Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1901-10-11
THE BEAUTIFUL VALLEY OF VIRGINIA
Some Of Its Historic Points, Etc.

Raphine, Oct. 5.-Mr. Editor 1t is
customary for visitors to write about
what they see while visiting any point
of interest. Your correspondent left
the village of Raphine short time
since for a trip down the beautiful
Valley of Virginia, the valley of val
leys, the garden spot of the Grand Old
Commonwealth. We boarded the B.
& o. train at 12:4S, and soon found our
selves nearing the Metropolis of Augusta,
StauntOn noted for her thrift and enter
prise, celebrated for her schools and
her great charitable institutions. Our
next stop was Harrisonburg, where we
changed cars for Strasburg. Harrison
burg is fine valley town, the county
seat of the rich and prosperous county
of Rockingham, which fact is emphasis
tz4d by her fine new courthouse. From
here to Strasburg, our course lay along
the Southern road where on either side
spread out before us beautiful farms
and fine barns, declaring to the travel
er the prosperity of the section of coun-
try through which he is passing. And
now back again TO the B. & o. road,
We sped onward until we reached
+Charlestown, w. Va, the state that
we Virginians love and honor. Charles
town is a good business town, sur
rounded by fine agricultural coun
try and is noted for her enterprise and
thrift. We changed cars here on the
n. & W. for Shepherdstown, w. Va,
which is situated upon the banks of
the beautiful and historic Potomac.
This is an old town and also very
busy one; a town of churches, there
being ten, representing every evangeli
cal denomination. Here we attended
the Lutheran church and were charm
ed with the fine music. The people |
here are hospitable and kind, and give
strangers that cordial welcome which |
always makes for the fair name of a |
During our visit we took |
several drives along the romantically |
Potomac. Words cannot |
describe the,scenery along this stream
for as we gazed upon it bathed in the
golden rays of the setting sun, we
could but exclaim with the poet:
20 sweet nature, thou hast made this world
beautiful
Again we viewed the river this time
rejecting the silvery rays of the moon,
which gave to our vision a picture of
beauty.
Our next drive landed US at Harper s
Ferry, celebrated in history as the
birth place of the late civil war, re
ninding us as-we gazed upon the beau
y of the natural scenery, how the
anatical John Brown and his delud-
ID followers chose such a place to for
nulate their bloody designs, against
he s'Sunny South" AS We gazed up
n the massive walls of mountains ris
ng upon each side, we wondered not
hat the two noble rivers had to unite
heir forces to burst the mighty bar
ier which opposed them in their on
7ard course We also drove to the =
attic field of ''Antietam" the place
lade celebrated for it's bloody conflict
etween the armies of the North and
outh, where the blood of the blue q
nd the Gray mingled on comon .
Dill for the cause each thought was
ght. AS we gazed upon the tablets :, y
! the cemetery. Our minds were fill =
i with thoughts, of this great sacrifice, =
le patriotism of this vast army now u
| camp, the silent bivouac of the y
ead." The lines of the poet came to -
" mind:
sSoldier rest, thy warfare is Ger, '"
Dream of battlefleldS no more,'' ii
G.. A. P. Il