Daily Iowa State Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1859, 1859-02-09

Hurricane Hall is large old family man
sion. built OF dark. red sandstone, IN one Of
the lone.iest and widest of the mountain
regions Of V rginia.
The estate is surrounded on three eides by
range OF steep. gray rocks, spiked with
clumps Of DIX evergre-ns. and called, from
ia horseshoe form, the Devils Hoof
On the fourth side the ground gradually
descends in broken rock and barren soil to
the edge OF the wild mountain sire im know n
as the ID, vii Run.
When storms ar d floods were high, the
loud roaring OF the wind through the wild
mountain gOrges. and the terrific aging of
the torrent over its r. cky course. gave TO
,hi. eavage locality its iiI-omened names Of
Devils Hoof. Devils Run and Hurricane
Hall.
Major Ira Warfeld, the lonely proprietor
OF the Hall. was veteran officer, who. in
disgust at what he supposed to he i'll requit-
ed services, hal r. tired from public lite 10
spend the evening of his vigorous age on
this his patrimonial estate Here he lived
in sec us'on with his old fashioned house
keeper. Mira Condiment, and his old family
servants and his favorite dogs and horace
Here his mornings were usually spent in the
chase. in which he exctlled, and his after
moons and evenings were occupied in small
convivinl .suppers among his few chosen
compancils Of the chase or the bottle.
In person NJ jor Wariield was tall and
strongly built, reminding one Of sorne old
irOn-ljmbed Douglas Of the olden time. His
features were large and marsh, HE complex
ion dark red, as that Of one bronzed by long
exposure aud flushed with strong ..rink.
His fierce dark grey eyee were .urnounted
by thics heavy black brow., that. when
gathered into .rown reminded one of a
THUNDER cloud. as the flashing orbe beneath
thsD. di1 u ligninIng He hard, harsh face
~a< s1trpaniei by thick growth IL iron
2f&J hsif @L> trad that mt baneath his
ts+s.. Ia esas la.it was a black cloth
~ss;, @sysaes. see sisek leather breeehes.
~. ,as.x 60 si-ek.Dgr, fsrt~Ded At the
tt@ss, 40 a.4sr~or. slippers with silver
W atss
: ssssesa&s ~ - Wssfeld was AFRO
ssos. s.vsssa.ass;-sx ss.l rlolsDt-equally
lvssr ss-S @srs< - 40 faithful old fan iiy
s'rss@aa e. ta@at~-r.,s..ksf ard dreaded by
~ .sIs.s<1s ss.f su..sihianess abroad,
shs. l~ssAy f,.,~r bic soes~ and partly from
tls sssssacs<y, hxsf pf<,n bin the spUropri
st% Nickname III GLD ucsglcAsK.
There wa. however, other ground Of dis
Ike bssid-s that Of his arrogant mind. VIC.
lent ter per aud dcmineering haLits. Old
Hurricane was said to be an old bach lor.
ys; rurnor Whispered that there was Ia some
of'scurs part Of the world, hidden away
from human sight, deserted wife and child,
poor. forlorn and hear broken. IL was fur.
ther whisper ed that the elder brother of Ira
Warfield had mysteriously disappeared, and
not without some suspicion of foul play on
the part of the only person in the world who
had strong interest in bis taking of. F"
However these things might be, it was
known for a certainty that Old Hurricane
had an only sister, widowed, sick ard poor
Who with her son dragged on . wretched
life OF lil-requ'ted toll. severe privation and
painful inhrmity, in distant city, unsought
and uncsred for BY her cruel brother.
AZ 1t was the night of the last dsv Of Octo.
Der. 1e45. The evening had closed in yerv
dark and gloomy. About dusk the wind
arose in the north west, driving up masses o.
ieaden hued clouds, and in . few minute.
the ground was covered deep with snow
and the air was filed with driving sleet
4 = As this was All Hallow Eve. the dreadfu
inc'e"ency Of the weather did not proven,
the negroes Of Hurricane He'll from evailins
themselves Of their capricious old master
permission. and going off in q BODY to ,
banjo breakdown held In the negro ~. rter
Of their next neighbor.
Upon this evening, then, there vas LEFT n
Hurricane Hall only Major warAeld. Nh
Uond'meat bic little old housskeepsr. sn(
Wool, HE body servant ~
| xatly 10 the evening" The old hall vaa sh.,
up els1*ly. . tssp 80 - uueh g peeeIhi1
- ooooo ee the 6eoe0 that toofo1 {hsnnei
W 0eonoolA ohaine ~ eooos1nSsS 81,