New-York tribune., 1871-10-21
WEST VIRGINIA.

| virginia..
WHITE SULPHUR STRINGS, Sept. &c. We
h.vs ddap in eight days from the Ohio at Huntington to
this place. 1t has been charming ana Wonucr,u i'u,
tbrouub country great part OF which VIII, wheh IL Is
| ononod To tourists, become famous for LIS Dod anu
magnificent scenery. while the remandcr-the nunuIru
miles which lie between Huntington on thc ONO anu 'o
Falls OF the Kanawha, less Wild, but also picturesque
| must because Of It's immense undeVci0pcd mihcrh'
wealth attract capitalists who withdraw thither rs soon
"a the Chesapeake and Ohio Road Is completed no"
and numerous population to mine the camel and spnt
coal and ron to manufacture tho salt and OIL and 70
prepare for market the timber In which 1t 10 rch'
What a change o railroad makes. The journey TOT
which VIC needed eight toilsOna, though deiighuhI,
days. you may make noxt October in six hours INC coa
veins which without this road would DO almost Vaino
less and which may now be bought Tor song VIII
be made by this railroad worth hundreds OF doarS Pcr
acre The pine and black walnut and other timber whch
am told abounds In the gorges OF tho New RIVER anu
which cannot he oated down that too turbulent seah
will find market by rail. The iron Of Central virginia
and Of Eastern Kentucky will be brought togetner WIN
tho coal Of the Kanawha Valley, at Huntington or else
where along the line Of the railroad, at Small COST "
numerous new furnaces and forges must quickly arlSo
where now scanty farming population Is just awakns
from century's stagnation don't know tnat na'o
before felt 40 strongly the immense addition 10 he
prosperty wealth. and happiness of region OF couhy'
which Is produced by aocomotiye steam engine running
| on iron tramWay
Here Great region which is Of little importance
to the rest OF the country IL was bard country w ~
in it was an unpromising country to invest capai III
Won and could not be persuaded to live there II dd not
| r,ward its Inhabitants with wealth. And here comes
railroad and suddenly changes all ths the coal ana iron
will be mined and in the mining Of 1t millions OF captai
and thousands OF industrious population VIII De en-
caged the salt and oil wells will be reaned ont and new
ones bOred the lumber will be sawed And not only 10
NIL material interests look up but 10 the traveler-to mo
tho mountains had new charm, as th0a9ht thAt
they were to be accessbe and In the New faVer
caiOn which, without railroad, would remain forever
n forbidding Wilderness the views were TO my imagna-
ton grandcr and far interesting because knew
that soon any lover OF the picturesque might with small
expense and hardship and take his pleasure IN
them Even the terrible Colorado cahon-whch Is only
the New River canon multiplied by en-w cease to De
forbddng think, when 1t is travcrsed by railroad.
The New River runs through deep gorge or what IN
California they call cafOn for nearly the whole OF It's
course from the mouth OF the Green River to ts Junction
with the KaRawha The population OF this canon Is not
numerous but has long been solitary and Is In some
respects extraordinarily rude and peculiar The people
have been long slut out from tho rest OF the Woru
and have had so little communication even with the top
of the mountains above them, that they have acquired W
some extent manners and customs OF their own.
Their rmploymrnts arc hunting and fishing, and in
small and hesutOry way farming-which means raising
corn and calves for though where the canon wluehS ey
have pasturage for cows milk Is not part OF their diet
The New Eivcr country has been, from time immelnor
nl convenient and safe place frefuS" for persons In
its vicinity who had reason to fear the law IL SAID
that It was FIRST settled by such persons and durnS the
late war its people had the reputation OF prcynS on Doth
armhs knowing that no gaTeral could an'rl to SEND
force into their deep ravine to pursue them The lower
part Of the river is but little inhabited; as you ascend
there arc occasional Fats where you find farmer
nd php local Ian
Of white headed children, among whom should say
from observation girls predominant.
When the engineers OF tls railroad first entered this
canon the chldren aud used 10 hide themselves
at their approach. By-andby they grow boader; and
one day O little boy was caught and duly askeu Ills
name.
"Wbereis YOUR father I" the engineer next inquired.
Hes gone to the top find place to live a." was
the reply.
"Why are you Gring to nova awayf
"gther don't want TO live yer no lcnger now tho rail
roads comm along" the answer, and 1t Is believe
fact that the pcople gradually desertlng tho CANON
now that the work OIL the road Is going on.
Near stretchers Neck we came upon grist mill stand
ing in q narrow eide gorge This mill. was told Is
owned in common by the peSple and hither they come
from the adjoining parts OF tho canon to grind their corn
They usually IN the night when the slender noun
tain stream whchdrives tho mill Ia strongest; and an
old bedstead had set In tho MILL near the hop
per, where they slept while the corn was grinding
There u no miller Each griLds for himself.
The zen complain that the have to dress too
much now that the railroad abOuttho country
"Uow are your fOlEs I" sasked Of New River man
ry one OF company, AMI he replied, "Thcy're all
knockm' round"
Among their social eustom0 are two which seem to be
derived from ancient history. Widows are cared for,
cOmonly after tho Old Testament rule, 50 told: and
brides after fashion which, think Herodotus tells Of
for 1t Is their custom not to marry woman until her
first child born For this they give oddly enough the
reason ths people poor doctors not attanabe
and the birth OF the first Dhild they believe always
dangerous the motherslife, wherefore the intending
husband chooses and throw upon the parents the
trouble and expense Of possible funeral He wants wife
to cook wash sew and keep house for hn; and she
to die, ne don't want her at all
AZ we neared the Greentrer, the farms became moro
important, and at psInt We noticed, across tho
river place Of considerable extent apparently inhab
tied by th:ty family, fer cornheld had been cut out
on steep slDpe where should think horse could
easily walk to ploT and indeed. the most probable
theory Of IT'S cultivation seemed to be that suggested by
OF company that the farmer stood the Oppo
ate bank and shot his seed corn In with rifle
On our journey through tho NeW-RiVer CafOn,
found hosptable entertainment with the resident
engineers with the contractors Of tho railroad These
with very few exceptions, Virgnians; and as they
engaged In practical affairs, found them cheerful
hopeful Of the future, and by such soreheads
conduct too many OF the Virginia newspapers. You
will md commonly picture OF Gen. Lee hanging
the fireplace for most II not all these engineers and con-
tractors served under Lee and sitting about the big
FIRE, after supper, the conversation turned not intre
qusnty to the late unpeasantness, and Northern and
Southern men fought their battles over in friendly
way and compared notes and opinions upon which
have o great place In history. OF one Of the con-
tractors rude but efficient man, an odd story was told
me. He was favorite Of stonewal Jackson's; and,
ha
called upon this man, Mason, to build bridge
stream near Port Republic. "You may get ready your