, 1881-06-12

1AE PROPOSED SkETCH1Nq Toun
10 INC Editor Of The Chicago 1ftb,.uf,
NATURAL. BRIDGE, Va. June 7.-Afent,o
l1as already been made In THE TRIBUNE Of
nloposeal sketctling-tour Of teachers and ST,
ueli1s OF the Chicago Academy Of Fine Arr
~ Lie virginia Mountains. | should 1ike
throush your columns, to commu,ica,
some information acquired during my nroe
eht WISH TO the many persons interested. T'h
-'atofa' Bridge has heretofore been mor
lhah thirty miles by mountain roads m.
passes from the railroad, the nearest min
ne'he 1oslten, OIL the Chesapeake L. Obi,
noau. Inc new Richmond & 1Alleebcn,
lalsfoad, from whose enlightened manage
hent lie invitation to the art school nro
| ceeas. passes within three miles of tn,
nr1age, and is already running trains
Inns vigorous. Company, of which G.
H. Mccormick, of Chicago, M
| tive OF this, Krockbridge County. i.
one OF the Directors, expects to omen the
Whole OF its present line from Richmond te
| Nllliaunson's within sixty days, md has
| effected consolidation with the Ohio Cen.
| tfat with tile Intention OF breaking through
| Tile mountains Of West Virginia and reach
| Ing Chicago by way Ut Columbus.
Inc Natural Bridge and the country about
II, SUI or 200 acres, has come into the hands
! OF company which designs preserving 1t lis
Il park or place Of summer resort, and my
present visit, i'll company with il. ". S.
Cleveland, Of Chicago, Is for tile pluposr Of
directing the improvements connected with
this object. Hneed not bt.s:li.l that the ..im-
provelnents in tile ncigitborl.ood Of the
bridge will consist chiefly in preserving It
from Injurious changes while it is made
accessible to many people
had had tlle impression, as pre- s,,1nc is
the case with many other people, that
the NATURAL Dri.tge, which used to
figure 50, largely in tie geogra-
i'f {'tfx rs oI,lro a1,d ,r.adn$ books, was one
accordingly astonisl,cd, not to say awe
STRICKEN, when un Il moonlight night last NJ
EelhDer found myself for tile first tlne 1il,-
VT the shatlnw Of this sublime work of
N;ttnre. 4 solid stone arch, fifty or sixty feet
ot the Watcr-W0rks lower in Chicago, IS
thrown acruss :: rugged, vertical cllns,u
-eaiion it would be called in tile far West
OF blue and rctt rock. There :.re large trees
growing among the rocks un.lcrit, anil Il cnll-
Top Is clothed with trees, and i road passes
knowing it. Whether seen from above OF BE-
low, it is wonderfully Impressive.
But the bridge itself is far from being the
sole attraction. OF the neighborhood.
Around it lies the most beautiful and noble
mountain region. the main Chain Ut the
Blue Ridge passing four or five miles away,
just beyond The James River. Of course the
1orest in this latitude is If the finest growth,
OF great size and varied species, including
the universal oak, hemIock. beech, pine,
chestnut, cedar, arlor VITAE, hickory, etc,
and tile more dLstinctiyely southern tulip,
pawpaw, and magnolia. | haye never be-
fore seen the box elder and sassafras growing
into large trees three or four teet Iii DIAM
etcr., The most eopious springs and rapid
brooks abound with their attendant pictur-
is full Of caves. As write party is start
lng with lanterns to explore one of these, Il
half Il mile away.
Regarded from MI art Students or sketch
tt, crs standpoint, t,,i it. would be hard t. find
mountain scenery and rocky c|iasins like
that at the bridge, the fine foliage,
rocks, moss, and streams, are as
rare as they are favorable to study.
pesar t to M IN % %Eua not to 6e ot of
Of account. The old mill. with oycrshot
wheels like those it, the English drawing
books; the log cahins, with chinks filled with
rcd clay and furnished outside with rninous
cilmneys half Of stone and half Of brtcIl;
the negroes, often miracles of raggednrss
and good nature; the people, men and
women. riding to the store or to church
horseback, often doublei the tea1nster,
horses and mules; the rustic Virelnnian
himself ali are subjects calculated to in
flame the enthusiasm OF Northern art STU
dent.
The weather is ut present cool, so rs to re-
Quire a fire in the CRATE more than once
within the last week. There are no muSqui-
toes, no tlics-a1ld no English sparrows. The
old hotel has just come Into good hands, and
is well kept.
The best way for our Chicago excursion Of
art students Is, undoubtedly, leaving Cllica-
go about June 80, to come directly here,
stopping over only at Cincinnati {of neees- |
sity) and day or two at kanawila Falls, in
West Virginia. There is plenty of sketcling |
here for. weeks. pictures IN the style of
Calane in every gorge. and excursions: can
be made to North River, Balcony Falls, Lex
ington, etc; and going back the excursion
i1S, individually, eau stop if they choqse at
,r r other interesting placcs Yours very truly,
". ". r. FRENCH,
Secretary Chicago Academy Of Fine Arts.