Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1875-03-19
Correspondence of the Sentinel.
NEAR orpurr's x ROADS, March 10, rs

from our neighOorhood in your piper. We
see letters from Brookevile, MechaDicsviile,
Rockville, and every other willie and burg ia
the county, while our neighborhood sleeps
quietly its =" Rip Van Wiukle' sleep, undis
turbed by the busy buslng world without
and now il is high time to wake up, and
while d" the candles are liz in the parlor and
The stars in the pure, azure sky" will say n
few words in behalf of our beautiful section Of
country, with its laughing streams, shadl
hllsdes, pleasant fields dotted here and there
with picturesque larmhouses, while now and
then its dark, green pines shade off the bright
ness OF the landscape like the lights and shad
ows of human life. In the dim distance, the
blue hills Of old Virginia look down lovingly
upon US, altogether forming rich aud glow
ing panorama stretching away farther than
The eye can reach and sloping down until il
reaches the waters of our beautiful Potomac.
which glides like silver thread along lis
margin, stopping in its course to play with
the sunbeams they sparkle on its surface,
or 10 kiss the flowers on its banks, as it hur-
ries on and on 10 its home in the blue waters
OF the Chesapeake; and yet, this shining river
bears in its bosom the motive power for the
greatest manufacturing interest in the world,
if we only had the capital and enterprise 10
make use of the golden opportunity within
our reach which would give an impetus to
manufactures that would not only be felt in
our section and our county, but would extend
from the shores of the Atlantic to the Pacific.
Along, side by side with the Potomac,
the Chesapeake and Ohio canal drags its slow
and lazy length, carrying on its surface trade
of untold wealth and magnitude and forming
a safe and easy mode of transportation for the
produce of our farmers to Georgetown and
| Washington. The pantive notes of the boat
| horn as it steals over the water is answered
by the shrill whistle of the steam-car, as it
speeds along the Metropolitan railroad on its
journey to the far West, laden with its pre-
cons freight Our nearest point TO the rail-
road is some six or seven miles. and though
not available a means Of transportation,
still it is cheering to hear the whistle of the
iron horse, as he snorts and plunges in his
wild career over mountains and valleys low
! lands and heights.
Our neighhorhood sits as an angel Of mercy,
watching over the happiness and prosperity
Of our national capital, for from her benefcent
hand flow those cry stall waters which fall in
rainbow showers in every park and avenue in
1 the great city. gaddenlng alike the inmates of
( the palace and The hovel.
The energy and enterprise of man have
caught the waters Of the laundering cataract
at the Great Falls, and led them captive al his
| viii 10 glide quietly along in their dark and
narrow bed, until they suddenly burst forth
into sunshine and singing in their home in
the great metropolis, where they spaFke in the
fountain aud sleep in the miniature lakes. cool
the hrow Of the Sufferer aud gladden. the thirsty
waYfarer: all alike are benefited bY its life
giving waters. Who has not seen or heard Of
the Great Falls winch for centuries before
g the morning stars sang together has been
hymning its anthems of praise to the Great
Creator. who placed If rs a star in our diadem
o. beauty to sparkle and glsten there forever
and ever, until time shall be no longer.
Cabin John bridge is another of the noted
places in our neighhorhood. which is said 10
be the greatest seifsnpporting arch in the
world. As You stand and look over the para
pet down. down into the smiling waters be-
low, your brain reels, and you turn away
dizzy, from looking down into the fearful
abyss. Should the curiosity of Mother Evt
tempt you to go below and stand beneath the
arch and dare TO speak, it seems as If every
hobgobin, demon, and spri:e were there. tc
hurl back with tenfold vehemence whatever
YOU may chance 10 say.
The soil of our neighborhood though thir
is every way susceptible of improvement, ant
can, with II little care and attention. be made
'tto bloom and blossom as the rose as tn,
beautiful farms scattered here aud there, wav.
ing in the autumn with their wealth OF colder
grain, can fully testify. For example
gentleman moved to this section some TWEEN
ty years ago and purchased wilderness o
pines, built n comfortable house and went tC
work. God prospered him, and now luxnri
ant fields Of purple, tufed clover, acres of las
seized corn and verdant meadows, are to be
seen, where once the tall. dark pine reared il,
stately head and sang its mourn!u requiem
to the evening breeze | could mention 4
score of beautiful farms and thrifty, energetic
farmers of this section had | space to do so.
We have three schools taught by eflicien
teachers, aud two churches--the Methodist
sheltered beneath the grand old oaks that hav,
stood the storms of centuries. has done no
BILE work in eleyating and christanizi-g tn,
people of this section, and the PRESBYTERIAN
a little lower down with its spire pointing
heavenward, will shine as beacon light, no
only for this but for generations, when W,
shall sleep our last sleep beneath the sods o
the valley.
There are two Oranges Knights of Pyihia
and Sons of Temperance Lodges, all of whom
we hope and trust, will exert good inAuenc,
in refining and elevaing the agriculture
classes restoring the golden age of chivalry
and staying the food of inemperance, which
!, is now deluging the land
We now have a tri-weeklv, and hope soor
to have daily mail Our motto is ''excel
sior, or upward and onward"
RIP VAN WINKLE.