The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1869-06-14
WHAT "A YANKEE THINKS.
Ihe Bay and Valley OF the ChesapeREz
-ADeliRhIfuI Region.

Mr.. George a. Townsend concludes a
letter to the Chicago Tribune about the
naval ball at Annapolis, with this trib-
ute 10 the delights, the advantages, the
history and future greatness of the
Chesapeake Bay and Valley:
BY the Presidents steamer as pro-
ceeded homeward, 1 felt, in all their
exquisite loneliness, the sceneries OF
Long Island Sound, third more than
the length and breadth OF the latter,
and it receives the longest rivers east OF
the Alleghanies. At its foot Is the
finest port on the Atlantic coast, ap-
preached by capes fifteen miles apart,
and the great bay itself is $50 miles
long, and from ten to thirty miles
broad. Into this extraordinary bay
more than thirty rivers flow; more va
rieties and more quantities OF she'll
fish, game birds, and fruit tree s here e1-
list than in any other region of America;
more cities lie upon II than upon the
Gulf OF Mexico, and il has the sOftest
climate known on the a lnut.c coast,
saving Florida, without levers in the
warmest season. II has wooded banks.
excelled by no waEers; iron, copper and
coal lie on its tributaries; three steam
ship lines ply between its ports and
Europe. The oldest cases OF longevity
known TO modern man have been we'll
aLteSted upon its shores. Its basin pro-
duced nine out of eighteen Presidents
of the United States. More battles have
been fought in its valley than in the
rest OF America. 1t was settled before
New England. 1t was explored by
John Smith thirteen years before the
MaYdower's voyage. 1t has produced
two thirds of the naval heroes of the re-
public. If it was the cradle of slavery, it
49, H. hnrv
ing furnished in PinckneY and Jetter-
son the original Abolitionist, and when
the creoles and half breeds of the Gulf
set It in the van OF slavery, its military
genius almost dignified the fall of that
insidiOus monster. Warped, wounded,
beggared by slavery, the resting place
OF a million and u half of dead soldiers,
such is the climate, and such is the
timber OF the environs of the Chesa~
peake, that in the next ten years of its
history it promises to recover from the
past half century of its errors. Immi-
grafton is pouring in-fruft.Rrowers
VineyArd.planters, planters of barley
and hops, Waterman, spinners and
smelters, breeders of shad and oysters.
The great bay has found out the value
OF its natural endowments, and the oys-
ter fleets of two States are saving its re-
sources, else obsolete In twenty years.
Much amusement has been extracted
from the supposed barrenness of the
soil and the people of its peninsula OF
the Eastern Shore, but 1 think this will
bear comparison with Long Island. the
corresponding peninsula of New Eng
land. In devotion to the Union, Mary
land, particularly, says LOSING. was
early numbered among the staunchest
OF loyal CommonWealthsS outstripping
In practical patriotism Delaware. Ken
tucky and Missouri" From this basis
came Henry Winter Davis, the leader
of the war party in the House of Rep
resentatives, George 81. Thomas and
Admiral Farragut. Gliding along in
the afternoon past bold bluffs and
silvery beaches, by pullers OF the seine
and oyster>planters, past vessels OF
wood and vessels of coal-the whole
world of sky and water and shore COM
posed to exquisite peace, a soft veil
seemingly drawn between the eye and
its delights-I thought that 1 had never
seen, in any land, q more miraculous
and inspiring climate-the Netherlands
in opportunity without fogs or dikes:
Here, coasting from place to place, had
many weary navigators furled their
sails and cried "Homel" Here, again,
seeking haven after the storms OF the
war, may many tranquil natures drop
anchor and found new Virginias, on
which no slave-ships shall land their
cargoeS.