Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1871-10-03
From the New Orleans Picayune.
LIFE IN A TRUNK.
NUMBER SEVEN.
WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, Va,
Sant 1871

w walt Tor the wagon, Wnlcn is literally
slow coach. The servants on this occasion
up" run about half dressed, with lanterns
which wink as if the darkness hurt their eyes
No time for breakfast, though Jordan, th
stewart dragging his suspenders over hi
shoulders, runs down stairs barefooted to hos
pltably insist on getting US up something;
no time for the fruit which David and Eller
beg US to find room for in our satchels NJ
time for any of the biscuits which the kind
hearted housekeeper assures US would ''bt
nice;' no time for anything save the glass O.
wine which Mr.. Gushing declares we mus
swallow in order to keep up good spirits tt
Stauntou. Up drives the stage. -Four horses.
0 Toole himself on the box. We hurry in
we hurry of-out of the gate, over the bridge
the cold moon In the cold sky looking wisttuly
down at US as if she would like to borrow a
| shawl! l think for a moment of two little
golden heads left asleep on one pillow. [ re-
member in what kind hands they are left.
breathe for them an earnest prayer, and give
myself up to the gories of the drive. Hall
way to Staunton We remind our friend
| D Toole that the train starts at Shat nature
Is asserting herself-that We are unmistakably
hungry. He touches his hat politely, smiles
gallantly and mutters between his teeth =
Are their breakfasts of more importance than
my horses p The sun rises-the sun rides
| high. We reach Staunton just in time not to
| eat the breakfast we have ordered, and off we
| go on the early train. What a ride. Look
| here! look there We cry to each other as we
dart through tunnels, sink into valleys, soar
| over MOUNTAINS skim along by water courses,
past cascades, past caves, through vast halls
OF hewn stone, past Clifton Forge, thunderng
over bridges, gliding across trestle work,
plungng into the wilderness and looking out
| - sl,t 1taE Il
track which looks like stee-gray ribbon bind
ing together the wild tresses of the forest
We halt. MIR. Woodward, the conductor,
comes to say to me that We have taken to our
selves another engine, two being required to
pull us up the grade. Would | like to ride
upon it? l turn inquiringy to hlm whom |
have promised to 'obey, receive smiling at
frmative nod, and in moment more am as
sisted to the left hand of Mr.. Alley, the engi-
neer, who places me by an open sash that COM
mands view of the whole peril ahead or at
least that which seems to be peril. We start !;
strainlDg pull, reluctant revolution of the
wheels, and slowly We begin the ascent. The
grade here is three hundred and six feet to the
mile, and so rough is the road, | can scarcely
keep my footing as | stand, sort of figure
head, in round hat and red shawl, on the
locomotive. l look back, and In the doorway
of the first car | see Mr.. S. and his dear little
wife, the senior partner, the three girls and
the young doctor, standing grouped together
on the narrow platform, each face differently
expressive of the awe and wonder which the
surrounding scenes excite. The engine sobs
and sobs as 1t pants up the mountain. We are
above the tallest tree-tops. We look hundreds
of feet down into rocky gorges. Sob, sob
there seems to be some mighty giant impris-
oned in the engine, whose ponderous heart
beats l listen to. as throbbing, throbbng it
tolls upward with US, fed all the way upon fire
and water, and regaled continually with oil. [
wonder how many forest trees 1t has eaten, and
how many small brooks it has swallowed, and
how much oil it has anointed its joints with,
just to climb that hill, and as [ wonder we
reach the summit and stop. am lifted down
and run back to take my seat In the train, and
as do SO, the extra engine uncouples and
glides away from US, passing out of sight
around the curve as we slowly take the down
grade. find myself osciIlaung like pendu-
lum between the right and left side of the
coach, as the beauty OF the scenery changes
from that to this In little time Mr.. Wood
ward comes to me again, to grant me the rare
passenger privilege OF riding on the engine
Again [ run forward-again We have two en-
glnes-agaln | am assisted to the engineer S
| slde-a kindly hammered man, who receives
me with wondering good nature, gives me a
seat on big chest by the window, and shouts
to me to hold on by the brace. do hold on.
He opens little black door and | see the iron
monster mouth full of red hot Goals; he
gives it bite from big pine tree in the shape
of stick of wood, then Its mighty pulse be-
gins to throb again, and thud, thud, pant,
pant, its ponderous heart gives out It's strength
and up We climb once more, the grade this
time three hundred and twenty feet to the
mile. We reach the summit, and slowly de-
scend grade Of two hundred and fifty feet to
the mile towards Jerry Run; at present an
imaginary stream far below US on the left,
where last year fearful accident occurred to
train upon this road 1t makes one shudder
to look down and think what might again be
as he remembers what has been. After pass
ing this point, the engineer shows me where
the permanent road Is being built, and | look
down into deep gulch where the track is al
ready laid, which Will lower the grade In many
places hundreds OF feet. By extensive tunnel
Ing and deep cuts, the steep and dangerous as
cents are to be avoided. But [ am very glad
it has been my good fortune to travel the road
before the temporary track is abandoned -
The grades past, the extra engine again un-
couples, and before l know 1t | am being run
away with by the black monster, whose throat
| is tull of flames aud whose sobs have changed
TO sort OF chuckle as he sweeps away from
the halted train with the ease of summer
swallow. L am a little anxious and troubled,
as l have no desire TO make my entree into
| White Sulphur on board locomotive but we
| stop as suddenly as We ran away. The senior
partner and the conductor come to lift me
down, and once more l take my seat in the car,
| delighted With my novel journey.
Soon alter, We entered the Allegheny Tun-
mel which is four thousand eight hundred feet
| long, and In which convicts were at work in
their prison garb each with lantern, which
was but spark in the intense gloom. AT
halt-past T. NJ We were at White Sulphur,
the present terminus of the road where we en-
tered an omnibus and were driven to the hotel
situated but short distance from the depot
Here handsome young physician and his
mother from New York, and gentleman aDC
his wife from New Orleans, met US with cor
dial welcomes and Joined our party. We were
assigned beautiful cOttage-neatly furnished
and containing five rooms, which nicely accom-
modated the immediate party from StrlDllng
After bathiug, and a change OF toilet, we re
paired to the dining room, an immense apart
ment, three hundred and twelve feet long, ant
supported by forty-four pillars. 1t Is file,
with round tables, and is said to be capaclou
enough to seat fifteen hundred guests.
opens into the parlor at one end and into tn
ballroom at the other, and looked at froI
either extreme when the lights are low an
either extension room is illuminated, it loob
very much like pocket edition of the ALI
I, ghany tunnel. We are now about to explol
the neighboring mountains with its numerol
" walks, and as | am admonished that every OF
4 waits for me, therefore hasten to say adie
i and wonder, as | say ii, if you can ever ma
| 70 hnctv nnd oil