Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1881-09-17
l Dive Through The Valley 0: Viz.
o.

correspondence q iLe A!cXSluFM th.ci-II |
PARIS, EauQulEI. Co., Va, Sept. - Bid |
ding good bye to ~ mos. to5l liable e4tcSisin
els. Wa-Hunter aud I-crossad the, 1T simes
formidable, ShensIdoah liver, at RivertoD,
near here, its forks forming The north and south
ratches, but now hardly up to my horses knees, |
and one cIu see, By the great ropo stretched
across for the ferry boat, that past experience
has taught the people to prepare for great
rush Of waters-duliog freshet. lIeroi is huge
limo burniog establishment. that furnishes go
immense quantity Of fcrtiizirg material 10 the
| lower county.
Taking the pike, r;ush up hill one, and
down tho other sort Of road, made of tie
lime stone rcck broken in pieces as largo as 8
mans list, we 60 in q northelly direction.
Every Instant would b, Jolt, and tho fierce
rays Of the SUD, ct 100 degrees. gittotiug down,
| 5eemir to the eyes Thito heat, made ono
think OF travellers in the steppes OF Asia. Poor
crops, and tho positive abseDcs of stock OF all
kinds for many n les gave evidence of the poyr
ery OF the soil; the limo stone ctmIng too near
the surface seems to be the cause. There were
no! iat cstt!c eoough 10 BIO seen to iced regiment
of hungry meo. 1t is very doubtful if tho Tres,
pass Of an army could make poverty 50 general
through a country as tho drought We have had
the past soasoD. Not 8 csrlisge t. be met moi
q Wbistrg plowman to DO Rne1-cr fer that
matter, silent ono either. Ga this day tboso
people surely are stsy ct homo got. las lag
through this drcary, sunburnt land, as vSo nosr
Tho White Post the iaco Of the couatry begins
to look botttr.
ped at The White Pest Hotel for dinner-aBd
such dinner May tho Lord deliver us from
such another An agent ct tho depot said -
"rhe past season ho bought up aud shipped
- 900 bushels of corn, but that the mex: 10
would ho obliged to import to supply the &c
mald. 10 the court of the village, tho travel.
CT is sh0wo tho SUCCESSOR ct the old White Post
I-thst, ono hundred and fifty years ago used to
point tho wsy to 'Greenwsy Court, Lord
Fairfax i residence. who was then the greatest
land agcnt IN this etuatty Duiiag the late
VISIT, several times Yankee SELLERS, lurcd by
the tradition that moro than holt century ngo
a bottIo ct whlskey vas buried six feet tclow
The pike, under the post, dug hard for The
'chXir, Luz wero driven Of By their ,issr-
bctotc they could reach The treasure, thus a.
loving this iittlo village TO claim to have 'nc
Oldest ''old rye" in tho Valley CT Virginia
Hero is the Meade Memorial Church, very
nrctty building. The Bishop s!uu bjrs 10 The
Rl1hmond cemetery, and there let him IL. Il,
seems pity when the dead eIe moved. nlGr
many years OF rest. that they cannot rattI3 their
bones in tho very teeth OF tho robbers OF ;hoir
peaceful dreams
Towards the close OF the evening Berypillc,
or batll1t0Wn as It used to bo c,ied, cAIae in
sight; lis old name was gwen i. on account OF
lscVtra noted pu1 lists who lived there. rtcso
men w6u'd banter tho whole village 10 take
4 rough rJlI and tumble fi5ticuif, anti iuga,
ably camo eli v'ctosiouS. always trea,ieG thc
sutdued friend" with tho lockers Gil around.
10 this sleepV httn town evtIy MA sCotoa 10 be
c1ntens With hIA condition, making tu, small
eft +: TO better i.
Strar q 10 say liz n0no OF these phases snea
leaving Front Royal GoGi bulch ct grapes b5
found
Twelve miles to Ghsrl stown. over Il nic,
road and through lUvelv couotry, with Gaging
corn fields, and moro hel bleo. lass and !,u;t
than has g'aldened the eye for many n miir.
Tho beautiful homes. iilo bsrua. herds Of
cattle and horses oil in all iTdicitc ;hn great
historical Valley Of Virginia.
But an hour ago AL engine passed a,oGg. and
there ls pow crowd of people &c altered over
the tis1. fighting fire that is threatening the
sweet tomesteGds in The distance.
ChsrlestoWn. built on ;rAnt of land Iiveu
by Con. Washlngton's brother CharI;s. and
named after him. is qaito thriving place,
aud has improved very much Einco tho Mer
Commanding ss it does rich and prosperous
country. with manufactures it should DO 10 O
few yeprsa great inlRLd city. Conversation and
driving seems TO bo tho only recreation FROM
labor of thtso people So 6erco is tho heat of
the sun durjtg the day, your correspondent do
termined to return by tho softer light OF tho
full moon. After good day 3 rest. nap. aud
a supper; aud nine clock tho black" seemed
to know no had reached tho end Of tho long
lane and ratlles mcrrilg down tho streets Of tho
ohatty little city On for homo.
Those of you who havo travelled through q
sleeping country c.u easily call to lnicd tho GU
rious and weirl tancIcs that rcrpe,ually dance
ard play through tho brush. Thoughts Of
witch aud boRic, the nursery tales OF old
Aunt Wlnty' lash over QUO with tho chang
log so,nts around. My sable old "msnmy"
had often, CO looking at curious mark on my
shou' dar-sha was lrcm A!rica-sai child
keep away from grave yards, at Tho midnight
hour"!
Driving quietly along. tho toll of tho distant
town clock ohImed on. the midnight hour"
| just then tho Old Clarke county church and
cemetery, whsro people prayed and were buried
moro than hundred years ago, csmo in sgntl
AS almost in a dream l slowly cCunted tho
strokes IS tho music Heated down upon tho silent
ar--ten, olevon, twolve. as quick ass flssh
|
} farther sido of tho road. lily hand Wls power
less; inscnsibly my eyes sought tho tombsonce,
each and every one Of which seemed HhirlDg
round and round In mad dance, tu! madden
etill seemed tho spri!es and spirits that danced
upon every grave. The silence ero now go
sweet and calm, WAS broken by shrieks, ycllB,
and wild hs has Throwing the lssh upon nv
| horse, we dashed down the ro.d-snd soon wen!
; under the railroad track little ahead OF the
train ofcars, coming down the long level mes.
dow tha! had created such wild fsncies but a
| moment ago.
| Thoroughly awakened 10 the sights and scenes
Of the night, onward wo 60, breaking the silence
by song or gently whistlinz a tune iha. ro
echoed in every dell ard hill side as wo passed.
along.
Soon coming 10 the banks Of the Shenandoah,
now b1oad and noble rivor. pluneing in ct an
unknown ford, We bid goo bye to the noble, Tho
great grand md glorious Valley OF Virgins.
EFIT.
E0rgarS Arrested