Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1858-08-07
Interesting Letter.

II. KB.
Interesting Letter.
Our thanks to our friend 80 Viator +" for the fol-
lowing interesting letter from the White Sulphur
Springs, Va. We hope to hear from IS Viator Of.
ten, on any subject on which he may choose to
write.
Our correspondent says truly, that we might, by
proper enterprise, secure for State much Of
the wealth annually squandered by Southern health
and pleasure seekers. The mountain scenery of
Western North-Csrolina Is attractive than that
of Virgina-the air is as pure, and the mineral
waters possess as valuable properties But we will
not detain readers from the letter, which is Is
follows:
WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, GREEN BR1ER Co., Vail
July 2Y, 1868.
At this season Of the year the papers are filled
with letters from the various watering places through
out the country. have not, however, noticed any
in your columns and, for the benefit ofsuch of your
readers may be contemplating first visit to this
place. propose to throw together few items which
may he considered reliable, as they are from an
entirely di>in,ereSted party 5.-
The invalid or pleasure seeker, starting at Weldon,
has choice Of routes to the Springs-one by the
Souh-Sde Railroad from Petersburg via Lyncbburg,
the other by the Virginia Central Railroad from
Richmond. Owing to the fact that there is about
thirty miles less staging on the Central route &C.
cepted it. 7 purchased through ticket at Weldon
for $l5.25 left there at Q. p. H., and arrived at
Richmond z, p. m. I had supper. lodging and
breakfast at the Exchange Hotel, for which paid
So so. including % cents omnibus hire. and started
at z, r. m, next morning; had good dinner at the
American Hotel. at Stannten reached Jackson's
river the present terminus of the Railroad at 81 D.
M, thence at 6. r. m, took stage, Is miles, for Cal
| laghan's. where arrived at lO}, D. m. I stopped
at the latter place at night. had very fair accommo
dations at 81 %, started for Springs by STAGE 10
miles, at g, q. m, and arrived there III a. m the
whole journey from Weldon occupying 454 hours
without loss Of Sleep at actual expense Of 1880
The advertisements for the above route nf',rm US
that the stages limited to nine inside and two
outside passengers; that in which I came had the
full complement, save one; it was crowded to it's
utmost capacity. Indeed, with the thermometer at.
suppose, 80, a heavy load Of baggage mountains
to ascend and descend and, in these days of erpan.
sion three in seat, the stage drive not only
uncomfortable but exhaustng. and such invalid
! should never attempt. The stages however, are
substantial the horses good the drivers skilfu and
with six to a stage. two in each seat, the travelling
| would be comfortable could well be expected
! On arriving AT the Springs the first thing to be
done ~ to register your name and obtain a roon.-
i There is an employee here who msy he called the
! superintendent of rooms whose duty consists in
locating visitors they arrive. and to whom all ap-
! plicatiOns for rOnms must he made. He seems tn
feel the weight Of his position heavily IL the
des'ines Of nation were resting his shoulders;
and. I have n" doubt is often "perplexed in the
extreme" I have heard him accused Of partiality
and have some little reason to complain myself but
the WHOLE am inclined to think that he acts as
fairly he well can, and act he WILL som, viii
find fault Persons who intend to remain long, or
who have patronised the place for series of years.
certainly entitled to preference in the choice Of
rooms over mere casual visitors-but impudence,
importunitg and pretension here, every where,
| fare best
After procuring a room the next duty is to secure
! seat at the table. without which precaution the
visitor wi find himself ;" alone in q crowd" hungry
in the midst Of plenty, not a waiter to notice
him. The dining room is filled with round tables,
each has what may he termed lis mess" the mum.
bers composing which are. generally, acquainted
with each other, thus forming pleasant circle
One great pleasure experience here arises from the
fact that am one of "mess' as polite. high toned
and agreeable as can he found at the Springs. A
room and seat being procured the visitor may take
to his ablutions and prepare to refresh the inner
man.
The situation of the Springs is very fine, in a
valley on the western slope Of the Aleghanes. amid
| amphtheatre Of mountains. The view is
sarily limited the valley itself On the outskirts
under the mountains, number Of rooms brick
and wooden cottages, the latter with all the comforts
Of dwelling houses; these form nearly circle. and
are known by various names. gwen to them by visi
tors, such as Georgia row, Alabama row. Baltimore
row. Paradise row, &c. At tn" western end of the
valley is the main Spring. canopied over by neat
dune; standing out prominently, almost in the
tre and "bstructing the view of the valley in what
ever way the may turn, is the new hotel in the
location IF which. suppose, taste was sacrificed to
convenience. The hotel is bnt of brick is about
420 feet long, and has fine dining loom 800 feet
by co. at one end is parlor 100 by 60, and at the
other hall room Of the same Dimensions You can
now judge Of the reliability of correspondent Of
the New York Herald who, in letter dated 10th
inst onto fho ho11 Ia If
modating one hundred sets of dancers at one time
I suppose twenty sets with ordinary number Of
| spectators, would crowd it uncomfortably. The
| rooms for sol turner's badly constructed being
defective both in light and ventilation; each has
two doors, one o. enng on an inside passage. and
double door, half glass opening on an outside piazza
So the only mode of ventilation is thin light sash,
over door, unless. indeed, you throw open your
room exposing it to the gaze Of passers by during
the day, and to piferers during the night. The
brick work is very good. but all the other work is
very inferior. The hotel is not yet completed and,
| in my opinion, will not be during the season. AS
fast rooms are finished, sometimes before. visitors
put in them, and, to nervous person, the noise
made By the workmen is very annoying, and renders
a stay for any length of time out Of the question.
| The register shows that the whole number Of
visitors here last 442, at this date 1885,
The lumber so far this is about 1850. includ
i, 2 the arrivals nf to-day; and there are here at
present about 1000 persons nearly every State in
the South. and several Of the North, being repre-
sented You may have some curiosity to know how
SO many persons pass away the time in retrest
among the mountains 1t hangs heavily enough on
| the hands of some-we have no reading room-ths
is highly discrrd'table. Here are congregated
thousand persons, Of the first watering places
of the South, and the proprietofs are too thought
less, too stingy, to provide reading room veil
| supplied with papers. For the news Of the day.
therefore, each man must depend on his own mail.
or such papers he may be able to buy. at
double price, from one boy connected, believe, with
! the post Office = =
Aerdnner and tea the ladies' repair to the parlor,
Where At such times, there is general concotEse