Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1881-05-14

Cumberland valley tultofLl Assptld
sion of Pennsylvania having been invited by
the authorities of The Shenandoah Valley aIta
The Cumberland Valley Railroads TO visit the
famed I.uray' C@ayerns. made an excursion TO
that own ON saturday last ami by the courte-
sv of the said Editorial Assoes,N1rond of the
officials of the = v. l.. Il. the editors OF THE
/ FREE Press. as invited guests participated in
/ the pleasures of the occasion. a train of five
handsome coa-hes and lunch car afforded lux
urious accommodation for the party of two
hundred. including the fredericksburg Brass
Hand. Capt. VIM +. Dougherty was the con-
.ductor. and the headquarters of theS. Y. r. r.
were represented by General Freight and Pas
senger Agent, G.. ?. Hatch, Esq, and Mr.. Cas-
sci. Train Dispatcher dc. Anumber ot theed-
itors were accompanied 10y their wives and
daughters. on the first partit was g dignitei-
genial representation eff the fourth estate,
and ON the second pert of pretty, intellectual
and graceful women and Young girls. This
latter feature was q proofo of the assertion that
this life is madc nap of compens,tions, each ed
itor feeling h,mselramply rewardedb by thepres-
cnec Of the fair ones for spending a dozen or
more hours with o. hundred and fifty other quill
drivers awav-r hemei
The day was perfect IN beauty N~etcrc dcekSl
I'm her gala dress OF living green WIS ornament
ed i'm gems of dogwood. apple and wild-peach
bloom. All along the rssd doomed up the
sand old peaks of the Blue Ridge, theirintense
blue only fading into the softer azure of the
summer skv above them There were eXcla-
nations of delighted surprise rs different pha
zes Of the sublime scenery followed each other
like q maguiicen, pan0rama-now q smiling
farm house with green fields and orchards IN
RNl tlcc'n, mcl-l tuvcrlGgm ountainv with the
lovely Shenandoah lazily bathing its feet-onc
gentleman protested that it was equal t. the
ceneryo icag the Hudson of which volumes
have been written
As we sped swiftly along through Jeicrs''
and Clarke 10 gave as pleasure toindicatc TO our
editorial brethren many places along and ADA
cent 90 the line of the road, connected with Col
onial history and associated with heroes OF the
Revolution.-ncar Charlestown such as the ivy
clad ruins of Trinity Church. ON the estate of
II. b. Davenport. ESD, erected away back in
the ages. and at it's base buried the forgotten
. NAsLA fA LNlnIALINllN 4 Af.NtNAtf NNA
stones throw of the venerable church, the home
I OF Gen. VIM. Darkc OF revolutionary fame and
descendant of one of the judges who condemn
ed Charles l.. Piedmont is now the resi-
dcnce of Mai. T.. A.. and VIM. d. Briscoc, grand
sons of Gen. Darkc. Amilc beyond is Hare
wood the home OF Samuel Washington, bro
ther ofthc Immortal Georgc where Louis
| I'm AraFf-.rrH rrur-
ried. ana where 40 the present time hang por-
traits % fthe nee wives ofthe original proprietor.
I 10 is now owned and occupied 10y Mr.. John ~.
Washington. Almost ia sight of the :. Y sta
ton at CharleSovn is the N& stink 10y Genl
Braldo& hon ,l the march TO Duauesne,
now Pittsburgh. Attic b. The ieh, within the
limits of Charlestown, the grave of Charles
Washington. In Clarke we passed near Sol
dicr's Rest and also Saratoga the homes
ofGeul Daniel Morgan of Cowpens memory
Sarato-a was rsat toy Gea. "o-gc1 Ply H-Eiar
soldiers: itisnot CrsleaeofMr. Pow ell Page.
At White Post points of interest rotcd were
"Greenwav Court the home of Lord Fairfax,
Baron of Cameron, the Meade Memorial
Church crested .a hoaor cfJhe venerable la
meuted Bishop Meade. Every mile of the road
is replete with "reminiscences of colonial and
revolutionary names and days, and ofthose la
ter incidents associated with the recent strife
and its principal participant--Lcc. StoRCv3r
Jackson. &c.
Arrived I'm good time at Lgray t>e larty
marched in column of twos TO the 66st HcGse
and Cave Hotel. where arrangements had been
r.-. 81. I'LL .,.tf.r-t;,. c.- o .-.,.~,,s
dinner and supper and sumptuously was the
I programme filled out. The Old Family had
ats wants provided for I'm % most satisfactory
naar~~ ~ enc courteous he>t Of the Rust
/ House. and the Wants exactly measured up ~
the proportions of one of Bro. Zittle's "siuart
meals with "a top-drcssing of delicious frozen
custsrd and pounlc8ke. After thu q%rautitt
OF dinner that some of our editorial coutrcsG
succeeded I'm hiding away. We wondered If it
would Doe possible for them 10 take in the
I Cave. But they lid it-and now we are look
ing with some curiosity zoo soc read editorial gc
Mus. assent itself w vant 90 sen how our
Pcnnsylvari, fricnd-so many or whom have
been firmly convinced that the South is solid
get ont of the q ficultv of dcscribing the won
ders they behold ou Saturday. We wilt rct &c
guilty ofthc nji,cretioa of attempting TO por-
tray the s5.i ira, rarties st 'rat long hidden
depository of >ouc cc Natures most curious
haudiwork-thc vast 6or'tS. unsupported 10y
column or pillar, long corridors, fairy g-cttos,
deep abysscs. cascades, crystal springs and
lakes. O. natural organ, giving forth music 10
the touch. the strangely gro,e>que fiSh-markct,
q tiny birds nest with three little white eggs,
hundreds of wild and gorgeous spcctacle>. va
rying at every turn. and yet we did not see the
half-it would require days 20 explore it tho
roughly. Five thousand candles, employing
f-~ty use0 evor- hour tCligbt them, illumi-
mated the cave. am achievement. that throws
light upon hecapacity ofthcS. V r r officials
Co DO magnificent things regardless of expense.
All pcn-picturcs of the cavcrns must fall far
short oC the rcality-it bessar, description
only those who see can appreciate It's marvcls.
Nobody can go through and come back with
the conviction thl5 there is no God. His al
p.ighty hand is too plainly visible i'm these
works osHiS 10 doubt that lie exists. Bob In
ecrsoll ought TO yiSit uecn.
The proprietors have done much TO facilitate
a safe and comfortable exploration. Miss ct
graded and boarded walks. with bridges. guards.
fences and stairvay> have been provided, and
much moro Is n,cmplated-clcctr lights, &c.
While it is proper 90 wear rubbcrs and water
prccE as q protection from dlmpnc>S. there Is