The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1889-05-30

Weyer,l Cave and She gave ur ts,n E-0uas-
tains-ssid aa,r .cti0,,s Ke.n wee.


wcyersl Cave and the gave nr ta,o z-ou,s-
tataS-Gid attractions s...s yyr,s.
= -eTliasersto 1ns Mail
Jefferson, in his "Notes on virqinta" - 1882.
speaks OF many cave,ns Of considerable, ex-
tent. The most loted is callc,i Madnttn S
Cave. and Is on she north side of the~Islue
Ridge. near.'he Intersection of The Rocking
ham flne vito The south fork OF THE southern
river of Shenandoah. 1t is in a hill ahaut 200
feet perpendicular height, the ascent OF which,
on ole side, is so steep that you nay pitch a
biscuit from its summit into he liver Which
washes Its base" Near by. and on the bar.ks
OF the same stream. In 1891. ieinar6 Weyer. a
hunts r. wilhelm scare II 1T his lost trnps dis.
covered TIE ca -Whici. heats HIS nane-and
until Luray b. came famous was TIE favorjte
resort of excprsionists from all parts OF the
country.
IT. was the construction of the Shenandoah
Valley Railroad that gave Lie +" HE Ialrsy
Cayerns, and it is TO the succe ssiul operation
of the same road. that liva! or rather atwin
cave has been retuveipled ana a new and
heautifn resortfot excurstoufsfs or. 1ted along
with the asthetic attractions and material
comforts % the advance. d age in which we live
Last gear a company formed and incor-
pora.ed under the laws OF Virginia which pur-
chased the hereditary estate OF The Mothers
who Were The original propristoTs upon h,ch
is located Weyel's t'ave a Il another ana dis
tinct cavern wh,ell-rt Tsrs from, il nIatr1raity
in its cha'actersiics. and is known as the
"Cave of FountainspF IL is in lhc same hill,
and with lis entrance, blffa fsw hundred yards
from the mouth of Weyer's Crve. This prop
erty is now know as ''rhe G1ottoes." Since
January OF this year the G,oitnes Company
have added to The Mahler purchase about thr-
ty-three Thousand acres OF mineral land adj
Joining and extending ahnnt-.Lwel.ts- 4l.i4es. OF
more on the western side of The Zine Ridge
besides valuable tstrultng lands on HE South
River con aiming some of the finest water
powers in the State. which. in the near future
1t IL proposed to have developed by the cree
ZION OF factories. machine shops and other in
dustries. The President of the Grottots Com
pany is Maj Jed. Ho chkiss, of stanton a
Typographical engineer of great industry and
greater practical knowledge of the resources
of Virginia than pfobablS any other Of her
citizens OF the Present day. Anatner mem
Der of the Company Is Mr.. j. l.. Muhler.
who is superintendent of the property
whose father is still living, and who literally
grew up in and about the caverps, and Vas n
young man when Port Crayon,'' with his
Cousins, visited this notable spot and published
zine for 1851. which is now the best descriptive
sketch-and. ascwe know. not an 4 exaggerated
one-o that>wonde*fal caHtural erea :ion which
rs 70 be had. The other members of the Grot-
Ices Company are Messrs. II. NJ . Bell r. H.
Catlett, and a. M. Iiowison, of staunton and
F. j. Harrison, of baltimore
On Sunday morning last the writer, accom-.
panied by a couple of friends took the r. %
train OF the Shenandoah Valley Railroad, and
reached 1.-The Grottos S on time 23I where
we remained uptil6 lip. m, and returned to
llagerstown on time, at 12 10 p. m. the dis
lance fs l29 miles from Hae erstown: AS we
approached the old railrsad station of Weyers
Cave, we noticed rod two beyond new
frame building. freshly painted, with the
grounds around 1t in a state OF formation,
which will hereafter take the place of Weyer
station aud be known asa-"fhe Grottnes.
