The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1885-07-02
Letter from Rockingham.

Il .f-
DALE ENTERPRISE, June 20, 90.
Messrs Edstofs :-5elng NATURALLY u
restless and rowing dlspositlon, your CORE
sp0ndent few days ago broke away IIoal
+, the never varying monotOny OF nome lie
| by accepting an invitation to join a party
| OF eXcursl0nlsts that were on the eve OF
starting on visit to the mountains that
extend along the western border OF our
State
At O'Clock, in the morning. we started
off on horseback, and by following the
windings of Patterson's creek, the base OF
NarroWback mountain was at length
reached, and the ascent up its Eastern side
began, by following the very crooked and
| Zizzag course of the Liberty Springs road.
| Reaching this popular summer resort,
our party halted long enough to drink of
| the reiuyenating water that here gusheS
out from beneath a ledge of high precipi-
| tous rocks that fairly overshadow this de-
| lightful spot, that has for so many years
| in the past been the favOrite resting place
for the farmers of the surrounding Sec
ton who come here with their families to
spend an interval of rest and retirement
after the busy care and fatigue of the har-
vest season is over.
After taking view of the grand piano.
rama of country that stretches eastward to
pushed forward again climbing up steep
declivities and passing under the shadow
of lofty crags and frowning cliffs, each
turn of the way presenting it's own .pecul-
lar feature of the widest scenery, our
party in another half hours ride reached
the lofty summit of Bald Knob. Ex-
cepting here and there gnarled and
stunted pine, there is no timber to be seen
on the top of this mountain but the
ground is thickly set with ground oaks that
are about breast high to man. This
by fire during the winter, it was with
much difficulty, owing to the stiffness of
the bushes, that we made our way through
it.
A about this point many large trees
are seen lying OF the ground. PROSTATE
toward the east, while others are so
scathed and shattered by lightning that
one is forcibly reminded of the terrific
grandeur. that reigns here during the pas
sage of storm. Another popularity to
be seen is that all the trees that remain
standing Invariably incline toward the
east, evidently yielding to the force of the
wind that seems almost constant from the
west ald south along this part of the great
divide that separates the Brooks gap sys-
tenn of waters on the northeast, from those
that flow toward the southwest.
At 10 a. m. our party crossed the track
of hail storm that evidently passed over
this point out few days before our ar
rival. For distance of about q quarter of
a mile along our way the foliage of the
trees was SO cut and riddled that the
ground had become literally covered with
leaves and twigs which at the time gave
out a scent similar to that experienced
when crossing hav field.
=
of about 4, 600 feet above seattle highest
point. Freestone mountain. Here we fell
in company with Harvey and Robert
Liskey. of Harrisonburg, who. with
others. were looking after their cattle. of
which they have about 100 head. on 600
acre tract of splendid grazing land at this
point. These gentlemen gave ms a hearty
welcome and invited ms to dine aft their
camn which is situated near the fonntain
head of Dry River.
After dinner vour corresnondont stroIlad I
GRAND and verv necnI;ar river f;nSs itS |
Source Maxine NV wav throngb an on
tanglement Of weeds ferns and nnder-
orowth + discovered issnino from, beneatb
o clnstar of manlos . snail strosn, of na.,,
cold water as clear nc crvstal Some tnmr.
ISL who like mvseIf held the nlace in
ornat vnnara.ion had cot nm in rp1,.anoid
fashion tba fiat stomos ovo, Tho 80 sn =; nv
uav If nrntact ti oo' ~ VIZ 'pAi's ~
on M we Reluctantly nartod com.
many from our bosnitahIs ffr;endS tho
isIovS and oftor asnans1;no anothes loftu
snnr We reached the ertsnsive 'o rra ,Jh,g
lands Of Cant Warren T'nrtu Of H fIas
sonhnro Here wa found "a 5nrd Of fino
1ooking cattIe hrowsin@ n tho sbado Of
chestnut grova Tba;r b h, Wv. Voc Sn sIaolx and
olossv and oil sro,a ..fat snd aonr 9Sn
On t5a rich nraoo horo fo,nd ~ 1r,oa+
abundance This fina rance once he.
ionnod to tho Wonl Inns t fans;Iv on Of the
COUNTY AZ and y has ionp been nav known az the
finest grazing ctr tract On This side Of the Al.
jeohanies $500 - 'ii'' s-N'e 80
f,oo1ino 70 the north and west from this
point one seems TO stand on the threshold
Of a honndless wilderness Of mountains
that form prospect as beautiful and fan
tastic as anv seen along the entire Anna
lachian chain, ~
From here we make the descent of at
least 3 600 feet into the lannon's DRY River
valley by way Of the Chestnut RIDGE ronte
which in places Is 81 steen and rugged
that the tourist is Obliged 10 alight and
lead his horse or run the risk of breaking
his neck. Passing the nicturesnne noun,
tain farms heIonging to SamneI Frank, of
Augusta. and those of Jacob Sanger and