Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1884-05-23
THE PH38Ix ON THE WING.
FROM NORFOLK, VA, TO NASHVILLE AND AT
LANIA-A HINT or THE THINGS SEEN ON THE

May 10, 1884.
A party Of b or 40 New England newspa-
per men, who loft Boston May Z by one of
the steamers Of the Norfolk route, reached
this the southernmost point Of their trip,
on Saturday evening, after ten days Of de-
iightful travel Their route has been by the
way Of Norfolk, Va, across Southern Vir-
ginia to Lynchburg, over the Blue Ridge and
Allegheny mountains to Knoxville, Tenn,
from Knoxville TO Chattanooga from Chat
tanooga to Nashville, the capital Of the state,
and from that place to Atlanta side trip
was taken into the iron mines in the North
Carolina mountains, by way Of narrow
gauge road, which, in distance of 20 miles
climbs up some 1900 feet, but does q success
full and profitable business. An account Of
that days outing will make an interesting
chapter for Windham county readers
Whatever may have been the plans Of any
member of this party of travellers in the way
of letter writing on the way, the people on
the line have had plans Of their own which
have made writing or anything but one con-
tinuous round of sightseeing, cordial vel
coming and gracious attentions an impossi-
bility. The party had not set foot on Viz
giniR soil at Norfolk before they were seiz ed
upon by delegation Of citizens who took
them to the station of nRrrow-gauge rail
road which runs in a line straight as a rifle
shot Is miles away to the Atlantic coast,
where the waves of the broad ocean cease.
lessly roll in, and where, at Virginia Beach,
is to grow up a great summer and winter re-
sort and sanitarium. Already in their minds
eye, the owners of the property see hotels
and cottages there rivaling in patronage and
natural attractions the immense Hotel Hy-
geia at Old Point Comfort where 1900 guests
find Judgment, and where, in the last two
months, 200O people have been turned away
for lack of room.
In the mountainous country in western
Virginia and eastern Tennessee one found it
hard to realize that he was not at home in
New England, save only that the country was
in all the greenness of early summer, with
vegetation in full leaf, roses in bloom, and
the railway lined for miles upon miles with
Towering trees and shrubs.
At Knoxville city Of %, ZOO population,
beautiful for location, and Just Weakening TO
new and vigorous life, the welcome from the
business and professional men was universal
and Enthusiastically sincere. The entire city
was seen, and the party stood on sacred
ground there Oh the earthworks at Fort
Saunders, where Burnside withstood the
charge of Longstreet, and where at the end
OF lO-minute engagement 1900 Confeder
ates lay dead in the trenches, and men walk
For contest Of its length it was the ugliest
and deadliest fight of the war
Chattanooga, the lusty young rival OF
Knoxville, was not to be outdone by that
city, and here we found ex Confederates and
Unionists, men who fought to the end on
both sides, vieing in their kindly attentions.
OF this place and its possibilities we shall
write with a real enthusiasm when an hour s
leisure arrives.
AT Nashville the excursionists were taken
literally by storm, and here they had two
days taste Of the real Southern hospitality
of the olden time The schools and public
institutions of the city we're visited, and both
afternoons we're spent on plantations in the
outskirts where still remain the southern
homes Of story and history, with their de
lightful old rambling houses and boundless
/ hospitality. OF one thing these northern
| guests are sure-our New England public
/ school boards have much to learn of Nash
| vile in the matter Of our public school sys.
| tenn or this, also, a chapter when time
/ permits.
Last Friday was spent on Lookout noun.
tain, where Hooker fought above the clouds.
/ The day was one Of such delights as may
hardly be described In our minds eye We
carry with Us from this time on picture OF
the battle-ground of ChickRmauga, Missions-
| ry Ridge and Chattanooga, where 81, 900 I'm.
ion men laid down their lives. In the beau
| tiful National cemetery at CHATTANOOGA Is,
| 900 Union soldiers sleep in honored and we'll
kept graves Saturday forenoon, thanks &c
freight train accident in our way, we got
our first halliday Of rest since landing OF
Norfolk Our stay at Atlanta was shortened
by this much, but through the hospitality Of
! her citizens we saw much Of this prosperous
| growing city her churches and her beautiful
homes yesterday.
At 2:3j we turn our faces homeward, 60
ing by the way Of the Shenandoah Valley
and its historic and natural attractions
During this hAsty run OF ten days the
freshness and greenness of the country has
been the chief delight and a perpetual feast
TO the eyes. For hour upon hour it has been
delight enough to lie back at ease and watch
the ever changing panorama of fields in full
verdure, forests in midsummer leaf, trees
and shrubs in flower, wheat, rye and barley
making ready for the sickle, corn and pota
toes standing six to ten inches high, and the
early fruits ripening with here and there
armies of strawberry pickers dotting the
hillsides.
At this present hour, in this city Of Allan
ia, which stands 1850 feet above sea level
the highest city of its size in America, ex
cept Denver-R favored quartet of the press
gang have just come in from a private resi-
dence two miles out where they boast, with
excusable exultation, of plucking delicious
mulberries, cherries and strawberries, and
beautiful roses, pond lilies and honeysuckles.
We turn homeward with something of regret
but we remember that New England summer
delights are all before US, and say among
ourselves that for some of us this summer
will be the longest we have known.
When we were hidden to this excursion
we came without the slightest idea of the at
tentions and the boundless inequalities thA
awaited us. We we're told simply to ''comt
and see what you see and then tell you
New England folk about it. We cannot tel
it ALL but of some things-of many things
we hope-we will write from time to time, 81
opportunity permits. For now our time on
ly allows us to say that it is in reality q Neu
South that we have found, "A South tina
puts her best forward and dwells not on tn,
past, but steadtastly and courageously look
only to the great future which she feels and
knows she has before her p.