The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1886-08-07
Correspondence Baltimore County Union.
LETTER FROM LONDON BRIDGE, VA.
A Trip to Virginia Beach-Some Railroad
Experiehee-Ap Unpleasant Adven-
ture-A Glance at Old OCEAN, sc.

LONDON Bril- GE, PRINCESS ANNE COUNTY, VA,
August I'd, 1856.
Mdssrs. Editors The steamer Virginia, of the
Bay Line, landed US at Norfolk on tie morning of
the 9th ult. The day was oppressively warm and
four hours wait in hot travelling suit at the
depot of the Virginia Beach railroad did not ALE
viate the general discomfort of your correspon-
dent. The Virginia Beach railway is narrow
gauge road running to the summer resort from
which it takes its name and which is very popu-
lar, although as yet comparatively unknown to
any others than the residents of Southeastern Vir
dT,As dapqt In SJqfak j. rpsat S9@paai
ing to Broad creek. The handsome Norfolk and
Western railroad depot is across the street. This
railroad carries on an extensive business, and as
the track extends to the waters edge its facilities
are remarkably fine. feature of the railways
down here strange to Marylander is that for
long distances they are perfectly straight. 1t is
q new sensation to rush along in one direction
over track as level as a floor.
On our way out we passed through Brambleton,
beautiful and fourishing suburb of Norfolk
The country Immediately adjacent is mainly used
for trucking, and iuEuriant crops of clover, mlle
sweet potatoes, peanuts and tobacco grow on both
sides of the road. Farther out into the country
immense fields of corn, alternating with thick
heavy timber, greeted our sight. We could not
help wishing that the many poor of our own local
ity had some way to get the wood which is used
here yearly as material for bon-f.es in order to
clear the land. After leaving the cars the drive
to oar destination through the fragrant pine woods
was quite refreshing. The odor of pine wood in
its own true home is entirely different from that
which it emits in northern climes and is both
agreeable and strengthening
On the evening of the 2Sth ult., a party, of
which were members, started for the ocean,
distant three miles, We were on frolic and
mounted in cart, supplied with bathing dresses
md hiak for aft1rp off ohnnf &
p. M, trundling over hard, level road, with no
thought of any possible mischance. Soon, how
ever, our horse gave upmistakable symptoms of
illness, and after going two and quarter miles
could not proceed farther lie was quickly led
into the depth of the wood, tied, and we decided
to walk the remainder of the distance. After
crossing long causeway, said to have been built
On dam erected by the beavers, we saw dimly
through the gathering gloom two strange and
gigantic figures With four oatstretched arms
apiece, which upon nearer approach proved to
be wind-mis as "big as life and twice natural"
quoting one of our companions. These mills are
bull on a central pillow and arranged in such
manner that the whole mill can be turned around.
They are still used, and next time we will ven
ture to peep inside.
We were now on the sands and found walking
difficult, especially as not anticipating any neces
sity for it, the party were nearly all shod with
French slippers and Newports. The beach at
tanned at length and all of US perspiring freely,
we concluded bathing would be injudicous, and
as there was stiff breeze were soon glad to wrap
up in our coats and shawls. Then we sat on the
sand, huge piece of wreckage before US, and
listening to their restless roar watched the pillows
breaking through the bank of fog and chasing
each other to the shore. 1t was resful, romantic,
pleasant, but we were three miles from home, with
good chance of finding our horse dead and the
whole distance to be walked, and it late, so
we decided to divest ourselves of French heels,
etc., go barefooted, and started on our return.
We found the lack of the aforementioned heels
gave us decided advantage while on sand and
made our way to the causeway in short time
Here We prepared our feet for the frmer ground
and quickly found equipage, but alas, it
seemed very doubtful whether not we could get
our steed home By dint of resting, coaxing,
after several barely escaped tqmbles in the bitches.
We succeeded in getting him inside the gate at
two o'clock Thursday morning. Then we had
lunch and retired, weary, but full of happiness
and sea.ticks! IKE.