Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1879-08-30
LETTER FROM MISSOURI.
PrLor GROVE, Cooper Co., Mo-,
August 20, 1879.

trip a thousand miles toward the occl-
dent. several of the readers OF your pa
per exacted 8 half promise from me that l
would write for the columns ofthe Regis.
ter an account OF the trip and of This west
ern country. promised that | would
write if / saw anything of interest to
write of, but its appearance in the Reg
lister would depend uron the kindness
of the Editor. AS the trip proved most
interesting one to me, / feel somewhat
constrained to comply with the above
request and send you letter, throwing
the responsibility on your shoulders, MI.
Editor, if you should publish and others
of YOUR readers should grumble about
The waste ofspace. r
IN company with my beLter-half l
boorde6 The il o'clock A. NJ. Express
ut Harper's Ferry, Oh Thursday, the
1l,b. aud was soon being whirled away
from our Virginia home at the rate OF
so miles per hour.
4 great many of the readers OF the
Register are familiar with that portion
of the route between Martinsburg and
Cumberland, so / will say but little
about that part of the trip, except to
mention that riding around those curves
is still very rough,and the scenery beau
tilul.
For a long distance the hills of West
Virginia on one side and the mountain
chains of MARYLAND on the other, Lem
you in and leave you little else to CON
template, except the old Poto mac that
here flows slugeiShly along.
Arriving at Cumberland we stopped
20 minutes for dinner The Queen Ci-
ty Hotel at this place is about the first
thing that attracts your attention, for 1t
is fine structure surrounded by beauti-
tul grass plots and bubbling fountains.
But we haven't time 10 stop here 20
minutes, but must 90 on, or this letter
and the Journey, both, will be too long.
Plugging on through and mp the noun
;ains, We soon reached Keyser, and
shortly afterwards Piedmont, where we
again changed horses. had often
heard that Piedmont was dirty looking,
and | found it So Deer Park is the
next place we stopped, and we rapidly
took in :he beautiful, view of the Hote /
and grounds which We had from the train.
Il is uuly a pretty place, and was
ihrouged with visitors. The farmers
about here were just harvesting their
oats crop. Oakland is the next place
of interest. 1t is an attractive looking
town, but It's large Hotel wore desert,
e1 appearance. An threc Of these ho-
tvlS that have mentioned are owned
and conducted by the s. 81 o. Railroad
Company.
Leaving Oakland we continued TO
clint the Ai!cghaui"s at slow pace
until We reached Cheat river valley.
There the scenery becomes wild and
slupeudJus in appearance. The noun
tains are tall OH the ri@ht hand, and on
the left the train cIawls at a glddy
Height around the side of the hills and
river cliffs. Many OF the ravincs lead
iag down the hillside 20 Cheat river are
bridgcd, and few persons can look down
;hrsc ravincs very long, TOR I'll Is very
high down there
While passing along here We beheld
a most beautiful sight. a heavy shower
broke upon US. Gnt We soon passed out
Of il and got between ii and the sun.
Immediately beautiful bow spanned
the river, from hilltop to hilltop, form
ing a picture that would be difficult 20
describe The frequent curves OF the
road caused Ills view to pass through
many Kaleidoscope changes, all OF them
captivating and worthy TO toe transferred
10 canvass. The darkness of tunnel
soon shut off the outside world, and
when we came again 10 light we were
mile from where We entered the tunnel.
FLYING on, down grade, now, very rap
idv. we reached Grafton about sun
down, and stopped there for supper.
Grafton ~ a handsome town. The II
gerts river, branch OF the Monongha-
hela, is crossed here. Beyond this the
country is billy, and some of the land is
fertile. Coal shafts are found at inter
vnlS, and some fine btuminous coal Is
mined in this country. But darkness
closed in upon us while yet only short
distance from Grafton; so whatever
there is OF interest in that part of our
State was lost TO view.
About 8 o'clock a storm burst upon
MS. / had often heard of the violent
thunder storms OF this section, and this
proved one Of the worst of them. The
iightninn flashed almost necessarily and
blinded you by It's intense brightness.
The rain poured in torrents, and the
patter Of it on the glass could be heard
above the rumble of the train; and now
and then the shrill shrek of the locomo-
tive as it felt its way slowly along
through the gloom, and over treacher-
GUS ravines, was not calculated to in
spire one with peace and quietude. This
storm lasted two hours, and until we
had nearly reached Parkersburg. AT
PaIkersburg the stars were shining
again, and by the aid of their light we
were able to form an idea of the town,
but not sufficient to speak OF 1t IN this
letter. immediately after leaving the
depot we pass on to trestle, which Is
continuation of the bridge that spans
the Ohio river at this point. Through
the darkness we could see the waters OF
tie Ohio, and this was our first sight OF
that stream. All was as quiet on its
banks as midnight at the North Pole.
Taking last look at the West Virginia
hills, we retired for the night, and day
break found us at Blanchester, Ohio, a
few miles from Cincinnati, and passing
through beautiful country from there
10 Cincinnati Reaching Cincinnati,
passengers for st. Louis were crowded
isto an omnibus and jolted over the