Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1858-07-05

A Tour Through vir9inin and the south.
OUR SOILS, MINERALS, MANUFACTURES, TRADES, PA
cEs, SCENES ANp PEOPLE, PRACTICALLY oossIpEh
HI sSD DESCRIBED.
LOCOMOTIVE SKETCHES.
No. VII.
From FdrmpiUe 10 Lynchjurs.
Little of interest ia presented TO the traveller be.
tween Farmville and Lynchburg. The country is
undulating, and not much improved on the line OF the
South Side Rail Road. A large extent of forest of
original growth still lines its deep cu:s and embsnk'
ments, and, running as it does, on the high ground be.
tween the counties of Campbell and A%ppomatto1, The
soils ara generally more light and insubstantial than
those of Cumberland and Prince edward. There
are a few fine felds, and unimportant stations along
the line; but nothing interesting or attractive arrests
the attention, until our iron horse rushes into the
valley Of tbs james near Archer's Creek, and thun.
ders mp among the echoing hills that surround the
great city of tobacco. We cross a mineral region be-
fore we reach the vicinity of the river, but, in our
rapid flight, not even a birds eye view could be
caught OF anything but dust and trees, poor helds,
and dirty houses-rocks are scarce. Upon striking
the river, u widely different scene bursts upon our
vision. Here we again meet the canal and hear the
boatmau's horn, now, however, on the South eide of
the river, which the canal crosses a little below, and on
which side il continues until it enters the mountains Of
the Blue Ridge near the Balcony Falls. Before leaving
the South. Side Road, we may remark that thousands
Of fine farms on the Alleghanies and other noun.
Tain Districts. even in Virginia and Pennsylvania,
have been created out of much poorer lands than
those on the South Side Road, between Farmville
and the James River; and such lands, if in mauy OF
the New England States, would not be- uncultivated,
with such easy access, as here exists, to the various
fertilizers. The traveller who has passed over the
Reading Rail Road in Pennsylvania, or who has rid
den over the New Jersey Central, will recollect the
many splendid 6slds and lovely scenes he beheld
through exactly the same country, and where the
soils, originally, were not better than those We have
Just left behind us. But the day must come when
here, too, we shall See al Improvement.
The termination of the South Side road at Lynch
burg is still in an unfinished and rather inconvenient
condition. The Virginia and Tennessee liue com.
meuces from the same place, and the Deputs of both
being located in the salna spot, and the only spot too,
of available ground in Lynchburg, nothing like order
or uniformity can be maintained. We are sorry that
our enterprising friends, who are endeavoring to draw
the world TO their narrow gorge, have so little room
in which to spread themselves.
For our part, we cannot comprehend where all the
great lines of improvements, which are to centre in
this mountain village, can find entrance or location.
The James River and Kanawha Canal is rather out
of the way, being under the City; and the Virginia
and Tennessee and South Side roads, occupy all the
available ground that we can discover on the preci
pitous side of the river, and that too over the canal.
Where the Lypchburg and Charlottesville road can
take up It's habitation, or how the "Lynchburg and
Covington'' and "Lynchburg and DanvilIe' roads,
which sre to be, though yet in embryo, are to get
into the city, would puzzle a lawyer, and much
more an engineer, to make out. We, however, have
a strong sympathy for Richmond, and after being &C.
cus,omed so long TO view and study its magnificent
site and splendid advantages, we cannot of course
know how to econOmiSe room like those who make
this branch of engineering a study. We must con-
fees, too, that we feel a little jealous Of "Tobacoo's"
attempt to rob US Of the travel from the North, which
we have so long enjoyed. and cannot discover the
BEAUTIES Of Lynchburg through the mist of our pre-
JUDGES.
We can only see o rough precipitous hill side, and
a narrow gorge, through which PUSHES the turbulent
riveri Il few low, smoky houses, without paint or
whitewash, innocent Of gilt or varDish; low tobacco
sheds, black and dilapidated warerooms, steep and
regular treets, and a few creditable buildings, among
which We may mention the Virginia and Tennessee
Railroad depot, on account of its elegant style more
than its convenience, and the Lancaster House,
more for its tsste and convenience. however, than its
STYLE. W. ARE informed that about fourteen thousand
OF the inhabitants of this metropolis of tobacco live
upon the hili-that most of The business Is done up
there, and that all of the fashion and elegance OF
tho city congregate there, but the heat OF the day ard
the angle of asceu: were obstacles too formidable to
ba overcome, particularly after We had made up our
mind abou, Lynchburg.
Feeling rather lazy, and Tinlon like besides, we
would wind up this rather abusive epistle here, but
We understand that newspapers as not much read in
Lyuchburg, and it is not likely, therefore, that any
of is friends will read this, and under this impression
we can indulge ourself to the end OF the page.
Trashy novels, manufactured in New York and Bos.
ton for Southern entertainment, and Hsrper's Maya
zine, furnish most of the reading matter. But We
believe that the "Virginians' is rather a bore, even
here, trashy, immoral and dull as it ia.
We were Just trying to realize Lynchburg ten years
hence. but the picture looks even more confused than
at present. We see a thousand boats pouring through
it the trade OF the great West train after train rush
ing down from Covington, bearing thousands Of pas
sengers from California and thu Transatlantic vallies,
for their summer tour in Europe, via Norfolk, and
rice versa. The people Of the North pouring through
Lynchburg to the South the tobacco of Dan.
Vile ~hurrying to the greatest tobacco mart in the
world; the smoke Of furnaces, and mills and manu-.
factories c%louding the sky; the shrek of the rus,ling
iron.horse, and the laundering OF the trsihs.-Jupiter!
who would then live in Lynchbure7 who could7-It
would be "overaowing ~full'-piled n thousand feet
deep with people and trade. Some enterprising yam
kee might drive a trade in importing vacant lots from
New York. ). Ii. De Bow.
LYxcHBuRG, July |, 1853.