Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1869-10-07
PUBLIC LEDGER.
THE NATURAL BRIDGE.
LEXINGTON. Va. October /. 1859.

LEXINGTON, VA, Oct0Der Il 1908.
Correspondence PUBLIC LEDoER.l
There are two routes by which tn
Natural Bridge can be reached. If yol
have sufficient nerve, and confidence il
the genus Jehu, you can take the stage a
Bonsack's, on the Virginia and Tsnnes-
see railroad, every alternate morning, ,anG
by 3 m. reach the bridge; or, by com
ing to Lexington, via Lynchburg, car
take the daily stage at 6 a. m. and arrive
at the Bridge at IL o'clock. The Bridge
is fourteen miles from Lexington and
thirty six from Bonsack's the stage route
between these two points running d.
rectly over the Bridge, the road being
barely wide enough for two vehicles tc
pass-which, considering that it is FAC
| feet to the bed of the creek, made it, be-
fore strong fence was erected on each
edge ofthe road, nice point of prudence
| to teamsters. fsye . a.s ~ ~
The Bridge is "sbig thing" and
though l am phlegmatic, rather excitsble
and Indifferent, rather than curious, ]
must add my testimony to that of thou.
sands, and recommend everybody to visit
"the greatest curiosity in the world" Il
will well repay the bouncing and jolting
| one receives in the stage, and all the vex
alton an irritable traveller may receive on
rough road. 1t is literally a natural
bridge-the handiwork of Nature. In
its erection, there was no display or plans
made by ingenious srchiteets; ne propo-
sails advertised in the paper Of the largest
circulation; no inspections and banquett
by turtle-eating aldermen; no estimates
Of the probable cost no controversy
about long span or short span; no fuss
and feathers, or congratulstory vine
bibbing, at its completion. Nothing, OF
the sort. Old Mother Nature took The
entire job, and completed il at her own
convenience, and has carved her imprint
boldly on the face Of her work. Il
A little limpid stream of water, spring.
ing up somewhere in the mountains Of
West Virginia, came trickling down the
rocky slope, seeking, like lost infant,
its bigger friends. Flowing on its troubled
course for maby miles through I:ssao=-;
and glade, through hamlet and forest, il
came at last plump against a. huge wal
| of hinty granite-the summit of which
appeared to it's feeble vision to kiss the
clouds Its weary journey was appa-
rently at an end; it cuddled itself uI
| into little eddy at the base of this Chi
nese wall; it sang and murmured, il
danced and whirled; it foamed and
seethed, then slept 1t threw the whole
of ite little tide and strength against the
Hinty surface of the rock-ribbed impedi-
ment, then recoiled the cragged preci
pice stood 6rmer than the walls of Troy.
Continual dropping of water, the philos-
| ophers say, will wear away the stones.
Geologists affirm that natural curiosities
are the result of the efforts or convpl-
siops of patHFs, To the philosophers
| and geologists I will iesEe the solution Of
the question ss to how that LITTLE stream
of water made Its way through that vail
of granite; abandon the poetry of the
scene, and come to the prose.
The Natural Bridge, then, is simply an
arch OF solid, finty rock over Cedar
creek, about Fifty feet long, twenty feet
wide, and forty feet thick, ths arch be-
ing about one hsndred and ninety-sy
feet above the bed OF the creek, WHICH
makes the bridge about two hundred aud
forty feet high, measuring from the edge
of TIE wagon road over it to the surface
of the watss beneath it. These are the
dimensions; | can't hope to give you a
pislpre of the scenery. ft Is wiia enough
| for any enthusiast, and tame enough for
an artist; rough enough for a bandit,
and smooth enough for a Eademoiselle.
who would daigD to year brogans snd a
straw hat. The wsRs beneath the arch
bear the marks of venturesome youths,
whose schoolboyish ambition prompted
them to Chamber up an almost perpen-
dicular surface, and with chisel or blade
carve their names in the roek. Iyielded
to the example, and following the foot:
steps Of the boldest, 1 indented my re-
spectacle cognonsa, IN good Gothic
characters, high upon the wall IsoHldn't
restrain my hand from forming, scj jscent
| to my own, the name of young lady in
Tennessee. I trust that no one will ac-
cuse me of taxing peoples names in
vain. As young ladies afs halls ts leose
their names at some period Of their lives,
| thought it clever to preserve one, at
lesst, in an imperishable monument
The Bridge is yearly increasing in pop
ularity as sgGper resort. After the OBJ
stseles of so tedions journey are sur
mounted. it is a PLEASANT loeslity to
spend a month dDring the heat of elm-
mer. There are no springs or mineral
waters there, but hunting and fishing
grouads are good A very respectable
hotel, and one or two large boarding
houses ars LOCATED near the Bridge,
whara I am assured kv MANY. that the
Eat of the land 10 served Up ct vsry Fea-
sonable rates. The country about in-
deed, seems TO be the land Of milk and
honey; and if the impromptu dinner /
partook Of Is . nFiierion, high old living
may be expecisd in the hight Of the sea-
son. A postofice is located there, which
is an accommodation for visitors. =
The vicinsge Of the Bridge, and for
many miles in either direction is very
attractive; the landscapes are beautiful
us a picture. The farms, though billy,
are in good condition, and tolerably well
srforad thaf