Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1877-03-17
From he u heeiiny Register.
Editorial Notes by the Way.

trip by night over The Baltimore and
Ohio railroad from Wheeling 20 llarpvr's Ferry
does hot impress the average traveller as being
Of particular interest, unless il be to lie awake
for an hour or two while crossing tue summit
af the Alleghanies and looking from the win
dow Of your sleeping car, gaze out upon a
beautiful starlight aud watch the fog rising
from the valleys aud rayines below, curling up
into all sorts Of weird and fantastic shapes,
wildly recalling some story Of mountain
spriies, learned in chidhoOd's days.
HARPERs FERRY.
But Harper's Ferry presents objects Of in
tereSt, both natural and historical, the study
Of which the four OF five hours delay while
waiting for the Stanton train gives ample
time Our pariy-and what would travelling
be without party ?-siartcd out TO take in
all that was of Interest about the Ferry. 1t
was DO difficult matter TO fad guide, as a
half dozen boys--and all Of them well posted
on Harper's Ferry curiosities-st ready,
willing aud eager to lead MS But what was
= little remarkable, in ills business among the
boys, was that there was no competition IN the
way Of reduced rates, each one wanting all
he could get for his services. Selecting the
one we regarded as the most intelligent We babe
him lead and We would follow. The first
point Of interest to lie visited was " Jeiierson's
K ok. - standing on the brow Of height over
looking the Shenandoah river, and from which
a splendid view l. had. THIS 10 the rock upon
which Thomas JeiirIou sat daring the long
summer DAYS when writing his " Notes on
Virginia" although our youthful guide inform
ed us that be supposed the rock took It's name
llum an old man by the name Of Jefferson who
was buried in a cemetery near by, and who,
according to his iuf1rmation, was the discover
or Of Jefferson County. Il happend that an
Innocent Abroad of rather a speculative mind,
desired to pin our party, but upon receiving
q negative reply to the inquiry whether Mr..
Jefferson desired to sell his rock, declined as
sending tie hill, as be expressed it, be guessed
it would hardly be worth while 70 look at It
unless it was for sale This same Iunocent,'
when shown the engine house from which
j John Brown was taken at the time OF the
Harper's Ferry instruction, expressed great
anxiety 10 see the spot where the Apostle OF
Emancipation was executed, and let lis anxiety
lead him as easy prey iutothe hand Of theyouih-
lul guide who promised for and in consideration
of one dollar 10 hand paid 10 pilot hin TO the
cousccratei ground. On: Innocent, as eager
10 do homage at the shrine Of O>Sawaitouie
as ever MusSulman was at the tomb Of Maho-
met. was led half-mile up the Shenandoah TO
black walnut tree, where his boy guide point
cd out the very limb from which John Browns
soul took its flight 10 the unknown regions.
"a 4 INN oIa
ton of what seemed to him the place of cru
citixion, he returned 70 the village 10 be cha
grined ADD mortified with the information that
Johu Brown was hung at Chaylestown, eight
miles distant
VALLEY OF VIRGINIA.
The rideup the great valley Of Virginia
from Harpers Ferry to Staunton, is over one
Of the most lovely countries Of the world
The landscape is unriyaltd IN beauty, while
on either hand are evidences Of Thrift and agrI-
cultural prosperity. The unusually mild Feb
ruaTy had given the farmers fine oPportuni-
" 10 pillow their lands tor the spring crops, and
they seemed 10 have universally avaied them
selves Of il. The productive soil and the high
state Of cultivation Of the lands of this valley
made it the graneIy foI the South in the late
war, hence it became a famous battle ground,
as each side sought - possess It, To-Day in
ITS beauty and its tranquil prosperity, there is
little to suggest that battling Arches had once
deScla,ei il, o. that every foot Of It's soil had
been plougbed by shot and shell, and the earth
saturated with the blood Of foemen. Yet il is
rich in historic memories, ard will De rs long
as Winchester Cedar Creek, Cross Keys, kcrn;-
town aud Port Republic are remembered, or
the fame of Stonewall Jackson, or Banks, or
Ashby, or Fremont, or Rosser, or Early, or
Sheridan, ablcs.
Crossing Narrow Passage VIC are reminded
by tie conductor Of the train that iust one
year ago to-day tie fri-h,ful accident occur
red. when train was piccipiiated over the
bridge a distance Of lis feet into the creek
below. We pass on and feel thankful that
such accidents do not occur annually. Staun-
ton, the city Of schools and asylums, is the
terminus Of the Valley railroad, and n june
iion Is here formed with tie Chesapeake and
Clio road. The Valley division Is under the
,uperinteudence Of Capt. Avenll, one Of the
most efficient, as well as obligirg officers Of
the Baltimore aud Ohio Company.
We seldom. if ever, find anything in the ed
itorial columns Of the LynchJurg TTrginian
that we cannot endorse, and the following ex-
presses our sentiments to a dot:
We opposed the election and Inauguration
OF Mr. Hayes as long as opposition could avail;
but hold now that if he will reject the maign
counsc's Of the men who have made pande-
mouium of the South Conservatives should
make no fictitious opposition 10 him. but judge
him by bis acts. This We can DO without any
Of principle. since the supreme de-
sire Of every patriot should be 20 secure good
government 10 the county,
-s---
The Lyuchburg IJrgiajaa says: eve do
not see that Conservatives have anything more
20 DO with reconciIiug Mr.. Hayes consistency
in autdg0ujzjng the men who stole bis Office
Tor him, than they have toward iustifying that
act, which they so bitterly denounced. Let
them fight 1t ou' while we, as patriots, rel ice
that lie Is eyiucl0g purpose TO administer
the Government upon higher principles than
have obtained during tie last eight years, and
give him. for Tie sake Of the country, all the
moral all We can, SO long a, lie puts the inter-
osts Of the country above the Interests Of par
~"
Gov. Mathews in appointing Dr. Thos II,
Logan, Judge II. J. Samuels and B L. Butch
ar, Esq, Regents for the Normal Schools, gave
one representative, thus reflect
ng the pacific sentiments enuncia,ed in lis
;nsuqrrol otI the Wleeling Pcojsys~ thinks