The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1873-12-13

NAN--HEAvy WORK on THE RoAD--NATURaI
BalDGE-l EXTINCTION AND LIZ.
rNiVkRsITY'-yIRGrNrA AJLlrAaY INSTITUTE
MIDWAY - GRANVILLE .-AINT sPRlNG--rus
HUB. ~ ,Es.@t 0rtfs
STAuNrok, VA, December 10, 1873.
Journeying icisurely last week from Fin.
castle to this g Hub" through the good old
counties OF BOtetourt, Rockbridge, and An.
gusta, your correspondent had the oppor
tunity of gathering Some items which may
interest the letter:readers of your popular
paper.
In Botetourt the Valley railroad and the
Fincastle route was the one topic, as Major
Randolph, OF the Baltimore and Ohio rail.
road, and Captain cambridge, of the Valley
railroad. were then riding over the two
routes preparatory to making final rerort.
Since reaching here We have had the plea.
sure Of meeting with the last-named gentle
map, and gather from him that there is little
prospect of Fincastle getting the road, as
that route would increase the distance be.
tween Staun ton and Salem some three and a
half miles and add some S250,000 to the cost
OF the road. In fact, the advocates of that
route nave. we presume, despaired of sue.
cess, as injunction talk IS the order of the
day. Buchanan we found excited on the
subject Of depot. DeSpairing of getting
one in the town, she offers to compromise if
the company will erect one in Pattonsburg
for freight, with switch to the main stem
another recep tion-house at the junction, In
Schultz> bottoms, for passengers and pur.
chase the Hardy bridge, making it free to
railroad custom. The engineers regard ia.
vorahly this proposition, and will recon-
mend it to the Board at It's next meeting,
which will likely be very soon.
Evidences of the energy Of contractors
meet the travellers eye all along the road
from Burlington, In Roanoke, to Staunton.
In many places the Ellis and cuts encroach
upon the pike, and huge t11asses Of stone,
hurled from their beds in those everlasting
hills are piled in irregular and unshapely
monuments to the irresistible might Of man.
Pursuing this train of thought, wondering
how many centuries had rolled by while
those giant bou!ders slept, what antediuvian
stories they could tell, and what wonderful
developments their future would witness,
VIC were fude1y reminded that our gallant
sliced, Tom Minitee (nameSake Of that most
successful railroad nlan), was not sharing in
our ruminations--he had, while crossing a
bridge, SHE'D at one Of those veritable bould.
ers, and backed US oil the bridge ard while
repairing brcakageS and congrattlating our.
selves that our head was not Included i'll the
list, our mind arrived ut satisfactory con-
cluSion as to the uncertainty and unreliable
lty OF the equine race in general and Tom
Minifee in particular.
There is not as large force engaged on
the railroad since the bad weather set in, but
the force at work on culverts and bridges,
consisting largely Of Italians, has not, we be.
lieve, been curtaled. The bridge across
North river at Lexington. has been under
taken by Mcssrs. Schultz & Beech, and in
such bands we feel sure will be good job,
and in full time.
MIR. G. r. Mason is working twenty-one
miles near Staunton. Has hired from the
State some seventy-fve penitentiary conyicts,
who are represented rs excellent hands, and
much preferring this work to their confine.
ment in the White House in Richmond.
After the completion of their work on the
Chesapeake and Ohio railroad they begged
to he put upon this road. They seem to be
we'll fed and clothed, and in fine spirits,
working under guard by day, and confined
at night in a strong Bodybuilding, also guard.
ed. There seems to be no inclination to
escape, probably because there is so little op-
portunlty afforded.
The third day took us over the Natural
Bridge. which We never cross without stop
ping to admire it. The grandeur and SUBJ
Unity of its creation eXalts us, and we feel
the better for it, whether we are or not.
At LeXington-the Virginia Athens-we
found the literary institutions in successful
operation, the Washington and Lee Uni
ver>ity having over two hundred, and the
Virginia Military Institute about three hun
dred. Several young men en- route from
Texas to the University had been seized
their destination. This hindered others
from coming, and thus the representation
from the extreme Sotith falling off, the at.
tendance at this institution is not as full as il
would have been. The Virginia Military
Institute, we understood, has larger at
tendance than at any time since the war.
Five miles from Gibson's and twelve from
Lexington we reach Farfeld--a little ham
let, which serves to measure Ole-third OF the
distance between Lexington and Staunton-
and the man who travels that road with a
lazy horse, snow and rain beating in his face
and mud accordingly, will ever hold it in
grateful remembrance for that reminder.
Six miles further Midway is encountered
the halfway place, and no small place either
for business. a rich country around furnish
ing abundant produce, and the neighboring
mountaincers keeping up lively trade in
tobacco and stayes.
Another six miles, and we are in Green.
vile. village of no mean pretensions. IT
cannot live in Staunton, let Greenyille be
my home. This is the pervading sentiment
of the population. A good deal Of money Is
invested mere i'll Notwithstanding and shin
gles. All run so close together that lively
spark on Il windy night would make young
Chicago and leave an asby waste. The
streets are so narrow that when you pass q
Lexington hack you must run your buggy
wheels on the platform of the Mckee House
and turn your horses head in the office win
dow. Greenville has certainly been under
the special care OF mercliul providence
Even the insurance companies dare not eN-
tend it their protecting GSis, though we did
notice that the Southern Mutual had the
magnanimity to post a door-plate.
Another stage of twelves miles carries lie
through Mint Spring, scattered settlement
in good country, to Staunton, the hub, the
Valley centre. And there is SO much doing
here and 50 much TO see and to talk about
that YOUR correspondent will have TO decline
saying anything unless he can find time iol
another communication, which the hospita'
bic people do not seem disposed to allow
him. BoTETOURT.
T. S. S.-From all l hear, however, l am
sure that at present the indications point 10
Hon. r. NJ. L. Hunter or James Barbour as
the coming man.-Balt, in Alexandria Sen
tinei.
We cannot help believing that Judge Guild
is the man for the times and tile place. LOU
dotu, Enterprise.
4 large number Of members of the Legs