Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1858-03-02


CAPT. pOPE'S PINE TREE-AND IT'S HERO.
The public ia often amazed with "rs:es high life;
seldom with those Of t..s h.g.- Voc 4:a.it SIo live
by "the sweat Of the brow" as t. re saith.
purpose to make known feat n--l for daring
courage aud indomitable will, surpes, those of Put
nam with his wolf and Ingraham -. bis Austrans
at Smyrna for which they received An exultant ma
TONS praise. Some 60 70 years ago. Capt. William
Pope The very pink of revolutionary chvslry and 30
liability, who figures so merrily and commercially
in that most entertaining work, "Kennedy's life OF
William Writ settled in the very centre OF the coun.
ty of Powhatan. Near his spacious mansion, which
yet survives the wreck ofme, and is one of The most
lovely places in all that beautiful region OF country
there grew very tall and stately pine. As it WAS fru
" the monarch of the forest, the "woodman apared
bis axe land permitted it to peer aloft in the open
field
Like some tnll cliff that lifts lie awful form,
swes from the vale and midway leaves the storm
Tho rolling clouds around its breast are spread,
Eternal sunshine gtters on its head"
This noble tree, Captain Pope csused to be nicely
trimmed to within ten twelve feet of lite top, more
than half century ago, and as II grew near the sum.
nit of the high lands. between the AppomattoI and
James rivers lite lofty top might be above the
surrounding forest for great dstanca Ii was called
Captain Popes pine" and is alluded to more than
once in the letters Of William Writ published in Mr..
Kepnedy's book above referred to. The fret man
who trimmed it, was Mr.. Pleasant Farley ne died in
Powhatan but two years ago, nearly ninety years ut
age In process of time, many huge limbs grew ont
again and the tree losing its trim and stately FORM pre-.
scented rough and ragged appearance. So, the IN o
erandsons of Captain Pope who now own the place. d.
ermued after hs DEATH and attribute of affection for
his memory, to have tbis famous tree disDcumbered
again from ts ponderous and outrageous branches.
But, for long time, no Don QuiInte could be found,
with heart willing to encounter the hazards of such
mighty scheme of "knght errantry as it seemed to
be. But, at last, one who was no Don Quxote. but
modest yet resolute young man, born and reared IN
the neighborhood, did come forth, 10 achieve the tri
umph. His name is Napoleon NJ. Aston. The limbs
grew in irregular clusters and between them We're
open spaces of various extent, presenting nothing but
the smooth bark and body Of the Tree The body near
the ground WAS too large for him grasp so ladder
was brought, TO help him TO the first cluster Of limbs
Lashing on his Ratchet and handsaw he commenced
the ascent Without much trouble, he rose to The mp
most limb of this cluster, but here was HI appalling
difficulty before him. Nothing danntsd, however and
disdaining to surrender, "accoutred IA hs wAa he
applied his strsng sneTy limbs to iha talk and UP he
went to the next cluster and go on from one TO all
other, until he appeared almost to no getting out OF
sight. A bystander, might we'll have exclaimed;
Up to the sky, lie mounts, he mounts.
And as he goes, seems less snd lees
Forgets the Earth, and all it's louns,
To pierce tho realms Of blesaedness
o, what magnificent yiew of the rolling glores OF
the Blue Ridge, hundred miles off! Had he been
poe,ica ike Campbell, lie might have asked himself
the question
"Why to yon mountain turn the musing eye,
Whose sunbright summit minsles with the sky q
But hn had gone there not TO muse. but Ia work,
not to survey the expsnse Of creation but 10 Trim the
tree aud right at il h. went, with zest,) CONNER
cling at the old place Of trimming, and coming down
ward. When he got to the lowest limb Of the upnost
cluster, new and yet rcors appalling danger present
ed itself. While cutting the limb with his right hand,
he had nothing TO stand on, and nothing to hold by
with his left baud cave to clasp the slick and slippery
bark of the tree Had the frai bark yielded, the
muscles of either leg twtcled or relaxed, his precipi
taton and destruction would have been as signal as
that of Phstop and hs chariot down the milky way"
Of the skies. But although his difficulties and pers
Increased all the way down. in proportion TO the in.
creased eize of the limbs and tree, yet e proceeded
with bold hand and fesrle heart to sever limb
by limb, and cluster after cluster until he completed
his work, occupying, in the whole operation about
four consecutive hour,, when he descended TO his
mother esrth-right glad. doubt, tina, he had done
his work, and got safely back TO this lower world
With an army of $40 such men as he, Col johnson
could take Brigham Young and his Mormon soldiers
in double quick tme and, if need be, Gen. Lane and
all his neg rophobia shriekers, 10 boot.
A SOUTH SIDER.