Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1876-09-06
The Mountains Of Southwestern Virginia

From our rc-IlAr correspondent
The Mountains of Southwestern Virginia.
WYrlEVIIIE. VA, Aug %.
For the last Two week, have ridden on
horseback over the mount,in- in many
places pathle|s, Of Southwestern Nirrinil
than which none of the Appalachian range
are wilder, resting 1T night in the cabin of
some hardy pioneer, who, though he may
be nearer the centre Of civilization than
those who have led the - star of empire ="
westward, has wagcd 4 no less heroic war
with churlish nature. on rocky hillsiI.>
that do not laugh with harvest, from mere
tickling with hoe.
| have been greatly Interested with much
of the country i'll this portion of the state
lt~ geological and Typographical forma-
ton Is. in many poiAl>, very singular
travelling in L northeastern direction from
the Blue Ridge mountain. and attempting
to keep on top of the .AIlrgh nv mouuttiu
one Is compelled to travel i due east
course, say fifteen miles, and then :. re
verse track tor fifteen or twenty mil, {. hay
IN only made >;A OF eight miles in II
straight direction northeast. This. Of
course. forms aItclnatc valleys; No. l..
with water running west; No. >. water
rnnnir.rn.,.t \o x..+ Y, ..,., ,,,.
and although these streams thu~ intrrlock
and are almost within stones throw of each
other, I o>c running W,st are limestone
waters, while those running east are free
stone. Many streams break out 50 pre-
ci,cly on the crest of these mountains. that
Won can ~ Will win vour foot tn,.n lie
stream into the CI,r-;,n,;,kc bav or the
Gulf of Mexico.
These mountain, are. on the side ftrin~
north. very fertile and heavily timbcrc,l.
while the u3p1,ite >;tl,. is sterile and al
most worthless. The Land, ON the water,
flowing westward are excellent for .rraIino
purposes. while those flowing eastward are
lot rencrtllv productive. certainly not of
the .rriDc-
There j. an abundant show of water
worn rock, on tine top, of many Of these
high mountains, and 1t i, the opinion of
gcologi~t- that what i, now ,he ktnawhs,
once foun! lis WY out to the Atlantic 10y
the present channel of the l;o tnokr. This
would seem an untccount.tble freak for
this crr.ttic river were it not potent nov
on every map that it has deiird Ill laws
governing rivers. IN from its source in
North C.troint to il mouth. ii has cut it,
WY across range after rang" f high
mountains untu the channel IS clear Tor 1t
to dl>cmboguc into the Ohio On opposite
side, of this river are now to b. seen the
strata Of solid rock hundreds of feet hi h
duplicating each other a> if the river had
literally hcWn Il, channel ont This is the
same through the distinct ranges known
IS Mack :. Walkcn,. Peters. and >twciI
mountln~, all parallel to each other.
In Tazcwcll county, some 80 miles north
from Wvthrvll,, is i wonderfully bca Ill
tul and fertile tract of country. known a,
Burk', Garden. AZ oval SNAPPED cove en-
tircly surrounded by very hi1h mountains.
Il i, supposed To have been !, lake and that
#. ,,rr.nni rich !lack SOIL i, alluvial d,
post 1t is indeed a Garden of >urpas -
Inc, l,v.lin..s I'm. whole 80 >uI;a,e miles
him, p, Garnet of drcpc>t green. and un-
rivnlrd. even bv the blue-rra,s rcrion Of
k.uiu,.kv for rr,ziur puru,-rs |, was
nnrp owned in p,rr. hv the Late Gov. John
y FInvd srrreltrv of war ,,rin~ Buchan-
ans. administration. and doubt if he even
made a Greater financial blundrr than
,h.u h. Sofia il Iii j, now arccs,iblr by
, ,,rn,,iI... 1itar,lv emf for miles in soil,
rock and =, Won look down upon it in any
diroc,iun l,rIr. herds of fat clttlc are seer
nn ire Ln.Lv nn.,ls and und,.r lis ,rrc;,d
ina, I,i..
Ou,tr ,s unfortunate WAS the Governors
kinsmnn. MIR. Preston, who owned thar
,n.,onitirrnt ESTATE. the. Preston salt works
and their Valuable surroundings; and dur
;nn thr late war sold i, for Contederat,
nnfo. and i now trviar to recover it in
the courts upon the plea that he had II,
<',,,,I ,ro l,un These salt works are brin.
i,..,, ,n.rrs. .f,IIv oprr,,tcd bv Mc>srs
Stnut and Palmer. the present owners
TI',. f,,.n,nr NM, hrnthcr of the cavalry lead
,.r I r B Stuart Of Confederate fame
thn l,r,rr from New York. The capacity
and the product l. enormous.
Immense MINES ol - l'7nl' nNr ',,1 o y,
found ana very successfully 'lo' 49," y,
these premises by 'n's same c"'''P.nS
Such Is the extent OF 'hcIr operations, 'l,' ,''
the Virginia and tennessee f;'liro'" '''