| Show RAMBLES IN VIRGINIA 0 rockbridge county is in the northwest part of the state lying between the blue ridge mountains on the easland east and the allegheny alleghany Alleg bany hany mountains on the west it derives its name from the famous natural bridge of virginia it is a rolling country cou U tr in n the valleys and is farmed aw quite extensively the principal crops being wheat corn and tobacco the crops are looking well at this time I 1 noticed wheat heading out yesterday virginia had bad a very mild winter too mild in fact for in january all the peach trees blossomed out and then came a frost and nipped them therefore peaches will be very scarce this season the real estate nien men are working up a boom in this county which seems to be creating quite a stir amongst the natives at green forest a small village of fi aty alty people one ye ir i r ago a new town was laid out and building has so rapidly progressed that now the place numbers 1000 in inhabitants habitants it was culled called buena vista and two railroads run through it viz the shenandoah valley road and the richmond alleghany allegheny Alleg hany a branch of the chesapeake ohio so that the town has splendid facilities facilities in this respect it was former formerly lya a fertile plain devoted to agricultural pursuits but is now the scene of much activity in the matter of street grading the laying of water pipes and building of business houses and residences fhe rhe hotel buena vista ion is a new and attractive structure its location on a hill bill affords a charmi charming Dg view of the new town and the north river along the river numerous industries are being established such as iron works and paper manufactories manu factories industrial enterprises have been already started by the buena vista iron co Wilho uni saddle co wise wie wi e wagon works and buena vista fence co which turns out combination fence fauce something like the burton gardner at home and the buena vista paper manufacturing co there is also a large tannery here employing a great many hands A newspaper is likewise pu published hlis hed the buena vista vida advocate I 1 recently visited the famous natural bridge which washington 9 when surveying under lord fairfax climbed and upon which he engraved his name this can yet be seen quite plainly in the solid rock taking the shenandoah valley route from this place it is IF a run of thirty five minutes to the natural bridge stati then had a pleasant walk of two and a half miles to the bridge passing tb through rough a lovely country along the banks of the james river anti and up a country cov ered with green pines and ever greens four grand hotels stand near the bridge and these are sur our rou with lawns and promenades a delightful spot at which to spend a portion of the heated season the bridge is the principal object of interest however to all visitors it is a solid limestone structure over which runs a waon road and a person unacquainted with the locality can pass over it without knowing it is a bridge as trees and shrubs grow thereon on approaching the egge edge of the bridge the scene is grand indeed standing upon pulpit rock one can look down the giddy abyss a distance of reet fact A man standing stand ing at the bottom looks like a child while the trees appear like small bushes but to see seethe the place in its true grandeur the visitor must descend to the glen A stream of water flows under the bridge called cedar creek an ana i this is crossed by rustic brages the waterfalls up the glen with ferns flowers evergreens and trees contribute to make the place fascinating in the extreme lexington is the county seat ot of rockbridge county and is a sleepy town of about inhabitants inhabitant with a good representation of the colored race here are situated the virginia military institute and washington and lee uni university hersity ver sity generals robert E lee and stonewall rhoman J jackson the confederate generals have their final resting places here the military institute was erected in 1839 and many of the confederate generals were educated at that institution it is an imposing structure built of brick with octagonal octa ganal towers and surrounded by extensive grounds we applied for admission and were politely shown through the building by one of the cabets cadets we saw the stonewall classroom where jackson occupied the chair for ten as pro professor t assor and the cabets cadets quarters where each cadet has a regulation room the furniture consisting of a folding bed chairs a table covered with books uniform firearms etc they have a fine library although it has been collected since the war the institute was burned on july alth 1864 by federals under general Morg morgan anand and the library was completely destroyed hanging upon the walls are am numerous paintings of confederate generals among the most notable being those of lee and jackson I 1 also observed a flue fine statuette of general lee on horseback by in front of the institute is a bronze statue of general george washington on a square granite base on either side is a large ancient brass gun wrested from the french by the british they bear date 1600 there are also other french guns used by the french when fighting for the american cause duing du ing the revolution the university is a flue fine building and immediately in front of the same is a chapel erected by general lee for the religious training of the students just behind the pulpit is the monument erected to libee memory it is a fine work of art being a full length fac simile of lee at rest it is of pure white vermont marble and was executed b by mr ed valentine of richmond va at a cost of the entire section in which the tomb and monument are situated to is fire proof not a piece of wood being used in its construction A at t the lexington cemetery lies the body of stonewall Jackson with a neat marble scroll at his head surrounded by a neat iron fence I 1 understand that during this season a monument will be erected in his bis honor there by mr valentine to a student of the great civil war which cost so much alood blood and treasure these places cannot fail to arouse deep interest and will well repay a visit E J E BUENA VISTA viima A rockbridge co virginia april 30 1890 |
