The Russellville Democrat., 1880-06-24

and gave us nice little mop.
 A run of about five hours out from Chattanooga brought us to Knox vile, beautiful city of some impor- tance. It is near the head of nayi gation on the Tennessee river. The business of the place has grown to some importance, and substantial blocks of buildings give the place q solid look. The custom house is 8 handsome marble structure. the mar ble being an abundant of the hills near the city. The university of Tennessee and the deaf and dumb asylum are located at Knoxville and are handsome buildings.
 At Morristown, about AS miles east of Knoxville, we found !. so-ss Of 2000 souls. Here we had the plessnrs sss meeting Mir. Jno. E. Hell ems, editor of the Morristown Ga zstte. Morristown is the county seat of Hamlin county.
 Seventy four miles from Knox vile we pass Greenville the county seat of Green county, and the former home of that great sen of Tennessee. Andrew Johnson. From the car windows, situated on . pretty eleva- ton, we can see the white marble shaft marking the last resting place of all that is mortal of this great man. At Union, eleven miles from Bristol, we make halt, and in a body, made a visit to Mrs. Mary Stofer, q daughter of ex-president Andrew Johnson. We were about as dusty and dust begrimed set of persons as you hare ever seen, get ting of the cars travel-worn and without even time to dust of our clothes or wash. But notwithstand- ing our unprepossessing looks, Mrs. Stofer received us gracefully and cordially, and expressed much grat ification at the honor thus done to the memory of her husband. She is an elderly, pleasant lady. aud has an elegant residence, new and elegantly furnished. located upon a lovely site. She showed many family relics, among the number, the tailor's shears with which MT. Johnson com menced his trade.
 We reached Bristol at 8 p. m. and took up quarters for the night at the Virginia House, kept by a diminu- tive statured gentleman named John Wood, who. being in delicate health weighed only 423 pounds. We were pleasantly roomed at this house and farsd splendidly in the dining room. At this point we met an old Arkan- sas friend, Dr c. $. Vance, of Mar. shall, Searcv county. This part ol Virginia is his old stamping ground and he was here on a visit. The route from Chattanooga to Bristol is over and through picturesque country. At Bristol we formed the acquaintance of Mir. Jno. Slack, edi tor Of the Courier. From this point we checked through to Washington The Atlantic. Mississippi and Ohio road is the line over which we made the run from Bristol to Lynchburg . distance of 204 miles. It is a mos, excellent road-is we'll ballasted and smooth and steady. The greater portion of the track has just been re laid with steel rails, and the most approved pattern of iron bridges have replaced the wooden ones. It is justly popular as the great passenger route from all points l south and southwest to the north and east. It has the automatic air brakes and the Miller patent safety plat forms and couplers, and runs palace sleepers on all night trains. The conductor with whom NC travelled from Bristol to Lynchburg, Capt. ". A. Horton, of Lynchburg, we found to be one of the most aecommodat- ing and gentlemanly conductors we have ever met on any road. He is one of the oldest conductors on the road having served the road co1tinu- ously tor 26 years. We were placed under many obligations to him for kindness in pointing out places of interest along the route. It Is a pleasure to travel over a road with such 8 conductor as Capt. Horton. The scenery along this road is very beautiful and grand. The topograph- ical conformation of the country which it travsrses is varied and In- teresting. At Bristol the elevation IS 1900 feet above the level of the sea. At this place the western slope of the Allsghany mountains faces us, and at Mt. Airy it crosses that mountain range at an elevation of 2600 feet. Gradually going down grade from Mt. Airy we enter the Roanoke valley at Salem, and the landscape of that delightful little valley IS as lovely as our eye ever rested upon. Leaving this valley we approach the Blue Ridge mountains and cross them at Bufords Gap at an elevation of 1900 feet From Buford's station, l67 miles from Bristol and 37 miles from Lynchburg we get 8 fine view of the lofty peaks of Otter. Decending the Blue Ridge we soon find ourselves at Lynchburg-the City of Hills. This is the halfway point between Bristol and Norfolk. All along the route from Bristol to Lynchburg are numerous and de- lightful summer resorts, also many