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"The Lynchburg Water Works, for furnishing the town with an unfailing supply of pure and wholesome water, were constructed in 1828-29, under the direction of Albert Stein, Esq., engineer, at an expense of $50,000. The height-unprecedented in this country-to which it was necessary to raise the water, renders this one of the most interesting undertakings of the kind in the United States.

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An arm of the James, formed by an island about 2 miles in length, is crossed, a short distance above the limits of the corporation, by a dam 10 feet high. A canal of half a mile in length conveys the water to the pump-house on the river bank, at the foot of 3d alley. A double forcing-pump, on the plan of De la Hire, worked by a large breast wheel, impels the water through the ascending pipe, which is 2000 feet long, to a reservoir containing 400,000 gallons, situated between 4th and 5th streets, and at the elevation of 253 feet above the level of the river. Fire-plugs are connected with the distributing pipes, at every intersection of the alleys with 2d and 3d streets, and afford an admirable security against the danger of fire. The height of the reservoir, above these streets, gives a jet of water by means of hose pipes, of from 60 to 80 feet elevation, and throws it, in bold and continuous streams, over the roofs of the highest houses.

"The water-power created by the dam for the water works, is amply sufficient for working a large additional amount of machinery, and waits only for a clearer perception by capitalists, of the manufacturing advantages of this town, to be brought into extensive use. The cheapness of labor, the abundance of provisions, and the extent and wealth of the country looking this way for supplies of domestic, as well as of foreign goods, unite with the vast water-power actually prepared and ready for any application, in inviting the attention of men of capital and enterprise to this important subject." These works are gradually enlarged, from year to year, to meet the wants of an increasing population. The annexed account of the celebration of laying the corner stone of the water works, is from a newspaper of that date:

INTERESTING EVENT.-On Saturday last, [August 23d, 1828,] an event deeply interesting to Lynchburg took place; one in which the convenience, health, and safety of us all, are involved. The corner stone of the LYNCHBURG WATER WORKS was laid-works, the magnitude of which exceed any ever attempted in Virginia.... The stone was laid with civic, masonic, and military ceremonies. About 9, A. M., the procession was formed at the Presbyterian church, at the lower end of Main street, in the following order :The military; the reverend clergy; the engineer; the members of the common council, preceded by the watering committee; the judge of the General Court for the circuit, and mayor of the Corporation; the recorder and aldermen; the Masonic fraternity; citizens.

When the procession, under the directions of the marshals of the day-Major James B. Risque, Col. Maurice H. Langhorne, and Captains R. R. Phelps, Samuel I. Wiat, and A. M. Gilliam-reached the ground, the artillery and rifle companies formed a hollow square, within which were the masons, the adjacent banks being thronged with spectators.

The impressive ceremonies commenced with a prayer appropriate to the occasion, by the Rev. W. S. Reid, followed by solemn music. The Rev. F. G. Smith then implored of the Supreme Architect of the Universe, a blessing on the undertaking. The Masonic fraternity proceeded to lay the corner stone; the

plate bears the following inscription:

THIS STONE, the foundation of a work executed by order of the common council of Lynchburg, for supplying the town with water, was laid under the direction of John Victor, John Thurman, John Early, David G. Murrell, and Samuel Claytor, by the Rt. W. Howson S. White, D.D., G. Master, and the Worshipful Maurice H. Garland, M. of Marshall Lodge, No. 39, of Free and Accepted Masons, on the 23d August, A.M. 5828, A.D. 1828, in presence of the Mayor, Recorder, Aldermen, and Common Councilmen, of said Town; the members of said Lodge; the Artillery and Rifle Companies, commanded by Captains J. E. Norvell and James W. Pegram, and numerous citizens, Albon McDaniel, Esq., Mayor, John Thurman, Esq., President of the Council, Albert Stein, Esq., Engineer.

Mr. John Victor, the chairman of the watering committee, delivered an address; after which tho military fired a salute, and the gratified beholders returned to their homes, all, we hope, determined to use their efforts to carry on the work to a successful termination. We cordially unite with Mr. V. in saying, “Let us join hands, nothing doubting that we too can accomplish what others have so often done."

