The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1869-05-27
Random ThOughts...NO. 2I.
BY THE EDITOR.

The landscape in every direction around
Ja' k,on, as viewed from the top of the Court
House. or from any other elevated pos it ion, Is
Que of the most beautiful in the United States.
and this beautiful scenery loses none Of its
charms by near approach, Within three miles
of the Court House thcre is q region of country
as wild and romantic as any in West Virginia.
On last Saturday morning, taking my rife
aud basket well stocked with ammunition and
provisions, went to the woods. Istartcd down
The Pikcton road. The coal bank between
Jackson and Diamond Furnace, known as the
Slope, has not been operated for more than
year and half There are several families ly-
ing in the houses at Diamond Furnace, but the
Furnace buildings are entirely gone. The Fur
nsce stack itself Is more than half thrown down.
It will never be fitted up again as an iron
furnace.
crossed Salt Crock nearly opposite the resi-
dence Of John L. Long, short distance below
Diamond. Just above the place where crossed,
the water makes considerable fall, over the
western out-crop Of the Salt Rock. 1t Is said
that in this rock, when the creek was nearly dry,
the Indians dug holes, which filled with salt
water, which they used, and when the white
men came here they thus discovered this to be
salt region.
went north up hollow, then over a high
hill, and struck Salt Creek near the resid.uce of
Boone, colored man. Here was the widest
scenery. Cliffs of rock made up of pebbles,
we're sixty feet high, and hemlOck, laurel, and
common pine thiekly covered them, slanting
out over the cliffs, making romantic picture
against the sky above. On the rich creek bot,
tom was o thick growth Of elm birch, maple,
&C., and the papnw, wild cucumber, splce-wood
&C., and then may-apple, bIood-root, rat tie
weed pea-vlne &C. went on down this creek
to the old Crlswiscr or Crooks MILL This is the
place where the Chlllicothe road strikes the
creek, and Is just below the place where Prof
Mather built his house, and resided during
several years. At the place where the mill once
Stood (now all traces Of 1t are gone except
pair of stones, only about two feet In dIameter,)
there is considerable fall In the creek. Here
Mr.. Mikesel, his son, Mr.. Exline, and another
young man were fishing with a seine. They
drew out several pretty good fish.
went about mile farther down the creek,
where met three of the boys from the STAN
DARD Office, who had gone out the day before,
and who had camped out, hunting and fishing
on the way. We all came back to the creek,
about half mile above the Crooks mill, to the
place OF the previous nights encampment Tho
creek here Is deep, without any apparent current
and Is about sixty feet wide. On the east side
where theyhnd enCamped, is ledge of rocks. and
at their foot, and near the creek, under great
hemlock, was their campfire. Here we had
dinner. During dinner, wild ducks and snipe
were seen on the creek The boys had caught
some very fine fish, one bass being nineteen
inches long.
On the way home came by the old fort, on
the high hill, in the woods, In the great bend Of
Salt Creek. 1t Is level place, and Is q thicket of
oak trees, foot or less In diameter. The fort
Is square, and laid out east and west, north and
south. Each side is one hundred feet long
The ridge of dirt is yet four feet high, and the
ditch, which Is on the inside, is three to four
leet ueep' IL must nave been great work when
made, as II Is perhaps more than a thousand
years old, and must have filled up much since IL
was used. In the centre of the east side there
Is space Of some ten feet where there Ia no
ditch. This has evidently been the entrance
was at this fort In the summer of 1857. Mar
tin Owens took me there to show 1t to me. He
also showed me an old graveyard between the
fort and the Salt Well, some where on the hill
There was one tomb stone | remember, which
showed that the party haA died In the year 1901
| tried again, on last Saturday, to find this old
grave ,ard, but did not succeed. d. NJ.