374 FARMERS' REGISTER— RICHMOND AND FREDERICKSBURG RAILWAY. 



lonely and desolate — far from the scenes of his 

 glory and his power, descending to his grave amid 

 lurid clouds — followed by the admiration and 

 curses of manlcind. Oberlin's death was a quiet 

 Bunset — the hushed serenity of closing day. He 

 was followed by the tears of hia parishioners — la- 

 menting in inconsolable bitterness, the irreparable 

 loss of their curate — their guide — their father — 

 weeping for Oberlin. 



"During the four days that intervened between his 

 decease, and the simple and aflecting ceremony which 

 consigned his remains to their last home, heavy clouds 

 rested on the surrounding mountains, and the rain 

 poured down in incessant torrents; this circumstance 

 did not, however, prevent the inhabitants of the Ban 

 de la Roche, of all ages and conditions, nearer or more 

 remote, from coming to pay a last tribute of respect to 

 the remains of their "dear father," whose venerable 

 countenance they were permitted to see through a 

 glass lid, which, under the direction of Mr. Legrand, 

 covered the coffin, which was placed in his study. 



Early in the morning of the day fixed on for the in- 

 terment, the clouds cleared away, and the sun shone 

 with its wonted brilliancy. As they left the house, 

 the president of the Consistory of Barr, the Rev. Mr. 

 Jaegle, placed the clerical robes of the late pastor on 

 his cofRn, the vice-president placed his Bible upon it, 

 and the mayor affixed to the funeral pall the decoration 

 of the Legion of Honor. At the conclusion of this 

 ceremony, ten or twelve young females, who had been 

 standing around the bier, began to sing a hymn in cho- 

 rus, and at two o'clock the procession took its depar- 

 ture, the coffin being borne by the mayors, elders, and 

 official magistrates. In front of it, walked the oldest 

 inhabitant of the Ban de la Roche, carryinfj a cross, 

 which Loiiise had given him, to plant on the tomb. 

 and on which the words, Pcqm Oberlin, were engraved 

 in open letters. 



So numerous was the concourse of people assembled 

 on the occasion, that the foremost of the train had al- 

 ready reached the church of Foudai, where the inte- 

 ment was to take place, before the last had left the 

 parsonage, although the distance was nearly two mihs. 

 The children of the diflerent schools formed part of 

 the melancholy procession, chanting, at intervals, sa- 

 cred hymns, selected and adapted for the occasion. At 

 the moment of their approaching the village, a new 

 bell, presented by Mr. Legrand in commemoration of 

 this day of general mourning, was heard to toll for the 

 first time, and to nnngle its melancholy sound with 

 that of all the bells in the valley. The burying ground 

 was surrounded by Roman Catholic women, all dress- 

 ed in mourning, and kneeling in silent prayer. On 

 arriving at tlie church, the coffin was placed at the 

 foot of the altar, and as many persons entered as the 

 little edifice would contain, though more than three- 

 fourths of the company had to remain in the chujich- 

 yard, and the adjoiinng lanes. Notwithstanding the 

 pressure of so immense a multitude, the utmost order 

 and solemnity prevailed. Several females, who coidd 

 find room nowhere else, sat down on the steps of the 

 altar, leaning with melancholy affection against the 

 coffin, as though anxious to cling to the very ashes of 

 one whom tliey had so much revered and loved. Many 

 distinguished individuals were present on the occasion 

 and several Roman Catholic priests, dressed in their 

 canonicals, took their seats among the members of the 

 Consistory, and evidently participated in the general 

 grief. 



The most touching incident in this extract, and 

 that which speaks most loudly for the purity of his 

 religion and virtue, is the fact that the protestant 

 pastor Oberlin's burial Avas attended by Catholic 

 priests and their parishioners, all sharing the pro- 

 found grief of hif? own flock, and e\-incing the snme 



veneration for the true christian, whose grave they 

 surrounded. Thus to conc^uer (in himself as well 

 as in other persons) religious bigotry and sectarian 

 intolerance and hatred, was [.erhaps, the greatest 

 and most dithcult of all his noble works, and which 

 would alone serve as the highest ei.logy on his 

 he, and the most unrjuestionable proof of his ex- 

 alted, yet meek and humble virtues. 



RICIiaiOXD, FREDERICKSBURG AND POTOMAC 

 RAILWAY. 



From the Richmond Compiler. 



The surveys which have been made for the 

 route of this railway, ascertain that the distance 

 between Richmondand Fredericksburg by a direct 

 line from the boundary of one corporation to that 

 of the other, is about 51 miles; and that a good 

 route can be obtained for the railway with an in- 

 crease of distance of not more than 8 miles. In- 

 deed there are two routes open for the choice of 

 the Company; one surveyed last winter passing 

 over the Pamunkey below the junction of the 

 North and South Anna, and also passing by the 

 Bowling Green; the other, more recently surveyed, 

 crossing the branches of the Pamunkey and pass- 

 ing Avest of the Bowling Green. On each of 

 these routes, the owners of lands are generally wil- 

 ling to allow the rail road to be conducted through 

 them without any charge for the land, or any 

 claim for damages. On each there is sufficient 

 supply of timber and the distance between the two 

 is not very great. By the Bowling Green route 

 it is 59 miles, and by the other 57| miles. Some 

 further examinations will be requisite to ascertain 

 the relative expenses. 



Until the examinations are completed, the Board 

 of Directors will be unable to determine upon the 

 course the road should take from the Pamunkey \ 

 to Fredericksburg. As to the course from Rich- 

 mond to the Pamunkey, there was no difficulty in 

 deciding. A line has been fixed upon, which will 

 be equally proper whether one route or the other 

 be taken beyond the Panmnkey. Passing with- 

 in three and a half miles of the coal mines, in the 

 upper part of Henrico, the Company will be ena- 

 bled to make a branch from their road to the mines, 

 and thus bring to market a large supply of coal. 

 By this the citizens of Fredericksburg as well as 

 those of Richmond, will be essentially bene- 

 fitted. 



Fi'om tlie spirit in Avhich this enterprise is con- 

 ducted the happiest results may be anticipated. 

 Already the Board have directed the Engineer to 

 putundercontract, in December, the whole line from 

 Richmond to the Pannmkey. And in fourteen 

 months this jiortion of the road will probably be 

 in use. In conclusion, it may be remarked, that 

 every thing thus far tends to show that the quan- 

 tity of ])roduce, and articles to be transported upon 

 (he road, will be much gi-eater than was original- 

 ly supposed. Our city will derive li'om the work 

 much more benefit than is generally believed. 



A I'ROLiriC COAV. 



A rather remarkable zoological idienomenon 

 occurred upon Tuesday morning last, at the village 

 of Redding. A cov,', belonging to a woman there, 

 produced no less than four calves, (three queys 

 and a bull,) Avhich, Avith the mother, are doing 

 Avell. — Slirlinix Journal, 1834. 



