Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1881-05-14
-,ur SHENANDOAH VALLEY
OF VIRGINIA.
.,co-rssnondence Of the Baltimore Sun.

rstnwn. Nd, to Waynesboro' Va,
S;,,anre of lI3 miles, and the move which
Va, been taken to insure the southern eN-
,"n,ion of this line % miles further, from
Waypesboro' 10 Big Lick, on the Norfolk
a,J Western Railroad, are steps III dcVel-
',nmeut which cannot fail To be OF the
HIGHEST Importance 10 tins interesting
.eGtion of Virginia and Maryland. At
usCerstown connections have been made
,rifh the Cumberland Valley Branch Ofthe
pennsylvania Railroad and with the
western Maryland Railroad, and at
Wovucsboro' with the Chesapeake and
ohio Railroad. Contracts have been en-
,ered INFO with these connecting roads by
which through line has been established
between New York, Phiiadelphla ana
baltimore on the north, and all points
reached bv the Chesapeake and ONO h;'li-
IND ON the south and west, and aifordinS
The latter road and lis western coliiec-
lions an independent all-rail pror2tlhS
connection, with The three importah' sea-
board cities named.
STRETCHING SOUTHWARK.
The extension south from "ayhesooro
wus authorized 10 connect Win 'iie At'."
,ic. Mississippi and OHIO Rallroau, Which
WAS purchased by parties largely inter-
,ssTp
am Feb. 10. and which has during the past
week been reorganized as the Norfolk ana
western Railroad. The extension, ac-
,ording to the official report made by Mr..
=. j. kimball, OF philadelphia, president
If The road, follows closely along the
western base of the Blue Ridge III the
immediate proximity TO and through vast
drpoSits of iron ore. 1t follows the Shcn-
uudoah river 10 its source, thence crosses
the divide IL II stream emptying into the
North Branch of the James Eelr LcXlnS-
ION. ut which point connection Is made
with the Richmond and Allegheny Kali
road. and by which means the BcSScmcr
ores from the Lyachburg region Will be
TRANSPORTED over the Shenandoah Valley
Railroad TO the iron mills of PennSylVa-
mia. From Lexington the line OF extern
sion will follow the James river around
its North and South branches 10 Buchan-
an, passing within Il short distance of the
Natural Bridge; thence it crosses another
divide 10 Tinker creek, which latter
stI cam the line follows until 1t reaches
the Norfolk and Western Railroad at BiS
Lick, on the Roanoke river. Throughout
the ninctv-iiyc miles of this extension the
line runs through country rich III a%fl-
cultural and mineral resources, ana some
of the finest Cattle-%razinS counties I'll
Virginia. The completion OF the eNteh-
sion will connect the Norfolk and West
rrn Railroad by an all-raIl line 10 Inc
North and East. Contracts have been en-
Tered into and the work of extension has
been commenced. TO raise the money
general mortgage for $2,2jO, 600 has Dcch
executed 10 the Fidelity Insurance Trust
and safe Deposit Company OF Ihliadci-
Thia.
MEMORIES OF THE PAST.
have lust had the pleasure of 4 run
over the road from llagerStown TO
Wavnes bOru' in the company of several
gentlemen who are Identified not "hly
with the present development OF The val
lev region. but with lis past associations,
and who were not uuimportaht actors III
tho>c events of the war between the States
which give an additional cham to every
fair locality in this beautiful section o1
the StatcUf Virginia. Tia" name OF near
" every station throughout the line 81
lI3 miles i associated with some struggle
uf the war. SharpS' urG, Shcpherd>t"Wn,
Front Royal. Port Republic, all recall
glorious memories OF jackson aud tbs
brilliant campaigns. At ShcpEerdstpWh,
where the Potomac river l. >panncd by
line railroad bridge, the traveller Is i'll
sight of the ford where Gen. Lee 5 army
crossed for SharpSburg or Aniietam, IN
Washington county, Md. Ii was near
This spot also that James Rumrcy, the
Nir~iniau, made the first steamboat en-
>,crimcut. in l1SG. jefferson county.
which now belongs TO West Virginia, Is
full of colonial houses. CharlcS;nWn was
,amcd for Gen. Wa>hngion'S brother
Charles. Hardwood House, near by, ne
longrd to Wa~lingtou's brother Samuel,
who had five wives, the portraits OF whom
vet hang on the walls of the old mansion.
LAFAYETTE sent marble mantlrpleccs from
Paris. James Madison waS married III ITS
drswinr-room: Louis Philippe and his
brothers were entertained there, IloSe
hV is LectOwn, near when were Ihc
homes of three remarkable revolutionary
generals of the highest ranh-Gatc>,
Charles zee aud Adam StcNenS-Who
were all captains in the OLD Frehch war,
all wounded in that struggle, all bought
estates near each other all joined the Con-
tinental army and rose To rank next TO
Washington: all were enemies of the
cOmmandcr-in-chict, and Wer" All as
.,r,crJ from their commanGs-I"c nj
Monmouth, Gates ut Camden and stevens
NJ Rrandywinc. Near the crossing of the
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad stands the
FORMER residence of Gen. Drake, dcscen-
dent of one of the judges who condemned
Charles |.
Clarke county, Va, is also full of his
toric houses. Near White Post was Grcn-
way Court. where Thomas, the sixth Lord
Fairfax. baron of Cameron, lived. In
sight of the road is Saratoga, built by
General Morgan, the hero of COwpenS, by
the aid of llesSian prisoners, who were
told that the country could noS afford 10
feed them unless they worked. They
built for Morgan Il magnificent mansion,
whose baths and fountains were unSur-
passed. In the vicinity OF Berryvile Is
The old church of Bishop Meade, which
contains the grave of the brilliant Philip
pcndlcton Cooke, who wrote FLORENCE
Nane." He was the brother of John Is
ten Cooke, and relative OF John i. keE-
nedv. of MARYLAND. In the old graveyard
arc the historic names also OF Idge, Fan
dolph, Nelson, Lewis, pcndlcton, Bur
well, &C.
BEAUTIFUL SCENERY.
NV nurposc. however. is not to dwell
on the past. The active present is too alb
sorbing and the promising future too al
Turing for longer lingering with the dead.
And then, besides, we have in all this re-
gion nature in its srandeSt bcaring-blue
mountains on both sides, which meet The
clouds overhead, shining rivers, fair
fields. blossoming orchards, AMI the deli
cate yerdure of spring to enchant the eye
nj every turn. The magnificent valley %
the Shenandoah and the Page valley, into
which the upper part is divided by tie
Massanutten mountain, afford at every
step succession of delightful surprises:
When the early streaks of dawn flushed
The east with crimson aurora, and every
blade of grass glistened in dewey drops |
watched The yannr SLOWLY crccning mp The