The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1881-06-09

GOO MASONh1 AMONO IA1
MoUNTAINs-THE ORE DEPOSITS OF THE vIR-
GINA VALLEY
Special Correspondence of the Scranton (Pa) Re
pob6ct1la.
STAUNToN, Virginia, May 26-If there is
but one Niagara Falls and but one Mammoth
cave on the American continent it is equally
true that there is but one Natural bridge. This
bridge is situated in the great Cumberland
valley that stretches from the Hudson River
on the north, to Chattanooga on the south, in
Rockbridge county, Virginia, southwest from
Lexington, about fourteen miles. Ii is nearer
the line of the Blue Ridge on the south that to
the Alleghanies on the north.
In the north or east, when excursions arc
the order of the day, and when railroads are
in earnest competition, every green and cave
and dell and waterfall is advertised and mag
nified and glori1ed. In some cases waterfalls
are manufactured. Rocks are piled up artist
cally and caves are ornamented with view of
giving impressiveness to the wildness of ma
ture. We are willing to pay something to
have the water turned on at Versailles, that
the fountains may play, but we do not care to
pay to have the water turned on among the
Catskil Mountains. The Natural bridge I'D
to this time has not had the advantages of
railroad advertisement, but it can speak for
itself. 1t stands alone in its beauty and wild
ness and grandeur without a rival, with an i'm
presslye power scarcely less than that of
Niagara Falls. Here are its dimensions: Mean
heighth 2153 feet; average width. so feet;
length, 90 feet; thickness of arch, 55 feet 1t
is fifty feet higher than Niagara Falls Fig
ures cannot convey any adequate idea of the
impressive power of mountain, or of cata-
ract or of such an arch us has been here
carved in the rock. 1t is Gods masonry among
the mountains.
The Richmond and Allegheny Railroad,
| which is designed to connect Richmond and
Pittsburgh, and which will pass within two
miles of this bridge, has purchased the bridge
property, including the surroundings, to the
extent of 700 acres, and they propose erecting
! a large hotel and cottages near the bridge for
the accommodation of visitors, and laying out
the grounds with walks, drives, &c, some
what after the plan of Central Park, New
York. AT present it has all the charm of ma
tive wildNcss. But all the railroad companies
in the land cannot add essentially, by any out
lay Of money they make, to the attractions of
the Natural Bridge of Virginia, any more
than they can add to the attractions of Niagara
Falls. The thunders Of Niagara are it's own
They preceded railroads. The impressive
stiffness of this mammoth arch as you stand
under it and look up, is like that felt on the
summit OF lofty mountain under the dome of
| the sky. Its eloquence is the eloquence of
silence
| Just now there is not railroad within fifty
| miles OF the bridge I reached it BY private
conveyance from Staunton, which is fifty
| miles to the North. But the railroads are
coming. and inside of two years there will be
two or three railroads to bring travellers here.
At present there is nothing to pay for the
privilege OF viewing this wonder of nature
| from any point. In a little while it will be
| ike Nlapara tn which without n
toll, you require a balloon. These projected
railroads to which | have referred haye no
special reference to the bridge. This whole
belt OF country between the North and South
Mountains abounds in iron ORE and New
York men with money to invest are looking
after these rich deposits of ore, 1t will only
be q few years until this Valley Of Virginia
will be as full of iron furnaces as the valley Of
the Lehigh. In the streets of Staunton l met
MIR. Charles Scranton of Oxford, N. j., and in
reply to my question "Have you come here to
attend the meeting of the Southern Presby-
terrain Assembly," he said mo; am going
out some twenty miles to, look at some ore
lands George w. Scranton came to Slocum
Hollow forty years ago to look after ore and
coal lands The result of that visit we know.
And inside of forty years there may be cities
III TINS now sparely populated Valley of Viz
gina that will IN point of population wealth
and enterprise rival Scranton. N. G.. P.
CIRCUIT CoURT.-Judge Mclaughlin, pre-
siding, commenced on the LIST. Nothing of
special public interest has transpired beyond
the admittance to record of the will of Jno. ]
Mcbride, late of Texas, devising q large e.
tate, in part to relatives in Augusta. VIM.
White, the executor named in the will, de-
Ginning to qualify, so much of the estate as
lies IN Augusta was committed to the Sheriff
for administration. Jas. 7. Maupin was ap-
pointed guardian of W J. Maupin and other
infant heirs.
The suit at Harlisonburg, Va, of Mrs. Susan
R. Hawkins VS.. John Driver, in the Circuit
Court for Rockingham County, Va, has beer
compromised. The case was set for trial OF
Thursday last The suit was for damages in
behalf of Plaintiffs daughter, q comely ano
prepossessing young woman of eighteen sum
mers. The damages claimed was $4,000, but
plaintiffs counsel agreed to compromise fol
$4,000, the parties paying their own COSTS
Although the Morey letter has almost
passed from the public mind, it is said to b.
fact that the Government law officers il
New York have been very busy for some
time in following clews they have obtained
1t is also known that they have met will
success, and fully expect at an early DAFT
to fix the conspiracy and the forgery upoE
the real authors OF the crime.