Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1870-09-16
The Virginia snrinGs.

the medicinal virtues of the waters at this
place, left the Sc Montgomery White
with regret, just as I had formed q circle
OF acquaintances, whose society would
throw charm over less agreeable re-
treat, in parting from whom felt the full
force and beauty of the words:
FAREWELL a word that must be, and hath been,
sound which makes us linger."
It is not, perhaps, too much to say that
all the arrangements for the comfort OF
guests are equal here, if not superior to
any other watering place in the Virginia
mountains The resident partner, Capt.
Colhoun, evidently knows his business,
and attends to it too. The scenery is
also beautiful. Tho hotel is situated at
the head of wellkept, gently sloping
| lawn, whilst the eye rests on an amph1-
theatre of mountains, from which there
| is apparently no outlet. But the valley
formed by the head waters of the Roanoke
sweeps by at their base. In the drive TO
the depot, only three and a half miles dis
tant, we cross this stream six times, at no
place more than knee deep. and without
bridge, affording no indication OF the
splendid river which courses down through
Southwestern Virginia, entering North
| Carolina in Warren county, bordering on
its southern side Halifax, Martin and
Washington, and On its northern North
ampton and BERTHE, and emptying into
that magnificent sheet OF water, the Al
| bemare Sound. The river is known by
different name in a part of its course, and
well might John Randolph frequently ex-
claim in his inimitable style, 1t is Roa-
noke at the head, it is Roanoke at the foot,
and why in the - do they cali it Staun-
ton in the middle 2" It is needless to say
that John Randolph, of Roanoke, never
allowed the misnomer to be applied in his
presence.
The Roanoke, in the greater part of it's
upper, as we'll as throughout the whole Of
| it's lower course, traverses one OF the most
| fertile regions in the world. On one of
the Halifax plantations, on its borders,
one planter raised, in one year, ante BEL
luna times, thirty thousand barrels Of
corn, whilst another on the opposite side
of the river, in Northampton county,
made, in one year, thirty thousand bush
els of wheat. Such philosophers as Hor
ace Greeley may thank God for the change
which has given this region, and others Of
like fertility, over to the bush, and the
race which cultivated then to slow but
sure extinction; but it is difficult even for
a fatalist to recognize the almighty fiat IN
such result.
On the 9Th instant a party was made up
for short mountain trip, consisting OF
Capt. A. ". Stokes, Major D. n. Barrows
and son Charley of Miss; Charles Bruce
aud Theo. Dowdall, Esqrs., of Virginia
Col. Oscar Woodbridge and j. ID. Vance,
ESQ, of Memphis; J. r. Tillery, Esq, ct
n. O., and the writer. 1t seems, accord
ing to Pollard, in his Tour of Virginia, y
that Fisher, northern artist OF celebrity,
q year or 50 ago, discovered O mountain
view five miles from here, which he pro
nounced equal to any he had seen IN Eu-
rope, and hence the place takes the name
of "Fishers View" TO reach this was
the object of our excursion, and I had tie
pleasure of seeking it in company with q
set of as good fellows. and as elegant and
genial gentlemen, as the watering places
can produce. Our conveyance carried us tC
the foot of the mountain, thence we had to
make a toilsome ascent on foot of, at least
. one mile and half, which put our powers
of endurance 80 a severe test Neverthe
] less, the rarity and purity of the atmos
phere on the mountain top, soon relieved
us of all sense of fatigue, which Captain
Stokes illustrated by iudulging, as he cas-
his eye over the scene before him, In {
Confederate Whoop or yell, that might have
, startled an Indian.
. The view is certainly we'll worth seeking
presenting to the eye a scene extending
for, I suppose, fifty miles in half circle
interspersed with innumerable distlnc
forest-coyered mountains, rising IN alti
tude as the distance from the point of view
increases, giving no evidence Of being IN
: habited, save at the Springs, which seemed
to be at our very feet. would advise al
/ lovers Of the picturesque, who visit the Al
= leghauy, to spend half day at s. Fisher
i View" But if there is ;nothing superio
to it in Europe, should never go Their
for the cake of the scenery. There ar
q many things superior even in these noun
< tain ranges. Indeed, Mr.. Vance, of GU
y party, stated that the view from Lookou
. Mountain, over against Chattanooga, Is c
= finer effect, that, too, having the advan
" I tage of presenting to the eye the mean
behring's of the Tennessee river, willis
Fishers View" has no water scenery q
) all, which greatly detracts from it's beauty
u These mountain scenes have a most e!t
e waiting and exhilarating effect ON tn
II spirits of low land man. The magma
ton of one who has never passed far bt
le yond the alluvial region, must always bt
to some extent, restricted. The lives {
le orators and poets will sustain the assertio
" that no one, of either class, has ever bee
truly great, who had not wandered anon
(. mountain ranges, or rode upon the storm
ct tossed ocean. The mountain tops towe
ing to the skies, and the white-creste
n waves kissing the very clouds, afford ii
grandest spectacle in nature of the sui
IL lime and beautiful, teach man his own il
" significance, and fill his mind with til
!, awful majesty of Him who rends tt
B" mountain at His nod. and says 10 tho ocea
"peace, be still.
re There is quite a large company at til
popular resort, and it is said that CO
nd siderable number will remain here Uni
of the middle of October. There are mar
he handsome ladies present, but I cam
er describe beauty at a distance mu
hear the accents as they fall, SEQ the e
10 preston of the eye, and view the magic
changes of the Ii y and the rose, as 81
as colors recede, or blend together, on fa
cheeks, ERE [ can feel that inspirati'
which only can enable US aptly to portr
beauty in woman. AS I have rot, as "
sought this opportunity, will not attem
= to describe any of the bellies of the Al
ghany, otherwise, whilst I could not me
'er ton names, L might draw pictures easj
'6s recognizable, which would excite the ard
ers of bachelors, and make Benedicts si
IN that they had got off so soon.
H.