Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1885-05-29
EDITORIAL CORRESPONDENCE.

EDITORIAL CORRESPONDENCE
SUGAR LOAF MOUNTAIN AND THE RED, RICH
LANDS OF MEDLEY's.
We have stood on the ragged crests of the
chain of mountains which skirt the legend
airy valleys of Wyoming, Pennsylvania, and
looked out on the breathing panorama of
beauty before us until our eyes appeared to
grow motionless and dim beneath the un.
dulating grandeur of the scene. We have
gone further, and from the grey and beet
ling submits of the Alleghanies witnessed
the iron horse climb the famous "Horse
Shoe Bend" with his palaces freighted with
humanity, until in seeming triumph he
hung his wreaths of burning breath higher
than where the eagle builds her nest. thence
laundering down Its sunset sides, screaming
with demoniac yell as he swept outward
on the broad current of progressive civiliza-
ton, lifting the curtain of new act in a
still more glorious West. Midst the enthu-
siasm of this rushing sweep of progress we
have exclaimed In the fullnes of our heart
westward, the Star of Empire makes its
way"
We have rambled along the ridges of the
historic blue hills Of Virginia in the rosy
morning when the dew drops, like diamonds,
hung pendent from every trem bling leaf of
forest and when every running stream sent
waveets of silver onward and onward to the
sea. From where the Shenandoah and the
the Potomac mingle their waters, we have
watched the splintered bars Of light fresh
from the newborn morning grow in mag.
netic splendor until every crevlce seemed
burning volcano. We have gone down to
theseashore whero the white caps throw their
sprey under the lances Of every mornings
sun, and whilst listening to the emusic of
the wild waves have been lost in wonder
at the sublimity of the unbroken and bound
less view
No where in Nature have we ever looked
upon picture of such marvellous beauty or
on one in which Nature and art have so
superbly and harmoniously blended as the
one which fell on our vision whilst on the
summit Of the Sugar Loaf Mountain. As a
child that Is lost in joy with its toys, we
wandered from point to point to catch, if
possible, moro extended range of the ami
mated landscape stretching far and wide.
In the back ground, to the north west, rose
succession Of blue mountains; along their
crests and sides fioated fieecy clouds like the
broken battalions of routed army Be-
tween these mountains and the one upon
which we were seated were succession Of
dimpled valleys; along which creeks go
meandering through NOISY glades and fer
tile meadows, whilst the branches of the
willow, poplar and birch trees battle in their
laughing ripples or from the "eddy's spin
ming coronals of FOAM" Here and there
majestic forests crown the most conspicu-
GUS elevations, whilst in every direction
private residences and rustic villages lend
beauty and enchantment 10 the scene Near
the middle Of this great canvas, and where
two mountainsapparently interlocking their
arms, steals upon our vision the bright waters
vi ttC ptVuiaCt nOW ~ u Wiuuluk Drlltllil
the sombre shades of the densely wooded
hills; again, as though evoked by the wand
Of some magician, IL is sparkling In its glad
freedom as though anxious to compensate
for its absence.
Some two or three miles fsom the base Of
this mountain, ia a enthusiastically direc
ton, the Monocacy empties into the Poto-
mac. AT this point the river stretches out
its arms and as the bright sunbeams dancs
upon its bosom, flashes of light pour ihn,agb
the columns of the archway over the canal
making scene Of exquisite beauty. AsEe
sat entranced upon this picture. "a 400
the bright happy visions Of tAs s=tsa1rl
long-ago came rushing % the tEsies Il s,i--
memory with lis allers zsa as A,-,siG -sF-
checked deitie.s We had T.iases 1hss-.s,u. Esm
why ponder over traEsn ras,s ar ilaasr
around scattered s1sTs wi,.sI We realize
that there arr lrighlsf ,syss '.siar marx Irri-
coming kn3 Erow <ht iI-isin.s - ". fs-lx
near koene"
VIA lhs ranltnsnsxl ~ AR Einis-ss.y ant
P0sornAc. fsgil.x;llEr sn q -r-i.s ~ saF ~
wbe-s Tie harEzsn szr1nszf Al anna i:is sar-.i,
wzs Al xzarzaE.n sWzs@@inn ~ hig.liF eul-
tivxEet E1runs, s'Ieh ~ we hasa mencnned
IN oar rassr sariv-Spansi.sncr, whist a. the
exfrease aor-aeast was The Ear Gsmssi county
x Frederick which opened 40 in attractive
aud charming prup0rions Her. We ARE
reminded thar only 81 much Space has been
allotted rs ant ~ our rafnbes cnvsr large
territory we must hasten On. We cannot
neglect to mentinn, however, that the sum
nit Of the mountain, covering an area OF
som: seventy-hve acres, was a gift b. Mr.
VIM. T. Jones by his venerable uncle, w
w. corcnran. Esq. II was growing late in
the afternoon when we reached Dickerson's
Station This point promises Al an early
day 10 become a prominent place. lts loca-
ton, the fertility of the soil and the fine pas
toral outlook in every direction are such as
TO offer strung Inducements To those in the
pursuit Of healthy and pleasant homes. Mr..
J. W. Collier, the enterprising agent here,
is doing large and remunerative business.
as is also Mr.. r A. Bouic, formerly mer
chant at Rockville. We took occasion whilst
at Dickerson's - pay our respects to the
venerable Nathan Cooke Dickerson, gen.
ileman Of the old school, as well as one of
the few surviving landmarks of the county.
Passing the splendid farms Of Messrs. John
A. Jones, b. +. White. Edward J. Chiswell
and Others, we were strongly reminded of
the farms in Rockingham county, Va, lying
between spur Of the Blue Ridge and the
Shenandoah river. We observed, however, !
that these farms, whilst In equally as high
q state Of cultivation, were much larger than
those we saw in Rockingham. They pos.
sessed another advantage. The lands most.
ly throughout the Shenandoah Valley ara
limestone and even an ordinary drought
seriously affects every growing crop, whilst
in this section even in severe drought vege.
tation nOurishes with rama rka hlo i,,~,,