The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1858-07-10
or THE rIcnnosD p.nr plsp.4cu.
oLp swssr spalsaa. July sth. 1858.

|
terihg places OF Virginia this ia the most interest
Ing. Situated In the very niids. OF ths Aileghany
range OF mountains. in the centre of "A valley o!
sucb unsurpassed beauty that IL has bee arpropri.
a'eiy denominated the Tempo Of Virginia il is not
strange that for inore than a century the Sweets
nave attracted visitors from the Southern States
Far back iu the oiden time before the discovery
even OF the other springs IN this region it was q
place OF resort. Anterior to that period Of colo
NAL history which Thackeray is making 80 inter.
essing- before Washington had become a survey
Or the neighbors Of his mother from the good old
eouaty OF "estmoreland, had learnt from frequent
use 'hs virtues OF the magnificent baths nc this
lovely spot. As early as l7Gi a titha collecting
Episeopai bishop learned and loyal. had anaiyze
te waters OF the Sweet Spi iugs and thus added tn
."e' 'aiue 10 tue eyes OF those patrons who then
e1Josso themselves at this place In primitive but
| Afstocrasic and exclusive manner Oyer ronch
" "houh'sih rosds. before stage coaches were known
"a vest virginia, colonial granfees visited tn.
s", .pilngs IN all the pomp and circumstance OF
i' aus aha iour with livered postiilons and out
riuers' stately bellies in criuoine and .tis bro-
caaes gentlemen of the school of Sir Charlie.
uiahsison magnificent to behold and gorgeous in
ILL poauefed wigs and embroidered coa,s, were
IAnillar with this place before = disloyaI word
ass'oe. 'he mother country had boon breatbed in
| Virginia They came up to this valley from, tbe
he'soh1fnood Of the goodly towns of Williams
| hcfg, HooortowH and West Point when Rirbmons
wa. village and felt hsre a. senurs from m. l.,
.iusion OF the vulgar herd" as they v ould have
uohe on their Principaities the James the York
| anu 'he iamuhkey. To the same spot the haAobt,
osscendIEts of the Huguenot artesans from Cbsra.
| ton came with the revocation az the ad;c, =,
NHales as their patent of nobility, after dreary
plISrlmagee through the swamps of the ped.a m.
Santee anu the aserec, and forgot the malaria al
Their lice fields amidst the lofty tain. Of III.
| Allegheny. There was no doubt mncb .,.,.i.
conrtesy in those good old times"-much solenI y
fir;irg aud trlgid gaiety, but the Accommodation,
wore then as rough as the roads over which the
/ charlots jolted the colonial grandees in thar ter
| days travel from James river Until no varr 70
cent period, wretched cabins coarse food. and
| Lard beds somewhat detracted from tho plea,ura,
| OF season st the Sweet Springs. The country. il
| is true. thsn as now. full of gams there wers
trout in the mountain streams and untlas, herd,
OF theep and cattle grazing on the farttle valley.
| oi Monroe; but the .cience Of gastronomy was Ger
| tainiy Ia its iLf1ncy at the Western Virginia wa
! terug laces.
| Wonderful changes have taken place at this far
| famed Watering place since those DAYS Indeed
Aladdin, with HE magic lamp, eczema to have been
a. work here since 1856, in creating new aud beau
| :iul buildings whore uGsighily cabins then dis
figured the fair face of the ioyeliest valley tLs
! 3Aeg hanies. The locomotive. too snnihiatina
| space aud time, has broken the euchantmenk Of
tile elevated and picturesque region and awakened
| new echoes III its IDouutain Gcfles. When at ,he
Swee. Springs, yuu only about eighteen h; u a
| iistauce from Richmosd, with continuous line
| Of railroad, broken by few bonrs' Stage ride
| through valley AZ lovely that of Rasaela-
EGer-y. capital, public spirit aud architectural
isste have left but t:ie Uf the oli i'm provenents
at this place.
! Ihe magnificent grove of patrisrchal f,rest trees
| aurTcuLdlug the SpfiUgs under " hose ample shade
SO many thousands have sought rspose still re.
| main, does that huge hotel. with its pisZzas
| two hundred and fifty feet Tong ard the cuplou.
| mineral springs, with their volume # water equal
TO - small river-tns all el.c is changed.
After years OF vlcissiiudcs the victim Of ItiSa
ti.n, the prisoner oi chgDcery court, leased III
bs sbers and rented by persons indifferent TO II,
prosperity, the Old Sweet Springs sonie year. ago
fell iuio the hands OF several geutieIpeu Of very
| large, indeed Of immense means, who have spent
hundreds Of thousands Of dollars ia the erection
| Of new and beautiful Euiidir gs adorniue The
| u oupds and III the purchase Of aid modern
furniture. new bedding, bed linen. fine old wines
complete services Of table china cutlery and plate
| ;Othlul aud skiitGl servants. ana aCComplished ed
musicians. Added to ;hesc. they are f,r,unste il
| tie services CT q superintendent--Mr Wilson,
| gentleman of SO much nrbauity, torethou9ht. en-r
gy and talent as 10 win the esteem and regard OF
every visitor
/ Ihe Old aud iispijated ahius which formerly Y
accommodated two hundred aud fifty guests
have been removed, and tesutfuI villas, cottages
! and large hotels erected i'll their stead These
buildings contain rooms for the aCCommoda. ion OF
ussrly thousand suetts. aud are furnished a.
comfortably as the chambers OF a city hotel The
heretofore unknown Iuxuries OF abundant linen
sheets, bureaus wardrobes. &c, furnish strange
tut most delightful contrast to tho rickcty fucn.
snre and comoitle-s dormtories of some watering
rlnCes we wot OF.
It is impossible TO cancave of a more attractive
spot than the Sweet Springs will be this season
with its magnificent new bath houses luxurious. ,
furnished tables, glorious old osks. long giels vast
| meadows. studded with heaps Of pretty mo~n
hay, limpid ryuet,, rich, atherial fields, and
queer, conical hills that look down upon the val
| ley.
And whas shall We say Of the gay and fashiona
| bic society which is now rapidly ding the large
| and richly furnished pariors, drawing rooms and
bed rooms of this gsyest Of all the virginia water
LII nF i,
| to sober, middieazed pate familiar TO describe
| the dag iag beauty which will soon be collected
here from all the princp. cities and State. Of the
| United States. II they we're, we might afford our
| readers a glimpse of the innumerabc affairs u
| heart and animated firfations which have narked
| each fashionable season at this watering place for
| years past Hereafter, as the season advances
and the throng Of gay and happy visitors thick
ems, We may furnisii yen with occasional sketches
of the phases Of social life at this charming and
| most attractive resort. PATER-FAhILIAs