Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1877-08-25
Letter from tile New River White
Sulphur Springs.

! SulpuuC SpIAn5Ss
| Correspondence of The Alexandria Gazette.
August %, 1877.
What blessing it would be to travellers,
summer ores especially, it they could step at'
one stride, fron the commencement OF their
iourcey to the end. Travelling on hot sum
ncr day, with the dust and cinders filling your
eyes nose and mouth, and sitting and settling
down your back and 10 your boots, make lour-
ne5ipg po,itive discomfort aud real evil. Add
to this the internal opportunities of the train
boy to bug his dirty. dusty fruit, and The cries
of sick, irclluI children, who are troubled with
more diseases than ever Gacn dream cd OF, and
YOU can discount member OF the chain gang
iu pure, unadulterated misery. Add one more
trouble 10 the shape of rough railroad, aud
tue future has no terrors for you. A ride from
Richmond to Burkevie on the Richmond and
DanviIle Railroad would cure the most inVete-
rate case Of dyspepsia that ever existed. Tue
cars bump, ielk and bounce at every revolution
Of the axle, and the expression of the passen-
gers countenances ia one of hopeless agony.
Good Lord |" heard very fat individual
sitting 10 front Of me say. "if 1t hurts me, With
all this fat what must it be to lean person {!
! At Bulkevlle Junction change OF cars 10
made, ard passengers going to the springs are
transferred TO the Atlantic, Mississippi and
Ohio Railroad, and the transition is as great as
a change from a rough army wagon to an easy
barouche. The track on this road is perfect,
and travelling becomes real pleasure. The
country, too, changes its aspect, and losing Its
fat, dull appearance, grows more mountainous
and picturesque. About forty miles from Lynch.
burg the watering places line The road. At every
station passengers get of and take the stage
for their different destinations There are the
Blue Ridge Springs. the Allegany Springs,
Montgomery White. Blue Sulphur and several
others, all Of them we'll patronlz.d this season.
situated on the New river, a broad, variable
stream. In its rocky bed, with its many wind
ipgs and natural dams, it is exactly the coun.
terpart of the Shenandoah river in every par
ticular. On 40 elbow of the river, which is at
the bend hundred yards wide the hotel, o
long, antique, fat Dutch rooted tavern, ls
built. The outlook is beautiful. but not majestic
or grand. Two towering cliffs of rock rise
straight up from the river edge across the
stream in bold massive manner, and lean high
above the loltiest trees. Though right IN the
midst Of the mountains, none arc seen from the
springs, aud one has to climb to the top OF the
bills to see the lofty peaks and crags which
stretch in varied heights far away 10 the dis
taDce.
The New River White Sulphur is quite a
nice place, a fitting aud appropriate retreat tor
a good moral family, who have methodlcal.
regular habits, and follow literally the orthodox
prayer, and don't desire to be led into tempta
ton. IF there is any place on earth where the
Devil has not put in an appearance that spot ls
here. There is no temptation TO begulle the
unwary; no beauty to move the passions; no
liquor to fire the blood; no style to excite envy
90 scandal to encourage calumny, and no young
people to kiudle the flames Of love with all its
attendant train OF evils; 10 fact there is no Sco
TO open the Pandora box of troubles which lay
always at the threshold of every door with the
| lid unlocked. Everything here is as serene as
the river that flows along The banks With
scarcely ripple on its smooth surface.
[ do not mean that this place is vcritable
Arcadia, where perfect peace~and perfect
rest arc found. 1t has lis draw hscks as
we'll as it's advantages 1t is modern
! Jerrco, where all beard doth grow, for
there is not barber on the place, and a
razor cant be borrowed for love or money.
Every nan here looks like brgaDd or an artist,
and it is as easy To trace the new arrival with
his cbiu new rcaped ss it is to judge OF the num
Der of days each male guest has remained by
the length Of his unshorn locks and uncut beard.
Then there is no bar room, no ieWeed- shlrted
individual 10 coucoct that beverage with grass
10 it, 50 dear to every VirgiDian'5 heart. None
can get drink without physicians presctlp-
tou, aud the consequence is that some men
hero are 10 very delicate state Of health; l
know of one man who has t0ree fingers three
times day because he has bad corns on bis
! bo iur,'t There
is but one fiddler. He draws splendid bow it
is true, but one man can't be made full band
any more than ono swallow makes summer.
The sporting is not worth much. There are no
fish in the river except catfish, and no game to
speak Of ia the woods except squirrels, and to
kill them requires an amount oil labor that
makes one hunt last q season.
AS hcaltbful retreat away from the glare
aud dust Of the cities, it is we'll worth coming
| TO, for it has many charms, many attractions
TO the tourist, the sight seer and the pleasure
seeker. A few days at least can be spent here
with real enjoyment by any one who can under
stand and appreciate the allurements of nature.
The laughing beauty Of the land the fire of the
roses, tho glcam OF the lilies, tho fragrance Of
the wild flowers, and the river all greenish gold
by day and yellow silver by night, mako it q
retreat fit for tho summer garden OF the tabled
gods
There is no formalty, and better still, no
heavy toilets worn. 1t may be that as
there are no men the ladies keep their finest
dresses at the bottom Of their trunks, but if
that bitter satirst Pope is right then women
only display ioe toilets to excite envy in the
hearts Of their own sex. There is no real pleas
ure Rochefoucauld used to remark unless it is
obtained by giving pain to others. This is
hard doctrine but human nature is very weak.
II we had potent power how many Neros,
Mara,'s and lagos could be found among the
meu, and Borgias, Jaes and Brinvilllers among
the women This place is quiet, and unless
you have special friend almost too much so.
Some with few resources suffer from that huge
Mepiistophles Of Grant Fausts, and lost Caris
sas Eonui, phantom that rises to us all at
times and makes US sigh for a change, even
amid retreat so quiet soft and full of quaint
| beauty.
| The proprietors here are thorough gentlemen
Of the olden time school. Their objecti is not
| so much to make money as to make their guests