Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1860-09-25
OEFERRED CORRESPONDENCE,
Under the knapsnck.

Under the knapsack.
COrrssPoadsHes Of TA> Star. ....... .....-
Nxw RIrzk, Mercer County, Va,
September :, 1sG0.
HINTS ru PEDksfRIANs-A HosfITAhIE PEOPLE
How rRKT SLEsP IN Tnk Mot xrAISs-.'GAL Is
In THE BEDRooNr-rnH VALLEY OF TEE Up
Fzx GuvkNp"TrE-PRKrTY FERRrvoMAS-IN
TIE MOUNTAINS -MsRcKR CouSTY-vIKws
FOE PAfNFER.
Dssr Star: Permit me to answer through your
columns several inquiries as 70 che proper mode Of
equipment for such n sesni.pedes,rian trip as that
of mine this season. use the gutta- percha army
knaPsaek (which answers well, except that the
sraps are srittle) and endeayoft TO bring the whole
weight Of It's contents under twelve pounds. The
kRapssck can be carried az readily by hand as
carpet bag for railroad or steamboat travel, can
be fastened with great facility behind the saddle.
aId is just the thing for pedestrian travel The
articles needed three Shirts three or four pairs
of stockings light oil-slk cape, pair of thin shoes
for change, ditto coat and pantaloons fannels,
pocket map, needle and thread, bit Of tallcw can
die to grease walking shoes (Which should be
stout and extra large), adhesive plaster, shoe
laeings (ofleather) pocket compass toilet articles
CASTLE and windsor soap, matches. writing and
sketcning rna.efI.is, ETC., etc Thus equipped
one ..,e,y may sssei from Maine to Mexico twice as
Independent as a lord"
In rryeling these thinly-settled districts there
Is f1cY Zest and ivor about ri psey sort of din
Eer, supplied by ones own resources; kindlihg a
IRE and cooking roasting ear and sweet potato,
borrowed from the nearest field, with a iuicy
peach or baked apple as dessert On one occssion
when had got entangled at dusk in the ma,es
OF some blind bride paths, and not eating to set
my foot on rattlesnake OF copperhead i'm the
dark-for this II ''snaky country',-I stopu-d
In my tracks, built mp blazing wood are and a
snug bush shelter, and was almost sU;ry whrn
some hospitaole people came by and invited me
to less primitive quarters for the niebt Ist me-
say here tnat these rude nountaineefs are the salt
of h. A1rth fr,. n 49,
pl ane Sa.In IN a! .ee particulars Of kindness and
hospisallty 10 the stranger Food and shelter sDch
as tney have, Were avSays readily Afforded and
payment reluctantly accepted sometimes utterly
IeIuseo. one II my entertainers, who refused
com pensducs.I with the air Of prince, and whose
shtLs ees Shly possessions should not value at an
hahar cd dollars, said, "I suppose thsy charge a
suf-hser for meal or nights lodging in WASH
thsy did
The houses (log) are generally small, the msrest
cabins, the families generally large; and how we
usually the thought uppermoss In my mind But
IT was always managed somehow. At one place
7 shared the bed CT the elder son Of the house
and on retiring II struck me that there were
good msny gowns and things hanging about the
cnsmeef, but supPosing the room might be sort
- family wardrobe, and feeling moreover par
aculniy sleepy, did not bother my head much
about the matter, and was soon In the land Of
dreems-was awakened In the morning by a te-
mendous pounding at the door, and a shrill, boy
ho voice shounng."Yeou s'frony-Ann, Matil.
Tninks young man you are at the wrong
door; but the clatter was kept up until II reused
my oed-fellow, who raised himself on his elbow
and called out In the direction OF a bed that /
now Perceived was inhabited-"Gals, why don't
..Yeou git up" came family back from the
other bedclothes.
Big brother paused q moment in some perplex-
tty, then to me-"Stranger, suppose you kiver
yure head up about minnit," adding, apologet-
tcslly, "these gals are confounded notional -
"Now. gals, pick up yer duds and scoot. ." And
they did scoot; i meantime, keeping my head
teiigiously under the bedclothes, until they were
fairly out of the room. Some young men, / be-
lieve, would have been mean enough to peep-I
trust am above such an act
The valley Of the GuYandotte, never very wide
parrovs towards Its head to the merest strip; so
that farm, to be OF any size must run for an ir
definite extent along the stream, and thus mans
c'rn-held is not unfrequently four or nve miles
from his hous@. The bride -path-the only road
here-is obliged also to accommodate itself to the
eHgency. and, when the mountain cliff juts into
the stream crosses 70 the other shore Horses ford
at these crossings, but the foot-raveler must de-
pend for his psssage upon the log - sduy.outs -
which, with their bark-rope fastenings, are quite
feature upon these streams. Ofleaer than net,
these canoes fastened upon the wrong side OF
the stream, and 1t Is requisite to exercise ones
lungs till the mountains echo again, 10 bring
somebody TO the rescue AT the junction Of Jose
creek and "Guyan" came'at nightfall to such
crossing, and while listening to the echoes, many
times repeated, following my halo, was surprised
BY the vision or such another graceful ferry
woman as met the g~1s Of lame. Fiz James
(ride " Lady Of the Lake'') at Ellen's Island As
she tripped down the bank, and, unmoor NO the
canoe stepped in with easy balance and dipping
the paddle lightly shot swiftly across, l thought
had never seen the poetry Of motion and grace OF
female form better exempliied than In this noun
tain girl She was the daug hter of the postmaster
at the Creek, Wiley Phillips, Esq, } learned
They never took pay" she said, ss for setting
people across" though, from the numbers pass
Ing, IL must be a serious tax upon their time, |
should suppose. In Mr.. Phillips | found another
-
His house was so crowded on my arrival, with
officers Of the county regiment Of militia on their
way % a drill, that was almost afraid to prefer
nv REQ uest for entertainment for the night But
in ave minutes | found myself thoroughly at
home, by blazing nre, mot bad thing at night
here master Of all the house, orchard, bee hives,
dairy and sPring-house could afford novelty
to me the candles Of ight-wood"-long,
thin splinters Of pitch pne-which we had here,
and which illuminsd the house equal to gas.
I notice that every man is his own tanner In
these parts. The commonest sly hit lima q liable Is
log trough containing tan liquor of oak or heul-
lock bark, which hide is In soak for the future
leather of the family.
On leaving the 6 Guyandotte to strike through the
mountains 10 this point the country became poorer
at every step, chestnut timber, indicative Of
thin soil, being the prevailing growth. The path
was again and again blocked up with the fallen
Limbs and trunks Of this brittle tree. Mercer
cosnty found TO be q continuation Of this poor
grasely stretch Of land, though there rich bot
toms Blue Stone and the New river. Pine
growth began 70 make Its appearance pretty ex-
tensively, though no timber Of any size was notice
able
In descending the Great Flat Top mountain
towards New river, Upper kanawha,) the most
magnificent spread Of scenery imagi ole opens
upon the view. The road is 30 out Of the way OF
the travelling public that doubt IL the eye Of
artist ever rested upon this wonderful display Of
Inountain, valley, and water combined. Should
nay member Of the pencil and palette family
chance In the neig borhood, Let me recommend
10 his notice one other pon: Of view, and that Is
from the Walnut Cap Of Huf's mountain,
north Of Wyoming Court House. c. 8. N.
Meeting Of the Grand Lodge, 1. o. o. r In