The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-08-23
pxxor,. Cove some Accos"s oi
First settler.

:. ,he county OF Amherst, and but few
IL III rom the intersection of North and
I',,,os rivers, surrounded on all sides by
,,,nrntains of stupeudous height and per-
nnnJicIlIar cliffs of gran!te, lies a body OF
t.nd several hundred acres in extent,
known Us Pryor's Cove. The distinctive
TEXTURES Of this locality are, an exceedingly
fertile soil, different growth from that
surrounding it--nearly all the trees being
chestn,lt-and its remotene>s from any
settlement, road, or even path. 1T
cannot be approached, except on one
tide, without walking down grace
Mt least two miles, and through the
narrow opening on the side alluded TO
4 considerable stream OF water mas An OUT
LET over the bluffs, and in lis rapid descent
forms innumerable waterfalls. IL IS ore OF
the most lonely and awc-inSplrlng local.
Lies of he Blue Ridge, being at the present
d,y several miles from the nearest settle
meut. II is true that there was once Initc
4 respectable clearing and log cai'ln about
the centre of the tract, but the timber Il
now rs large there aS elsewhere III the VI
cin,ty. and the Ouly remaining evidence OF
the place having ever been inhabited Il
found in the little pile Of stones and DIRT
which marks the spot upon which the
chimney stood. ,,,
This settlement was made by William
PRYOR nearly hundred years ago. lie was
one Of natures nohlemen, il stranger 10
fear. and a natural hermit. He removed TO
his ou,-of-the-way Place simply for the
love of if. and for many years resided IN lts
soil, Ides entirely alone. He was never so
happy as when he felt that there was no
buulan being within Ten miles OF his hahi-
tatiop. and the sight of fresh footprint or
he report of hunters file was quite sui
fiient 10 arouse his wrath, and keep it
warm for an entire week. Indeed. he gem
orally contriycd some plan to frighten away
everybody that dared to trespass upon his
domain, and many ludcrous stories are
told of his skill in this respect. When,
however, Il moumtainecr appeared 1T his
cabin he was sure of courteous treatment,
but "Old Buck" as Pryor was univ rally
called, always broke up the interview when
he commenced feeling bored by abruptly
exclaimng Good bye, SIR
IL must not be supposed that old Buck
settled The Cove with the view of culltlvat-
ing the soil on the contrary, he did Just
enough of farming to give his premises the
appeurancc of being occupied by Il human
being, depending almost entirely upon ms
rifle for s,l,tenauce. Bears, deer, aud wild
turkeys, were 80 plentiful as To be taken in
treat numbers, and the chici trouble was
To keep them out Of his garden and cabin.
The locality was Il t;rorlle resort OF bears
in the fall of the year, for then they came
i'm large numbers to feed upon Tie chest
nuts, with which the ground was covered:
About this time. too, hunters from all
directions came to shoot the bears, and
would sometimes cncamp in the noun
tuins. during which time old Buck was
always i'm il-humOr. He was something OF
Il ycntriloqui.t. and could initiate the howl
ing of the wolf and the scream of the cata-
mount TO perfection. This talent was
turned to practical account whenever an
opportunitv was offered, and he broke up
many Il camp of intruders by imprcSsing
them with the belief that the cliffs were full
of savage brutcs thirsting for their blood.
II this trick failed, he would discharge his
rifle, lodging the bullet in very uncomtorta-
bic proximity to their heads, and by ra-
pidIy shifting his position, create the i'm
Dl eSSion that the mountains were inhabited
bv IN organized band of mllrdererS. Ills
cabin door was always open, whether he
WAS ut home or not. and he Frequently
spent several consecutive days III the woods,
slcepiuSat night on the ground, and watch
ing the movements Of the other hunters.
Nobody had keener sense Of the ludl-
crous, and scarcely anybody else would Ia
the ,InSu>pcctin9 victim.
A favoritc pastime Of old Buck was tue
making of bears tracks in the soft dlrt,
which he did with the foot OF an aulnai
killed by himself, and generally when he
knew other hunters were in the vicinity.
In this wly he would lead them many miles
over the stccpest and toughest portions OF
that wild country, and sometimes break
them down completely. AS he was IL pra' :
ticed woodman, he had not much diilltuity
in concealing bis own footprints, and as the
custom in those days was to hunt without
dogs. his victims were naturally enough
.taken iu' by the joke.
Another species Of amusement very dear
to him was the haras>ing of the fishermen
who sometimes visited the streams in the
vicinity and it must be confessed that it
would not be very pleasant, even at the
nresent day, for fisherman to tiud huge
Stone suddenly dropped, apparently from
the clouds. into the water by his side,
splashing mud and pebbles into his face. Ii
rarely required more than two or three
such demonstrations from old Buck to in.
duce the fisherman to drop his "pole,
and decaDp us rapidly as his legs could
carry him. Then the old man would roll
over OH the ground, conyulSed with laugh.
ter, and amply paid for all his trouble. He
was a jolly, gOod-hearted old fellow up Il
the day of his death, and despite his rough
and uncouth ways, respected by every.
body.-Lynchbug Republican.