Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1860-07-10
Eor the Spectator

| Eor the Spectator.
/ Msssrs Editors Have you ever made trip
acrosy the Virginia Alps, that is, from Staunton
to Weston, by stagea If you have, you have
"seen Sites" if not, then you have sights to see
that would please the sentimental, frighten the
timid, humble the State pride of q" "F F. ""
and draw out ordinations of horror from the
careworn traveller.
The trip requires three days and two nights of
hard travelling with little sleep, no rest, and not
much to eat. The stage awaits the arrival Of the
Central Road passengers, at Staunton, and don't
get any, and then starts on her $50 mile run o.
yer mountains, through gorges, past precipices,
and among scenery that is grand, gloomy and
peculiar.
Stribling Springs is the first stage, where Mr..
Kinney gives you supper that arouses high
anticipations of the pleasures before you but
tits deluson soon to be expelled, for plunging
among the passes of the Shenandoah you know
nothing more for one hundred miles, but climb
ing amountain, down the same, and up the next.
After leaving the Stribling the first town you
see stretched DER the plain" is Monterey, High
land county seat, hourishing place of some
twelve or dozen houses, where, at six in the
morning, you stop and don't eat breakfast, for
glance at mime host" and his establishment
would repel the appetite of crocodile or a
cross-cut saw; but he mocestly asked "a quar-
ter" for the room you set down in, while a fresh
team is being attached. You then get dinner at
"Uncle Yages," with an appetite, like wine, i'm
proved by age. This is at the top of the Allie
ghany, at an elevation of few thousand feet a.
bove the civilized regions of Virginia. At
Sipes, at the West foot of Cheat, you get good
supper, but as you and strawberries and cream,
like the Board Of Directors of the Western Asy-
lum, don't agree, of course you get sick and do
not enjoy the ride down Tygart's Valley to Bev-
erly, where you arrive in the small hours of the
morning, and swear you won't pay the old Ia
dy "a quarter" for sleeping an hour, because
You are disgusted with the accommodations
Beverly is very much like other towns of the
same kinda little larger than some, not quite
as large as others-probably a couple hundred
inhabitants e-
Buckhannon is quite neat little place, where
you get good dinner and don't pay much for it.
1t is the county seat of Upshur, and numbers
some four hundred persons.
But now comes what you have 80 long been
wishing to see, Weston. Weston, the end of
your tolls, the haven of rest, the land of plenty.
Weston is some! They keep eleven taverns in
Weston: two of them are good taverns, and nine
of them amt. They keep great many ladies
in Weston, too, and they have the eastern FASH
ions. The ''menfolks" wear good clothes and
drive good horses The ladies walk with you
to the Asylum grounds, descant upon the inn
provements made since last you were here, the
beauty of the surrounding scenery" &c.
But about the Trans-Alleghany Asylum that
is to be the pride of the North West. This it
might be; and it is q pity it hasn't Board of
Directors who would not agree to disagree, and
thus retard the progress of the work. Some Of
the members of this Board are said to be prac-
tical men, but others are said to be bent on
''pickins." But, if the present plan is carried
out, as it is to be hoped it will be, it will, un
doubtedly, be the most magnificent structure in
Virginia, and perhaps the finest in the United
States 1t will. at least, throw Staunton and
Williamsburg in the shade. Imagine in North
Western Virginia building of splendid stone
with a solid front of more than 1900 feet, beau
titully situated in country well able to support
it, and you will recognize q scheme worthy of
Virginia, and all must hope that the work will
60 on and be success. A member of the Board
told me that it is their intention to make it
model institution, combining all the modern i'm
provements in its structure and management, as
we'll as in the beauty of its architecture. The
last has been beautifully commenced by the
splendid hewing of the stone, which is deep
blue, gotten near the grounds, easily worked
but very firm. Through the whole building
there is subterranean passage, for the steam
conductors, water, gas, provision cars, DC.
Weston is an important little place, with some
seven hundred Inhabitants, in q country that ia
going to improve rapidly, and is destined to be-
come equal to any part of the State.
Hero my trip ended, and few days rest re-
cuperated and made me as good as new, and
now start again on q short run.
s AU REyo1R.