Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1874-07-20
Letter from the Springs.

Letter from the Springs.
CORRESPONDENCE of the Alexandria Gazette. |
MONTGOMERY WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS,
July l7.-Tuer is daily Increase OF visitors at
this place, and the cottages are rapidly filling
up. a great many persons seem SO well pleas
ed with their accommodations aud the allure
meuts Of the place that they have quietly set
tied down for the summer. They seem to take
great pleasure in drawing around them many
little impromptu home comforts, and they dis
play great taste III decorating their sweet, cosy
little rooms with the great variety OF beautiful
ferns and flowers that are found 10 these noun
talns. TO collect tAem they take long ralubles
through the rough but shady mountain paths,
which are cleared OF underground and prOvld-
cd with an occasional rustic bench. Persons
who come here for health and rest aud do not
care fer the gayctcs Of the place, choose cot
tagcs at some distance from the hotel, where
their rest is not disturbed at Dight by the music
in the bali room, aud where even the sweet
melodies Of the band, which treats US to the
rarest music twice day, c1lneS toatlug through
the green boughs to them as gently and softly
as the notes OF the birds which sing ab0ut their
cottage windows But even these luvalldS are
often woed into the bali room by the enven
ing stratus Of music. which like the bite OF the
tarantua seems to fill one with az irresistible
desire for dance, aud which becomes every mo
meut it is INDUCED in more madly Intoxicating,
and they really seem TO enjoy II as much as the
gayest there, aud return to their cottages, car
ryiug brighter faces than they have worn per-
haps for mouths, and from which the marks Of
i-health and anxiety have passed away for the
time. The whoIe-scuI way in which the Vlsi
tors here give themselves up to The enj yments
which meet them at every turn Is quite pleas
ure to witness when one thinks of the cares
and wearing duties SO many of them have stolen
for while from, Obliged TO seek rest and rec
reatou to recruit wornout bodies aud energies.
Each hour Of the day secin5 to possess its own
peculiar enjoymcuts 10 the morning the inev-
liable but enjoyable walk about the grounds or
through the mountains, then the visit TO the
bowling alley, the crcquet ground, or the bath
house, and just before the hour Tor dl0ncr the
music attracts many out upon the beautiful
shady lawn, to watch the fountain play,
or % the bridge over the busy little stream TO
look at the hsh or the pretty water falls. Alter
diuucr all dispense themselves to their cottages
for nap or >ocahe chat, or many spend the
afternoon taking drive Or horse back ride.
The drives through these mountains are wild.
romantic and beautiful, and the scenery pctu
rescue and grand. The tavorite drives are to
the Yellow Sulphur Springs, to Blacksburg,
and to the Allegheny Springs, each about
six miles distant But space will not allow
me to speak of all the ADJUSTMENTS which keep
the young people ever on The go, whose ouly
complaints are that the days sip away so rapidly
that half of their pleasure paus are uuiulhl!ed.
I,,lnol fI firms winch In
many to outstay their time, that this cnchant-
ing spot might very appropriately be called the
Happy Valley for so coutcnt are all who
once come here that they forget what pleasures
might he beyond these mountains, aud would,
| think, feel quite satisfied never to depart.
There seems TO be quite spirit of indepsn-
dencc here among the ladies with regard to
dress. They consult their comfort aud conve-
nierca entirely 10 this respect, often not dress
Ing more than once day, though often the
most elegant costumes are displayed Last
night being the dress night of the week there
was very lively crowd IN the bail room. aud
great taste aud riches were exhibited IN the
ladies toilets.
There are over two hundred and fifty visitors
here at this time aud the crowd is increasing
every day.
The fret grand ball of the season will come
off 90 the 29th of this month.
The crops in the Roanoke Valley aud the
southwest promise to yield finely. The wheat
is excellent, The coru has been much reiard
ed by the drought, but since the late rains is
doing fuely.
am sorry to learn that the grass crop of the
southwest is very short, and many claim that
not half crop has been raised this year.
The cattle of this section are the finest to be
found 10 the State The fine herd OF John L.
Carven, of this county, is well worthy of men
ton, being one of the 6uest not in Virginia,
but in the United States.
The tobacco crop, a good deal of which is
raised 10 the adjoining counties, is almost an
entire failure, and from fellabIc information |
have to write that the indications are that not
third Of crop will be raised in Virginia this
year.
The Minerals of the Alleghanies are mex
haustlble, and will afford the theme OF another
letter from this section.
The great need here, like 10 every other Sec
ton Of the State, is money to devclope the
unbouDdcd resources OF wealth within our grasp,
and railroad transportation at rates that will
admit the developeueDt Of the coal and iron
interests. OCCASIONAL.
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