The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1880-08-25
Entered at the Post Office at Richmond, Va, as
second-class matter.
CORRESPONDENT NOE.
Letter from Rochester. New York.
ROCHESTER,, July 80, 1880.

ROCHESTER,, July 30, 1880.
MeSsrs. Perhaps line from
"these corners" may interest your read
ers Rochester is, to my taste, the most
beautiful city I ever saw, just at this sea-
son, with temperature of 700 at noon
and 6O0 at sunrise. 1t is not only beauti-
full but delightful as summering resort,
and with my experience of Virginia S July
sun and temperature, cannot conceive
of the necessity for peoples leaving their
comfortable homes to "take trip" to
find more pleasantness elsewhere. But
so it is, here as elsewhere Wealth and
fashion mast leave the city, or else close
their window-shutters, allow the leaves
and dust to accumulate on the door-steps,
and thus make the house look as if the
, family were away, while the people live
in the back of the house-and like the
Ostrich with his head stuck in the sand,
believes the world does not know she is
there. The characteristic beauties of Ro-
chester are her magnificent mansions,
beautiful lawns, and interminable rich
ness of flowers. In the earlier days of
the city, when the Gennessee Valley was
the granary of the United States, Roches-
ter was called the Flour City" Pro-
perly enough, if one can Judge by the still
remaining immense -four mills immense
in size and number
The Great Western Prairie" and the
steam horse have changed somewhat this
monopoly of -four, and now Rochester is
properly denominated the Flower City. 4"
Of this pre-eminent ascendency of beauty,
I believe now there is no dispute and no
one, however envious, denies this distinc-
ton. For of truth it may be said of
flowers there is no end. From the lord
lest mansion to the lowliest shanty, flow
ers salute the eye at every turn. Par
terreS of exquisite exotics, of the most ex-
pensive production and cultivation, spread
out and scattered broadcast over velvet
lawns shorn and trimmed weekly by
trained gardeners, and the lonely dot
tings Of little patches of flowers at the
doorway of the humble, are the ever va
rying attraction and delight to the pass
er-by. Besides these beauties on the
lawns, climbing vines. mainly the Vir-
gma creepers, running wild over terraces
and walls, and every variety of tree, ave-
nulng the long, cleanly kept streets, make
Rochester beauty embosomed in for
est, and if one will only toll his way up
Powers Tower, 200 feet, he will look
down upon the remarkable vision of a
city enveloped in forest, with the gilt
terings OF highly tinted flowers glintinp
through the foliage, presenting a pano2
rama of exquisite beauty.
This is city Of singularly irregular
regularity, or singularly regular irregu-
larity. Every variety Of architecture and
landscape gardening imaginable is seen
on every avenue. No two houses are
alike, and the eye is never tired in gaz-
ing at unchanging similitude. One at
itractlve feature Of the beauty is, the open
lawn, dlsencumbered Of railing or enolos-
ure-the lawns, as neatly shaven as bv
OarDer, reaching from the lordly mansion
remotely located from the street. to tbe
pavement This absence of enclosure
you wall see at once, must contribute verv
much TO the pleasantness of the surround
ings-and IS an expression of hospitalitv
70 the stranger. To one not accustomed
70 this openness of lawns the effect is verv
pressing and Is an expression of good ma
Cure IN this: that the beauties of the
grounds are open alike to the enjoyment
oi owner and the passer-by. It has the
or Of saying, Walk in, look at and en-
10y my beautiful grounds, they are rs
nluch ~ Tor your pleasure as mine" So
Sne poorest beggar in the city has as
much pleasure as the proprietor, in adj
"a i99lrlng his elegant establishment. Saving
.ne expense and trouble, which is shared
only by the owner. '''''-
? But will stop-lest I weary you-ifI
! nave not already INDUCED nv pen
S''S ''@ TotlSean1. w. B. +.