Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1880-09-23
Letter from ChaSsoEr.

Correspondence Of tho Alexandria ua@n.to.
LEXINGTON, w., Sep. col have al@sys
had a great desire to sea the Nsiu'al B:iiso OF
Virginia. Around it vas thr01a much Of Tia
glamour Of poetry aud ronlaoe. Writers have
described III beau;icsin iloRiog lines; poetry
has cx.olcd Tia grsndear 10 GIowina vsrss aud
tho artists pac,ii hal limbo its II as!io Cu!-
lines and marked its doep sbaloGs and sunny
lights. Ia the school books tina! Waro uaod to
expand The youthful mind in my b1yho;d days,
some hundred yea's ago. there were to bo
found vivid tales and aaecdotcs of the Natural
R,idgs. 1t Was thc1 the young Washington, Q
short tao ae!er tie episode Ct the hschet and
cherry tree, cssayei to CLIMB tho perpendicular
cliff By cutting .oothods With his Eo!fs. aDd,
a:oandiag upwarda uaiil near the top. tho klila
worn TO tho hapdle, dropped from his ncfVelsss
hands, and he cuDg to the ciglty the kute bad
made, hanging suspended, Ike Nlahomets col
liz, betReon teaven sni Garth, and e3:g WIS
SAVED oy tha; = libiton of cooIn.ss and nerve
rendered famous his sitter career.
Itwss here, too. that Virginia maiden,
seooud IlippolYta Queen Of the Amszors, step
o7erhuas tho Beating cliff and 5aRning cha;nn,
aud b.eS kisses to tic res; Of her party below.
who, gazing Upward. ave stuck, hundreds Of
feet down 10 tho otanool, wero 80 ovsrooDc By
the ha1dihood and psrilous position OF tia
light foot N.iad that her two sisters taiated
With terror, and Der lover received such shock
the. he ne7er afterwards recovered bis s1ker
senses.
1t wss here that Thomas Jef!rs2n, 81 tie
book asserts, s!ocd and gsz d, and maze tho
remark, thet it was worth trip s6r3s5 lie At
lantio to bstold this famous sp3t.
50 ittla Soader that ordered hack, and,
in compeny vita three other dciud3d mar:als.
started from the RocEbfdge Alum Springs TO
visit tie BRIDGE some thirty odd miles sway.
There ia o. inGe:oribahl, cbsrn 10 travelling
among these mountains on Septcmbsr day.
The weather is elm ply perfect, and the scenery
a never ending source of delight. Tho roads
wind sround the base of the mountains. Tnen
asc.Id.ng e long disauca, steadily upwards,
you req ch tho crest, snd the whole magnificent
panorama of tho rolling ranges lay stretched
out before you. The golden tinted air, resting
softly 90 the scene, touches mountain and Val'
lsy, cliff ED peSk With c rare warm, rich b.au.
~, end makes the lofty crses glcam With tue
,iYts of tbs opal. Everything is wild ard rug
ceri-ai! .;a.urs chi 10 sst. for miles !h"ro !s
no cultivated land, Ger cosy fam hcuac. ODly,
indeed, here aud tb.rs is o linls clearing and
c,rn patch on the side Ct steep bill, where
rests primitive cabia, around which dozen
ohidrsu-ruily, dirty and h,xeG-hairsd-
stand gazing with orea eyes at thu passing car
Rage. Ga Es rst', q. the reads rocky AID
rough, and apparently deserted; and aostiog is
seen bnt some yagrsnt land pikc. gar snout,
rsz:r back hog. whom, nhurs hes klrdy given
sat of lang legs Ed ts 10 enable hin to get ont
ot the aaY Of tie predatory dsrke3, who is al
WAYS epxicls fer his Gear scqusintaaee.
S,opDicg at Lexington only l,rg eaou2h 20
eaar go cur Sorses and push % for Our deslIna
lion, s5ms fourteen Glss distant. on7 driver,
Jcho, WAS 10 rl,.iog draw pnke5 s.! tha night
b,fo,c, asd lczss oa The bcx The hoFsee
feeling the sick r.os, s'acksncd t&eir aal:, @od
6aa!Iy dropped isto walk. O7er aero's TIE
way th;f, sppes:eA cloud thu. @ss rap;dI2
growing brosder, grger and DE- keT III TO Ky.
It bodss a Storm We r3us, Jahu up. lie
e oursh,s his whip in ssp.sn4dc klaa II Fey,
eri han falls back ssl+"". "a ~ 'fEo cur
turn ia t-,,.gg Ct hin ihr :aIa kihd q la.
suaee that The alm7 ia FLANDERS i3asd, 81 "a