The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1889-11-07

peaks jut out overhead, SCARED and
scanned by wind and wave, while huge
boulders cleft as by one stroke of Father
Times great scythe, bold and stern,
seeming with eagle-like ferceness to
guard the slippery, shining waters below;
waters that once, ages ago, had their bed
on the very brow of this gaunt, dizzy pre-
cipice, and inch by inch, year by year, have
been slowly and slyly escaping from the
giants embrace until they have at last
found resting place in the green val
ley below. Years ago stage-road scaled
the very brow of this mountain, and the
stage drivers made it a custom to stop a
few minutes on each trip, in order that
the passengers might measure with the
eye the giddy depth and view the shin
| ing waters tapping the ragged crags and
leaping around the hoary old mountain
Seven miles west of Hawks Nest, the
Gauley and New rivers form the Kama
| wha. Here is, indeed a scene for the
painters brush and poets pen. Words
fail me and fain would | in one glowing,
| breathiess moment OF ecstacy, open to
your vision this superb bit of Monument
tai Eternity. lis the sculpture of
Omnipotence the rugged twin of Time
The rapid. rushing waters of the Kama
wha, the noble. awsome Alleghanies,
the low hanging clouds and awful face
of the shining heavens, ali meet and min
gle and grow and glow till heaven, earth,
sea and air form one grand harmonious
whole, and there echoes from peak to
peak from billow to billow, from cloud to
cloud land God said let there be light,
and there was light" Akin to nothing
short of Yellowstone Park is this bold,
rugged, fearless grandeur, this wondrous
piece of natures handiwork Here as if in
wanton prodigality, she heaps treasure
upon treasure, and cast from her heav-
ing heart the seething, boiling, sputter-
ing rapids known as the Kanawha
Falls. Spurning their rocky bed. they
leap downward distance of twelve feet
and slip and slide and glide and whirl
onward in an ever eddying flow. To
this fountain of youth and beauty, sum
Z
the numerous hotels to overlooking. A
short distance from the railroad, little
old log cabin hides itself among the
trees, and twas there the illustrious
President Hayes had his headquarters
during the late war
Canneiton is the next station of note,
and in it's railroad centrality rivals Hin
ton. Moreover it is a far-famed coal
/ region. Mine upon mine yawns upon
the mountain side, and hundreds of
workmen are always kept busy there.
On the other side of the mountain, the
best vein of camel coal ever discovered
is mined, and brought down off the
mountain in a gangway six miles long,
The other side of the river produces gas
and splint coal Indeed, for a stretch of
thirty miles there is an endless succession
of mines, where every variety of coal
coke, gas, splint, camel, etc.-=is found.
Below Cannelton, six large dams have
been constructed by the government p-
parently to render the river navigable,
but they are practically of very little
litical measure than any real intended
benefit to the community, as most of
the coal transportation is done by rail,
though the coal barges are often tugged
up the river by steamboat.
At Brownstown are extensive salt
mines. very little used now, but formerly
of great value.
Charleston next claims the attention
the Capital of the State, and well de-
serving of the name, for a more beauti-
full and fiourishing city is rare indeed.
AT Huntington we reluctantly left the
luxurious s'F. F. W and changed cars
for Louisville and ere long were spin
ming over the level bluegrass low-lands
of LA Belle Kentucky" In striking
contrast to the rough and rugged gran
deur of the Alleghanies comes this
broad, fertile, lovely valley. Here Peace
showers her roses and Plenty her smiling
luxuriance, until the whole country bios
SONS and blooms in emerald fertility.
/ Deep-kneed i'll the waving bluegrass
stood the lowing kline, fair and fat,
faithful and gentle, while with high
arched necks and shining coats Ken
lucky thoroughbreds paw the earth
with their dainty hoofs and sniff the air.
| with their intelligent eyes alight and
Mt. Sterling, and Winchester we ply
Mt. Sterling is a beautiful little place,
and Winchester, too, is worthy of no.
tice as an important railroad centre and
charming town besides.
At Lexington, Ky, we only caught a
glimpse of lovely broad streets and
handsome business houses, and could
1 form but small idea of its far-famed
/ beauty and wealth
4 Louisville was reached at 1925 p. M,
/ Thursday There we changed cars for
Memphis, reaching Memphis at $3.50 Fri
day morning. Learning that we could
not leave Memphis until 1886 p. m, we
put up at the Peabody Hotel, d commo-
dious and elegant building, conducted
in the most modern fashion. The after
noon YVES spent very delightfully."- in
sightseeing, but as the beauty and fame
of Memphis have spread abroad to such
an extraordinary extent, further COM
ment upon such world wide topic
seems unnecessary. At 1890 a. M, we
boarded the train for Searcy, Ark, WHICH
we reached early the next morning, Il.
e., Saturday, OF our cordial reception
at the Galloway College, and its beauty
and distinction, we will speak later; also
give description of the fine scenery and
charming people we have had the good
fortune to meet in Arkansas
It would be ungrateful to close these
hastily penned notes without returning
thanks to the officers of the IF F. ".
for the courtesy and kindness mani
tested all along their route. 1t is q real
pleasure in the hurry burly of travel and
motion and commotion, to realize that a
kin lily eye is ever watching you and q
kindly hand ever ready to assist the
novitiate traveller. Every want seemed
to be anticipated and every attention
that manly courtesy suggest, at COM
mand.
Nor would the debt OF gratitude be