Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1880-08-28


the memory of the Confederate dead on the
other side Palmetto tree in bronze-thc
only Palmetto | have seen. They do not
grow in this portion of the State. Ihis one
is said 70 be an exact imitation and II Is
hard to realize at short distance that 1t Is
not living tree. The postofiice, 4 hand
some building, fronts the capitol, about q
mile off at the other end Of the street, and
the city presents say appearance with It's
busy throng of people, carriages, &c. Prom
Columbia | went TO Walhaila, German
town in the Blue Ride mountains. Here
YOU find people "whose fathers and mothers
were Dutchn'cn and they are Dutchmea too
Like ali German settlements il shows cyl-
dence of thrift. has very wide street., shaded
with thee rows Of trees. Here me. : n'er-
chant who had his old bat;le-ilag, which he
ca-rieI all through the Valley OF Virginia,
hung iib in his store. The familiar names
of Winchester. Antietam, and others can be
seen between the bullet holes. This town Is
a popular Summer resort 10Y people rom the
coast-the Glow country" This Is ~ south
Carolina what A-heviile i to North C"roh-
ma. Here in the mountains have they come
to escapc the city's sitting heat iicre may
the sun send dJiin his licrceSt RAYS
''Jr canno. wake
"In this pure air the plague that walks unseen.
THE maizc-lcaf and the maplc-bou,h but fake
From his strong heats deeper, glosSier erccn;
The mountain wind that iaintS not III ms ray
Sweeps the blue s,can's of pcsiilcncc away.
From Walhalla came almost without
break to Georgia; through Atlanta "on to
Rome" Rome is one of the most cnterpri-
sing business poirts in this State; has about
1000 inhabitants, is compactly built; wide,
handsome streets, well shaded-and, what l
never saw in any other town, has the street
lamps down the middle of the street instead
of or the side walks. 1t has great advanta-
yes for handling cotton and Inst gear ban
died over nincty thotisand bales. Atlanta,
with II 900 people, handles less than lou
900, so YOU can form some idea OF the Dusi-
ness of town of 1000 that receives more
than half rs much rs n city like Atlanta. IL
is situated at the point where the Etowa and
Ostanula rivers come together and form the
Catoosa, think, which is snaYigablc for over
one hundred ard fifty miles, and i the re-
ceivng point for large portion OF the best
cotton-producing section of Alabama. From
Rome TO Dalton, which is near the Chicka-
mauga River. stream of death," on or near
which one of the bloodiest battles OF the war
was fought Dalton is near the Tennessee
line. and the walters nj the hotel Degln To
ask Tennessee questions. As soon as you
take your seat at the table down comes his
woody head, and the QUESTION: "Tee or coi-
fee, boss-How1l you have your cggsY'-
That is the regular formula, and have heard
that if you order eggs sOit-hplled he VIII re-
mark: Better take my advice, boss, and
take dem eggs scrambled-eggs don't show
same defecs rhen dc-s scrambled ls dey do
when dey's soft-biled" 4 friend of mine
from Philadelphia called for an omelet ut a
frst-class ~ hotel, and after the waiter stald
away some time ht came back With DE
cook saw he like to 'commodate you, boss,
but clare to dc Lord he neber hear dat befo'
ben cookin' foteen years, too, boss" Dal-
ton is not much for looks,-rather sorry
looking tawn. but claims 10 do fair trade.
From Dalton came TO this place, Atlanta
the "eatc city" and the Empire city OF this
Empire State of the SOuth-a live, pushing,
business town. I met 4 man at loccoa,
known a. "Cousin John" Thrasher, who
saws he sold the first varil of calico that ever
was sold in this place-that was in lS39.-
Then it was known as Marthnsrills-no 1t
has over forty thousand people and some OF
the largest business hdtises in the South
This hotel (H. /. Kimball Housc) is equal
to any hotel South, and there are very few
i'm even much larger cities North that sur
pass it They have here excellent water
works, and every thing has a city look
Railroads froif almost eve.y direction centre
here, and their large Union depot has trains
constantly either coming in or leaving IT.
Well. your issue of the 9TH instant just
reached me, ani ! shall MAKE tie desire TO
reaa 1t an excise 10 cut short an already
too long letter Tomorrow shall start for
Alabama and will be in Tennessee next Sun
dar. This travelling is wearisome round,
and the ssuHdays ale the Testing spots. We'll,
we can all quit work after awhile, ,--ourlong
Sundsy tgill come and we can rest forever
For. when falls diir ttentide,
And lifc's last Saturday Is gone,
Wen lay our working clothes aside
shd put our Sunday garments M.
PS: haze afoilca mention of politics
in NV letter. bat can only say that the whole
of the South is enthusiastic for the man who
hid .'his sword arm beneath the Olive branch"
and said that "The great principles of Amer
ican liberty are still the lawful inheritance
of this people and ever should be-" This
State will give him 100, ,OUU majority. The
Gubernatorial convention is in session here.
Since Wednesday is at dead lock, owingto
the t-vo..hirds rule. Through the courtesy
of n delegate from Bafior ti'.in'y was on
the floor short time yesterday, but the on
" proceeding was Il in0notonOus ballot, al
ways ending the same way. Ihe present
Governor * the most popular cendi'iate.
Good bye Hope to zee you before many
.-h.h. " @ Il Lr