Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1872-10-04


Ncwsin his last letter from the White Sulphur
Springs gives the following interesting sketches:
THE city of Roncevertc That is the name
the JesultS, who explored this country IN the
year - gave to the Greepbrier river. 1t
means Brier Green suppose This place was
formerly called Edwards Mill. J." At the
White Sui phur felt much interested in the
picture Of the city Of Ronceverte. | dwell,
tiguratvely speaking, on Railroad Avenue or
on the more retired suburbs of POcahontaS
Avenue. Then was in doubt whether Mon
roe Avenue or Greenbrer Avenue were not
more desirable. RoDceverte is peculiarly ar
borlous aud fruitful Of streets-on the map.
There are Walnut, Locust, Spruce, Pine, &C.
dar, Maple, Cherry, Poplar, Birch, Vine:
Charming amt they "Do you understand
trees p said Goethe. Roncevelte is certainly
very imposlug-as a picture. 1t imposed on
me. That picture may be "a bird s.eye view
of what it is to be, but no prophetic bird ever
saw it look that way. When we arrived, one
asked, How do you like Ronceverte p
where is it?" | euquired "Ihere it is -
n depot and warehouse aud two or three un.
flushed houses, and two saw mills a mile or SO
out ofsight? Oh Ronceverte, what have |
done that you should so deceive me- 1t was
like a young mans whiskers- largely laid out,
but very thinly settled For 500 lot Was
offered me-lots of them Not being in the
Lottery business we didn't take ticket. Any
one green enough to buy in Ronceverte will get
stuck.
1t won't do to stay at this charming village.
big puddle near it reminded one of the party
of u place where it was so damp he had to hoe
his corn with dipper and dig potatoes with a
hook and liue
Our next visit was to Anderson, in Monroe
county, The population is numerous No
census has been taken. 1t has improved 600
per cent 10 six months There are ten to
twelve houses going up. The chicken legs,
&C., remind me Of Gordonsvllle. All the
chickens on this road have as many legs as a
ccntipede.
All along the journey remember that the
mouutaln scenery continues TO be as have
attempted to describe it, and far surprising
anything my poor pen can picture.
The next object OF special interest is the
Great Bend Tunnel, one and quarter miles
long, the longest completed tunnel in the
United States | travelled through one, yeas
ago, in the south of France, between Marseilles
and Lyons, which was three miles l0ng-but
this is plenty long enough. Charles johnson,
esq, of Richmond Is the constructor. and he
seems to have done his work we'll The tunnel
Is straight, and you eau always see daylight IN
the distance. il you are under ground. L pre-
Ter to be on top. and tunnels are no iavortes
Of mine. Moving slowly into this gaping
cave Of darkness one sees the small lamps
fastened 10 the caps of the darkics at work.
fitting about like uneasy demons, the glare Of
the eugInes fire, while it snorts for the It's vol:
umcs Of smoke and sparks and the shrlll
shrlcks of lis steam whistle reverbcrate through
the blackness, and make the sulphurous smell
more vivid-a combine to suggest the lower
regions We We're reminded Of the darkcy
who fell asleep on the cars, and woke up in
dark tunnel, and thought the old boy had her
sure Her mistress told her to hush up, when
she screamed. "Oh, mistis, I know | am in
he'll now, Tor knew you would be sent there. "
HlNroN.-ls that Hinton? Il never should
have known it, as the little boy said when the
letter "A was pointed out to him. is that
\? | never should have known it even if
you had given me hinton It, 1t has six
houses four of which are bar rooms. The 9th.
er two belong to the Chesapeake and Ohio
Railroad Company. 1t is forty three miles
west Of the White SULPHUR. Here the Green
brier uniteS with the New river which Is wider
some 900 TO 200 feet in fact, and the
scenery becomes, if possible, more beautiful.
The mountains are more distinct and individual.
|
along as if whispering to the rocks and ripping
into crests of foam, like gentle waves, laughing
as they kiss the shore.
Went down to the end of the track where
hundreds of hands are working with will
Returning we dined al tresco with Mr..
George Thcmason, chief Of track laying de-
partment who was very kind and polite, and
whose beef was exceedingly tender. We made
good time coming back. The ride through
the mountains on the engine at night was no
vel and agreeable variety and exceedingly com
Portable 10 the chill night air. The wild coun:
try was in abounls in bears, wolves, wild
cats, deer, &c.
DEATH OF FRANCS LlEBER. -The celebra-
ted DR.. Francis Leber, LII D., died at his
residence, in the city of New York, on Tues
day last, in the 73d of his age, of heart disease.
| lie was at the time of his decease professor of
constitutional history and political science in
Columbia Law School New York. DR.. Lleber
was native Of Berlin, and entered the Prus-
sian army at fifteen as volunteer. He took
part in the battles Of Ligny and Waterloo, and
was severely wounded at Namur. Returning to
Berlin, he was one Of large number OF young
Germans who resisted the reactionary tenden
| cies of the government and was arrested as
| w
engage in the struggle for independence Of that
country. After great privatioDs he came to
Italy, and was received into the family Of the
historian Nlebuhr then ambassador from Prus-
sia Encouraged by promises OF protection,
he returned to Germany, but was imprisoned
at Kopnick After his release he went to
England.
Dr. Leber emgrated to the United States in
1927. He first settled in Boston, and deliver
ed series of lectures on history and politics
in the Iarge cities of the country While in Boston
he edited the "Encyclope liza Americana" He
also trausatedD Beaumont andD eTocquevilles
work on the peDtentiary system of the United
States, with an introduction and notes. He
next drew up the plan of instruction tor Glrard
College. published in 1892. In 1885 he was
invited to fill the chair of history and political
economy in the Columbia IS. c. College. He
filled that position until 1888, when he removed
to New York city, and was Immediately invited
to fill similar position in Columbia College
Will hn NIB bo urntn and MI hi shed q