Milford chronicle., 1930-07-18
DELAW AREAN
WRITES ABOUT
TRIP IN VIRGINIA
University OF Virginia
Was Sponsor OF Jour-
ney To Historical City.

Mrs. Alice H. Ross of Vernon who
is taking the summer course at the
University of Virginia, sent the fol-
lowing interesting story to the
Chronicle this week:
One of the most delightful trips
this summer given by the UniVer-
sity of Virginia was that to histori-
cal Lexington, the shrine of the
south, lying in the heart of the beau
tiful Valley of Virginia or the fam
GUS Shenandoah Valley between the
lovely Blue Ridge Mountains and
the purple Alleghenies; this pictur-
esque region down whose shining
length history has swung with its
splendid tread. Lexington also has
the honor of being the first town to
be named in honor of the Revolu-
tionary battle. From Lexington ana
vicinity have come some of the ma
tion's greatest men as General Sam
Houston, the hero of Texas; Cyrus
Mccormick, the reaper king; Dr.
Ephriam Mcdowell, the father OF
abdominal surgery, and James
Gibbs, builder of the first sewing
machine.
The first stop was made at the
Virginia Military Institute, the
West Point of the South" 1t will be
remembered that Stonewall Jackson,
one of the professors there, marched
from Lexington in 1861 to become
military genius of the armies of the
South and also another member OF
the faculty there was destined to be
known as Matthew FOntaine Maury
"The Pathfinder of the Seas" A
monument in the beautiful Goshen
Pass, a dozen miles from this his
toric shrine, stands as a reminder
of his dying request, that his body
be borne through the Pass when
the laurel lit being at this time of
the year gorgeous in size and pastel
shades of pink was in bloom.
Besides beautiful old colonial res
licences which afford studies of art
in their architecture and the mod
ern (built along colonial lines) Rob-
ert E. Lee Hotel, a tourist whether
from the North, South, East or West
never fails to visit one of the finest
educational institutions of the South
Washington and Lee University
which was founded about the middle
of the eighteenth century as Angus
ia Academy, a southern companion
of Yale, Harvard, Columbia and
Princeton, organized and maintain
ed by the Scotch-Irish settlers of the
charming aforesaid Valley of Vir-
ginia. 1t is said to be the fifth (Wil-
liam and Mary of Williamsburg, Vir-
ginia, being the second) in order OF
founding of our historic American
colleges. In the spring of 1776, two
months before the Declaration OF
independence, it's name was changed
to Liberty Hall Academy. Toward
the close of the eighteenth century 1t
was chosen by George Washington
to be endowed by him with gift OF
stock valued at $4,000 and author
lied by him to bear the name OF
washington Academy. After the
close of the Civil War in 1865 Gen
eral Robert e. Lee was elected pres
ident of the same institution which
since 1878 had been known as Wash
ington College and he continued in
office until his death in 1870. By MS
good management and wise Judg-
ment the college prospered and the
next year after his death the name
was changed to Washington and Lee
University. A sacred spot is the
chanel built by General Lee and
named for him and in which he and
his family are buried. On entering
one is charmed by the fine paintings
of the Washington, Lee and Custus
families, the elegant inlaid mother
of pearl piano, the skeleton OF his
white horse "Traveler" and scores
of interesting objects. The recum-
bent statue of white marble is full
of interest as is the tomb of General
Jackson in the Lexington cemetery
Valentine who is ninety-one years
of age has won great renown by be-
ing the artist who chiseled the fea-
lures and form of the noted COM
mander and schoolmaster, or educa-
tor. One of the most beautiful
buildings in Lexington was that in
which General Lee at one time liv-
ed and in which Stonewall Jackson
was married.
Another delightful feature was a
delicious dinner served to the thirty
five excursionists, two of whom were
Miss Loretto Paskey and Mrs. Alice
H. Ross, from Delaware.