The Press., 1884-06-19
Issued Every Thursday Evening.
JOURNEYINGS IN THE VIRGINIAS AND ttssliN KENTUCKY. @hfS'ia
SECOND PAPER.

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 SECOND PAPER.
 We left our party at Richmond en route for the depot. While awaiting the make up of the train we will catch up few dropped stitches of our narrative.
 The coast line of Virginia extending as far west as Richmond, is known as the ''tide water" country, being land more lately arisen from beueath the ocean level. Richmond stands on the brow of plateau, extending north and south parallel with the coast line. East of this plateau, as soldiers will remember, the streams though comparatively narrow are sluggish and deep, tide water flowing back to the foot of the plateau.
 That this tide water or low region was not long since an ocean bed is shown by the cuts along the recently constructed road, between Richmond and the sea, where well preserved shells are seen freely mixed with the lately disturbed earth. | Tide water extends up the James River to the eastern border of Richmond, but the main city front is upon a series of cas- cades, where the water runs to waste in a rolicking fashion that delights the eye of the lover of nature, but wrenches the heart of the utilitarian. A small portion .of the stream is, however, turned into ca nals, which are utilized by few fouring mills and tobacco factories, also feeding a system of locks by which large vessels come up into the city. -. But the conductor cries 'all aboard, and our little party gathers into the special cal reserved for them at the rear of the train. As we glide into the country we note ali improvement ill its aspect, agriculturally viewed, over the region east of the city. The soil is better, but the land has an overworked, worn out appearance. We I see fields from which crops are taken, and tice to cultivate fields ill rotation, leaving each in its turn to grow, to weeds, until its turn comes again for planting. ~ ai | There are few cattle, and apparently nc effort to grow grass. The stock in sight is mostly mules, of such forlorn aspect that the chairman in brown study is heard to soliloquize, "A mule is the most friend1ess animal on earth," and from { naturalist in the rear seat comes the con tinuing clause, ''with no pride of ancestry and no hope of posterity." The force oi which remark so startled the chairman that he completely lost his reflective mood and aroused to see that the man to whom he had given the custody of his sample box of cigarettes (each member of the par ty had one given him at the factory, bu the chairman being no smoker had giver his up to other keeping) was passing then around, calling himself the chairman { agent, s-.. ,.
 The chairman looked up te see his chuln who newer smoked, nor drank, and was al ways as tI-uthful as 8 newspaper man vel could be, Ncoolly smoking, and was tolt | that he was then upon his third cigarette and that if he became confirmed smoker .fthe owner of the cigarettes would be re sponsible. Horror- r-sticken as he was, h. could but accept the responsibility, ant the next rumination heard from him was ssI suppose that as Bacon ascends the gal lows his last speech will begin, My frs step in crime was taken when smoked o | Chase's cigarettes r"
 Two officers of the road accompanle the party-Col. Gordon, who was the CIV engineer and had been in charge of 1t construction, and by MT. Ryan, from tn Richmond office. We procee,11 westward rising in altitude as we approach the Blu Ridge. The land seems to inn 'rove ] quality, and occasionally farm a, opeal that is improved. Many old planta, ,scn remain, with negro huts falling from ais use. We are told that few of these are fol sale. The country will look better wher these great estates are broken up into manageable farms.
 Gordonsville is 8 thriving village, Y miles west of Richmond. Here many northern people have settled. Farms be gin to look better, and good stock is il view from the car windows. Montpelier President Madison's home, is near here Further on at Shadwell we pass the ruins >f 1 r4) r4 ident Jefferson. Further on at Charlottes vile is Jefferson's old home, ssMonticello, 2 also his tomb, and in passing we have 8 view of the buildings of the university ol Virginia.
 We now pass from the Midland" into the Piedmont region of the state, and as we climb the eastern slope of the Blue Ridge we look to the eastward and get one of the loveliest of views. We are 1,5OO feet above tide water, and the eye sweeps over the valleys till distance aims the view. Some such an outlook, though inferior to this, is that upon the Connecticut Western road west of Norfolk.
 Then comes seven-eighths of mile of tunnel, and we are in the broad limestone valley of the Shenandoah. We see little but mountains and ravines as we pass this country, but are told that thic valley con- tains grazing country second only to that of the blue grass region of Kentucky, a. in extent about equal to that of the state of Massachusetts. The old city of Staun- ton, incorporated in 1735, stands in this valley, and here we are joined again by Capt. J. 0. Dame, general agent of the road, and by Prof. Jed. Hotchkiss, pub fisher of ''The Virginias," on. illustrated mining and scientific monthly. ,.
 Prof. Hotchkiss is eminently known in the state as geologist. He is an enthu- siast concerning his state and its resources and future, and imparts his enthusiasm to those whom he meets. He is thorough scholar. During the war he was civil engineer on the staff of Stonewall Jackson. | At North Mountain, PA miles from Richmond, an altitude of 2,O6O feet above tide water is reached Some forty miles further on at Clifton Forge the road again meets the James River-from which it parted at Richmond a small but rapid creek,
 Clifton Forge is the end of the eastern division of the road. Here our car is switched upon side track, and we stop Cor the night. The place takes its name from iron works established before the war, and fallen into ruins while work was in- terrupted by the war. There is not much business here, except such as the railroad brings. A fair hotel furnishes meals to passing trains at a very reasonable price.