The day book. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1857-1867, 1866-09-01


try circulation Observation-Disclosures, 5lA
Day Books combined circulation over
Virpinian's combined circulation 1876
The Epistie ola wandering Bachelor.
Thefellowing letter to which we yield great
deal of our space, contrary to our usual Gus
tom, will be found full of pleasant humor
and the more agreeable to us as the evidence
of the health and high spirits of a gentleman
universally esteemed in this community.
CHAFFIN's HOTEL, \
SALEM, Forsyth County, N. c.
80 @ August 28th, 1866.
DEAR DAY Book - ..s
Having heard, some time ago. of the adj
yantages of this place as desirable summer
retreat and feeling that transfer of my
precious corpus from our low sea-coast coun-
try, to some distant and elevated region
in the interior, would be of no detriment, but
rather probable benefit to the said (by me, J
tenderly regarded corpus, accordingly, ear
ly in August, left the hot and dusty streets OF
that "city by the sea" which is always so dear
to all her sons and daughters, and, as rapidly
as steam and horse flesh could convey me,
made my way to this fair "city set upon a
hill"
As the road runs, am, in round numbers,
three hundred, Ito be accurate, 296,) miles
from my domicil in Norfolk Leaving Ports
mouth at A. NJ and going via Weldon
and Raleigh, reached High Point Station on
the North Carolina Railroad, eighteen miles
from here by 81 P. M +, of the same day;
having had ample time allowed me at Kit
trel's Station for good dinner .a-
Sleeping at High Point the first night out,
and taking comfortable four horse coach
Al. ota T
my breakfast at this hotel inside of four hours
from High Point Thus the actual travelling
time for the 2o6 miles required only about
sighteen hours. l enter into these particu-
lars for the benefit of such of your readers as
may possibly think Of coming here next sum
mer. sta
Should they do so, think they will All
regret it, At any rate. know of one Nor
folk man now up here, who has no regret on
that point.
While enjoying the refreshing and invigor
ating bFeezes that sweep from the not distant
mountains through the streets of this pleasant
little town. bearing health and healing on
their wings,I often wish that | could send
them, in all their purity aud delicious temper
allure, directly into every nook and corner of
old Norfolk.
Cogitating. the other day, on the surpass
ing purity of the air of this locality, and en-
deavoring to get up some well-founded theory
on the subject, at last after much reflection,
became satisfied that it is the result of some
occult process in natures laboratory, by which
the sparkling and pellucid crystals that have
been garnered up for ages in the enchanted
caves of the neighboring Pilot Mountain, by
the genii Of that most singular and isolated
peak, have become gradually decomposed
and thence losing their concrete condition,
ito become vastly expanded in bulk, are thus
act free to assume the ariform character they
now bear, so that they may, in joyous cele-
bration Of their release from the gloomy cav
srns that so long imprisoned them, dance and
whirl and fly in wild and capricious freedom,
as they airs continually doing, over and
among the hills and dalea of this beautiful
pastoral country Isn't that the true theory
What ?--Dd l hear you say that you
you couldn't exactly swallow the whole
Of it - that it is rather too fanciful for
such an earnest and sober-minded parsonage
as your worthy self? Well, perhaps it may
be 80
As have not yet had time to test the
truth OF it, by applying, to the air in ques-
tioD, the alchemy OF familiar spirit that
travels about with me, will not therefore,
Tor the present, pertinaciously Insist on it.
Bat as some slight evidence of there being
perhaps sparkle of truth in it, beg you
to take into most grave consideration, the fact
that something 'out of the usual must exist
and have operated hereabouts, I'm, sure it
isn't whiskey-and why not air made of de-
composed or liquefied crystals p to have put
into the imagination of such a plain, prosy
matter. of fact person. as you well know your
w ha 10 in a of
Norfolk, such strange and whimsical phan-
tasy, Il thought heard you term it,) as /
have suggested. @ -as
But persiAage asde--of this place, as a
situation favorable to good health and lon
geyity, too much cannot, in my opinion, be
said From the geological and typographical
character of this region, it cannot be other
wise. '"''-
The surface is generally hard and stony,
and the entire region being broken and billy,
gives rapid motion to the streams Its phys-
cal conformation consequently does not per-
nit the generation of malarial or miasmatlc
causes of disease. When we add to these adj
vantages, the general elevation of this country,
prom eight to nine hundred feet,) above the
sea-leyel, and the propinquity of the Saura
Aountans, Ioutliers of the Blue RIDGE which,
az ~ the crow flies, are not over eighteen miles
alstant and from which, therefore, in a few
minutes, is waited to us the cool and pure
ar that always battles their slopes and sum-
diiIs 1t must be apparent at once that resi-
uenee IN this region cannot be otherwise than
conducive to good health and the mortuary
statistics of the place prove it to be SO.
Inc population of the village is about fif-
ven or sixteen hundred, and the town itsel
little over one hundred years old, having
ossn founded in February, 1883. u.