The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1876-09-26

scene was yerdant ard displayed the signs
of great fertiiity aud abundance: Fat cat
tie appeared on .every hand cropping the
iuxuriant grass. This scene lasted for sew
aral miles until It reached the g divide I, be-
tween the waters of the Potomac and those.
Of, James river. Upon this e. divide (" runs
the famous Palkersburg road, of which
have already spoken ;'as the best graded
mountain road In Virginia, and a mohu-
ment to the engineering skill OF the late
Colonel Crozet. Upon this very, y,..e divide y
the luxuriance Of the grass Is wonderful. I
am happy to say that in the despoilment Of
disc was not taken from her. 1t Is still
ours. s. hg,. s;iF
Reaching the divide" at Hevener's
store, possibly ten miles west Of Monterey,
paused and looked upon the enrapturing
scene on both sides OF it. To the north was
Crab Bottom, which is hardly excelled for
its richness. To the south stood the valley
OK Jackson's river, hardly less rich and
hardly less beautiful. The, views were
thrillingly lovely. Inever saw more beauty
and fertility combined-a more lavish dis
play OF the Almighty beneficence. sighed
for place to rest me in either OF these gio-
rious valleys. 54ss:. ..gr,I
RAILROADS, AVAUNT! 80, !,
The divide" OF which I speak is so
e rigid" that Heyener's barn, which stands
upon it, seems to be the arbiter Of the heav-
enly rains that should descend to each. The
water that falls on one half OF its roof goes
to the South Branch, and that which falls
upon the other flows into Jackson's
river. Aroused from the enchantment
OF the two views by the declining
sun, proceeded into the valley Of jack
sons river, and n mile brought me to
the hospitable roof OF Mr. Campbell, to
whom had been commended by his son,
who resides temporarily in Franklin. /
was most kindly received. The porch OF
the house afforded good observation OF the
neighboring fields, which presented SINH
lar surface Of rich lands amply watered by
the purest streams that saw on my route
through Crab Bottom. AL along the road,
except where cut and tracked by travel, the
blue grass was fallen from its weight, and
lay in thick and matted masses. / do not
This is one Of the scenes in
Virginia to be admired. have beheld many
ones, but none more rich and
fruitful. Do railroad travellers ever see
such? II they do they cannot appreciate
and cannot scrutinize. A man shot across
the land can really know nothing worth
about it. And thus the rail-
road is making most OF our people
ignorant Of their own State. Say what you
NAV, cannot believe that man can feel
the proper devotion to his country who is
unacuuainted with her geography and the
features OF her surface. Love Of country
lives by her soil, her mountains, her valleys,
her forests, and her rivers. These let me
see; for it is for them live, and for them
would die. Railroads, ayaunt! ..
MOMENT OF BLISS.
BY agreement with Mr.. William Campbell,
son OF my host, we left at noon the next day
after my arrival for the western foot Of the
mountains, distant twenty miles.
my route mile, to HeVeners
store, we there set out westwardly upon the
Parkersburg turnpike to encounter the
grand mountains that stood before us.
Their line was south-southwest, while our
route ran west. The chain was Of the Al
eghany range, though each mountain had
It's local name. Mountain stood behind
mountain, and through the occasional gaps
in each that behind it could be seen, with its
sides Of green and its towering ridge, tipped
with the blue of the sky which bounded its
horizon. The traveller thus by the
Of outline OF the differ
ent elevations could well appreciate the
ups and downs that were before him,
md we struck the eastern foot OF the group
before us. with, on my part, the most IL ow-
ing anticipations Of the grandeur Of the
scenes before me. .f
AS we climbed the first mountain we were
enabled to see to great advantage the beautl-
iu! and fertile valleys to the right and left OF
the " divide" by which we approached the
mountain. We paused and fingered awhile
to contemplate their loyeliness. Green
fields were traversed by limpid streams that
glistened in the sun. Happy homes, en-
powered in rich shade, graced each farm.
Fat cattle fed in the fertile meadows. The
fields ran backward upon the mountain side,
and up graceful slopes to the deep shade OF
the rising forest. So admirable was the
scene that in an impulse of enthusiasm
said, Sand this is my country; God bless
herr It was a moment OF bliss cannot
forget. .~
Moving onward the earthly paradise was
soon lost to view, and new scenes OF noun
ain grandeur opened upon me. Mountains,
with their deep intervals, each interval with
It's little stream, and both mountain and in
teryal clothed in the dark yerdure OF the
noble forest, appeared to the traveller as an
ever-beginning and dneyer-ending panorama.
Away to the northeast, and away to
the southwest, the mountain ranges ap-
peared as far as the eye could
reach, and these long lines were varied by
the deep-down valleys, whose lines were
equally stretched out.
But these lines were not monotonous.
They had their Interruptions in great knobs,
and cross-spurs, and grand curves that
maintained the interest by never-,ending
THE PARK ERsBURG ROAD.
The engineering Of the Parkersburg road
IS triumphantly displayed in the traYerslng
Df this broad range of mountains. Inc
grade, always easy, presents such success
sion of, extensive and notwithstanding
stretches OF. road along the steep mountain
sides, and OF graceful curves, that they sug-
pested the idea that the engineer was study
ing to make the line beautiful; and this is
happy illustration Of the principle that
beauty and utility are sinsepaiable COM
And this delightful road! How well re-
member the arguments in its favor when
the bill for maturing it was under discus.
sion. The controlling one, which gave 1t
me trfumpl, was that it was to facllltate
and foster communication betweenthe East
and the West, and promote harmony ana
brotherhood among the people OF botl sec
ions OF the State, which were so much IN
terruDted1 by these towering mountains.
rho engineer nobly carried out the oblects
,f the Legislature in making mountain
roadl one OF the, most pleasant and easy
Ia the State And what do we now
,ees .That Virginia, which SO sought to
her people, rent in twain in vio-
|ation OF law and OF The noblest and most