The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1870-08-05

woods. The antlered buck and scream
ing panther stalked around his camp with
an air of curiosity as if wondering what
his presence could mean, yet proud of
their native freedom, and unconscious of
their deadly foe What a magnificent
prospect was spread out before the pioneer
that calm summer EVENING" Flowers of
every hue and odor, and bright speckled
trout, flirting the crystal waters with their
glittering fins, met his enraptured vision.
4 y
Two Indian tribes, the Cherokees and
Shawnees, frequented Southwestern Vir-
ginia at the time Burk explored the wilds.
He was an excellent hunter and a pioneer
OF the Daniel Boone style and buffalo, elk
md deer were quite numerous in the Gar
den at this period, rs wild pea-vine and
bluegrass grew five or six feet high from
mountain to mountain
Burk' Garden is depre ,sion in Clinch,
one of the largest, longest, toughest and
highest mountains in Virginia and is eight
miles long and five wide. its surface is
probably 500 feet higher than the country
outside of the mountain encircling it, and
naturally as rich, perhaps, as any in the
world. Although there are some three or
four roads now leading into it, for many
years there was but one, and that through
the only gap in the mountain, an outlet
worn by the stream swollen into consider
able dimensions by the numerous springs in
the Garden. Those who are best acquain-
ted with Burk's Garden, suppose it to have
been lake at some far-back period, as the
soil is evidently alluvial, very much like
that OF the saline basin in this county,
which was partially covered with water as
late as 1905 But whether alluvial or not,
the Mississippi bottoms do not excel it in
fertility 1t is rather cold for corn, but
rye ana oats grow to an almost fabulous
height, and no spot of earth produces finer
potatoes and turnirs. The timber in the
Garden consists principally of oak, linn,
sugar-maple and wild cherry, all immense
ly large. Senator Johnston informs me
that he rode up by the side of fallen
| white-oak that lay flat upon the ground,
ana That 1T was as high as his head when
on horse back-not less than nire feet in
diameter. Many of the wild cherries are
fourand five feet in diameter, with trunks
from SO to so feet without limb. The
top of the encircling mountain, also very
rich, is covered with dense growth of
beech and balsam. The mountain, both
inside and out, is steep and rugged, but
the Garden is comparatively level from
base to base, and filled with pure, bold
and everiowing springs of rs cold water
as ever leaped from the earth. There is
one spring in the western end of the valley
40 feet in diameter, and so deep that its
| bottom has never been sounded, although
weights have been let down into it with
fathoms of rope. But this is no novelty
here, as there are many springs of this sort
III Southwestern Virginia. There Isl gen
eral belief through this country that there
are neither venomous reptiles nor flies in
Burk's garden, but this is mistake. -
There are a few of each quite ms many AZ
necessary. Like White Top, however, the
mountain inclosng the Garden is alive
with snow-birds during the summer, where
they build their nests and rear their YOUNG.
Taken altogether, sup one side and down
the other" presume there is no spot upon
this green earth that eXcels Burk's Garden
for the propagation of stock, as all the
| grasses that grow there are spontaneous,
nutritious and abundant and it is so shell
tered by the mountains that environ it, that
storms are rare and the pasturage fresh and
! green the year round. Its elevation, of
course, gives it cool and highly rarefed
atmosphere, and hence it is healthy. In
deed, it is said that persons rarely die there
from ordinary diseases, but live till worn
down by the weight ofycars, and merely step
out OF this world into the next without
suffering or the aid of Doctor. 1t is said,
| but will not vouch for its truth, that
| they had to kill a man to start grave yard
Ihnrn 10 N Of
| it, but the rlls from the numerous springs all
come together at the only gap and form a
considerable creek, which goes leaping and
dashing down the precipitous and rocky
mountan-side, with a wild and noisy rush,
as if glad to find its way into the outer
| world.
As an illustration of the beauty and en-
chantment of Burk's Garden, even before
art had added anything to Nature, may
here relate an incident There was gen
tleman living in what is now Wythe coun-
ty, in the early settlement of the country,
by the name of Yose, who, having heard
of the fertility of that quiet little Valley
nestled among the mountains, visited it on
one occasion to see it for himself and was
so perfectly captivated by it that he de-
termined to remove to it at once and make
it his home With this determination full
ly matured, he returned and apprised his
wife of his purpose. Woman like, she at
once found many obstacles, not the least
of which was, that she did not want to be
isolated from all the rest of the world.
He reasoned the case with her, spoke of
the glorious range, the gorgeous wild flow
ers, the cool bright waters that leapt from
innumerable fountains, the gold-bespan-
gled trout that sported in its crystal rills,
and above all of the blossom laded trees
that filled the air with d fragrance sweeter
than that of Paradise. At last she consen-
ted to at least pay the place visit. They
mounted their horses and went. 1t was in
the month of May, when Nature is array
ed in her richest garments. The valley
was filled with wild crab trees, all in full
bloom, which, with their beauty as we'll as
delightful fragrance, so charmed her that
she resisted no longer, but exclaimed in her
ecstacy, "This is the very place for us, old
man, let's go back and pack up and move
at once before somebody else takes posses
sion"
They moved to it in a very short time,
were among the first settlers, and the old
lady was living there not many years ago,
and to the day of her death would not have
exchanged her delightful locality for any
save Eden itself
| 10, II II. n,