We conclude this sketch of Lynchburg, by giving its statistics, as published in a communication to the Lynchburg Republican, in 1843:

The census of 1840, showed a population of upwards of five thousand. Since that time, there has been a considerable accession to the number of buildings; from which we may safely assume that our present population reaches, if it does not exceed 6,000. The extent of the tobacco trade of Lynchburg may be judged of from the fact that upwards of fifteen thousand hogsheads have already been inspected here the present year--a number which far exceeds all previous calculation. We have about 30 tobacco factories and stemmeries, giving employment to about 1000 hands; three flouring-mills, manufacturing, I am told, about 20,000 barrels of flour annually; 1 cotton factory, operating 1,400 spindles; iron foundries, which consume, probably, 100 tons pig-iron annually. More than 100,000 bushels of wheat are sold here yearly. 300 tons bar-iron; 200 tons pig metal, sold to the country; 1000 tons plaster of Paris. About 50 dry-goods and grocery stores-selling, in the aggregate, more than one million of dollars worth of goods. Some of our stores are so extensive and elegant, as not to suffer by a comparison with those of Philadelphia and New York.-4 apothecaries and druggists; several cabinet manufactories; 4 saddle and harness manufactories; 10 blacksmith-shops; several excellent hotels; 5 jewellers' establishments; 2 printing offices.

There are here branches of the Bank of Virginia, and the Farmer's Bank of Virginia, and also 3 Savings' Banks. Seven flourishing Sabbath-schools, with from 700 to 1000 scholars. One debating society, with a library of several thousand volumes, &c. &c. &c. From the hasty view I have presented, and which by no means does justice to the industry and enterprise of our citizens, it will be seen that we have already the elements of a flourishing city. But I have said nothing of the magnificent line of canal now in the full tide of successful experiment," between this place and Richmond, from which we are distant 147 miles by water. This splendid work, the pride and boast of Virginia, opens to Lynchburg the brightest era which has ever yet dawned upon her fortunes; securing to us a safe, speedy, and cheap navigation for the immense produce shipped annually to Richmond and the north-and destined, as the Writer believes, to furnish a great thoroughfare for the countless thousands of produce and merchandise for the western and southwestern part of our state, as well as Tennessee, Alabama, &c.

Lynch Law.-Col. Charles Lynch, a brother of the founder of Lynchburg, was an officer of the American revolution. His residence was on the Staunton, in the sw. part of this county, now the seat of his grandson, Chas. Henry Lynch, Esq. At that time, this country was very thinly settled, and infested by a lawless band of tories and desperadoes. The necessity of the case involved desperate measures, and Col. Lynch, then a leading whig, apprehended and had them punished, without any superfluous legal ceremony. Hence the origin of the term "Lynch Law." This practice of Lynching continued years after the war, and was applied to many cases of mere suspicion of guilt, which could not be regularly proven. "In 1792," says Wirt's Life of Henry, "there were many suits on the south side of James River, for inflicting Lynch's law." At the battle of Guilford Court-House, a regiment of riflemen, raised in this part of the state, under the command of Col. Lynch, behaved with much gallantry. The colonel died soon after the close of the war. Charles Lynch, a governor of Louisiana, was bis son.

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New London is on the Salem turnpike, 11 miles sw. of Lynchburg. It contains 2 churches, a classical academy, and a few dwellings. It was founded several years prior to the American revolution. About the period of the war, it was a place of considerable importance, and contained, says the Marquis de Chastellux, in his travels, "at least 70 or 80 houses." There was here then, an arsenal, a long wooden structure, which stood opposite Echol's tavern. The establishment has long since been removed to Harper's Ferry. There was also a long building, used as a magazine in the war, which was under the guard of some soldiers. In July, 1781, Cornwallis detached Tarleton to this place, for the purpose of destroying the stores and intercepting some light troops reported to be on their march to join Lafayette. But neither stores nor troops were found, and on the 15th, he rejoined his lordship in Suffolk county. Early in the war, there were several Scotch merchants largely engaged in business here. Refusing to take the

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The above shows Lynchburg as it appears from the northern banks of James River. On the left, is shown the bridge across the river and in front, the town, which is finely situated on rising ground, in the midst of bold and romantic scenery.

