Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1860-10-03

Tied Up To a Tree.
CorsSpondenee Of Tzs Star .-..- !. %, %
- STEAMER KEY wEsr, No Q,
a ...r- Ohio River Sept Is 1850

The BLUE SULPHuR-Ykr AsorHKR CoLoRKD
SULPHuR-''TABLE RocK'-GlRDLED TREES
-THE MARSHES OF Coal RIvRR- ABOUT
" SNAIx HKAvT TMBER R-THE CATTLE
RANG Is OF BooNK-SoReHuM-THK KANAwHA
SALISEs-AFLoAT ON THE ONO HONE
WARD bound. .s .....
Dear Star write this from the steamer "Key
West No % which is tied fast to tree about ~
miles below Parkersburg on the Ohio river, after
struggling for some hours to get over the Ravens
wood shoals. We are now waiting for the APP
Pearance Of some boat of lighter draught bound
upriver- On leaving the White Sulphur Springs
took stage for the Blue sulphur, % miles dis
tant, en- route for Raleigh C II :, psssing first the
well built (brick) county town Of 6reenbrier4
Lewisburg, Blythe way, whatdeliciously m usic
names so many OF these counties Of Virginia
have-Greenbfer for instance, Wyoming, Flu
wanna, Shenandoah, Loudoun, Dinwiddie, Spot.
syvania, FauquIer, Nansemoud, Kanawha, and
so on. For some miles the Lewisburg road fol-
lowed the line Of the proposed Covingtou and
Ohio Railroad, and apparently considerable Of
the rough work has been done Approaching
the Blue sulphur the eye Is delighte by fertile
meadows, dotted with sleek cattle, who seem
quite unequal TO the task Of keeping the rich feed
cropped down ii was one Of the pleasantest
in the mestone portions of eSeenbrer snd sn
roe, curious sinks and vanishing water courses
are noticeable In very many places.
n
gers had to content themselves with mafe-shft
dinner in consequence of the destructive fire. (of
which VOC doubtless have had particulars aud
by which the large hotel and the buildings inms
diately connected with II were entirely consumed
The Springs buildings and grounds had recently
been purchased by the Baptsts to be conyer,ed
tnIo an edneatlona, establishment. and was to
OF the buildings escaped the fire to enable tue
school TO go on, though Of course at some disad-
vantage: Al the Blue Sulphur shouldered my
MI NV mt. q, e.
Raleigh G. III. through one of the toughest and
widest portions Of Western Virginia Thirteen
miles from the Blue sulphur came to sulphur
:" Green SULPHUR" and which gives name TO
Lick Greek" which runs by 1t. Like most Of
the sulphur waters Of Virginia, it was discovered
other wild animals can detect no appreciable
difference between this spring and the White
Sulphur water Following down Lick Greek Il
struck the New River near the falls, bordered
here by bold perpendiculaF cliffs -Z l
After crossing the river entered upon some
severe mountain-climbing and finally found my
self upon that singular elevation In RALEIGH
county called s'Table Rock where mountain
table lands almost Of dead level extend fourteen
or hfteen miles In one direction by three OF four
the other. the SOIL which Is of fair quality being
underiald at the depth Of from three TO ten feet
by table Of smooth freestone rock White nine
OF size to be OF no small value as timber but for
the difficulty Of getting IL to market Ia oand here
much more aoundantiy than have seen at any
other point in western Virginia. The wastesul
practice Of clearing the land by girdling or
4. "deadening" the timber is the prevailing mode
hhere, and passed miles of such blasted trunks
~ M attending their skeleton limbs heavenward as n
q "a acc usation OF their murderers. Also | passed
.sshrough many acres Of the gigantic s-stckweed''
iolyth Its faring yellow flowers; and as in all this
arPar or the State, the woods and glades were filled
with rich Weed" !" so eagerly devoured by cattle,
and also with the wild pea-vne, another fIyorfte
Wand OF the mountain-raised stock some eight
miles past Beekley, the county seat Of Raleigh
Ton the way to Wvoming) came to another re-
hero -
eoal, extending for long distances and consisting
OF marsh and meadow lands excellent for prass
and for little else; infested by myriads of crav-l
/. hsh, which literally honeycOmb the soil and
aDounding in ehalybeate springs Picking INV
q way through the marshes strnck another hnp-
trying ascent in the Little and Big 6uyandotte
= mountains, from the top of which some mac nifl-
cent views are obtainable. - =
These mountains, and the neighboring ones of
j Walnut Gap and HuT's Mounta{n, have the disa
greeable drawback that they literally swarm with
sspoisonous snakes; and the stories 1 have heai q
<sang gdtherers relate, Of periences with rattle
.enakes and eoPPerheads, would MI book of
efhrilling adventures. One old man told of poInq
oct with his family TO the mountains on sang.
