The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1860-05-15
Nitbmonh Qispattt.
TUESDAY MORNING. MAY Il ,sso

A11y'''""" e1Afatty.
TUESDAY MORNING MAY Is. 1861
correspondeaoe ofthc Richmond Dispatch.
AshiaBd--Hs Beauty and Saisty,tv--T1e Ro.-
Cosnse--Ma,. besneifS Statte, Ro,p among
fas B!ocss--Cha,ehes nad Preaching at Ash.
lamd-The Kesin,ental MAfeY-Tas Ciyens-
And n Ra,i,ead decsdsnt.
ASHLAND, May II, 1860.
This thriving place, which promises to eclipse
some others IN Eastern Firginia OF much
greater preteasions, is looking SO very pretty
and inviting just now, that must write You
IL few ltnes about il. The liberal gentleman
who laid it offand plan ned its beauties-wbich
are, as it ~ete, just beginning To bud out, In
the young trees and shrubbery that now more
perceptibly than heretofore mark his design
showed most admirable taste. The Youthful
branches of oaks maple, aspen, etc, are
spreading out and widening around the hand.
some hotel, the shade thSt will ultimately
cover mean ly all the ground, and form cool
avenues and shady circles inviting To rest and
luxurious repoSe in mid summer The place
will then present a beauty aud an exu berance
of foliage almost without parallel. The lawn.
Too, is covered with the richest carpet of green,
and the walks of the hotel yard are bordered
with Towering plants which will soon add
their blossoms To adorn the scene. 1t is no
small labor TO convert Il forest into q scene like
This in A few years The enlerprising pro-
lec tor OF the village has verified in some sort
that fable of the crusaders siege Of .Ierusa-
lem IN which the chiNalrous knight is repre-
sented AS cutting out from tree in the en-
chan ted forest near the holy city, Il beautiful
dryad whose glance was almost fatal to him.
Out of the woods the magic AxaSoeeTns TO have
struck lovely village into being and ami
mated lie
approve your recent suggestion relative to
the extension of the Ashland residents ticket
II would give indeed n new impulse to the
place. and very much increase the receipts OF
the company from the local travel. Ashland
Is healtiy-and the sick, both infants aud
adults, are greatly refreshed by q change of
AIR TO ITS pleasant walks and shades. An in
stance has just occurred of the remarkable
suscitation OF a sweet fair-skinned, faxen-
haired, blue-eyed ch,ld, whose feebleuess and
langor indicated the small amount Of life left
IN little body that seemed fit 10 be borne OFT
on angel wings. A residence Of Il few days at
ashland restored the color 10 its cheeks,
frightened up its face, gave new strength 10
its 2ttenuated limbs, and Eladdened the hearts
of its parents. A change Of air sometimes has
a magic effect on the sick, aud a change TO so
pleasant a retreat must be most grateful to
them, especially the little innocents that pant
and langush in the close premises Of the city.
SO much for appearances and salubrity of
Ashland. We have very excellent schools,
We have two churches, and We have also
course. The race course, however, Is at one
end Of the corporation. almost a mile from the
hotel, and in no manner, that l am aware
OF, interrupts the visitor of the latter. The
races are only twice year, and while they
occasion little or no interruption, in the long
intervals between them. no one would know
that race course was i'll Ashland unless
he had heard of il or walked long way TO
see II. The Spring races take place the
22d inst, and fine sport is anticipated know
nothing about racing. and am profoundly ig.
