The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1878-11-14

, IRON the springfield iohIol Republic ss.
Nois. THE editor of the Republic was
lone OF the recent excursion ists.l -
80 Fl tho fiifen Tfsss.a
..7->. WHITE suipnar Springs, dc.
9Hullo. did fellow. Tthought ] knew
you.8 When didsy come in we were
int going down to pay the State tax.
Won't YOU foin uss The Buckeye had
no OCCASION. s,-.ss.s-
.tspeaking OF the cold, reminds me:
EHaIH' we better take something that VIII
keen ont the coid2 We have most every
timing; person wants in the back room. p 2
eaWof1,t You go down and take some.
thing?,' is the Invitation many times day
from individuals to whom the members OF
the party are introduced. The rites OF nos
lpitaIity, like all other customs in. old"far,
einia, are of the olden time. Thestdeboara
OF choice liquors is still common, ana IL
is breach OF good manners anu good
fellowship not TO offer Them. II the liquor
bell-punch were honestly worked tue
Virginia public schools could be kept
up, and the machinery OF government
| kept moving without friction. For every
| haIf-pirt OF liquor sold there is a tax OF =
cents. to be paid by the seller OF Quantities
less than FIVE gallons; for drink one turn
OF the machine; pint, two turns; quart,
four turns; gallon, sixteen turns; : and SO
on. The large dealers, it is presumed, gene
rally observe the law, but at the bars, II the
customer is known. there are numerous
| omissions. -,tf z 80
The trip up the James river from Ola
| Point Comfort is worthy of note. We were
accompanied by the Old Dominion Guard,
with brass band, from Norfolk, and our
| little boat had such q crowd OF passengers
to tue State Fair as hardly left. Standing
room in the cabin. We were RECALLED with
Confederate songs and odes to General
Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson by q
Confederate soldier who shirked in the day
OF battle. All. our efforts could not bring
from him the " Bonnie Blue Flag"
The blue and gray, however, mingled
freely, but Virginia lady could not be pre-
possessed with the appearance Of the west
ern men. The. Virginia gentlemen, to her
mind, were much better looking. " Look
at these men from Michigan" said she,
| great oycrgrown creatures-corR.ted.";
Lands in the vicinity OF James river, We
were told, could be bought for two dollars
and fifty cents an acre. This was probably
an exceptionally low figure, but compara-
lively few OF these old plantations arc I'M
der cultivation, and but one vilasc-City
Points 10 be seen Oh the James river be.
tween Richmond and Old Point Comfort, a
distance OF one hundred and fifty miles.
fGoodness The wharves at many Of the
landing places along the river are rotting
down and abandoned. 4 few enterprising
Yankees occupy some OF the Plantations,
and indications OF northern thrift are APP
parent. Tobacco. once so prominenta pro-
duct in the Jamcs-Rivcr valley, finds more
suitable soil in ether parts OF the State.
AT Old Point Comfort our party became
scparated. some going farther south, some
10 Norfolk and Portsmouth, Baltimore,
Washington, and New York; and in broken
squads, after another short soiourn in Rich
mond, we turned our faces westward, some
stopping at points along the line.
"Time,'' says the landlord OF the Culd-
we'll House, White Sulphur Springs.
1--WE will not burden you, sir, TO chapc-
rome lis, II you will give us directions"
you will not make much Roadway I'M
less 20 with YOU"
We hear the discharge OF gun and down
comes partridge ere we are ten minutes
walk from the house; for be it known this
is great place for partridge, quail, and
pheasants, while Jericho and Howard
creeks, which empty into New river,
abound in spotted trout, and bunting and
angling are much enjoyed by visitors. 81,
But to 20 back. Leaving Richmond, with
its many pleasing associations, behind Us,
on Wednesday evening, we concluded to
take in the famous White Sulphur Springs.
OF Virginia. Arriving at the aboye-named
house on Thursday morning, we advised
the landlord Of our desire to see what was
to be seen in the day, and he at once volun-
| teercd his services, us above indicated.
Winding up bill by devious way I'M
til we arrived at the summit, nearly the
whole grand view broke upon us at once.
! The Mansion. surrounded with cottages,
Baltimore Row, Florida Row, Paradise
Row, etc., etc., etc., all nesting in this
large valley, in the centre Of which is the
White Sulphur Spring, surrounded by an
arched colorado, presented one Of the most
beautiful scenes it has ever been our pleas
ure to witness. The dining-room OF the
mansion is 31S feet long, and has seating
capacity for 1900 guests, and 1000 guests
can be comfortably provided with sleeping
| accommodations. At one end OF this dining
room is the general parlor, and at the other
the ballroom. Sometimes there are 5000
visitors at the Springs, domciled in the va
rious hotels and bcarding-holses. The
Caldwell House is Of less pretension5, but
furnishes more comfort to the seeker OF
health and quiet, who desires to be free
from tue designations OF the larger establish
ments. After our morning tramp we were
able to do justice to Il bountiful dinner, and
with walk and dinner came Growsiness that
invited rest on sofas in the coy sitting
room. How long we slept we know not.
"Time, gentlemen. You have an hour
and half to make the round OF the Peter
kin baths and get view OF the valley from
the summit Climbing the mountain, like
elm bing Zior's hill, is sometimes difficult
task. md so we found it, but were richly
repaid by one OF the Srandcst views on the
contincnt-a sketch of which may be seen
in the August Harper. Our guide was fleet
OF foot and accustomed to roaming over the
hills, but our feet. unused to such work,
were heavy, while our spirits were willing.
Arrived ut the Petcrkin baths, we found
two pools OF sulphur water, some thirty
BY fifty feet in eXtent-ore for ladies and
one for gcntlemen-entireiy enclosed and
surrounded by dreSsing-rooms, giving en-
tire privacy to the hathers. Mr.. Pcterkin
is the son Of scotch lord, with an income
OF S125, 900 4 year, and he divides his time
between bis estate OF 1000 acres near the
White Sulphur Springs and his early home,
in Scotland. He is benevolent gentleman
and a free liver, and gives to the public the
luxury OF the sulphur baths. lie keeps
s.bachelor's hall" in mansion on the
slope Of one OF the hills, where we were
generously entertained by Mr.. McNcal, 4
genuine Scotchman, who manages affairs IN
the absence OF the proprietor.