Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1850-08-29


My horse had cast shoe, aud stopping
about sunset, at a blacksmith's cabin in one
of the most savage passes of the Alleghanies,
a smutty-iaced, leather-aproned fellow, was
soon engaged in putting his feet in order, to
encounter the finty roads of the mountains,
when the operation was interrupted in the man.
ner here related:
Pardon me, sir, cried a middle aged trav-
eler, riding up to the Smithy, and throwing
himself from his horse, Just as the shaggv-head-
ed valcan, having taken the heels af nv nag in
his lap. was proceeding 10 pare off the hoof,
preparatory TO fitting the shoe, which he had
wrought into shape and thrown upon the black
soil beside him Pardon me'-repeated the
stranger, raising his broad-brimmed beaver
from head remarkable for what the phrenolo-
gist would call the uncommon developement of
ideality,' revealed by the locks which parted
over pair of melancholy grey eyes matters
of moment make i; important for me 10 be
dozen miles hence before nightfall, and you
will place me, sir, under singular obligations,
by allowing this good fellow to attend my beast
Immediately
The confident, and not ungraceful manner in
which the stranger threw himself upon my
courtesy, sufficiently marked him as man of
breeding, and |, of course, complied with his
request by giving the necessary order to the
blacksmith. His horse was soon put In travel
ing trim, and lcaping actively into the saddle,
he regained the highway at bound check
ing his course then moment, he turned in his
stirrups to thank me for the slight service
had rendered him, and giving an address,
which have now forgotten, he added that if
ever ] should enter -'s valley, | might
be sure of cordial welcome from the proprie-
tor.
An hour afterwards l was pursuing the
same road, and rapidly approaching the end of
my days journey. The immediate district
through which | was travelling, had been set
tied by Germans in the early days of Penn
sylvania - scattered community that had
been thrown somewhat in advance Of the more
slowly extended settlements. In populousness
and fertility it did not compare with the regions
on the eastern side of the mountains but the
immense stone bars, which though few and far
between occasionally met the eye, not less than
the language spoken around me, indicated that
the inhabitants were Of the same origin with
the ignorant but Industrious denizens of the
lower county. One of these stone buildings
an enormous ediiice, stood upon a hill imme-
diately back of the Wolfswald hotel-a miscr-
able wooden hovel where | was to pass the
highland while descending the hill in the
rear of the village, had leisure to observe
that it presented somewhat different appear
ance from the other agricultural establishments
of the kind which had met with during the
day. The massive walls which were pierced
here and there with narrow windows, which
looked like hoop holes, and a clumsy chimney
had been fitted up by some unskilltul mechanic
against one of the gables, with prodigality
of materials which made its Jagged top show
like some old turret, in the growing twilight.
The history of this grotesque mansion, as
subsequently learned it, was that of hundred
generally in the neighborhood as Smith, or
'Thompson's folly Ii had been commenc-
ed upon an ambitious scale, by person whose
means were inadequte to its completion and
had been sacrificed at public sale when half
finished, in order to liquidate the claims of the
mechanics employed upon it. After that it
had been used as granary for awhile, and
subsequently, being rudely completed without
any reference TO the original plan, it had been
occupied as a hotel for few years. The ru-
inous inn had, however, for a long period been
abandoned, and now enjoyed the general repu-
tation in the neighborhood of being haunted
for the gibbons are always sure to take a big
house off a landlords hands, when he can get
no other tenant.
We havt no room pfor mynheer,' said
mine host, Peter Scmidtson, laying his hand
on my bride as | rode mp to the door of a cab
aret near this old building while three or four
wagoners, smoking their pipes upon bench
in front of the house, gave a grunt of confr-
nation to the frank avowal of Peter. was
too olu d otdSCi, Ao"CNCi W pO S'iilihidiHy
turned away from an inn at such an hour; and
throwing myself from my horse without furth
er parley, | told the landlord to get some sup
per, and we would talk of lodging afterward.
7 1t matters not how | got through the even
ing until the hour of bed time arrived. | had
soon ascertained that every bed in the hostelrie
was really taken up, and that unless / choose
TO share his straw with one of the wagoners.
who are accustomed to sleep in their lumber
ing vehicles, there was no resource for me. ex-
cept to occupy the lonely building, which had
first caught my eye upon entering the hamlet.
Upon inquiring as to the accommodation it afford
ed. learned that, though long deserted by any
permanent occupants, it was still occasionally,
notwithstanding its evil reputation, resorted to
bv the passing traveller, and that one or two of
the rooms were yet in good repair and partial
ly furnished The good woman OF the house,
however, looked very portentous, when ex-
pressed my determination to take up my abode
for the night in the haunted ruin--though she
tried, Intellectually, to rouse her sleeping hus-
band to guide me thither. Mine host had been
luxuriating too freely in some old Monongahe-
la, brought by a return wagon from Wheeling,
to heed the Jogging of his spouse, and was
obliged to act as my own gentleman-usher.
Tho ninht was dark and ouStr, ,s ,,,;,L 49,,