Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1873-08-28
WOODSTOCK, VA. Aug. 10th, 1873.

! WOODSTOCK, VA. Aug. 10th, 1873.
| Messrs Editors =
! On the morning of the
18th party of visitors, (mostly ladies' at
the "Wison HOTEL started on an excur-
sion to Burners White Sulphur Springs
and very jauntily they made their passage
| thro' your town in q four-horse road
| wagon, the little feminine screams called
| the citizens to the front doors to witness
| their departure. l must say, however,
| that "Cousin Ben" drove so fast thro' the
| streets that the ladies' were somewhat
| startled. The morning promised a. very
| pleasant excursion, and the mountain was
crossed without any other incident than
little A. B. G. and Mr.. Robertson killing a
garter snake on the summit of the noun
tain, just in time, too, to prevent the snake
from fixing its fangs In the person of Miss
r. K. After several changes of seats to
the side-boards and back to the bed of hay,
by the ladies, we at last arrived at the
springs, where, somewhat iaded by the
journey we gladly put ourselves under the
generously refreshed the party with oopious
draughts from his dairy. After the usual
SITUATIONS Mr.. P. came forward and very
courteously recognized Miss Rose by the
shat that she wole last year." a joke taken
and enjoyed very pleasantly by the lady
herself, whose general good sense and
lively nature is ever ready for bon mot
After spending the day very pleasantly by
dancing i'll the spacious Ball Room, ald
doing full justice to the sumptuous viands
prepared for the occasion by Mr.. Wilson,
our generous landlord. We started on
our return, after some considerable delay
occasioned by little A. B. G. and several
ladies, who persisted in an old Virginia
Hoe-down,great to the disgust of cousin
Ben,' who was very apprehensiye of
heavy rain. Coz. Ben. was right-head
level-for We had hardly gotten away
from the springs before the rain began to
pour down, and completely deluged the
road, wagon, and feminine wordrobe III
wearing. The children thought the party
were 'sjust III the Clouds" ard we think
fo,. wa nrinia,n WAS perfectly correct
-ioi We could scarcely tell wno,..~-.,.o
were in Pooa:->es rain or f1underino IN
rain cloud i should have -. .,a9
Ben. was engineer or driver, and little 3.
B. G. was brakesman, i'll whose hands the
lives of the party were unconscionsly tfus-
ted. The road was so rugged and precipices
so fearful, that, under the circumstances,
the crossing Of the mountain was really
perilous In the extreme. Little a. 3. C.
swung to- the brake like fifty-six, or
pendulum, whilst Coz. Ben" sat upon
| the coachman's box, with reins III hand
like all ancient charrioteer, with one eye on
the horses and one on the precipices, and a
| PRAYER in his heart for the trusting con-
| fdencc in his charge whilst Robertson, as
| i'udtle1'n.a,a. straddled the coupling pole
and with stoical smile upon his counte'
nance, noted every boulder the wagol
iolted over. One halt only oocurred-ont
a few moments only, at the signal place,
| where Miss Lizzie N. becoming inspired
by the grandeur Of the scenery of thu
beautiful Valley of the Shenandoah, tina
lay like an extended panorama below
with the crescent river flowing along tn
base OF the mountain etartlqfl t5As, r~~11ltn
would have done credit to the commence
ment ofany of our noted female Institutes
Again we start-jolting over the rough
mountain rocks, and pending over tn,
precipices, ever and anon shritl scream
from one Of the ladies when we wer;
suddenly halted by the lanentable cries Of
Mrs. S., who, exclaimed, s'Let me get out
for I'm almost fainting." She got out
caeunt 0alnes and all went merry as
marriage bell" until we came to the river
| Coz. Ben" was there congratulated upol
the safe manner in which he conducted
the expedition over the mountain. Aftel
| crossing the river, the brakeman, who hat
become somewhat tagged. took shelter
I from the inclemency under covering
prepared by Miss F..who was considerably
exerci sed by his heroic exposure. The
brakesman Was 30 we'll pleased that, III
answer to excavations against tho weather
he said he did not care whether they ever
reached town-and happy dog, well h
may have been SO unconccrned about the
comfort. ofothers less happily disposed
''Coz. Bon" did not fancy the pelting rain
and gave the lash to his four-in-hand, anG
Notwithstanding the wishes OF the late
brakesman, In quite jify he drove up t,
the Wilson Hotel, where the ladies were
lifted out of the wagon, and hobbled, il
their saturated clothes, up to their rooms
where n,ein host sentrnilk punches, which
go revived the spirits of the party tina
they soon were engaged in waltzes
quadrilles, &C., which were protractet
until near midnight. Notwithstanding
the inclemency of the weather the party
was highly pleased with the beautiful
scenery, and promise, next season, t,
I have another and larger party to make th
same excursion. KAPPA
+ We publish below very interesting
~ onlcatlen to the Richmond. Dis
| views expressed by the writer and bav
not the least doubt that the completion O
the Valley Railroad will unite this ric1
section OF our state with Richmond b,
closer commercial ties than have hereto.
fore existed Our farmers and merchant
| viii. we know, be happy to open anew in
tercourse with q people whose politica
sentiments have been In unison with ON
own. The Valley OF the Shenandoah,bav
ing almost entirely recovered from the eff
fects of the war, now presents an invitin,
field to those seeking an extensive trade !:
Letter from Richmond Man in the Valley