Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-08-14
TEE VALLEY OF VIRGISTA.
Good Times and Better Accounting
hIshts and Slght-seeTS.

hIshts and Slght-seerS.
rCorrespondcnco Of the Richmond Dispatchl
On THE WIG, August j., lSes.
Tho Shenandoah alley railroad, in
passing through the greet valley from
which il gels it name, takes you through
some OF the prettiest country IN the
world was going to say GIN Virginia.
But let Il stand TINS Way. Our own VAL
lev Of Virginia, known from the Lakes 10
the rGlf. from the Rockies TO tue Allan
tie. challenges the world for scenery md
for fertility, 0nd sightscers nowhere else
can run on "A straight. single road
and see in one hundred miles three such
famous natural curlosities as the Natural
Bride. the Lurav taverns, ana the CirOt-
los OF the Shenandoah. As 10 the last,
have inst been there. OLD travellers
and sieht-seers would know tins place
be{ters as Weyer's Cave, wonderful
hole in the ground but heretofore known
to orhy small proportion OF the sight
seeing public. 1t has changed hands
lately, and another marvellous OPEN
ing near it, the Cave Of EOun-
tains. has been included in the
property, and the two are now known as
the Grottos of the Shenandoah. The
facilities for seeing these wonderful and
beautiful places are much greater now
since the new company has taken charge,
the openings TO the caves having been
enlarged and improved and the walks all
through made dry and easy, while new
views of dazzling formations, hanging
wonders, sparkling fountains, and silvery
pools have been opened. a large and
roomy reccption-house, comfortably fur
nished. has Just been finished, located
Immediately at the entrance, and an ave
nue. is laid off leading from tie depot all
the way across the level bottom-lsnI 10
the grottos and crossing the river by a
pon,0on-bridge.
The company is also erecting fine
hotel at the station, where travellers can
stop and stay as long as they please,
sight seeing and fishing, or visit the
gTottos and go on 10y next train. This
improvement will add greatly to the at
fractions of trip through the Valley,
whether by summer or by winter.
Speakingof fountains, there is another
fountain. though Of an entirely different
sort, in the same county Of Augusta,
which [ visited also. This is called the
"Lone Fountain" and is mineral
spring of ice cold water, situated IN a
mountain gorge away off from anywhere,
twelve miles from Stanton. There are
a number of cottages here ranged around
the fountain Oh the mountain sides,
and families move Ia, with their
wives and children and household
gods and goods, and keep house,
while less independent visitors put
up at the boarding house aud are well
cared for. Such free-and-easy go-as-
you-please, do-as-y ou-choOse place l
never saw, and the sociability is just
charming. The acoustics OF the place
are wonderful, the sounds being STINT In
by. the high mountains. so that fellow
can sit in his armchair on his own
portico and whisper love to his sweet
heart as she Tolls in her hammock on the
hill above. A Richmond lady told me
that when she wanted to give her hus-
band curtain lecture she had to take
him out in the grove behind tue
house and put her mouth to his ear
Just to save his feelings. This is incon-
yenient, but one OF these warm, lazy
summer afternoons, when Mrs. Jones
wants to return call and just pulls her
rocking-chair out on her front piazza
and calls across the grove to Mrs. Brown
in the cottage opposite to come out on
her portico and let's have talk, | call
that the very luxury of convenience.
Then there is no dressing for the ball and
no dressing for dinner, no fuss and fash
ion, just resting and resting, except
a climb to the top OF one of the noun
tains in the morning and n climb to the
top OF the other mountain in the evening
and at night such sleeping under three
blankets. An easy conscience or we'll
fed baby can't touch it.
To change the subject, there is another
thing that has attracted my attention in
this Valley, and that is the quiet satisfac-
ton OF the farmers. You know our
farmers are notorious grumblers. Nothing
hardly ever comes right for them, but
this year they can't find anything to
grumble at in these parts There was q
big crop Of hay made, a fine crop of
vhest . good crop Of oats, and now the