Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1879-01-10
ATnp Through the fever.strioken Districts.

A Trip Through the fever.strioken Districts.
RETURNING REFuGEEs--A ROMANTIC
COUNTRY-MEMPHIs ALIVE AGAIN.
&C., &C., &C.
Correspondence of the Stanton vINDIcAroR.)
NEAR MEMPHIS, TENN, Jan. Z.
Far away from my Virginia home, a
fancy has darted athwart my brain to write
you something of my trip through part
Of our land to which so much attention has
been recently directed-the fever stricken
districts Of the South, but notwithstand-
ing the fact that I am in cline several
degrees warmer than your own, can al
most imagine myself back in the Old Do
minion and under the shadow Of the Blue
Ridge, for as glance from the window see
the ground covered white with snow and
occasionally catch glimpses Of merry ska
tiers dashing across the ice. Indeed this
month has been quite remarkable feature
here-and in Memphis it has been quite
amusing to see the excitement exhibited
over the snow and sleigh-riding. l
l confess it was beautiful sight, to see
the rich dark leaves of the magnolia, peep
ing out from their burden IF snow, even
to one accustomed to Virginia winters.
But am forgetting my trip. Leaving
the little city of Charlottesville, we hur-
ried on till the heights around Lychburg
came into view and warned US that we
must soon undego the fearful ordeal OF
changing cars. So amidst the din of hack
men shrieking in our ears, small boys
clamoring for our luggage, and conductors
fastening us forward, we reached New
Orleans sleeper and taking breath after
such a troublous walk, looked around u.s.
The car was crowded to its utmost capaci-
ty with refugees returning to their homes,
some to Chattanooga, the others to New
Orleans and the far South. while with each
and every one, the topic of conversation
was the yellow fever. After restless
night spent in vain endeavors to sleep, the
early morning found us flying down the
beautiful Tennessee valley, and as we
glanced at the fields heavy with frost and
at pools covered with ice, each heart was
gladdened with the thought that every icy
breath was a foe to that fell disease whose
fatal touch has laid low the life and light
of SO many happy homes.
The little town of Cleveland soon came
into view, and with cur advent to the
place, the announcement of hot coffee and
breakfast in general. Seeing a neighbor
across the way slipping a cup of the afore-
said beverage, inquired into it's especial
merits. With feeble smile and depre-
eating motion of her head came the reply
II think it will keep off a headache
Chattanooga next claimed our attention
and there was simultaneous rush to the
car windows and platforms as grand old
Lookout burst upon our view. The scenery
is magnificent beyond description. Even
Miss Evans fails in her attempt to depict
her heroines mountain home, and one can
fairly realize the veneration with which the
novelist makes Edna Earl regard the hoary
headed monarch, towering far above the
town nestled at his feet, and casting heavy
shadows into the river circling round. The
bluffs environing Chattanooga are in them
selves little mountains, and are thickly
clustered with cottages from their sum
mits to the valley in which most of the
town is built. Street cars run back and
forth through the. streets and though
scarcely month had elapsed since the
fever had ragged in fury, the stores were
all activity and hustle, the pavements
crowded with people, and everything wore
an all of business like energy. Our hearts
however, were appalled, with the iutelli-
gence that we must wait eleven hours in
the place as no train would leave for
Memphis before nightfall. So making the
most OF what was necessity, we trudged
all over the town, invaded the stores and
whiled away the time until it was an,
nounced that we could once more resume
our journeying. 1t was quite dark but as
we steamed along the banks Of the Ten
nessee, 7 strained my eyes for last
glimpse of Lookout, or peered out at the
huge furnaces that lighted the sky with a
b, illiant glare and looked like spectre
pictures, wild and weird as ever were
fancied.
Crossing the iron bridge which spans a
ravine Of immense depth, and travelling
on for some hours we entered the northern
part Of Alabama. At Huntsville could
only see broad, smooth streets and a town
apparently we'll laid off, as the ears ran
only through the suburbs Of the place, but
at Decatur / formed an excellent idea of
the size of the Tennessee River. A bridge
mile in length, I am told, crossed the
stream and steamers were plying up to the
very tpWn itself. After leaving Decatur,
however, my ideas became rather cloudy,
as somnus with dallying touch, sealed
my eyelids in sleep, and not until we
reached Iuka Springs and Corinth did L
become again fairly alive to the outer
world.
Passing Grand Junction without delay,
sairabile dictn, hurrying through Golfers
vile and Germantown, names forever as
ISOLATED with the epidemic of '79, Memphis
at last was reached, the city around which
conferred the sympathies of a whole nation
during the season which is past. Built on
high bluffs it slopes gradually down to the
great Mississippi, which SO truly merits
It's name of the Father of Waters. The
streets are wide and bordered on either
side by rows of trees which in summer
must enhance ten fold the beauty Of the
place. Those streats in one direction are
called by the names of the Presidents, and
in another by the order in which they
come. One can scarcely realize now, that
only month or two ago the city was the
scene of a pestilence whose devast alton