoubts
of Yorktown. The Baroness recounts some dro eK.
psriences in the difficulty they had in obtaining sut
icient supply of provisions, in the existing state OF
the country, and tells how, by playing on duclmer,
like Coleridges Abyssinian maid "singing OF Mount
Abora, accompanied by an English officer, the aid
of the General, the flute she sotened the heart q"
= countrymar go that he consented TO furnish them
with butter, eggs aud milk and did az, refusing any
other remuneration than the musical notes OF the
Baroness. There is no longer any dearth OF supplies
at the Berkeley Springs, but there ladies' here
cal performances and possibly win servants for life
by playing on the piano and lending their voices 10
its sounds az did the Baroness d. R:desel with the
dulcmer. 1t striking fact. thati may be mention
ed rs showing tbs virtue that attributed in those
days 10 the Berkeley waters that amid the very thun
derS of the revolution, Wash; lgton and Gates aud
Carroll of Carol!ion and ohe patriots. bought lots
here and erected cottages which they afterwards oc'
cupled. There IL Ill existence certificate given by
Washington 10 Rumsey. the il. ;entor of the steam.
han fuh, liua anH EaIo NJ ala
and made the earliest trial OF his invention the PJ
tomsc, by bearing date In l7S4, and in hls WILL
Washington mentions bis Two buildings at The wv arm
Syringe at Ba'h''-ths name by which this watering
place was then known Ii is worthy ot being stated,
loo, thar in the year last mentioned l7Si when the
Independence OF the United States hal been ackDoW.
lodged, and The quiet of undisturo-d security had
succeeded to the din Of arms the essonght these
Springs, in the persona Of ITALIA and Mepomsne, be-
longing 10 "Mr. John Ryan's company Of Comrd
ans from Richmond, and gave dramatic entertain.
ments during p7rod OF six weeks.
Oh. where were the poets and the novel writers,
the watering place correspondents in those days,
to perpetuate in rhyme and fiction. and weekly let
ters N. charms OF tho adorable creatures. the Lsdy
Daphne Doubl-yous, and Mistress Chloe RichlaDds,
who then lent their dazzling Projections to the season
at Bath7 Alas there were no large and small ltera
to perform this useful office, and, like the brave eu
who lived before Agamemnon, and died wanting
poet, these Virginia beauties went to Heaven uu
for the admiration Of after time. l would
not invoke their shades, had thu power of conjura
ton possessed by the most distinguished modern
apirtualisi, TO ningie with the promenaders who trip
along before now. LIST the Old people rest
Visions Of sa,in spare my aching sight,
Ye powdered big wigs. crowd not on nv SOUL
Excuse me- really did not intend getting so po
etical and imaginative. ! suppose IT was writing about
springs which get me off into this extravagant rhap
sody, for they have always been of inspira
ton since H,licon fret spou,ed. But promise 10
,,lx..
the fanciiul, in describing The bath Originally, the
facilities for bathing were confined 10 two buildings
each containing ten separate aphrtments-one known
IA the grUtlutnS and the other the ladies' 0olhs
Some years ago another building was added, with len
more apartments for shower. douche aud artihciay
warm and tepid baths. But the great glory of the
Berkeley Springs has lately been added 10 swim
ing bath or pool 81 larger dimensions than any that
l a,n acquainted with In the country. This magnii
cent bnsn has u capacity OF - 00D gallons aud the
water it cou,ain- s perpsiuay renewed by ths intro
ductiVn Of stream fGwlt al the rate OF 2OO gallon.
a minute, there being al equal discharge from the
other extremity. The only swimming bah have
ever seeD that is worthy oi heng compared With IT,
lie that OF the Sweet Springs of Monroe which, be-
lieve is about third smaller. Az greatly doubt
if there IL superior bath in the world 10 the Sweet
Springs pool, cannot claim Tor the basin here any
other advantage II than il 10 be found IN liz
greater capacity. The Temperature of the water il
about the same in bOth and the crystalline purity ot
either may be kened to the clearness Of q aawIes-
gem. In the effect produced upon the bather these
baths differ widely, and il is difficult To say which s
the more pleasurable.
The Sweet Springs pool eAcit--. almost intoxcates--
the Berkeley bath sooih-s aud irapquil'zes; you
emerge from the former with immense ambitions, for
you feel equal 10 the performance Of any thing you
may choose TO undertake; you come out of the latter
at peace with all tho world, entirely satisfied with
yourself, aud ready 10 meet phosophicaly whatever
may beta you. The exhilaraton produced by the
plunge at the Sweet Springs, would suggest,
that the invisible spirit Of champagne hovers over
the waters, prompting TO all manner OF sportive and
noisy demonstrations sub Gum'n.; but here the
baber sinks beneath the surface to rse 10 60 serene
a frame OF mind aud body, that he desires nothing
more. Like the followers OF the divine Sudh that have
entered Ngban, he fr.ls only perfect conten'meni
which is Inconsistent with any thing like froc aud
Arnnrlin.,lu frnIn the Lales' nnui.