Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1873-07-03
Editorial correspondence.
ST. LOUIS, Mo-, June 23d, 1878.
To our Old n0-Aqm CHAIR:

To our old n0-Arm Chair:
Seated in the Planters Hotel, in this
great emporium of the West, we resume
our jottings of few items gathered OIL the
way since the 18th instant, when our edi-
torial excursionists left the Greeenbrier
! White Sulphur Springs on their tour west
ward. En- route, from the White Sulphur,
our admiration of the rugged mountain
scenery grew more and more profound as
we proceeded onward. Now and then an
exclamation would be forced from some OF
our party, by sudden and striking view,
either deep ravine, craggy steep, a
beautiful and fertile valley, or a collection
of majestic peaks, and still we were told,
what we found to be true, that we had not
seen 1.-THE of the grandeur that was yet
before us in this mountain chain. This
passed, we entered the beautiful and gent
ly undulating country sloping to the Ohio
river.
Having passed these mountain ranges
by three different routes-the B. & O. r. r.,
the G. & O. r. r., and the P. c. r. Rive
note peculiar features which commend
each to the attention of travellers; but
those who desire to witness the beautiful,
the rugged, and the majestic, in ever vary
ing combinations, should not fail to take
d trip over the Chesapeake and Ohio Rail
road. The road itself, in its inception and
completion, is wonderful achievement,
even at the present stage of progress in
railroad building. We understand that
the plans first laid down, we believe, by
Fisk, who was one Of the. greatest engi-
neers of the age, and by whom the surveys
were although he died in a mad
house-were not suffered to be deviated
from hairs breadth by the noble old
State of Virginia%khich delighted to hon
or his genius. he road, after leaving
White Sulphur, fvfows the valleys Of the
New and Knawaha rivers, and follows al
so, it is said, the track of the buffalo in
seeking new pastures across the mountains.
Along the greater part of the road, coal,
iron and other valuable minerals abound,
and already capitalists from other States
have been attracted hither and are invest
ing largely in mineral lands and erecting
furnaces for refining the crude material
The camel Cor candle) coal found in West
Virginia is of great value and commands
high prices. 1t is thought by some that
this road will not likely become favorite
through-travel route; but whether it does
or not, its value cannot be told as means
for the transportation of the vast products
of the West and the great resources of Vir-
ginia and West Virginia to the seaboard.
On the way to the Ohio river, we stop
ped opposite Charleston. Here we left the
cars on the west side of the Kanawha and
taking steam ferryboat were soon landed
at the city. We went Immediately to the
Hale House, large and commanding edi-
flee near the waters edge, built from the
foundation in ninety days by the gentle
man CDR. J. P. Hale) whose name it bears
An address of welcome was delivered by
Mayor Snyder in front of the hotel, and af-
ter partaking of lunch, DIR. Hale, who is
also proprietor of the Snow Hill Salt Fur
mace and the steamer Lookout, invited our
party on board the steamer for trip up
the Knawha, some five or six miles, to view
his salt works. The salt water is pumped
through three ins&iron pipe, from depths
varying from 60 e f00G feet, which have
been reached by boring through the solid
rock, into large boiler, where it is heated.
When boiling hot the, water is run off into
| shallow watts, and by keeping the water
heated with steam, evaporation takes place,
| leaving the snow-white salt in the bottom
| of the vat. This saltis packed in barrels,
and being superior article for pork pack
ing, large quantities of it are sold in the
| West for that purpose. A little farther
up the river we visited coal mine. We
were conveyed in rough cars over a rough
road to the mouth of pit. After brief
| inspection we returned to the steamer and
soon reached Charleston again. A sump-
tuous repast, provided by the citizens, was
awaiting us at the Hale House, which was
partaken of with appetites made keen by
| previous rambles. and adventures. The
usual accompaniment of toasts, responses,
&C., followed in quick succession. After
these, night-caps and Sound sleep came in
regular order.
| We left Charleston Tuesday morning of
the 18th, AMI arrived at Huntington about
noon the same day, and were again the re-
cipients of an cold Virginia" welcome by
its citizens. Huntington, the western ter
minus of the G. & 0. r. R., is on the high
road to prosperity. The city is only two
years old and now contains several thou
sand inhabitants. A handsome banquet
was given in the afternoon, at which seve-
raj toasts were drunk and some good
speeches made. Here we embarked on
board the steamer Fleetwood, magnii-
cent boat with splendid accommodations,
for trip by water to Cincinnati.
We left Huntington at 81 p. NJ, and af-
ter delightful and pleasant run down the
Ohio, we landed next morning (Wednes-
day, the 18th) at Cincinnati at o'clock.
A formal reception by Che Board of Trade,
the inspection of an immense beer cellar,
the work house, and several other import
ant features of the city, through with, our
attention was next directed to the suburbs.
We visited Spring Grove Cemetery and
Clifton Parks, each unique in design, mag
nlticent in proportions, and charming to
behold. We were refreshed" at the Ex
position Hail. and several hours later at
the splendid residence Of Richard Smith,
Esq, editor OF the Daily Gazette. Mr..
Smiths residence is situated in Clifton,
surrounded by a park of fifty acres beauti
fully laid out'with walks and drives, and
handsomely decorated with evergreen,
shrubbery, flowers and well-kept lawns.
Late in the day we were driven to the Bur
nett House, where our party was stopping.
Our condition being slightly bettered by
supper, our party dispersed to bed
and some probably elsewhere. In this city
one can set into a street-car and for ten
cents pass over three bridges, through
three cities, into three counties and two
States. The cities are Cincinnati, Coving
ton and Newport; the States, Ohio and
Kentucky.
On the morning of the 10Th we took the
Short Line Railroad for Louisville, and
crossing one of the splendid bridges that
span the river at Cincinnati, we reached