Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1881-07-19
THE NATURAL BRIDGE.
INTERESTING LETTER FROM "CIIEsTER,"
GIVING DETAILS or HEIGHT, SIZE, BEAU
TY AND GRANDEUR or THE GREAT WON
DIR OF TllE VALLEY.

GIVING DETAILS OF HEIGHT, SIZE, BEAU
TY AND GRANDEUR or THE GREAT WON
DIR or TIE VALLEY.
From tho Richmond DIsp0ach.
The Natural Bridge, no description of
it that know does 1t justice. No pic
ture of L that have seen gives more
than faint idea Of its form and proper
tiOns.
There are now twcnty-threc artists
here from Chicago, pupils of the art
suhool-cight gentlemen and fifteen Ia
dies. All of these have been skctchng
the bridge and surroundings. To-day
they will have their dinner sent to them
I'm the canyon near the falls, above the
bridge. The outcome Of this expedition
they are to stay here two weeks-may
be something that will worthily convey
10 those who can never hope to see this
wonder some just idea Of It's appearance.
The roadway of the bridge Is 2l6A
feet from the stream Cedar Creek be-
low; average width of the bridge, so
feet l,ngth, 03 feet; thickness, %. If
st. Paui's Church, could be set in the
bed of the stream its steeple would, |
believe, rise only ten feet above the road
way. "Nature's cunning hand" has
carved this arch out of limestone nil.
The form of II approaches the olliptcal,
"and Il Is carried over In diagonal line,
the very line of all Others so difficult to
the architect to realize"
Cedar creek IL appropriately namcd.-
The hlllsIdcs about Il are nearly all COW
cred with cedar. About mile above the
Bridge the creek tumblcs down several
precipices; thence II flows at the bottom
of the canyon until II passes beneath the
arch, and bctakcs itself by Gllmorcs
mill down to the James river. At this
time the country Is suffering from n Sc
we're drought, aud the creek seems an in
sipniilcant stream--not larger than Shoe
koe creek; but In the rainy season, | can
acc 4 comes down like the water at Lo-
dore, or even more so. Beneath the arch
and along the stream the air Is delight
fully cool, and n silence roigns, which
10 those tired of the worlds great clnt-
ter must prove "a JOY intense"
This place (slx or seven hundred acrcs)
was purchased few months back by
Mr.. Parsons Of the Asher llarmail es,
tate for $l5, 900, and soon thereafter sold
by him to the Alleghany Coal and iron
Company, Of which he lsa large stock
holder, for 100000. II propably could
not now be bought Of them for $40 1000.
Several tracts have Of late been added
by purchase 10 the IIarman property
Dir. Moorman, the celebrated writer on
the mineral waters Of Virginia, ANA well
known also as physician at the White
Sulphur Springs, has IN his possession
fnnd will shortly present to your cores
pondent) letter from Jollcrson--then
The owner of the propcrty-cstimnting
ia value nj 100000 He snid-hc was
writing n long back--that the bridge
was visited the year round by more peo,,
plc than were the mineral springs, ana
that II was certain TO become popular
resort,
Several Of tho springs have u long
start on the Bridge, but the itltllro OF the
Inter ls full of promise, The grounds
about n arc beautiful; the view OF the
distant Blue Ridge IL good; there IL .
fair glimpse of the Peaks of otter ana
lhere nro some fine shade trees, and some
inwns thnt can and will be- madc pretty
Add, II YOU please, 10 these It's ncarncsss
10 tho river, and the glorious oppoHuni-
Ties for fishing Il affords. AZ DnggcTs
gnrluga, only thirty-scycn miles above
hero. General wade Hampton thinks
nothing OF going out In the morning and
returning at night With soycnty-flvc or
eighty fne bass. lie Is M expert On-
cler. h IA true, and few can hope to rival
linn but most any man would be well
sailsncd with nth of his "luck," The
General goos ont IN u boat, and uses ar-
linrInt lilea. Those who know, Or ought
TO. sny that IN the james IN the neigh
horhood Of Cilmorcp MIN there Are
quite M many bass II not more Than ut
Dnggcr'H.
Thc loycliust walks that | have been