The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1873-02-26
Grenina State Sollrmat.
WEDNESDAY EvEN'G, FEB. 2e. 1873.
montgomery County Mountain viows-
From our special Correspondent
ON THE WING. February %.

montgomery County Mountain Views
From our special Correspondent
On THE WING, February %.
The railroad station for Christiansbure
Is some two miles from the old village ant
courthouse aud the wagon road runs
around high and commanding hill, called
by some "Mount Romance )" and there is
pleasant foot-path leading over the pima.
Gle of this little mountain, which shortens
the distance more than half; and people
often walk over for the purpose of enjoy
ing the magnificent and extensive scenery,
Of which it commands an admirable view.
The top is clothed with fine timber, oak,
hickory, and other sorts. Of large, thrifty
growth, with underground of brush, and
iuxuriant grass, flowers and ferns. From
this eminerce we have distinct view OF
"Mountain Lake." which has body of
clear spring water upon the very summit,
Of great depth, although it is one of the
very highest and most prominent peaks of
the Allegheny mountains also, of
peaks Of Otter" long way off; and
"Twelve-o'clock Mountain, !" also far away;
with many other noted points, in the vari-
Gus mountain ranges, of this region of
country altogether, this grand kaleidosco-
pic view, as you turn your eye in all di-
rections, is richly worth miles of travel to
view it. The particular spot is called
"Romance Mount" from the fact that
romantic people so often take their strolls
here, and the lovers of nature visit the
place muchly, on the snow, as we'll as in
the howery months.
Many of the coal and iron ranges in
southwestern Virginia may be seen from
this point. 1t is situated in Montgomery
county, but affords splendid views in many
other counties it lies between the cross
ing of the New river and Salem, and some
ten miles from Blacksburg, the place of the
State Agricultural college, which is reached
from here by good carriage roads.
We had little subduing experience of
the romance of the Romantic Mountain.
In crossing over this dangerous point the
other day, your correspondent had very
pleasant companion, in the person of a
sharp, straight-laced, intelligent school,
nam. She had an eye, evidently, for the
grand and marvellous, and, withal, was
unquestionably reader of Shakespeare,
and was mischievously inclined to play off
on the ignorance and credulity Of her walk
ing companion, who possessed plentiful
lack of learning and discernment, and SO
was an easy and pleased ctim to her cap
tiyating arts and winning ways-upward.
AS we looked away over the different
ranges, and to the clouds which lowered
around them, various forms, shapes, and
dimensions would roll up and along as such
things do; first, there was old Lake
Mountain" raising up his back like huge
elephant among pack of horses, and we
ventured the sage remark that it resembled
q Turkish elephant; mo indeed" replied
our school-mam sit looks like whale
don't you see how it curves its long back
along the horizon p Suddenly we saw it
did 'slook very like whale" and so we
got our elephant off our hands easier than
the President did when he was presented
with one. Directly we got our eyes on the
two towering ''Peaks of Otter" in the dis
lance, and happily catching in ''our minds
tured to remark that they ''looked like
camel" ''Not so, sir; at fault again." said.
our instructress; "they are two balloon
stations for the man who is to cross the
continent in the cereal cars don't you see
they are castles in the air ?" And again
we had to succumb with our comb cropped
and confessed they ,oere very castles in air
that, and nothing more.
But we hadn't the courage like poor
Hamlet-he had only young man fretting
his wits-as he did to challenge our COM
panion to play on music pipe and then
reproach her for trying to prey on our
grave self; but then she was so obliging.
She seemed to think we were SO old and
decrepid; that deafness and blindness had
overtaken US on that far-off, way-up noun
tain top, for she was not sat SIZED with
speaking to us to call our attention to the
various scenes and objects all around, but
then she would, with vigor and enthusi-
rect our eyes to the distant objects, or lay
her forcefnl hand on our shoulder, and in
the paroxysm of her admiration, and in
screaming eloquence, exclaim, "See, see
there, isn't that grand ?" And we thought
it was, sure! And then we also thought,
in whisper
f" IT'S distance lends enchantment TO the view,
And robes the mountain in its azure hue
And we thought, too, (but this too in
whisper, very faint one,) that some other
things, as we'll as the mountains, would be
more enchanting some furlongs off-at
least, Disseminating.
But the track was slippery down the
mountain side-some snow, some ice, and
some frosty rocks; and it was thought
best to get down before dark and it is a
fact, you may have heard remarked some
where, that pretty much all of these noun
tains look much better at 9. respectable dis
lance away where only their finest feathers
appear, than when you are climbing them,
with more than two arms to support and
more than two pair of feet to mind. Adieu,
noble mount, till the summer time.
d. S. G.