Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1875-08-27

| the one who Sald
ssIt is the duty of the State government,
| in furtherance of the necessities OF the
school system, to enforce the collection Of
the capitation tarby making the right Of SUI
frage depend on its payment"
From s'The Hey to the Mountain
P;asH.''
| [Correspondence of the VINDICAToR.l
| GOSHEN, Aug. 26th, 1875.
This is the front door to the mountain
resorts of Virginia, or, as Mr.. Robert
Smith, the porter of the Jordan Alum
Springs, who is more poetic, calls it, in his
admirable nightly speech to the car pass
engers, ssThe key to the mountain pass;
and this key, to use Mr.. Smiths better
phrase, is getting to be quite village.
The new and neat residences, with the
pretty flower rlats in front; the swift
stream brawling through the centre OF the
village, giving it sort of sparkling Main
street; the long line of stages drawn up
near the hotel, ready for starting to the
various springs in the vicinity; the silent
and green fringed river below, which re-
ceives the noisy stream; thz. hotel, with its
cool porcles, and long row of white cabins,
fronting on a lawn that stretches away to
the waters edge, all combine to make 1T
an interesting picture. The Canvass, be-
fore the picture was on it, sold cheap
enough once, for Mr.. David Kunkle, now
of Staunton, once bought the ten acres
that Goshen now lies on. for 5000, but af
forwards sold it back TO the dissatisfied
seller. He shouldn't have done it, but he
didn't know us 1 know-becanse | heard
! it from an old lady, Sunday evening. that
81 years ago, IL farmer riding over this
ground, predicted that there would some
day be town here. 1t is very true thai
| Chicago and some other unimportant West
ern villages have sprung up and passed US,
but that should not discourage us. A
thing said so long us Il half century ago
must come true some day, and II We can
only spare it another half century OF 50,
doubtless it will come out all right. At
all events it is a sweet little place, winch
is more than can be said of it if it grows
to a big town. And besides the prophecy
was made by Il Virginian. and tie idea OF
Il Virginian telling anything but what IS
true is, as Mr.. Mantilini would say, Just
demnition preposterous.
You would not be long here without
knowing tn at this is the point from Whlc
tile springs travel is distributed. At the
end OF the railroad platform is group of
elevated tombstOnes, which attract your
attention, and which you find on inspection
to be boards mounted Oh posts, bearing ill.,
scriptil MS which, to the man that has to
stage it, must be narrowing indeed. Ine
depart ell ones have left above them, $40
the Rockbridge Baths. 9 miles. Maj. T..
| IL. Woodward, Manager" "Io the K OK
| bridge Alum Springs, s miles" ITO tie
.Joruan Alum, S miles" and .'To the Cold
Sulphur, miles, Clamorous among the
resting places of the dead you can rear the
voice of Mr. Robt. Smith. colored orter
for the Jordan Alum, telling the advall-
tages of the house, among which are that
it is flour Stor es high, being III feet
above the elevation of The earth" Mr..
Smith also informs his listeners that he
was 'sthe servant of Gov Billy Smith, who
was three times Governor of Virginia. and
got beaten the fourth time.'' This fact,
being a focal point, gives us an opportu-
nifty of seeing a great deal of-well, we IL
call it Life, though i'll many cases it LOOKS
50 much like Death, that you en- hardly
tell the difference. Every Tain brings and
carries more fagged-out looking men and
women; more bellies with the edge taken
off; more A. aux with the brass toned down;
Business lnell who look like they have been
doing the hardest days work OF tnelr
lives, then you will see anywhere else in u
decade. Every ni2ht the old Locomotive
which comes and goes rushing down .the
track, out of darkness with them, and
tumb!eS them and their trunks out on tue
platform, wInks his wicked, dazzling old
eve at mel am All intimate acquaintance
of his-ilnd says: "Tney are IL ID Of a
lot, amt they, to SLY they are out fOl
pleasure? DO you know every one OF
them has been j0stled through tile country
in stages, and half starved at the water
nr places, and cheated by the servants,
and danced themselves half to death and
dressed three times a day and paid four
prices for everything? And yet they call.
that pleasure 1t makes me so mad to
think of it,'' says the Locomotive, THAT L
fill their eyes with cinders every cliance l
get, and some day iii run 'em down
Steep bank, and that will be the end of
| 'em. Such people as call that pleasure
would call this music, and here he gives Il
horrible scream and starts off And when
he gets across the bridge can hear him
laugh ha-ha as plain lis words.
So much for the world and the flesh, and
now a word for the remaining pal tner.
I'VE have a finished church here, the Bap-
fist, and chapel building for the Presby-
terians, until The ii shing of which minis
tiers of all denominations preach i'll tile
Baptist house OF worship. Sunday after
noon we had an excellent sermon from
Rev. Mr.. Hoge, the Presbyterian minister
of Lebanon. He is All exceedingly grac, :
full speaker, and, though a young man,
ranks high in his profession. His sermon
was logical exposition OF the wiles of the
Devil. l don't want to take amy sides III
fha NJ rny.rcv Inf T 1ppm it, only fair 4,
say that think these temptations attrib-
uted to the Devil are much Overrated. 1t
strikes HE that we hunt him up quite us
much as he hunts us. We plan all sorts of
sinful things, and are only sorry that tie
Devil don't help us more than he does,
aid then we talk about being tempted by
him. | almost feel authorized to Say chat
if we would let him alone he would let lis
alone. Perhaps you had better consult
some theological work before printing this.
1t would be too bad for me to slip up on
my Theology, though believe it is sound
doctrine.
Speaking of church reminds me that
Rev. E. G. Gordon, OF Savannah, Ca, for
mer pastor of Lebanon, preached here
Sunday before last. did not hear him,
but the fact reminds me of reading lee
| ture by the same gentleman some time ago
before the Young Mems Christian Asso
citation of Savannah, in when ne follow
ing sentence occurs: ''Much Of the Chris
tianity OF these times is not muscular; for
instance, that which bows to the Lord and
fails to pay to men. = II it be
neither devout nor believing, it scarcely
serves tn hide an hypocricy which pays to
God and lies to men," am sorry did
not hear Mr.. Gordon here. A man who
so vigorously puts the duty of ''hristlans
to their fellow men in worldly matters
| muSt he u 1uauS an iuStructiYn ureacllRr.