The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1881-08-04
s5sa-A For the Virgintan,
The Excursion to Earper's Ferry.

s,aa4, For the virginian,
The Excursion, to Harper's Ferry.
The tony excursion of the season" left th,
: Valley depot on the morning Of the 21st inst
as advertised just before the hour ofdepar
ture, the dark bands of clouds that, hung il
ETHEREAL space united and forced forth heavy
torrents OF rain. 1t was evident what
would be the result. The adeslr foness
could not venture out upon such. "trip anfkon
such a-well horrible, bloody day, for 1feeal
CT solling their Sunday go-to-meetin hats and
It's wisely remarked their pull backs might be
subject to a little shrinkage, perhaps to such
an extent as to retard movement. But as faI
as men are concerned, they. buckle on, the ar
NOR OF t-care-a-a- cent, and purchase at
once several ten cent overcoats, after which
they are ready for the how lingo tempest b
Dlasts. iH.7 iaasdN eds 10 sfite9ftss94usr adj
Alta quarter to seven % 'clock, our crowd
seemed complete. 1t was small but an uhusil-
ally pleasant and sociable one, and at this mo,
ment the train movedn off, Our party was
somewhat augmented byaa few, excursionists
joining us between Staunton and Harrison
burg. When the whistle on the great loeol
motive announced our approach9 to- H. 1
the famous olGsotOnewall band sent forth her
lively strains that certainly must have reached
the most remote corner of the town, Judging
from the rapid collection ofat least one-tl1ird
OF the negroes, boys, and dogs IN the State.
Here we gathered few more pleasure seekers
and all aboard !" then dash along, slash along,
crash along, with d jump and q bump, goes
| the fire-fiend to its destined goal 9lf Gp
by jove, | believe the tarnel engineer gotta
drink up thar at that place" calculated some
elderly looking gentleman as he poked his
mead through a car window, in rather an abb
rupt ana unexpected manner to himself. IA
few hours at this rate of speed brought us into
winchester, where we expected to have been
joined by larger crowd, but owing to exor-
bltant rates OF travel and inclement weather,
we were greatly disappointed In a brief
While after leaving this place, we emerged from
meath Watery and blasted skies, and glided
cheerlly along over smiling land and under
bright sunshine The ''crystal, bunters,' in
thelr once painless course over moonlit,
snowy mountains in pursuit of game could
not have felt happier or exhibited more buoy
ant spirits, than we who were nearing our
destined point. Insignificant stations are
passed as the idle fantasies Of a dream. >7
We rush headlong on in our mad career
with an unobservant eye, until we are hard by |
Where the Shenandoah sWeetly flows on the |
green breast of old Virginia. A moment more
and we are entering the town of Harper's |
Ferry, just where the two majestic rivers |
join hand in hand and flow SO peacefully on |
towards the mighty main. Hardly had the |
train come to a standstill before a lady with |
several children came out upon the platform
OF the car and asked your writer if she took |
the train here for Hancock. | kindly inform |
ed the lady, as [ carefully handed two children |
down and took the third, sweet infant, innly /
arms, that at present knew nothing of Han
cocks movements, but before his defeat his |
headquarters were somewhere in Pennsylva-
MA. With a halfsob she said Hancock station |
Being an inexperienced lad from the rural dis /
trlcts, placed her under the care of the con-
ductor. Some of our party got off here and |
took dinner, and horn" or two, but the
greater portion ofus having lunch baskets, re-
manned on board the train, and were safely
landed on Island Park" This is indeed a
cool, delightful retreat far removed from the 7
turmoil and confusion of city Henlned il
ON either side by the noble, living Potomac,
with its shady and grassy lawns, it's handsome.
~ constructed pavilions, elegant swings, and
the numerous pleasure boats that line its
shore, make it one of the tavorite resorts lot
the season. Here on every blessed summer
evening, when the stupendous heights around
are bathed in the golden glow OF the declining
sun, can be seen the elite Of this little village
tripping so gayly oyer the green No wonder +
the jewellers by this enchanting island despair
in their hearts at the return OF russell fall and
the bleak winds Of silvery winter No won
der they SO heartily welcome 'spring- time on
earth and the merry summer. Truly at this
season OF the year when the earth is adorned
IN her brightest jewels, this spot can be appro-
prlately designated a plug from Paradise"
That soft hour of evening began to dawn ON
creations brow, and we must part from gaye-f
tvs scene, and, more than ALL from those
eyes" fair enchantress of Harper's Ferry how
full OF heaven they were, and with the same
W1tchery as those OF Psyche. These were, I'M
questionably, the Elysian fields of our imagi-
nation. Soon, ah, too soon, our train was
homeward bound At Harper's Ferry depot
we stopped nearly half an hour Tie band
again discoursed some Gifts choicest music that
echoed down the mellifluous streams grand
and pathetic. As we stood on the bridge in
rugged brow half curtaned in the
sunsets purple glow, and half reposing in the
sable mantle OF gloom and darkness, we were
more and more impressed with the mighty
and majestic works of Nature Far away on
Marylands towering heights, the eye was
Just able to discern a flock of wild goats, bound
ing from rock to rock, with an air of pride
and independence, and cropping the sweet
heritage that grows on its awful sides. This
celebrated water gap of the world is doubly
noted to our using generation first, as ar
resting the attention of the physical geogra-
pher; second, as historical old place. The
scenery is ever varied, weird and sublime, and
such as never becomes monotonous. If you
wish to spend a reflective hour in gazing upon
those SUBMITS that rear their threatening | I
heads into the deep and tranquil armament,
visit this spot as the last rays of the glorious
sun are sinking to rest. As twilight deepened
round US, the bell-rope was pulled, and we
eave Harper's Ferry in the quiet possession
Of one OF the "fairest among ten thousand,''
snd whose scenery is surpassed by no Persian
valley. One day more on earth spent in unal- |
eyed pleasure, to be recorded with the memo
ries of the past. lissa aaT8s flt 3V noii
.sHail, memory, hail! in thy exhaustless mine s
FROM age to age unnumbered treasures shinel' |
mo curse or lgnoble strfes of Infatuated /
crowds disturbed the peaceful hours of the /,
lay, except dog-hght. Some old gentleman !
opened ire on the large dogs left flank with
| stick, and gallant young gentleman of your
;lty asked his fair lady to excuse him while
ne twisted the tail; he proved successful in i
his, while in case of mule such an attempt
night have been fatal to the twister
AT half past 10 o'clock we arrived in staun5t
on in perfect state of dreamy Bliss Every
person who participated in this excursion
peaks OF 1t as being delightful one 1
A COUNTRY Boy
1t is an issue between principle and expedi-
ncy that the Republicans have to determine
It Lynchburg. Every true Republican in
Virginia should see that his real sentiments j
re expressed at the meetings to appoint dele !
rates on the 3rd, and that they are represented
It the convention on the 10th. The principles,
he organization, the integrity, the very life
II the party are at stake. We are confident !
he great mass of the party are right on this
question, and that they are utterly at war
With the hucksterinp tradinV noliov vzbioI,4 ;s