The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1883-08-02

/. BUILD RAILROADS-NOTES OF A RE
PORTER AND A GEOLOGIST.
Especial correspondence of the News Journal.
LEXINGTON, July Considerable at
i tention having been called to the extension
of the Kentucky Central Railroad south
from Paris, by the completion of that part
Of the line from Paris to Richmond, YOU
correspondent determined, in addition tC
a glance at the finished, to make an exam
nation of the unfinished portion to the
south and of the country through which
it runs. To that end he started for /;
week S travel through the mountains, ac.
companied by friend who desired tC
make a geologizing trip in that portion OF
the state. nH
Meeting Mr.. J. B. Morgan, srperintend-
ent of one Of the convict camps on the
line, and imparting to him our wishes, he
; very kindly volunteered to show us through
to his camp at Boone's Gap, where the
railroad crosses the watershed dividing the
Kentucky River and Cumberland River
valleys. Informed on Wednesday morn
ing that he was ready to start that day,
we met-him by appointment at the Gin
cinnati Southern depot here, this being the
| first intimation that we were going by that
route. However, as it made little differ
ence to journalist OF geologist we boarded
the noon train south, and were off for the
hills prepared to rough it.
The country in it's richest garb of green
| looked lovely, the yellow harvest fields
adding bright color to the landscape. The
grain crops look well, but the growing corn
is decidedly backward, owing to lack of
dry, warm weather. The bluegrass pas
lures show a wealth of verdure, pleasing
to the eye and imagination. Approaching
Kentucky River, the surface becomes more
broken, and at High bridge the vision
takes in q succession of rare natural beau
ties The view up stream, taking in the
mouth of Dix River, portion of both
streams, and the thickly wooded heights
through which they make their way, is
simply magnificent. The numerous trib-
utaries which flow into these rivers in this
neighborhood all pass through deep gorges,
the steep sides of which are thickly clad
with trees, showing ever varying shades Of
green, and a witching succession of light
and shade. How could anartist revel here
i'll fine combinations of rock and woods
and water. But these beauties have been
so often referred to that the temptation to
dwell on them must be resisted.
Returning to our journey, we find the
portion of Madison county soon after leav-
ing the view, a county Of great beauty and
fertility-a typical Bluegrass landscape.
The crops appear to improve as we go
southwark. AT Harodsburg Junction, the
scene OF late tragedy which will color
with crimson stain the pages of the his4
tory of both the state and the republic,
we notice many fine walnut logs lying be-
side the railroad track ready to be shipped
elsewhere for manufacture. At Junction
City again we find walnut and cherry tim
Der being sent away, suggesting afresh the
thought that it might be saWn and other
wise manufactured at OF adjoining the
place Of its growth, with advantage to the
original owners, the manufacturers, the
community, and the State of Kentucky.
junction City, where the Cincinnati South
ern crosses the Louisville & Nashville Rail
way, which road we now take eastward, is
a bustling little place, owing to the rail
road traffic. Beside the freighting of both
roads, four passenger trains cross here
twice each day, shortly after midnight and
noon. Round the depot are the usual com
plement of refreshment rooms, of which
we awaited ourselves satisfactorily.
The Louisville & Nashville road soon
brought us to Stanford, the county seat
of Lincoln. The town consists principally
of one street along fair valley. Though
there are certain signs of energy here,
Stanford evidently missed it in not secur-
ing the junction of the Richmond branch
Of the L. & n road, which is mile east. I
Now that the branch is in the hands of a
different company the advantages Of the
junction will be greater than before. |
The same shortsightedness lost the
Kentucky Central extension to Lexing-
ton, and want OF public spirit and fore
sight may again lose it, the Kentucky
Union Railway. The simple arrangements
of changing to the branch at Richmond
Junction will now have to be changed.
with change Of management and change
of gauge on the branch. The hind car Of
the train on the main line was detached,
ind
the branch, and we were off again, north
ward, toward Richmond. The country
round Stanford is quite pretty, with more
frequentstreams tributaries of Dix River
and generally better crops than in the cen
ter of the Bluegrass country, corn in par
ticular being far superior. This is no
doubt owing to more rapid drainage in the |
wet season, and to u lighter and warmer
soil.
At Paint Lick, q small station about
half way between the Junction and Rich
mond, we left the railroad for our journey
across the country. Securing wagon,
horses, and driver, we rode to the end of
the pike THAT leads up the stream known
as Paint Lick, which is lined with fine
elms and fewer sycamores. The drive was
rather a pretty one, but as we progressed |
up grade the ground became more uneven
and the road rongher, so that before we
reached Fthe end Of the pike" we pre-
feTed walking, dismissed our Jehu and his |
equipage and initiated ourselves as tramps. !
First along the bed of little stream, then
through rough hill roads, washed and
somewhat sodden by the recent rain, we
trudged merrily onward and upward |
through Marrow Gap and Flat Gap, noting
the stones and timber us we passed along |
The rock formation is silurian and Devo- |
MAN, containing few fossils and changing
as the ground rises to beds of shale. Moses
and bits Of coral were frequently picked
up. The timber changes as the ground
rises from elm to oak mixed with maple
and pine on the higher peaks Marrow
Gap is appropriately named, as the road
here consists of q cutting through the
lower approaches of two conical hills. A
somewhat unusual sight was "a short cor
duroy Oh the very height, where the Shady
formation exposed to the air easily disin-
tegr;ttes after every rain. The title Flat
Gap is also aDDrODriatp for here n Jitt1a