lag expedition, and, after fatiguing rambie
!, yfefnering about mountain spring to rest They
losNere sitting and lying in various attitudes and
~ Ms daugh hter (wOmaa growu) tn rew her head back
~ against the root of tree, and with ewes elosed
- was asleep, or near it. The day being warm. the
drowsy mood came over him also; but OPENING
his eyes casually, he horrified to see an enor
nous rattlesnake dragging is length across the
bare arm: Of the girl. IL required powerful
effort Of the will for the father to remain motion
less; but a moments thought satisfied him that
her salvation depended upon the serpent beinp
allowed to glide away unmolested. As soon as
the snake had passed into the under brus the pary
was brought 10 its feet by the cry Of the fstter.
and though the snake was pursoed and Killed The
man said no act Of his life ever cost him so much
pal n since IL had spared the life OF his child :
deaf old man while repairing fence, was
bitten again and again by ratilesnake, and died
almost Immediately. He did not hear the warn
line att AL a. ~
Il faEgs which he felt, Were nothing more than the
.prie king Of the briars among which be was
Eerking The testimony Of the mountaineers is
- the eject that the rattlesnake does not inva-
risbly give warning before striking; also that
afPents do no, hiss somewhat vexed question
From the numerous Instances hear stated here
snskss, copperheads, and other reptiles den To-
Retber harmoniously In winter. Some wagoners
4shding their eampnr on ledgy ground upon
walnut Gap Mountain. found they had located
their quarters over a big snake rendezvous They
killed many OF the hideous reptiles as they
emerged from their heated quarters but finally
tpey appeared fE guch astonishing numbers that
tbe wagoners, though by no means seayv about
!, RIakes, thought it prudent to beat a retreat 7
q Passing down the Clear Pork OF the 6uyandotte
Unto the northern portion Of Wyoming county, 4
\ sssir1ck again the heavy belt Of timber, already
noticed, IA the lower part of the county. immense
poPlars tthe Eastwood, take il, II the Eastern
tatsl lord it the trees Of the forest as does
's'fhe pine in Maine and Carolina; and by the way
,-the timber Of this soft wooded tree Is used here
lsssy generally as substitute fos white pine for
Inside work, furniture, &c. This tree is used FOR
gunwales OF hong boats and il Is uncousn,on 10
get them ont ig9 feet La length from trunks
Il Diyerging from the fork Of the Guyaadotte and
reentering the county Of Boone by the w alnut
Gap road, or rather bride path, the timber con
tRues OF size to astonisn the traveller and be
notes also the pfofusioa of herbage throllg hour
a the woods, which gives this Country the prece-
: dence as ranging land (noantzin) for cattle
I was puzzled fof a while by q sort Of eider-mill-
looking affair met with along the road and ascer.
hined that they were used for crushing the
Chinese sugar cane which Ia raised to a consider
' able extent In Western Virginia, and which the
81 farmefs seem To think favorably Of --s-. -
4 In returning to the kanawha Il came upon II
llhe riverl at the Saines ten miles above Charles
!. tOwn, place having decidedly business-like
:. look. The salt IL manufactured here by boiling
Sud have seen none in this region made by solar
Il fevapofuiton- The wells sunk here 10 a great
$40 20 :, 30 feet-and the p~sroleum
oil = found In them more les, indicating its
rence In the neighborhOod; aad Ibelieve one
Al fen OF sufrclent size TO pay fos working has
49, opened az MoiAsn, ays miles siove Chsrles-
eePY9.f From the s4f res came down 10 the Ohio
rf@ rfua< l.<s~4