The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1877-06-01
On THE RAILWAY, April.
Nv true love. went to Tennessee,
Che emf the iawbONe after me.

Her flowers 50 fair. her bowers so sweet
NV poor heart Antrsred TO her aeet."
The sweet messages and the enchanting
scenes oyercame the admirer, and has tate
was natural. And still there are men Cd less
susceptible feelings who are charmed WIN
fhe fair Teunessee-her mountains and her
plains, her pure streams breaking away
from the deep-down dells OF her mountains,
and flowing along with the grand rivers
which water her table and low-lands, with
their dark shades, that keep guard IN the
wide alluvial margins of the Mississippi.
No lover of nature can pass along the
mountain ranges Of East Tennessee from
Bristol to Chattanooga without beholding
constant objects Of admiration as they are
deyeIoped on either hand before the rapid
ly-moving train. So, when going north
westwardly from that point to Nashville,
the middle district Of the State presents
rich lands with fair fields and meadows
that display highly-favored country; and
again, leaving this district, as the train
gradually descends into the plain OF the
west are there peculiarities to interest the
stranger, especially in the loamy soil and
the magnificent trees which darken the
deep recesses Of those vast surfaces, which
stretch away and whose characteristics eX-
cite alike the strangers curiosity and in
quiry.
90 THE TENNESSEE VALLEY.
Some weeks since this writer undertook
to pass from Richmond the whole length OF
Virginia and Tennessee to the Mississippi
It was with delighted expectation the jour
new was begun that was to bring before
him a land not by him ever seen before,
and the enjoyment fully equalled the ex-
pectation. Through Southwest Virginia he
passed in the night; but with the enchant-
ing variety of that earthly paradise he was
not unfamiliar.
The train brought us by morning to the
Virginia border, and we entered upon the
tourney through East Tennessee to Chatta-
nooga by the light of day. Down the Ten
nessee Valley, along the ever-changing
scenes and bright waters, with the noun
tains towering above, the journey Is delight
fuIto degree that cannot be appreciated
BIZ any one until he enjoys it. The lovely
valley is continuation Of the great Valley
OF Virginia, having features very closely
resembling that much-admired country.
The Tennessee Valley is more broken, and
therefore has greater variety Of pictures;
while there is not one so majestic as that
presented by the splendid Shenandoah Val
ley, with its wide meadows and fields and
level coves, that spaciously sweep back into
the deep indentations OF that most graceful
and charming mountain range, the Blue
Ridge. s =
s.4 SKETCH OF VIRGINIA PARADISE.
Crossing the Virginia line by the Valley Of
the Holston, we have no reminder OF the
mountainous regions OF Virginia west OF
that point. In Russell, Tazewel, Bland,
Scott, and Lee, the Alleghanies seem to have
scattered like herd. The whole area is
fretted with numerous mountains and hills
that swell and lit up their backs in imita-
ton of their superiors. The waters have
washed them here and there into something
like lines and valleys; but il man wants to
get into region where nature has had a
mad dance, and where things have been left
in considerable confusion, let him go into
Clinch Valley and the region beyond to the
Cumberland mountain, that marks the
boundary between Kentucky and Virginia,
and be will have most emphatic illustra-
ton OF a mountainous country. And yet it
is;a country to be valued for its great fertil-
ity as we'll as admired for its bold and 81
gantic topography, interspersed with some
remarkably fine table-lands. Its elevations
abound with mineral wealth, and their sur
faces are luXuriant with the grasses that are
most valuable for stock and most beautiful to
behold. TO lover Of mountains, and pure
fountains, and clear and merry streams, to-
gether with exceedingly productive lands
that are also rich in minerals, there can be
no happier country than that we speak OF.
So when we journey down to East Tennes-
see by Bristol, we go through sort OF gate
way of one of the richest parts OF Virginia,
embracing the Holston and Cinch Valleys,
and that less populous but grand and rich
region extending to. the Kentucky line. -,
The HoLsToN RIVER.
From Bristol the railway pursues the
Holston Valley, which lies parallel with and
not far from that OF the Clinch river, The
land is fine aud the scenery charming.
Striking the Holston in Hamblin county
the road puIsues its banks for some forty
or fifty miles. passing through Jefferson,
Knox, and =Loudon. The land is very fer
tile. The river is one OF the most lovely
I ever beheld: clear, with blue tinge.
clean, bold shores; and every man who ap-
preciates water must desire to jump into it
as be gets sight OF it.
KNOXVILLE.
Knoxville is. a serene and happy-looking.
town, yet the passenger gets but partial
view Of it as he goes by: the railway rum
ming along the valley, while the town is
upon the elevation between the road and
the river, which flows on the opposite side
from that where the road Is located. A
good thing in Knoxville is noble suspen-
sion-bridge which, carries the main street
above the railroad, thus avoiding all con 1
1ict between the street-trayel and the rail-
way. t.f. ...s 1Eeel2 .,zsLr1 sss.1:ss
= LoUDoN, AHD. A FINE ESTATE.
Continuing along the Holston Valley, we
pass through London, perhaps the richest
county in the Valley. The grand estate Of
the family OF -Eenoir "a Huguenot family
which came from North Carolina) is in
that county. The estate has been kept
well together in body OF $500 acres,
and is a grand sight to the agricul-
turist- The property is carefully and
successfully managed. During the war
Burnside,s command found its way to the
Lenair estate, and the General remarked to
old Mr.. Lenoir that he admired the pro-
perty, and had been thinking OF proposing
to trade for It. The old gentleman said he |
thought he might swap it for Rhode Island
IL the General would give boot enough.
The transaction there ended. The railway
station OF Lenolr is smart village, with q 1
cotton-tnill conducted by the Lenoirs) and
other manufactor ies. s 81 & .. I sss
TRIBUTARIES OF THE TENNESSEE.
The Hoiston and Eoiichuckey rivers Join
ut Knoxville aud form the Tennessee river.
From that point 1t Is not Gar to- Kingston, In
Roam county, where the Tenn essee Is joined
by the Gitnch river, noble tributary from
that paradise OF y country, Southwest Yir-
giiaa. The railroad crosses what isnow the
Tennessee river at the town Of Loudon,
above Kingston, and does not meet that river
rrS,1fv Nat ia