Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1871-01-27
Affairs on the Virginia Side.

l..
Editor of Star:-It requires an early break
fast and early start to reach this little town,
the present jumping OFF place Of the Washing.
ton and Ohio Railroad, and forty-four miles
distant from Alexandria, at 1910 a. m. 1t COM
pels one to be up and doing some little time be-
fore the day god displays his morning glory. IT
! could have my own wish in the course OF travel
| would speedily have the w. and y. extended
from perhaps Falls Church direct tor Washing
ton, and save eight or nine miles. But am not
Disposed be to difficult let US have q systematic
connection by rail with this portion OF Virginia,
even if it must come only by way of Alexandria,
out let it come speedily. We ought to have the
products of this region coming regularly every
day by continuous railroad arrangement. We
want no delays nor transhipments, and we want
the same arrangement fer the passenger travel.
ALeaving alexandria the first station is Carlin
Springs. which, as you know, Is a summer resort
of city-tired people for picncs and rural relief.
Then comes Falls Church. q beautifully stu
ated little town of intelligent, enterprising and
thrifty people. Vienna, the third station on the
railroad, is another town OF growing tendencies,
trade. The fifth, Hunters Mills, is q lag sta
ZION. Thornton Is an embryo town, with sta
ton house, and seems to be trafiicing consider
ably in rails fer fencing, and there is quite a
supply on hand about the station grounds.
Hefndon is town with station house, steam
saWmill and church, which 10 used for school
during the week. This school is now sustained
by funds obtained under the new free school
system OF Virginia. Near this town L observed
that the soil begins evidently to improve in
quality. 1t has Changed to q reddish or ferru-
ginOus clay. HereabOut the surface OF the soil
10 gently undulatiDg and handsome. Guilford
has Q store, grocery, station house, in the bust
ness way, with . church as q product of It's
moral and religious sentiment. Farmwell is still
a rustic place. Belmont is only q dag station.
LeesbuTgh is the town on the route and has 1900
inhabitants. My judgement would place the
number higher, but the census recently settled
the question. 1t is one of the Oldest towns in
the Old Dominion, Is quite prettily ocated on an
elevated undulating site, with streets crossing
at right angles. 1t has good Court House, To-
S shs xan d ~ gIouna an academy to teach
chine shops and business places. With just
pride its people still point the stranger to the
ONCE in which the distinguished William Writ
which Gen. Washington remained over night on
a certain occasion. Three weekly newspapers
constitute the vehicles Of disseminating general
intelligence among its people: The Washing
tOnidn has nearly reached its three score years
and ten, the Mirror is the other conservative
paper, and the Republican, am told, is the organ
OF the progressive sentiment of the times and
town. Two hotels receive the traveller and re-
liese his necessities. Clark's Gap, and lastly,
Hamilton make up the number of stations on
the route; There is an appreciable amount Of
business done at Hamilton in the purchase and
shipment Of farm products. The town is come
half or three-fourths OF a mile away from the
station, but observe that its growth is tending
towards and even round about the depot.
With the W. and y. railroad, after ii shall
have effected railway connection with Wash
iDgton, westward its star Of enterprise truly
takes its way Efforts now are being made to
procure the requisite funds to extend the road
to Winchester, in the Shenandoah Valley. When
this projected work is completed passengers and
freight will find transit to a large extent by a
shorter route than now over the w. and D. to
the capital, or through the same to Baltimore
Philadelphia and the great commercial center
of the western hemisphere, New York. Presi-
dent Lewis Mckenzie is astir to effect this ex-
tension to Winchester first, for the Ohio river
is the ultimate terminus Of the road west. But
in this extension to Winchester the first matter
to he considered in connection with the road, the
people Of the Shenandoah Valley, the people
all through this region and the city Of Wash
ton are deeply interested. i trust that the three
will cordially and substantially aid the enter
prise.
Loudon county looks to me to be among the
productive localities of Virginia. I like its APP
pearRpce much. Its farmers seem to be in
thrifty and independent circumstances.
Since arrived here the snow has begun to
fall, and the whole country has assumed
Wintry aspect.