The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-01-27
Notes from q Local ON the Wfng-Tass
Experience in the Valley.
STATE or RoCKBR1DGE, VA.,1 :
-. -.-.-- L. q - z i.
Travelling o'er the mountains,
ScOatin round generly,
Nothing halt so pleasant
AS riding on the railroad.

Scoatin round generly,
Nothing halt so pleasant
AS riding on the railroad. s4 ~
Gentle reader, this is what is denomina-
ted in Jersey "machine poetry" Why,
do not know nor is it important TINT
should. know that I am in the State of
Rockbrldge. The country is beautiful,
"mountaineous," and wealthy in goodtimes
Lexington is the capital. It nestles among
the hills and mountains as quietly as babe
in its cradle, and but for its delightful So
ciety, the Institute and Washington Col
lege, "Jeems" Reilly, the blind Irishman,
and Jayhawk Wills, Esq., 1t would nestle
rather quietly through the ages to come.
As it is, however, it is lively town, al
though the 1Ecunnal" is brOk6and money
is scarce. went to Balcony FaIsthe other
day. The scenery is q success, but the falls
are O decided failure. A Richmond boy
could raise better falls in Main-street gut
ter. The country thereabouts is fearful to
behold. -<a
There was food there just before Christ
mas, which scattered things around gen.
orally. Mills and dwellings stood but little
chance; and as for a stable in the low
grounds, 1t was about as unstable property
as man could hold. There was ''water,
water everywhere, but nobody took q
water than whiskey in the State of Rock
bridge. This was q rare occurrence
mean the flood. Hence the fearful appear
ance of this heretofore gorgeous country.
If you could run beautiful country
through threshng machine it would not
present more "r0cky" and forlorn ap-
pearance than does that portion of the
North River country over which the flood
swept. In some parts there is not enough
cunnal" left to run q smallsized "cun-
noo."
Brady's mill and Il pig-pen were about
the only buildings saved on Buffalo creek.
Near Buffalo l met with genuine
:. Heathen Chinee." We were playing
"seven-up." Clubs were trumps. threw
down the deuce, and the aged Chinee on
my left threw down another deuce. [ drew
"Truthful James" OIL him, and with stern
demeanor read this edifying document.
The old Chinee was so struck with the in
structive moral that he wept tears of re-
pentance, and acknowledged that the deuce
he played belonged to another pack.
People here have curious notions Of secu-
rites. I asked man on the road side what
time it was. He said he would like to tell
us, but he had lent his watch to gentle
man who had deposited fifty dollars as q
guarantee for its return, "and do you
KNOW Salu ue, ~ CIlaC Dlan never mas re-
turned me that watch. Well, darn if give
him his money back, cause l done spent
it."
French brandy is plentiful here. My
companion asked bar-kceper at Fairfield
if he had any French brandy. He said
"Yes." care you sure of that2" ayes,
sir rec. 7 knoao hits French brandy, be-
cause Job Lawson, whar lives over here on
the ridge. made it, and he told me hisselt
that hit was French brandy" Ipassed.
a temperance man stands but little show
in Lexington. They shoot any man who
refuses to drink with them. The mortality
OH this account is. lam glad to say, small
very small. But while there is much drink.
ing done there. there is counterbalancine
amount of preaching done. 1t resembles
Boston in that respect. If it was as big as
Boston | should say the resemblance was
quite similar. But it is nice place, and |
should like to die there, though / should
prefer to live elsewhere. Pm coming home,
so no more from DENIS.