without any attempt at architectural orna-
the hotel building has an air of
comfort which produces pleasant impre ssjon
that is increased after stepping upon the
broad piazas accomplishing the house on three
sides, and ON entering the fresh, airy and
appointed office s and o0ms which
occupy three stories of the building, lighted |
with the Westinghouse incai descent electric |
lights and equipped with cleo .ric bells and |
other mndern Aecompanimeuts.S uperadded-
to these, was tire cordial 81 eeting tended ty
Mr.. A. ID. Wright. The proprietor of.lhe hntel |
at that place aa we'll IN of WriIht's hotel at
Charlottesville and WrighLs hotel at Danvilie
-pne ni the most popular ad coli, feons land.
lords IN ViIginia-and his assistants, chief
among whom Is Dr. Motler. The brother OF the
Snperintend ant of the caves. Tie Refinement if1
the SURROUNDINGS aantahe gentiema,,ly hearing
OF all whom we met. in;.'ie a NEST favorable
'mpi eas,on. Dinner att ,o'elnck with all the
iellcacies OF a city table bountifuily pervet and
supper al o'clock-Ihe first meal ,as en- In The I
sehy passe ngers=-Were-a all That -,ReIe- ne4a-
ed before and after our Visit to the caves and
hills above, 10 make lheday an extremely eh-
Oyab'e one. as
The eastern front gs thehotei faces the rail
road and from thednnrihern piaAt view Of
Lhe hr' ad, level valley of Port Republic In
sluding the battle-heIds of Cross KEYS and
Lewis Earln. with the lofty ter4n+nal peake-or +
Massanutton mountain for a back gr,und. and
ne blueNisfage, With it's graceful and irregular
peaks. and the North mountain, nsnkjns tbe
Valley, On either side. The west front of tho
iotel faces the densely wooded hill al 81 dis
Gnce OF three fOurths of miie in which lie
iisilhctly IN view between them ard the no
e} runs 1he South RIVER in y Northern course
o lts Junction with the Shenandoah q heauti-
III stream SPAWNED by wire suSpeueioa
ridge ,leadtn, from HE avenue To 4h. 'tH yeYg.
rg Maths on the ria ut and lett Ly which the
60, Wtyer Il Gave and the Cave Of The
count aims are reached, ut the distances. of tuoj
II three minutes walk. The avenue from tha |
Nrch of the hotel To tire bank of the liver ia 4
so feet wide. perfectly straight, with q suooth
urface and very gentle descent. 1t il bejn., /
enced on either side, and already rows Of |
Dung willows are he,ng planted. which In /
line Will furnish deijshlinf shade TO the drive
nd The Walks on either side of il.
~ attempt any descnipilo., of the .curions |
within the averna moi our de- | :
IGN even u Within our capacity; they are things
which the fancy OF the dreamer. the imarina-
ION OF the poet or the pencil of the. artist |
nay lmPerfectiy eltneaIe or eilveIoprn fantss' !
lc or realistic forms, and must he left 10 such ,
u Whnni Fort Cfayon ID hpt-i nut as a Journal
81. taxing eimply q practical view, We we're G
tn9l a.reeably Impressed with two THINGS .he q
unlrabie dfy and snbhlai till character of the | q
9aiks, whether ascending nr descending or on r
he leVei, entirely free rom mud or other dis
Greeaiiie cnhcou ltanis: and the perfect sxs- &
EN- OF I1gh1)ng, ny means OF the Westinghouse 2
nrandescfnt Hight. Some ,f these hur,.. ~ are
o candle power, others OF 80. and mos ~ .J i'd
ne hynamns are driven by water newer an b
10 NIL atlhe i"nt Q the hilt surplN:ng lights 4
o pom the caves aid the hotel this Is The | =
MY cave. we ht iiese, That is lighted by the IN
itn"esceht sSstFm, s. stt,aiy hight witant
lckeflng or min ~ the eye. The t. m et rature s
! the cave is SIX dtgrt es winter and sum mer a.
nj never VARIES Inc walks with Ii the cave, .
re ga dry thnt-D0 boards are needed ami mol
yooden steps are usel, aid ladits can 90 6
trough dry sfod and Without suI.!ap ineirl :.
resseS. '17 b
f-s--5 -