The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1869-06-12
Aitt1mond 1ispattlr,
SATURDAY.. JUNE -, 1869.
Virginia SPRINGS.

IN Guests on the lSt instant under the man.
ol7mcnt Of Mr.. JAMES Carroll. who has
gained quite reputation in the past three
wears for The superb table ne has provided
ut the sweet. No watcring-placc ever gave
finer entertainment to lis guests.
The earliest watering-placcs III Virginia
visited hv the public for their curative pow
er> were the Berkeley Springs at the town
Of Bath, IN Morgan county, three miles
from The Potomac river, tie Warm and the
Hot Springs Of Bath county, and the Sweet
Springs of Monroe. The last named
MACE was little behind the others as 10 time,
nut Srrang rapidly into favor, and shared
the fashionable custom with the Warm
and The Hot soon after the Revolution of
20. The Berkeley Springs were patronized
Nv WASHINGTON, the FhtRfANES, and LEES.
and the principal officials at Washington.
Thr bw roads that then were being very
rough, and the modes Of conveyance being
very Slow and difficult, the guests Of the
Berkeley Springs did not attempt to visit
other watcrinc-placeS In n summer. nor did
those who went to The Warm and Hot and
sweet attempt further iourncying. The
travel to them was long and fatiglling--alite
enough for a summers undertaking. In
the early part of this century there assem-
!Ird NJ the Hot and Warm and Sweet a
society which. for refinement and virtue
and all The high principles and emotions
that cnnoblc man, has had no superior on
this earth.
The sweet Springs were first brought to
notice by the LEWIS family, who owned all
the lovely valley in which they rise. Colo
mel WILLIAM l.. LEWIS, living and cs-
tccmcd representative of that family, so dis
lingui>hcd for its revolutionary rcnown,
still resides on one of the rich and beautiful
farms into which the magnificent LEWIS es-
tat" has been divided.
These Springs tlourished before the White
sulphur was known-that grand fountain
which has now shot ahead Of the time
hpuorcd waters that preceded it, but has
not echpscd them. The old route was via
stanton to the Warm and the Hot, and
thence 4 distance of say fifty miles UjG what
has been since CALLAHAH's and up DUSLAF's
creek 10 the Sweet, and there the travellers,
winding up the season. departed for this side
the mountains uja Fincastle. They jour
ncycd all by private convcyances. They
used the thermal waters as alternatives, and
wound up with the inyigorating bath of the
sweet Springs. which happily fixed the adj
yaniage> previously acquired, and sent the
visitor home full Of health, animation, and
yigor.
since then have been added the sulphurs.
and the tonic Chaly beate. and alum Wa
'cr-->0 that no man can now 90 amiss in
seeking health in the mountains of Vir-
cjuju.
The sweet Springs rise in one Of the
brightest valleys in the State. 1t teens
with yrrdurc. and the sun, in its career
in the heavens, from morn till night. so
plays lis rays upon the amphithcatrc en-
he>om"d amidst lofty mountains az to leave
uo dark corner. The lovely foliage of the
lrrchc, and naples offers the most charm
.l- and grateful shade from rays that are
not eEhmSing. and which cast their gentle
light beneath the broad branches OF the
grand trees Of the mountains which there
flourish in unsurpassed luXuriance. Happy
the country endowed with such scenes.
The sweet Springs, now owned by Mr..
OLIVER BIEKNE. have been adorned with
great Ghrrality with elegant brick cottages.
and the grounds are arranged for further
improvements upon scale both expansive
and elegant. The Allegheny Station, on
the Chesapeake and Ohio railroad, is the
point where visitors will take their dcpar-
turc in commodiouS Staec>-a distance OF
nine milcS-hy an excellent road to tho
sweet. 1t has always had fine company
and the present year will probably exceed
any that has preceded it for The number 0!
its guests.
TnE NATURAL BRIDGE is one of the point,
not 10 be omitted in Il tour OF the noun,
t#Gs. 1t is pretty we'll known through the
country; and we need hardly say that it is
formed by the wearing away of the eartl
hy a creek into II gorge more than 200 feet
deep; but part of the surface being LETT,
that forms a bridge of some twenty yards
in width in line with the creek. The
bridge i arched naturally, and during the
iNll- NLilS IL las tNNlA hllNh ii u 'i''S io''
little by scaling. A road crosses it.
Mr.. JEFFERSON celebrated this bridge III
his notes OF Virginia. There are several
similar bridges in the limestone regions OF
tho State which are prone TO subtcrranean
currents and caves, but none are so high
and picturesque rs the Natural Bridge of
horkbrid@c. The first house erected at the
bridge was built in 1890 or 80; and then
was opened the book in which gentlemen
and ladies began TO write their names and
such lancics rs the bridge inspired. That
summer play actor, whose ambition was
greater than his courage, descended from
tho top Of the bridge TO the bottom by aroPc,
butthc swinging oftheropc so frightened him
that he was taken up more dead than alive.
He remained for some two weeks helpless
invalid, and his hair turned gray. 1t was
about that time that Colonel PIPER, OF
Washington county. while student OF
Washington College, Lexington, assembled
the bridge from bottom TO top. He had
not intended 10 do 50, but he got so high
that he dared not turn TO 90 down, and
was driven for safety to 90 upwards, and
finally reached the top. \ more fearful feat
never was achieved. Finally, to touch OF
what is fearful in the mere recital with bit
OF comedy, it was soon after the "book OF
visitors" was opened at the bridge that it
was visited 10y Il jolly old gentleman, who
wrote his name in it and appended thereto
the following lines
=. af,ch IL. 90. 7 travelled and fur have I rid
Bur never saw such bridge Us tlls--l'll be id
II did -