Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1896-07-09
On Historic Grounds.
SPOTS IN AND ABOUT RICHMOND
THAT ARE SACRED TO ALL
AMERICANS.
At Monticello, the Home of Jefferson
The White House of the Con-
federacy Statues of the Ma
tion's Famous Statesmen
and Warriors.
Correspondence Of the Ledger.

of the Ledger.
RICHMOND, VA, July I've passed
the Green Briar river country and
White Sulphur Springs at night, but
thanks to an enthusiastic admIrer of
the Virginia mountains, VINO travelled
with us, we were up with the sun as
our train passed the eastern slope of
the Alleghanies. These mountains
form the western limit and the Blue
Ridge the eastern limit of the famous
Shenandoah valley, the valley of the
Shenandoah river. This river starts
in the southern part of Virginia and
runs north and empties into the Poto-
mac river at Harper's Ferry. These
are the rich lands of Virginia. 1t is
rolling and produces abundance of
wheat and corn. 1t seems to me that
it is the scarcity of good land in this
country and the beautiful surround
ings that have advertised it 80 well.
These mountains and the Blue Ridge
are simply beautiful. They are not
grand and awe inspiring like the Rock
les, but such as painters try in vain to
reproduce. Unlike the Rockies, they
are covered with trees and foliage to
the highest submits. There also seems
to be something in the atmosphere
that adds a loveliness to them as it
wraps Them in folds of an ethereal
blue that hides rough crags and cliffs,
il any there be, so prominent in the
clear skies of the Rockies. We passed
Staunton, Waynesboro,C Charlottesville,
Gordonsville and Louisa Court House,
all rich in the events of the last war.
The scenery across the divide of Blue
Ridge as we approach Charlottesville
seems to be natures own perfect
work, but from this point on to Rich
mond is absolutely worn out. At least
one-half of the lands are turned back
to nature to do over again and are
growing up a new forest of pin and
scrub oak. Itreminds me of Blackfoot
in Boone County after you leave the
Blue Ridge. We stopped at Charlottes-
vile for ten O'Clock breakfast and
viewed the State University and col
lege grounds planned and built under
the direction of Thomas jefferson.
In the southern (if we have directions
correct) suburbs of Charlottesville is a
little river called Riovanna, across
which a road winds up the mountain
side through the timber, which covers
the mountain to the eastern point OF
the mountain which slopes down to
the valley of the Riovanna. On this
summet is Monticello, the old home
of the father of Democracy, Thomas
Jefferson, where he lived and died
and was buried. Monticello, so beau
tiful for situation, with the old house,
the grave and the monument that
marks it, are maintained on this noun
tain top in faithful remembrance of
the author of the declaration of inde-
pendence. This is not, in fact, a
mountain, but like unto one of the
high hill tops that is seen around
Louisiana, near my old Pike County
home. We have now been in Rich
mond two days and we assure you it
is a beautiful city, and taking into
consideration the early history of our
country, the great statesmen that have
resided here and in this vicinity, and
the events of the last war, there is no
city, not even Washington, that is as
interesting and rich in history. Rich
mond is on the north side of the James
river and is connected with Manches-
ter by six bridges. Across the James
boats from the sea come to the east
ern limit of this city, where the tidal
water comes, but along the greater
portion of the city the river is rapid
and divided by Belle Island. 1t was
up this river John Smith came in 1907
and fell in love with the beautiful
Indian girl, Pocahontas. We asked
our guide, an old "Ferginnie nigger,'
to show us the point on the rivel
where Smith landed and where pret.
ty Pocahontas rushed in to divert the
war club of Powhatan, who was about
to crack his head on the rock, but hi
said he did not "zackly" remember
I asked our driver his name. He"saie
George Washington and I told hin
that name was familiar; believed
had heard of it before. He said, "Oh
yes, boss, most everybody knows me
i I'se been drivin' this carriage nigl
onto 20 years" We saw the littl,
stone house in which Washington ant
Lafayette were headquartered wher
on their way to their victory at York
town. We walked into st. John'
Church where the patriots met in III
and / stood in the pew and on tn,
same spot where Patrick Henry, witt
hands aloft, cried to his timid fellow
citizens, "Give me liberty or give mi
DEATH" 1t isI a quaint little old franz
church in which the Episcopalian
4 weekly read the English service. l
has stood in the same spot for owe
one hundred years, surrounded b.
grave stones which bear witness b,
their dates. Il is in the heart OF oil
Richmond in the center of an elevate'
block of lard. 1t also contains
. marble baptismal font brought fron
. England, it Is claimed, 200 years ag
and which did service further dow
the James III an old country church
We were ali Hollywood Cemeter
, and stood at The graves of President
Monroe and Tyler; also John Ran
dolph Of Roanoke, and that OF Jeffer
. son Davis. John Marshall, the great
est American iurist, was buried here
/, The site of Libby Prison is occupie
by planning mill, the old buildin
having been carried to Chicago; ths
a city kept up its reputation by retain
!; ing it. We viewed the iron work
:. where the cannon and ammunition fo
the Confederacy were manufactured