Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1892-09-16
A Trip to Virginia.


now an employe of the Gloucester
Democrat. of Woodbury., n. j., paid his
relatives and friends here pleasant visit
last July. Three or four young gentlemen
of Philadelphia accompanied him. That
they enjoyed themselves while in the
Valley is evidenced by the following
from recent issue the Democrat, Of
WoOdbury.
The latter part of last July party from
New Jersey and Philadelphia LEFT that
city on one of the b. & O.'s famous Royal
Blue trains for the Shenandoah Valley.
At Washington, d. c., we changed cars
for the Valley, where the remainder Of
the trip was taken in one Of the luxurious
parlor cars regularly attached to the Val
ley trains. | will not speak of the his
toric points along the route, as a previous
writer in the Democrat some months ago
touched upon that subject rather fully.
Suffice it, we found that attraction suf-
ficiently interesting, and the historic
points in many places literally crowding
upon one another.
The subject matter of this article will
more specially be of our'brief stay in the
pleasant town of Woodstock, located in
the centre of Shenandoah county aud
midway to either extreme Of the Northern,
or Shenandoah Valley-the historic val
ley.
Woodstock is one mile from the Shenan-
dOah River at its nearest pOinf. and
hey ond the river rises the blue wall of
the Massanutten mountain, over which
the sun peeps every morning before break
fast This river flows up TO the foot of
the mountain, ont into the vall-y aud
back again in gigantic horseshoe bends,
of fertile, alluval bottom, each prosper
Gus farm, traversing laterally five miles
to one it covers on its way to the Potomac.
1t was along the wlllowy banks of this
stream and on the densely wooded noun
tain that we spent oUr DAYS, returning,
as the shades of evening fe.l, to tempt the
hospitality of the town.
The trip to the viewing places" in the
Ma sanutten mountain was one we all en-
ioyed greatly. A vel graded road crosses
the river at the base of the mountain and
then winds mp in simmons folds over its
very top into small valley called Powell's
Fort. so named from old man Powell, one
of the first settlers, to whom tradition has
assigned a somewhat shady character,
and who is said to have buried immense
quantities of gold and silver in the
recesses, while it has not been
many years since search parties, gotten
MP among the older people, have given
these profitless journeys.
At several of the big turns high up on
10 al ctda a uran6 and nlQacin ~
panorama opens up before the visitor |
The sarpentne bends of the river look |
like so many different streams From |
one point seven different rivers seem 10 |
he meander;ng from the mountain, while
back beyond The river hills is wood and
dale. hamlet and villIges until some ten
miles off rises the blue wall OF another
mountain to the west. The view north |
and south IS unObstructed, and isl
limited only by the range of vision, or
that of the fell glass. The scene is |
and unlike a1yil ing We
have ever witnessed before.
Another iannt we enjoyed greatly was a
drive from Woodstock some Is miles up
the famous historic Valley turnpike, |
along which Stonewall Jackson's "foof |
cavalry" moved with such celebrity and |
Sheridan's "mounted infantry" galloped. |
We visited famous "Meem's bolt oms," 1
wound mp "Roods Hill" and were within
sight of the battlefield of New Market, |
where the youthful cadets of the Virginia
Military Institute made their wonderful
charge.
The evenings in the town Of Woodstock
were pleasantly spent, and we were
treated to several serenades by local talent
vocal and instrumental, as wei az shown
other hospitalltles.
Our brief trip was enj d, even
though we struck the hot weather. or
rather it struck MS, for we found the
Valley not entirely exempt tom this
visitor in tho day, bat the
evening cool and pleasant
We were told that the best time to
visit the Valley was during the month of
October, when the leaves are turning
and Indian Summer makes id cal days
and nights.
Game then is pl ntllul from the cotton
tlll to the deer, from partridge to wild
turkey and the bass are reinforced By the
yellow sucker and other fish. When the
woods and mountains are clothed in the
colers Of the rainbow and innumerable
others not composed therein.
Oar ride back on the b. 81 o. was I'M
eventful. and after a day spent in the
National Capital, we returned TO our
work with many pleasant memories of a
time agreeably spent in the historical
Valley.