Evening star., 1934-08-05

he accepted Under MS EuldAnce
the college grew. and the spirit Of
chivslry which ne breathed into IL
has prevailed even 70 nov.
w. and l.. Once an Academy.
Washington College originally was
founded In the middle Of the eight
eenth century as Liberty Hail Acad-
enay. II was moved TO Lexington in
1898 and endowed by George Wash
inRton, and It's name vas made
Washington College. Following the
death of Gen. Lee, the institution
again had its name changed, this
time 10 Washington and Lee Uni
sersity.
Indeed u h well TO wander about
the city OF Lexington. Besides It's
great schools. II has charm that is
rooted deep IN the past. for it was
found Ia 1878
Tie next Virginia shrine on this
tour is here in Charlottesville, and 20
get 70 this city that Is known as The
Heart Of Virginia" the traveller from
Lexington must cross the Blue Ridge
Mountains again On this trip, this
reporter returned TO Staunton and
bore east from there over route No. 5
through Rock Fish Gap 1t was on
this section OF the tour that some of
the most gorgeous scenery imaginable
was encountered. The highway leads
out through Waynesboro and begins
steep ascent over the mountain. The
elevation ran TO nearly 1000 feet
when Swannanoa is passed. This is
a gorgeously set country club estate
which the Coolidges chose for one Of
their rests while they occupied the
White House.
The virtue which this mountain
roadway has over many less lovely
scenic highways Is its presentation OF
contrasting heights. At times the road
runs along IN little niche hewed
out OF the mountainside with beautiful
Rock Fish Valley veering out into blue
distances many hundreds of feet be-
low The traveller actually feels" his
mountain here.
Mountain Stop Inviting.
And just incidentally: II one cares
to spend a night right in these noun
tains he can do SO advantageously at
Blue Ridge Terrace, a delightful little
mountain inn perched on the side OF
the road Clean rooms can be had
for $3.50 and well-prepared dinners
cost rs cents. There are no rooms
with private baths at Blue Ridge Ter
race, but three baths seem adequate
for the comparatively small number Of
rooms. Two persons may have a
twin-bed room overlooking Rock Fish
Valley below for only $3---the most
expensive quarters in the house.
The little town of Alton is just
mile from Blue Ridge Terrace at the
foot of the mountain. % miles from
the goal here in Charlottesville.
Entering Charlottesville the visitor
coming from Afton-way encounters
first another of Virginia's famous edu-
cational insttutions-the University
Of Virginia. Its beautiful colonaded
buildings stand like so many rich
estates on their wooded and grassed
slopes.
Great Names Recalled.
II Virginia Military Institute re-
called the name of Stonewall jackson,
and II Washington and Lee conjured
up memories of the general. the Uni
versity Of Virginia inspires recollection
of the name Of jefferson. Thomas
Jefferson, author of the Declaration OF
independence, founded the university
selected its faculty, planned the greater
portion of its curriculum, and designed
many OF its buildings.
At the University of Virginia, the
visitor will be shown the room oc-
cupied by Woodrow Wilson and Edgar
Allan Poe, when they were students.
There are interests enough at the uni
versity to occupy advantageously sew
eral hours of the tourists time, SO
don't plan too short stay.
And if the name of Jefferson means
anything at all. visitors to this city
certainly should journey the three
miles outside of town to Monticello
the home which Jefferson designed
and built and which has become vir
tually the altar at which architects
worship.
From the paved highway. you take
badly conditioned gravel road that
climbs the hill on which Jefferson
reared his home This bad section
or the road is within the Monticello
estate itself and is destined for recon-
ditioning under plans of restoration
now held by the foundation in charge
Of the home. Rough or not, no road
should keep the visitor from the short
climb to the home itself.
On the way up, in the heart Of
dense wooded section you'll see the
Jefferson burying ground on the right.
A shaft in the foreground marks the
grave Of Thomas jefferson. Continuing
lip the hill, you'll come to the lodge
house where you must pay so cents
admission fee to see the home. But
this fee Is your contribution to the
restoration of the home and you will
be given a receipt which declares you
Rave donated that sum to the preServa-
ton Of the estate.
Monticello Nearly Furnished.
The house, you'll find. is almost
completely furnished on its first floor
You'll be shown JefferSon's personal
quarters His study replica Of the
desk on which he wrote the Declara-
tion Of Independence, the odd bed set
In the wall between his study and
his sleeping room. you'll see his beau
tifully proportioned drawing room.
With the same mirrors into which he
and his guests hundreds of times
must have peered. A score Of clever
devices fashioned at the direction of
the versatile genius will be pointed
out and you'll walk from room to
room feeling that Thomas jefferson.
the Revolution, the Declaration of
Independence and other great events
on the pages OF history happened
almost within your own time The
feeling of nesrneSs to those days is
uncanny.
while you are back in those lovely
hills. drive on a little distance to
Ash Lawn. the home of James Mon
rSe, President and author of the
famous Monroe doctrine Notable
relics at Ash Lawn are the aged box
wood hedges. which are among the
Oldest in America. and the great Nor