The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1867-10-09
Especial Corresponden /

SPecaGt C07TeSp0NGence.l
Travelling over the Chesapeake and Ohio
ROu.e---The Wonderful Resources Of w.
Ea---Their Importance to us---Interest-
ing Incidcnts--Our Special Correspondent
in the MOuntains---What He Sees and
Hears.
CHAMELEON, WEST VA,
September %, 1867.
EDS. VIRGlNIAN:
AS promise has to be kept, /
shall have to write you something from this
western region for your capital paper, to make
good one that made you when we parted at
4 P. M. of the 25th ult.
We reached here at II A. NJ, to day, SO
you see we made very good time, when you
remember that we are 200 miles from our
good city Of Staunton, across the entire Ap-
palachian system Of mountains, and have
Llsde 100 miles Of the distance in stages over
a good road, that six months ago was consid-
en- erprize OF our own townsmen, the Messzs.
Trotter, who have, by large expenditure Of
money not only put the turnpike from Gov
ington here in good order, but have stocked
it with good horses and four horse coaches,
driven by. careful and gentlemanly drivers,
and, not only this, they have arranged their
stopping places SO that the traveller is pro-
vided with capital fare and lodgings, and
have been the first to :mpart life into the
broad region that lies between the White
Sulphur and he.e. They richly deserve COM
mendation, but like all other benefactors of
mankind, they have been abundantly abused
by the people they have so carefully "haulelLD
from the railroad to the Springs during the
past season. We would suggest, since tie
delicate ones are safely removed from he
mountains, that they mend their gait on that
part Of the line, and put new outfit between
Mountain Cove and the Falls, and no reason
able man will have cause to complain.
( Covingto1 seems to have new life spring
ing up since it has been the terminus of a
railroad, and the two omnibusses in waiting
at the depot; give. it quite an air of impor,
lance and, when the Press has been es:ab-
lished there, as we heard it would be, bv an
off-shoot from the goa head ''Valley Virgin
ian," We shall be better able to appreciate its
deseryings. s
/ The White Sulphur is winding up the
season with the last of everything, including
Bolts and sshis set, who are breathing out
threatenings Of slaughter, &C., melted there
to, no doubt, by the sulphurous surroundings
Lewisburg is as ''rebelious as ever, hav-
ing only four "loyal' ones-not enough to
save lt-so they tolled the bell of the Meth
odist Church, which has been wrested from
its rightfuf owners, for an hour, last Sunday,
to celebrate the obscquies Of the rebels. but
they "will not down. and we fear nothing
short OF a new generation, nurtured by the
Free Schools, which we found Prof William
White, the State Superintendent, looking af-
ter, will be able to conform them to the new
order Of things 1t may be, though, that the
re establishing OF the Court of Appeals there,
which they are striving for, will restore them
to a proper o6seroence Of the laws, which
some of them pay but very little respect to,
Judging by the treatment Of its officers.
We had quite a pleasant travelling compan-
ion in Brig Gen. G. O. Howard, Of the
Freedmen's Bureau, who has charge Of the
freedmens schools in Maryland and W. Va.
His tone and spirit are commendable and,
while we dissented from some of his views,
his candor and good sense compelled US to re-
spect his motives. Reared under the Maine
Law, which compels every one to attend the
free schools, his notions in that direction are
radical enough for the minority of the Staun-
ton Lyceun. but bis desire to know the views
Of others and to promote the GOOD Of all, with
out doing violence TO any one, won from our
party the unanimous verdict that he is a very
good person for the position he holds. We
left him and his assistant at Lewisburg ar
ranging with the school authorities to help
them to build school houses for the negroes.
Greenbrier county looks badly. They have
had very little ram, and the grass is nearly
burned up; the corn crop, too, has suffered
and will be short There are few evidences
Of the effects of the war until you reach the
top OF Little sewelf Mountain, but from there
to Gauley Bridge the county is almost aban-
doned, and is rapidly bseoming'a wilderness.
The honses and fences were burned, and many
OF their owners nave lett the county and
found new homes IN the West.
Our ride across the mountains was much
enllyened by the company OF former officer
IN the Confederate army, who had served in
this region In 1861. His narration Of Incl
dents, as We passed the spots where they oc-
CURED, was very interesting. On the top Of
Big Sewell he showed us two graves, enclosed
" stone fence that had been whitewashed,
with white monument. After the Confede,
L. j IL. IL l.. et.1