Milford chronicle., 1930-07-11
VERNON

One of the most delightful trips
just taken by the students of the
University of Virginia, two Of whom
were the Delaware teachers, Miss
Loretta Paskey and Mrs. Alice H
Ross, was that to the Natural
Bridge of Virginia, one of the nat
ural wonders of the world. 1t is Wis
tied annually by thousands who seek
health and pleasure, and the beauti-
ful and wonderful in nature. The
glen abounds in hundreds of diff
ferent varieties of wild flowers,
ferns, and masses which are always
a source of delight to lovers of the
beautiful in nature. The forest con-
tains many unusual trees, such as
the witch hazels and giant arbOr
vitae, said to be two thousand years
old. The walkway from the gate
house to Natural Bridge passes over
the roots and between the twin
trunks of one superb speciment.
To lovers of history it is interest
ing to note that the tract of land
containing this natural curiosity was
granted on the 9Th day of July,
1774 Zone hundred and fifty-siX
years ago today to Thomas Jeffer-
son by George III of England, and
contained 157 acres. Jefferson spoke
of Natural Bridge on Cewar Creek,
a branch of the James River, as yet
to be, "a famous place, that will
draw the attention of the world"
Marshall wrote of it, Goods greatest
miracle in stone" Henry Clay wrote
of it, "The Bridge not made with
hands, that spans river, carries a
highway, and makes two mountains
one" meaning the James River, the
Lee Highway, and the beautiful Blue
Ridge rising tier beyond friendly
tier usually tinted a deep hazy blue
and the purple Alleghenies. Several
times land has been added to it un-
til it now consists of fifteen hundred
acres.
George Washington and Thomas
Jefferson are so intimately connect
ed with it's history that monument
consisting of brass plate attached
to a large boulder of Massamutten
sandstone from Short Hills Mountain
has been erected to their memory by
the Natural Bridge Chapter of the
Daughters of the American Revolu-
tion, and situated on the grounds.
The name George Washington is as
sociated with the early history of
Natural Bridge in several ways. The
sc. W." initials on the southeast
wall of the Bridge, some % feet
above Cedar Greek, are usually asso-
ciated with his physical strength in
climbing the walls of the bridge.
Showing his skill as a surveyor are
two boulders, on one of which is in
scribed r 40; on the other the in
itials &c. W." carved by him about |
1850, when he was surveying for
Lord Fairfax. Thomas Jefferson, |
while president, visited the tract,
surveyed it and made a map of it |
with his own hands. He returned |
the following year with two slaves
for whom he built a log cabin of two
rooms, one of which was to be kept
open for the entertainment of
The place was much Wis
tied by famous men in the early part
Of the last century. Among the dis
persons registered there
were Marshall, Monroe, Clay, Ben
ton, Jackson, Van Buren, and Hous-
ton.
No picture can convey the magni-
tude of the vast proportions of this
great wonder of the world; it ap-
proaches Niagara in grandeur and
exceeds, it is height and awe-inspir-
ing mystery. From it's top men look
like boys and trees like bushes. 1t
Is carved out of a massive bedded
limestone.
Other wonderful features enjoyed
by the eXcursionists and which could
De reached only on foot were Salt
letre Cave, interesting because it
vas worked for nitre following the
War of 1912 and by the Confederate
government in 1861; the Lost River,
rom which the writer drank of its
waters on her knees from paper
up of her own making, it being a
stream, reached
through a low archway which has
,een cut in the mountain side, and
asst, but not least in the glen formed
lowly by stream erosian above the
ridge where Cedar Creek leaps a
reat distance from the upper level
the magnificent spectacle-Lace
Mrs. Ross was highly
commended for her powers of en-
urance in following up unaided all
hese marvellous sights.