Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1907-08-07

road passes from the open valley into
the narrow canyons Of New river.
where the cliffs rise from 1000 to 2, 900
feet above the wild. rushing stream,
and the scenery is beautiful and in
spring beyond description. having no
counterpart in anything we have seen
east of the Rocky Mountains. From
this rugged valley the road passes to
the valley Of the Greenbrier, which
affords most beautiful stretches of
water views overlooked by foothills
and mountains in wonderful variety.
The ascent Of the Alleghenies is
equally fascinating. The train climbs
for seventeen miles, reaching the
summit s,S0o feet above sea level a
short distance east Of the Greenbrier
White Sulphur Springs, and through
out the whole Of it there are noun
tain views that will long rest in the
memory. The descent eastward pre-
sents an equal aud even more extended
panorama Of the ranges.
The famous Shenandoah Valley is
crossed between Staunton and Basic,
following which comes the passage Of
the Blue Ridge. from the summit Of
which the eye ranges as far as sight
can penetrate over the richest regions
Of Virginia, scene never to be for
gotten. From this Pit the line
skirts the Blue Ridge 1ntains. and
the rich fields and Ane orchards Of
Albemarle county until Charlottes-
vile is reached, where the traveller
obtains fine views Of Monticello, the
home Of Jefferson. and the University
Of Virginia. which he founded.
Leaving Gordonsville. where the
line DIVORCES to Washington and New
York, we continued on through q
somewhat barren country covered
with scrub pines. etc. which before
the war was cultivated and very pro-
ductive, the devastation OF which laid
waste many beautiful mansions and
magnificent plantations. since which
time the southerners have lacked the
ambition and the means to reclaim the
territory. We passed over many bat
tleflelds Of the Revolution and the
Civil War through historic Richmond,
: description OF which CITY We wrote
for these columns after : visit there 4
few years ago; through Lanexa. in
full view of the island in the Chicka-
hominy. where Captain John Smith
was captured; through Williamsburg,
the old Colonial capital. near James
town Island; through Lee Hall. the
station for Yorktown. and other his
toric places 10 Newport News.
Newport News is beautiful city of
SO, 900 people. situated at the head Of
Hampton Roads. with harbor Of
sufficient size to hold the combined
navies Of the world. We spent few
delightful hours looking about this
fine tide-water city, the principal OBJ
iect Of interest being the ship build
ing, here being located one Of the
largest and most modern ship p-buildinR
plants in the world, where several
Thousand men are employed. Many
Of the largest and best battleships and
merchant vessels are constructed
here. The North Carolina and three
other war vessels were in the navy
yards. which we enjoyed inspecting.
This ship yard has cost 915. 600. COO.
and has the largest dry dock in
America. It was of Newport News
that the men from Jamestown sighted
Lord Delaware when he came to vir-
ginia in 1910 and saved the colony.
A few hundred yards out in Hampton
Roads the Monitor" won her great
victory in conflict with the 'Merri-
mac" Just across. where the James
river empties in Hampton Roads, is
the Jamestown Exposition grounds.
May IS. 1907. three comparatively
small boats anchored of q peninsula
which jutted into Powhatan's river,
and set up there q stockaded place Of
defense, calling it James Fort. These
ships left 1O5 settlers, among whom
was John Smith, q remarkable genius
and inventor, who was destined to
carry the infant colony through peril
ous trials. Smith and his men and
their followers founded q town here
which they called James Oity; from
this town grew Virginia. and from
Virginia the United States. This was
three hundred years ago. and the
Jamestown Expedition is this year
celebrating the ter-centennial OF the
nations beginning.
Those who planned the exposition
placed IL upon one Of the most pic
turesque and historic spots on the
continent. In close proximity to sew.
eral important southern cities. and
easily reached from Washington, Bal.
timore. Philadelphia. New York, and
the larger cities Of the east either by