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oath of allegiance, they were compelled to break up and leave the country. This, with the superior location of Lynchburg, gave a permanent shock to its prosperity, and it is now a broken down village, fast going to decay.

New London was at first the county-seat of Lunenburg. In 1753, on the formation of Bedford, it was made the county-seat of the latter. Still later, under the old district system, the superior court was held here. There is now standing in the town, an interesting relic of a more prosperous era-the old court-house-which, in its pristine days, was the scene of important events; but it is now dilapidated, tumbling to ruins, and is used as a barn. Humble as this building is at present, once admiring audiences, moved by the magic eloquence of Patrick Henry, were assembled within its walls. Here it was, that he delivered his celebrated speech in the Johnny Hook case, the account of which is thus given by his biographer:

Hook was a Scotchman, a man of wealth, and suspected of being unfriendly to the American cause. During the distresses of the American army, consequent on the joint invasion of Cornwallis and Phillips in 1781, a Mr. Venable, an army commissary, had taken two of Hook's steers for the use of the troops. The act had not been strictly legal; and on the establishment of peace, Hook, on the advice of Mr. Cowan, a gentleman of some distinction in the law, thought proper to bring an action of trespass against Mr. Venable, in the district court of New London. Mr. Henry appeared for the defendant, and is said to have deported himself in this cause to the infinite enjoyment of his hearers, the unfortunate Hook always excepted. After Mr. Henry became animated in the cause, says a correspondent, he appeared to have complete control over the passions of his audience: at one time he excited their indignation against Hook; vengeance was visible in every countenance; again, when he chose to relax and ridicule him, the whole audience was in a roar of laughter. He painted the distresses of the American army, exposed almost naked to the rigor of a winter's sky, and marking the frozen ground over which they marched with the blood of their unshod feet; where was the man, he said, who had an American heart in his bosom, who would not have thrown open his fields, his barns, his cellars, the doors of his house, the portals of his breast, to have received with open arms, the meanest soldier in that little band of famished patriots ? Where is the man ?-There he stands-but whether the heart of an American beats in his bosom, you, gentlemen, are to judge. He then carried the jury, by the powers of his imagination, to the plains around York, the surrender of which had followed shortly after the act complained of: he depicted the surrender in the most glowing and noble colors of his eloquence-the audience saw before their eyes the humiliation and dejection of the British, as they marched out of their trenches-they saw the triumph which lighted up every patriotic face, and heard the shouts of victory, and the cry of Washington and liberty, as it rung and echoed through the American ranks, and was reverberated from the hills and shores of the neighboring river-" but, hark! what notes of discord are these which disturb the general joy, and silence the acclamations of victory -they are the notes of John Hook, hoarsely bawling through the American camp, beef beef! beef!"

The whole audience were convulsed: a particular incident will give a better idea of the effect, than any general description. The clerk of the court, unable to command himself, and unwilling to commit any breach of decorum in his place, rushed out of the court-house, and threw himself on the grass, in the most violent paroxysm of laughter, where he was rolling, when Hook, with very different feelings, came out for relief into the yard also. "Jemmy Steptoe," he said to the clerk, "what the devil ails ye, mon ?" Mr. Steptoe was only able to say, that he could not help it. "Never mind ye," said Hook, "wait till Billy Cowan gets up: he'll show him the la'." Mr. Cowan, however, was so completely overwhelmed by the torrent which bore upon his client, that when he rose to reply to Mr. Henry, he was scarcely able to make an intelligible or audible remark. The cause was decided almost by acclamation. The jury retired for form sake, and instantly returned with a verdict for the defendant. Nor did the effect of Mr. Henry's speech stop here. The people were so highly excited by the tory audacity of

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