The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1879-10-14
.,,pdeuce of The Richmond Dispatch

rrse"." i fifty miles. Much OF the coun-
dI>'S", rncl.cd and barren, hut this rough
nv .;.~ c0yrrs treasures OF iron-orc. That
N!''; snrc admits o. no.doGbt. ENamlna.
Sayn bcen made IL numerous hill and
!'et> ;d,.. and rc, and caSlly-worktd
-. found. Ent&cI rSc in this direction
"' nr rholcd oh by The want OF proper
- w.. fnrno,rS, Ni!h The Euchanan and
~" .,,,.rnrcc r'ilroad camplctcd-~a> it will
,",;,a,, ycaT-thc splendid coke Of the
r. ",,,,. Valley con lie laid a'on" the banks
,,,, river W acreycr II may be desirable to
" -, tlrm. Capitalists are now sending
Gs' ,hc;r a"cntS prospecting for orchards,
"a "a the iadicltIonS are that before very
%." thcre Will hc "iump' IN prices.
49, have been persons who doubted the
'",-.s II The mnarai wealth OF this re-
w. mt II scipg is believing, none OF
w., vba have been with Us can doubt that
Nv, hr!0w aud above Lynchburg are al
o., nra<urc'cSS repositories OF iron.ore,
.-n,cn await only the nod Of capital and
iah,r 10 c5mc forth and turn into gold IN
.ls hands Of iudiclous operators.
4 GREAT WORK DONE.
On rrfry hand we see evidences of the
,;s,,,roi,s food, of 1870 and 1877: particu-
I,riy of The latter. The places where the
",,,} WAS broken are pointed out, and we
,,,;n n anurrciaic the ylnck and energy
nLIrh wa, required ou the part OF The pre-
:1.n. IN secnr" the means 10 nut It In navl-
.,,h1, order again. TIE piers Of bridges from
a.,,h The sllDcr>trnctuTcS were raised and
s,q,,I away stand stern monuments OF the
I'e;,n. and volcnca Of the stream. Many line
.,a,.> ol Iow-.round were ruined. The soil
ga. ,y,p. from them almost rs closely as It
1r,aIn Gears Il pavement OF dust; but 1t was
~, wholly lost Almost rs many fields were
made - uamade.
In one place a. least these floods neceSsi-
..,I The complete ch%n@e OF location OF the
.ay.rajh. and great expense in the build
IN. al wing dams and il "riprappng,'
,rI;rb j ,imIly closely packing with cob
tle.>ropes he tow-pa!hS and other exposed
,o,r-s Na r. Johnston ovcrcamc almost
;r.urmolniahic difficulties il restoring
rq.;rg,jap. Money. You need not be told.
W.. scarce WITHOUT The convic'S he would
hex. been powcrlesS. The repairing pro-
rrriri from Richmond we=twardiy, and it
n. oaiv been few weeks since The first
boa; rot TO Buchanan, and was welcomed
=. cordially. ii no, with such ceremonies, as
whpu. many years ago, the people OF that
,swn lr>t s!vulcd canhl-boat.
4 Balcony Falls. lI2 G>iles from Rich.
aoni and - from Buchanan, the James
burst, through The BI,;c Ridge, roaring over
rocky he'd, and making II mountain-and'
voter view witch approaches sublimity
Her" i! @l'and gateway 10 the Valley OF
Vi,.inil. On the canal side the ellis touci
he tow ath and rise 10 dazzling heights.
Al the nam lock the trayelrlSbv boat sees
.nr0ur,aur NJ StDno inrlr ar five feet hi n
>,.ndiu. - near the canal that the beams
a'.no>t touch it when the gates are opened
Thcil>rription does not tell BY whom it wa;
erected: but says that it is in memory oil
= Frank padgrtt, Il negro slave, who in 49,
saved the lives OF number Of persons al
The cypcu*c Of his OVID.
This man was real hero. 4 batteau
loaded with workmen became unmanagcablC
in one OF those violent flood, for which the
river has ever been famous. 1t was hurled
by the force OF the waters against rock
which reared its head just . little above the
swollen stream. hut in low water is giant
in the James, path. The men got out
upon he rock, but found themselves in
n"arly As great danger Is before. The tide
va, swelling; its roar was terrific; drift.
R2oi Was plun@ing down: they were OK.
aan>.pQ and cold, and their despa.rinS ap-
,rai. to the few people on shore seemed tC
Re altogether UNDECIDED. 1t w3s in this
their bitvrc>t moment that Frank Padgett
sol hi little boat showed out from the shore,
aDd through many dangers reached the
rock. He made several trips, and each time
carried some OF The wrecked MEN safely
a.bcr": in the las one, however, his boat
wa> Upset and he was drowned. Such are
the facts n the people Of the neighborhoOd
tftYIn IrsJ n
noble conduct was comparatively fresh in
Ind the monument WAS erected. Long
may it stand to teach that in the lumblest
Is well as in the highest walks OF life true
heroism may be found padgett's body, it
aid. WAS carried to Scottsvl!e for burial.
Mr.. Blanks, The keeper OF the lock where
!, this monument stands, is One-armed man
an ex-Soldier, l Judge. His pay as lock-
keeper is not great, and he supplements II
By cutting cord-wood, at which laborioui
work he-a one-arned man-is very skilful
FISH AND FIELDS.
inst before the above mentioned point
Was reached Captain LuckadO, who was OF
our party, and who is a valuable man
wherever you put him, secured by some d.
iomacv big mess Of black bass-fresil
from the waterfall Of them kicking. They
wers fine specimens OF tue tinny tribe. The
senior editor OF the Dispatch would have
been delighted with them. l suppose the
average weight was about g pounds.
iha nigh, they did dutya our supper on
te boat, and were much liked. A few
years ago the black bass was unknown
10 these waters. Now they are full Of them,
'hahs, to the Fish Commissioners. Cover
nor wade Hampton, Of South Carol na.
WHO spent the summer at Dagger's Springs,
Kept that place supplied with his own lines.
Araf1 1t >aid thai for nine days he ave-
lA:ed slNtt-two Il dav.
mere The North river joins the james
u'e former being the route 10 Lexington
'No lie latter to Buch1nan-is as lovely
>e"hefy = ever saw. Yes: here it is in
'"!ely. Tall mountains right before us
.'aS blue riGIscs in the back ground; fields
""sFe The corn yet uncut adycrtlses the
, %. fertility, and stretch OF clear water,
,"ea, on this quie', summertime day.
lows no ripple save those few our smooth
nfa"lhS beat makes. Thence onward 10
,uchahan we see splendid agricultural
''Ua1Ey and many signs Of prosperity.
RECEPTION AT BUCHANAN.
committee Of ctiZens of Buchanan met
~ as lock some tive or six miles below the
own. They assured Us OF . hearty recep-
m' Upon nearing Buchanan and-its
Naa,ueue;ter-Pattonsbur we saw the hills
,tu'eu W bonfires and crowded with peo-
S", 10 boat on the river tue Fiacastle
r~' a were stationed, aud their very good
r.,'N voiced The welcome which the COM
NSee promised.