The daily gazette., 1879-06-09
DOWN IN OLD VIRGINIA.
A TRIP ALONG THE SHENAN-
DOAH VALLEY.

DOAH NAIILE1.
THROUGH BALTIMORE, WASHINGTON
! AND HABPER's FERRY-wINCHEsT-
| ER AND ITS sURROUNDINGS-THE
| BIG CELEBRATION-vALLE NOTES
| AND INCIDENTs-LURAYC CAVE, ETC.
Especial Corresponds nee of the Gazette.)
MT. JACKSON, Shenandoah Co., Va, }
June 9Th, 1870.
At 1851 o'clock Friday morning last,
four newspaper correspondents uhe GA
ZETTE's among the number) and few
others, left Wilmington, for the purpose
of enjoying the excursion to Winchester,
Va, and the great Luray Cave, as ar
ranged by that prince of caterers to the
public enjoyment, the Philadelphia,
Wilmington Il Baltimore Railroad Com
pany.
On sped the train at the usual speed,
and soon Baltimore was reached, where
the transfer of cars to the Camden sta
tion was made, and at 4:2O o'clock the
train started for Washington, arriving
there few minutes before q o'clock.
Az hours grace-which was mainly
devoted to supplying the wants of the
inner man-was accorded the passengers,
and at 7:l0 O'Clock, they boarded an eX-
cursiOn train, which was run to Win
chester, Va, on that day, for the pur-
pose of giving the people Of Washington
and vicinity an opportunity Of witness
ing the ceremonies of unveiling the
Confederate monument in the Stone
wall Cemetery of the old Virginia town.
About one hundred and fifty persons
left Washington, and accessions were
received at each station, so that when
the train reached Harper's Ferry the
six cars were all comfortably filed and
another was attached for the accommo-
dation of the expected passengers be-
low.
From Harper's Ferry the train ran
over the old Valley Railroad, now
known as the StauntOn division of the
Baltimore 4 Ohio Railroad, and solely
operated by the latter company. Start
ing at Harper's Ferry-that historic re-
minder of old John Browns suicidal at
tempt to thrash Uncle Sam and the
whole country-this road runs to Staun-
ton, distance of one hun
dred and twenty-five miles, and trav-
erses almost the entire length of that
most beautiful and fertile portion OF
Virginia-the pride of the State-the
great Shenandoah Valley. Splendid
farms, in fine, rolling country, greet the
eye on every hand, while the great
mountain ranges on either side form
backgrounds Of majestic grandeur, and
frown down like mighty sentinels upon
the scenes of pastoral beauty that SO
peacefully repose in their shadows.
AT WINCHESTER.
We found Winchester, where we ar
rived about II O'Clock, in .furore of ex
: element over the ceremonies of unveil
ing the Confederate monument, whicl
J were soon to take place. This ancien
town contains about five thousand in
habitants and is the county seat of Fred
erick, distinction which it attained il
ante revolution days, when George
Washington was mere boy. and the
British Lion held his paw on the Ameri
san colonies. 1t was the place first fixe(
upon as the county seat of Frederick
}, and therefore never had an opportunity
[ of enjoying the worrying and conten
tiOus fight over "Collrt House removal,
which the people of New Castle count,
recently experienced. But it had an
other fight, on a smaller scale, perhaps
J. but of greater and deeper import; for
e according to John Esten Cooke, the Sc
e lection of Winchester was one of tin
t, most fragrant instances of bribery an,
e judicial corruption that history ever re
II corded since a certain man, whom chill
dren are never named after, betraye
r his master for thirty pieces of silver
e and then went and hanged himself.
j. 1t so happened that the five county jus
8. tices upon whom devOlved the duty G
le selecting permanent county seat, wer
almost evenly divided-two being in fl
e. vor of Winchester and two in favor {
lie another locality, while the fifth, a will
5, old reprobate, had wisely refrained frol
:. expressing any opinion, though it wa
Ie known he was not in favor of Winche
y ter. And it further happened that ce
a tain blooming widow, of great person;
e charms, owned property in Wincheste
IT which in her opinion would be greatly el
hanced in value if the county-seat W;
n located there. She also possessed To-
K er in the person of one Julius Wagn,
r. better known as "Captain BLOOD
in Lolg Knife, ION account of his expel
as ence and success in fighting Indians
it | who was SO devoted to the fair wido
I'd and her interests, that he decided to
j. rect all his mighty energies toward a
It. complishing this great desire Of her hear
pr With skill and ingenuity that the mo
III ern lobbyist never dreamed Of he imm
J. diately tackled the fifth justice Oh b
weakest point-his love Of good liquor
=, and on the morning of the day upt
ed which the justices were to make the
ny choice he treated him literally to
a nous rum punch, the receipt for makil
lat which he had obtained from his o
of grandmother, long since dead, and viii
in no other person but himself possesse
The Justice was delighted with the d
licious compound, and of course ask
the Captain for the receipt, which t
lis after agreed to give most cheerfully-p
~. lvlded lie would vote to make Winches
ng the county seat. The old topper hesit
itR ed, but finally his greed for the pun
ate overcame all other considerations, a
d. he agreed to the corrupt bargain, wi
,ry the compact was Immediately put
re- writing, and "signed, sealed and deliv
ed" And this is how Winchester
came the county seat Of Fredrick CO,
ty. Captain Wagner, Of course, obta
ew ed the hand, heart and possessions of
,ts, fair widow as his reward.
her But to return to the Winchester of
in present. On account of the interest
by the people in the celebration, and
opportunity afforded by numerous exc