The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1879-01-02
VIRGINIA SCENERY.
A Glowing Description, Of Sights ON the
chesapeake assd. Ohio Railroad.

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A Glowing Description Of Sights ON the
Chesapeake assd. Ohio Railroad.
rcorrcsponaence OF the St. Louis Globe -Democratl
Newport, ;KY.. December 27,, 3S7S.-He
who has never seen the mountains OF plr-
ginia in the winter can form no conception
OF the wild loveliness and subllmlty that
will oyerwhelm him when he gets the view.
I have just come through them, and it Is q
Journey that, once made, can never be for
gotten. Though with one end OF It's ten
derest chords ,ineXtricably fast in Richmond
or the piny-woods regions thercabouts, my
heart was rayellipg out with every, flying
m;Ic. though the Weather wis fearful, the
roatl someW bat shaky, and the cars uncoT-
Portable; though land and snow-slides de-
tanned us, and we had to lie over twenty-four
hours in that last doleful loblolly bole OF
civilization, Huntington-yet, in spite OF
every vexation and tribulation, tie trip over
the Chesapeake and Ohio railroad through
the mouataios was magnificent beyond de-
scription or Imagination. Ten thousand
slories AID beauties never seen or dreamt Of
IN the summer daZZied and delighted the
eve at every turn-giant crass, savage preci-
pices and, gorges, rushing torrents, and
mad, foaming cAtaracts, all glistening re-
splendent in the gorgeous costumery and
| jewelry OF winter. .. The majestic old
mountains looked like long process
sions OF Titanic ghosts, sheeted, solemn
| and grand in their solitude, and cold.
| The cedars and pines wallZed by IN
| dainty .dark-green robes, with white TARA
1 tan oyerskir(s fresh from the looms OF Hea-
. ven. Every leaf was tipped with, dls,
mond-surpassing gem; every twlg and
! fibre cleaned a pendant crystal; and some
times the whole front OF a cliff, where the
strata of component rock ran parallel, was
founced ledge above ledge, with fringe OF
long, delicate icic!es, that
| oUTsHoSE A MILLION PRIsMs.
Frozen Undines haunted every stream
and glinted through every grove. Royal
Irises sparkled everywhere. All the ame-
thystine gates and sapphire walls OF eter-
| nifty scarce daze the new-come earthling's
unaccustomed eyes with more endless and
| overpowering variety and splendor OF re-
dance. .rs..
Far up in the AlieShanies. where every
fountain and cascade was frozen, and the
mighty ice stalagmites, like tall cathedral
towers and spires, flashed and glittered
amid the evergreen foliage OF pines and
! frs, cedars. laurels, ferns, and MOSES, midA
winter and midsummer met and shook
I hands in sublime and wondrous fellowship.
New river, swollen so as to hide all the
huge bouiders, which are the marvel of
every tourist, ragged and, roacd. tossed,
tumhled, and whirled like a prolonged Nor
wegian maelstrom; and the ceaseIess thun-
der Of its surge was vast organ accompa-
4 niment to all Natures myriad-voiced cho-
rus--tbe hoarse chanting OF the storm, the
sigbing OF the wind-swept trees, the wall.
ing of the rain and sleet, and the babbline
i melody Of countless minor streams. a..s&.,
| Here 1t was showing and bitterly cold,
i while lust on the other side OF the mountain
/ the sun was shining, and all the brooElets
1 dancing merrily on their clear winding way
to the sea. Here for,three hundred fee
down q regular stairway OF stoue in the
| decp mountain side plunges q mad Sheet OF
| water, lashed into latber-like foam before
half its headlongi race is run. And here
| near the Hawks Nest, wild little torrent
| leaps over the edge OF preclplce -. =.
TWO HUNDRED FEET PERPENDlCULARLY
in the air, and long ere it strikes the; stony
basin below spreads out in mass OF feath.
cry mist, recalling the far-famed s'Brida
Veil " OF the Yosemite realm, while a>strug.
cling sunbeam caught in its liquid mesbes
dies like an aeria! dolphin ina q blaze OF many:
tinted pain, casting rainbow arch across
| the brow of, the chasm. ~. .i,-..-.,sii,
EOb. it was q, ,trauscendent three-hundred
| mlIe-long panorama Of all that IS sublime in
rugged nature, a continuous scene from en-.
chanted land, eclipsinS all theHwonders -Qi
the Arabian Nights, .hushing the proudesl
landscape boasts Of Switzerland and Italy,
and defying all the: skill Of; poets pen OF
painters pencil to depict the veriest atom
OF its grandeur and its Ioveliness! III 4
could only. have had one or two OF my fall
friends along to- double its delights by
sharing them, my cup of enjoyment WouiC
have stopped, oyer the ,brim until the. Worlo
would have hoisted its Umbrella under the
impression that another Niagara had broken
| loose. - tEIH2t.f4
A landslide detained us short time ,at
the famous Old
I GREESBRIEE WHITE SULPHUR, J2 p
and oh, the unutterable desolation OF the
plaee wrapped in winters windipg-sheet--
its lights ali fed, its garlands dead, it's merr!
orouns all scattered, and its sounds of mirtr
and melody all hushed; the wall ;of the
bleak winds instead of the gay tones OF Vio
and lutte and corpet, and the dismal hoot o
| the iil-boding owl for the laughter and SONG
| of the gleeful young reyeliers..i y. de oWbc
| treads alone some, banquet ball deserted :,
would have been q whole masquerade.Dailo OF
reckless iolIity compared with me as wan
dered and pondered, like condenser rune
raj procession, modrners, sexton, hearse;
;; mules, NJ and all, amid the awful Loneliness q
the spot SO inseparably interviewer sS11 =Wat1
memories Of social frolic and festiyity. The
neglected walks and snow-heaped GROUNDS Inas
seemed thronged with ghosts of! long past
summer hours, dead Joys and sorrows, s
bopes, fears, frivolities, and sins. fa.e l;aS
spectres of by-gone fifrtations,. courtships'
loye.makings, disaPp point nents ieato usies'
beaft-buTnings and heart breaAngs. troop.
ed. sbadoWy and silent; under the leafless, :,