Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1872-09-13


forbids it to turn over the subject to another
tribunal for litigation or adjustment; but re.
quires it to abstract from the homestead
provision the amount of liens rightfu!ly at
taching thereto.
For the Vindicator.1
Under the SUN.
August Goth, 1872.
Mr.. Editor Impressed with the belief
that breath of air from our mountains,
would be refreshing to you in the dust and
heat OF your sanctum, and to your readers
generally in the Valley, unless the sour
grape feeling should color their judgement
L shall give you line about our famous, and
ever memorable three days Excursion into
Allegheny and Cheat Mountain. On the
morning of the LIST Of August, our party
composed of seventeen souls, gathered from
the ends of the earth, represented by Har-
risonburg, Highland and Braxton, marshall
ed our forces on the head of Jackson's Riv-
er which grows to be the James and suppl
ed with good horses, good vehicles, six tin
cups, lots Of lunch, four bottles of whiskey,
for snake bites, fiddle with man at the
bow, light hearts and thin pantaloons, start
ed with will, and yell up to Hevener's
where the little river stops Over the wind
ing and lonely grade of Little Mountain to
the top, then down with rush to Back
Greek. Here we saw Col. Rust's famous
masked battery, which would have astonished
the yankees no doubt, if there had been any
near, and after a little rest for the benefit Of
an invalid from West Va, we proceeded
over fine road to the top of middle Noun
tain and then with break neck speed down
two hundred yards, to the clear waters of
Laurel Fork, where we found the advance
guard, Miss A. and Mr.. R /, sitting on
log discussing the beauties of the rhododen.
dron. Then after the stock was watered,
and some Of the party, in drinking parlance,
wet, we took up the line of march, round
past Willfong's, where the women folks
were busy making hay,-across the line
which divides the toddling tad, called West
Va, from.its august and venerable mother,
on to the Yeager stand, where Willmoth
keeps, where like flock of ducks we swoop.
ed down to the spring of chrystal and ice
which is joy forever Then came the
lunch, and hot coffee, and tin cups, and the
chattering of the ladies' We strolled to the
old house trellised with hops enough to raise
the ghost of the old Yeagers, who used to
furnish the weary traveller with glorious
dinners of venison and trout
sect up your horses" which we never
hear without a thrill. and we soon were on
the march to the battle ground, but slowly,
and silently, for all were thinking of that
morning of sad November, when .War
Club johnson" met the invaders and hurled
them back. Ali were thinking of some
friend who bled there, and some of friends
who died. We passed the mounds, where
sleep the rear-guard of the dead, and passed
on silently till cry arose from the whole
party as one Of the grandest views Of the
continent burst upon us-mountain rising
above mountain in sublime emulation, till
sight was lost in haze of distance Whites,
and the Yankee Camp right before Ms, vet
far distant on Cheat, far to the right, thou
sand acres of sodshows how Vance and
Van Metre have rescued fair domain from
the wiids Down to the left the Valley of
Greenbank looks quiet and beautiful. Down
below, an emerald line discloses the path of
the winding Greenbrier,- shadows and sun.
light, cloud and lines Of mist, hill and val
ley, placed here and there, wherever the
immaculate genius Of an artist God would
place them
We resume our journey and soon the
party are as gay as ever. Songs and laugh
ter proclaim that fun is the order of the dav.
Down over beautiful road nine miles and
we were at Yeager's, where we earnestly
ENDURED whether seventeen christian souls.
and one fiddle, could rest under the eve pine
shingles of that neat white house. The an
swer was unsatisfactory, owing perhaps to
the presence of the 18th member OF the COM
pany. ''Ho for Burners p was then the
cry, where we were received, fiddle and
all. We never shall forget the benign ex-
preston Of the old lady's face, as we told
our troubles and wants, she first spread her
capacious wings and lowered us all After
supper (the details Of which would be unin.
teressing to the general reader) Charley
struck up the lively strains of "Big foot
niger" sect your partners and very soon
we were chasing the feeting hours with fly
ing feet. In the pause Of the dance let me
sketch our party. First the two young mat
rons, who played propriety in their own
wild way, and who, but for little whole.
some restraint exercised by their "legal
guardians" had let the young folks do as
they pleased. In corner yonder, petite
and graceful, Miss A., the popular lady"
of the party Miss B., who did not dance
gracefully and accomplished, an interested
spectator ; Miss A. G., piquant and attrac-
tive, another of the dancing quartette, firt-
ing with the Sawyer the two brown eyed
bellies of Monterey in other corners, and do.
ing likewise. In a word
Some were witty and all were wise
And seven were fair to see;
Some with ringlets all with eyes
AS sweet as eyes could be.
And Of the sterner sex
One was lover, and one lawyer,
And one the knight of the quill
Three were farmers, and one sawyer,
The other lives ''hard by the mill"
At sharp II we stopped the music and,
with the exception of little chad luck" pass
ed pleasant night. Next morning the
Sawyer piped all hands to breakfast, after
which the train started merrily up towards
the ''bridge" which was the terminus Of the
trip. At high noon we passed under its
arches. through and back Then turning
our horses loose on the fine grass, we pro-
ceeded to enjoy ourselves.
First to look at the strange and beautiful
rising from the clouds, and flowing thro'