norant Of the meaning OF "hOrse talk, though
l love to look 1T hoT ses and observe the treat
ment OF The biooded ones, especially their
preparation for retiring tor the night, in
which is isplayed that wonderful apprecia-
ton of music by the horse, that at once salts
ties the mos inCreduous OF the truth OF the
alleged power OF the music of OrnheuS. l
shall perhaps go to the "Sprug meeting"
(thats turt-like,) at Ashland. l shall be en-
tirely in the dark as to what horses to bet on !;
but " i'll probably be most safe in betting nv
pile On "Dozzle's horses" Blythe way, l was
at Major DoswELL's recently, and in this en-
m,Hn1 s0th.ram must not omit 20 say word
about things al BUilfield, which is upon the
North Anna, the mansion occupying Il heiuti-
full elevation, overlooking the nleandering river
and broad and fertile low grounds in which
is the Major training ground-one of the very
best tracks in the Union. Planet. ExchequeT
Fanny Washington, (fresh from their South
ern victOrles.) 1ronette Annette Hail. etc,
were exercised npon it in a manner most beau
tful TO behold. l Ielt inclined myself to own q
b.ooded horse, and thought might win race
1t is generally the effect on the IN ind of any
thing very exciting and very admirable. One
would like TO take a hanc hIms elf, and feels as
though, under farorabie ciycnm stances, he could
be successful! The horses were III iine plight.
Excheq uer WAS grand. liked him etter than
Planet; and Fanny Washington is ope of the
nobest of her race The fact is, the stable of
the Major is worth going a long way to see.-
Though admirably governed, it got into 4 row
a few days since. EXcheuuer who is rather
mettlesome. "got on his high horse" and
sounded his war trumpet on the very highest
key. The whole stable We're out taking a
walk. The signal of hostiiities caused very
great excitement among these nobility CT
horse kind. Fanny Washington, not at all
liking the thrilling note of the cavalier (horse-
soldier, says WorcesterD broke from the con-
troll of her rider. landed him over in a clover
field and put all the distance she could be-
tween herself and the unciyil Gisturber Of the
promenade. Planet. taken by surprise, like
wise took TO his heels and disburthened him.
self of his rider. Exchequer directed all of
his ire upon him, though his elder brother, as
he is. The flying knight getting hemmed in
by conca tenation Of wagons, carts and other
obs tacles, was caught by his enraged pnrsuer,
and pretty sharply bitten in several places ;
but not severely hurt. There was world of
excitement for time. Steeds in the field and
in the stable neighed wildly, and Bullfield
seemedthe battle-ground OF charge OF caVal-
ry Summoned to the field, the Ma or, who
is as active as boy, led on his grooms, well
armed with sticks, rescued Planet from his
furious antagonist, and quelled the fearful
outbreak. The report OF The war summed up,
none killed slightly wounded, two boys and
one horse But the gallant charger had the
consolation of knowing that he had OCCASION
Ell great eXcitement.'
And low TO return to Ashland from this ex-
cursion 10 one of the pleasan test places in Nir
gnia, l have to say a few words about
events here. You must know that our Sun
days are passed in a most Christianly manner,
as our week days are orderly aud quiet. save
when we have muster or picnic. the latter
of lovely little school cbildren from Richmond,
who make our groves ring with their merri-
ment. One or other OF our two churches are
opened every Sunday and once or twice dur
ing the week. The Baptists now have Revs.
Messrs FRANCIS and DICKENsoN. alternately
at their church, and at the free church We
have occasionally Rev. MIR. RossER, a most i'm
pressive and able preacher and most excellent
man, and Mr.. Mcdowell. the blacksmith
preacher Of the Siashes. The sermons OF all
these divnes are good l heard last Sunday
Mr.. Mcdowell, and l am his partizan III all
discussions OF his merits. He is man OF ex-
iraordinary mind, and had he received libe
raj education, would have been a man of note
He has genius, originality of thought and IL
lustratioD, and ii his illustrations are not al
ways most refined they are always striking
His sermon on last Sunday was from the text:
What shall il profit a man if he gain the
whole world and lose his own soul -
He applied it physically, morally aud re-
lgiously-as to mans peace and happiness In
life and his fate hereafter. l would like to
give You a sketch, but / shall take up too
much Of your space. He was most happy in
his description of the growing love OF money
in the prosperous man-hH constant setting
off further ahead the peg that is to indicate
the point of satisfaction with his accumula-
ted wealth-his continual enlargement Of the
sum that was to be laid up for q "rainy day.
that rainy day that was to come at sometime
and somewhere, God knows when and where !
but it was to be great rain, a tremendous
shower; great was the preparation made
therefor! There never was enough for it,