Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1860-07-30
WARRINGTON NEWS AND GOSSIP,
skxrcHx. OF sumxxH TRAvxL.

OF SUAAkE IkAVkL-
Editorial CoTssPOndsnes Of The Star i
mo. p July %, IS60.
The VALLEY OF The PATAPscO AND AnAcKHr
VIEWS, &c
The Relay House does not appear To he az
much resorted to this season as formerly surf,.
ing In the mutations Of popular favor perbars.
though its proximity to Baltimore and Wash.
1ngton must ever make 1t attractive TO those who
would breathe purer air than that Of the city
Tor lew hours. My trip Of this morning up the
narrow and preciPitous valley Of the Patapsco.
was doubly pleasant because the rail track wind
Ing through It Is in better condition lust now
than / ever before knew IL, and because the
Company, living up to the spirit of the times.
have availed themselves Of all late improvements
OF the travellers comfort and convenience i'm the
arrangement Of their passenger cars
The numerous mills, dams, workshops, and
factories studding the rivers banks, give evil
dence In their condition, and the life of the busy
hives PeoPling them, In sight from the cars, Of
the prosperity Of Maryland's manufactures; 70
say nothing Of the style Of building for which
this particular part of my route is famous-the
most substantial In America out OF a large CITY
From the railroad itself to the most unpretending
country store, everything seems constructed to
last for centuries. This Is not the case along the
line Of any other American railroad The Rail-
road Com by-the-by, is steadily progressing
with the herculean work of removing or rather
Improving, all the heretofore too narrow rock
cuts IN this portion Of its greatest American Ell
terPrise The overhanging crags, suspended per-
maps nifty feet between heaven and earth which
were wont In times past to cause the traveller IN
hold his breath when being whirled along the
fatapsco's banks, are thus fast passing awav:
giving place TO space for the extra rail track from
END TO end, which the increasing business Of the
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad has rendered abso
lutely necessary When youth was employed
IN tne original construction Of an early made
portion Of this road and having in NV minds
eye the rugged and desolate appearance of this
valley when it was but cover for woodcock. =.
u were, enehsined between almost impossible
barren crags, study Of it's altered appearance at
this day tells me more forcibly of the industrial
march OF our country, than my pen can express
NOT a cultivataole square foot Of ground Is upre-
elaimedi nor does natural advantage now re-
main to be unaPpropriated TO useful purpose
Nothing can serve better to dispel from the
Northern popular mind the delusion of the dc
leterous effect Of slave labor on the sound nroo,es
Ola reg ions industry, than tr per rail through
the valley Of the Patapsco. He must be mentally
blind who fails to realize that its so substantial
improved condition is the result Of the apulica
ZION Of the highest order of mechanical. agricul
tural and scientific intelligence, as well as of
genera Industry and thrift unsurpassed anywhere
In the Union, Could the half starved sh kers
of Massachusetts look into the eyes Of their labo,
ing brethren here, they would realize at glance
the fact that in the midst Of African slayeboldnv
society only, in this country is the white laborer
the true freeman and independent citizen; know
Ing no political superior, and never in fear OF in
truson upon his real rights or of insults offered
TO the dignity Of his position as an independent
member of the community
AS the train progresses further I'D this valley.
am more fOrcibly struck with the changes made
in the location OF this lower division of the Balt
more and Ohio railroad; costing immense sums
evidently, but Of money capitaIly laid out as the
decreased wear and tear OF the road and its
machinery, in proportion to the business IL tr7n
acts, proves. The ridge dividing the waters Of
the Paapsco and Potomac, traversed by this road
Is at this season a charming country, cultivated
with most eommendable care, and Of course
yielding bountiful returns wherever else in the
United States great care Is exercised In agricultu
raj operations The land is diversified gracefully
with hill and valley, and field and grove. The
progressing oat harvest gilds everything one secs
around this ridge with its warm and genial
luSter.
The first fair view Of the imposing Blue Ridgs
is crossing the Monocacy at the Frederick
Junction, from whence, until its first gorge ia en-
tered at the Point Of Rocks the road gradually
nears it, The petite Bull Run range also there
makes It's first appearance on the left hand form
ing graceful background 10 the extensive yiev,
OF highly cultivated plain OF the Piedmont conn
try just here, than which no other In America is
more lovely. As we rapidly near the Blue r doe
the prospect Of highly cultivated and extensive
farms interpreted with groves of timber of orioI
nal growth, becomes even more agreeable. mill
near the first gorge mentioned above we enter
upon q somewhat more hilly region, but not too
much so for very profitable cult walton, as well
as picturesque scenery. The ridge is gradually
depressed as IL approaches the river at the Point
Of Rocks, where we for the first time strike the
Potomac, with the Chesapeake and Ohio canal
on us norm bank and the imposing Blue Ridge
on the other. In times past tbs construction of
the canal and railroad between the Point of Rocks
and Harper's Ferry was regarded as the mo5.I
work Of American engineering How soon ba,
II been so wholly ecHpsed by the ALLEGHENY Dor
ton Of this road.
was one Of the engineering party that mad.
the original joint survey for the Railroad and
CenA between the Point Of Rocks and Harperi.
ferry, tnen the assistant engineer who superin-
tehoeo the actual construction Of the Canal h.
tween those points, and subsequently the assist.
an, engineer who suPerintended the laying Of Ia.
rails between the same points, have been f,o.,
bitten In winter when clam boring over the then
stuPendous and undistarbed crags bereabou,s
and agued and fevered to the point of dsath
well NIGH In the interpreted maIatious river low
grounds. have, more than once, naviga,ed thu
river from Aarper's Ferry to Georgetown unon
what was in old times called Potomac lone.
boat, mammoth canos-shaped concern without
covering or accommodation Of any sort SILL,
course, recognize each succeeding point in the
scenery being developed In the rapid progress
Of the cars, including the ancient bu,g "a
Berlin, somewhat improved since when :, mo-.
renowned, this region over, for cells, shook,n,-
ly bad whisky, cockpit, and never ,eI,rtr,,
prevalence Of ague and feyer-a God forsaken
place, industrially, morally, and phy,ieauv
Nevertheless, recognize In IL famil,,, GA
friend, concerning whom Tor which) nv mind {,
stored with "reminiscences Of the process of sow.
Ing my wild oats -
10 III