Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-07-15
SUMNER WANDERINGS.
4 Nashville Angler in the Mountains
Of West Virginia.


Snrtnes-CaIIed Home Again.
NEW RIVER WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS,
WeStVa.. July 10, 1S74.-Dear -: Soon
after. | wrote you, we hurried on from the
Old Red Sulphur Springs, the place loved
so mucb when boy, and reached Peters
town. a pretty little village beautifully sit
mated 1.-THE base of Peters Mountain, one
~ the ranges Of the AlleghanieS, thence to
the narroWs of New River, where the tor
rents of this powerful mountain river,
thousands Of years ago, burst through the
mountaius. leaving cliffs on either side
reaching to the clouds. The scenery here
Is rough and romantic.
We1dins our way around the hills and
mountains. via Pcarrisburg, the county
seat of Giles, we recroSsed New River,
ami continued our journey up, up, up
Until we reached the salt Pond, or Noun
tain Lake, as it is row ealled--a lake of
clear water. suspended four thousand five
hundred feet above the level of the sea, OBJ
Iong in shape, threefOurthS Of a mile long
and sbo,,t One-third wide. Travellers can
90, excellent accommodations here. n
nod hotel Is kept by enterprisins Yankees.
SkifFs are at the service Of visitors, and you
can saiI over the crystal waters and see be-
,ieath Won the tops of large forest trees as
iNse :tSoa before the formation Of this
wonderful lake.
The depth of the waters cannot be as
T--qe numbers Of fish have
eertalned: - ''hIn the last forty
been put into the lake. "Is--- over
Or i[tt yeaTs, bit 10 sign Of them nas -.
keen foiin5.. Thsra is .li6 visible Stream to
feed il. line lemperat;ir5 o. tie atttiSS-
phere here is from sixty-twO to SeVenty-htc
degrees all summer. How would you like
TO sleep here awhile?
Bald Knob is about three-quarters of
mile to the summit, from the hotel, and
about one thousand feet higher UP than
the lake. GRADUALLY ascending We wound
our Wat slowly over well-beeten path to
the top Pete was a little in advance and
on reaching tile sumifiit cried Olit TO NE,
sI;ook. ceoree! Chat a beautiful picture
God has placed before Us; what grandetr,
what magnificent scenery! a world OF
mountains, valleys and rivers, like grand
panorama is here pla ed before us, dotted
with farms, villages and towns. If there
is an infidel living lie. him come and stand
with us, and he will never again deny there
is Ged.'
have no language to adequately eS-
press niy admiration of the grandeur
~ Tho scsrery here presented. We
could look into h,C States Vir-
ginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, Ten
nessee and North. Carolina have Wis
tied the Peaks Of Otter, but the wildness
of the scenes here suTpasseS anything |
ever before witnessed. New River looked
like a silver thread winding lis way through
the valleys below. We could see the EN-
tire systems of the different ranges Of noun
tainS, in every conceivable shape; the light
Of tile setting sun cast = yellOwish glare
over the distant hills and valleys beneath
MS and presented 3 scene vt only for the
Nets dreaiii or painters brush. Y IS too
cold up here for vegetation. Small dwarf
white OAK trees a foot and half To two
feet high, beariT g ac0Tns, cover tie top; red
breast robins ana the snow bird build their
nests here and keep up a continual twitter-
ing for the entertainment Of visitors.
So delighted were We with the beautiful
scenery presented at sunse. on the knob,
that we concluded 10 visit it at daybreak
next morning and were more than paid for
cur early rising. Il was disagreeably cold
ard heavy fog surrounded US, but wrap
Ping up sntigl7 we made the trip. Arriving
on the summit, our first impressions vers
as though al sea; the entire world beneath
us seemed one grand sheet Of water; the
sun was about rising and il was At least an
hour before she grand sea Of fog began TO
disappear; it hung below us AMI around us
like an ocean without a ship. rIi.-
ally the mountains took shape
by degrees and the valleys began
-. q i
welcomed in a dark cloud which quickly
passed bv. and in the valley was joined by
other fragments, and poured out shower
of rain in our full view. Rainbows were
formed around and above us, presenting 4
scene of sublInity never before witnessed.
B,lt we became surieited with siSht-see-
ing and wanted a change. Returning to
the hotel, we ordered our horses to be ready
after breakfast for a trip tc Little Stony, to
spend the day trout fishing.
Mounting our sieeds, We rode four miles
over a circuitouS route to the banks OF
Little Stony creek, a beautiful mountain
stream. and a worthy tributary OF New
River. We hitched our horses, and soon
rigred up our poles for the beautiful sport
which this stream seemed TO promise for
the day. Clear, cold and sparkling the
waters rushed down the mountain side,
forming beautiful cascades in its rapid de-
scent. The stream is about twenty feet
wide. but the descent is so great, and
the water rushes through a deep ehan-
mel with the volume and force
of a mountain torrent, making beautiful
trout pools for the angler TO test his skill IN
catching that .'gameSt Of game fish, the
speckled trout.
The angler has TO steal upon this timld
fish. dispOrting in the clear crystal stream
with as silent and stealthy tread as If still
hunting for deer. lie creeps softly along
the stream, cOncealing himself behind
rock. bush or bluf, careful 10 throw nC
shadow on the water. From his coy
er he casts his line, the hooE Is
taken at once greedily, if the trout has
no. been alarmed, and the glittering spoil
is thrown painting on the green sward. il
is fine snort. indeed, but we must avoid
noise and practice a careful step or spoil
the catch. The mountain trout IS a gen
to look at, and a sweet mOrsel Tor tie palate
| when the last offices of the Kitchen nave
been done for him.
How cool, how beautiful Is this nagro"
valley piled up with rocks and cliffs OF
either side for hundreds OF feet, Shading
the entire stream all day long. Al
every turn of the stream every cascade anC
pOoI. Pete or | would alternately drop III
our hook and take out a beautiful trout.
| The route down the stream is rough anC
difficult enough tOplelse the most romantic
notions. There is a succession OF fdlls ano
cascades until we have gone half mile
when we suddenly come to the brow OF
| fall-sixty feet in height. The stream lhei
breaks in wild confusion upon a succession
| of short falls, until the water graduaiil
forms itself into a worn basin, fifty Zee
deep. Below, miniature ninboWs han:
| around the falls, presenting a scene oil sur
passing beauty
| Catching rs many trout as we could con
van;antIv carry, and having spent a de
| igbtfiIl day. we returned to the hotel a
Mountain Lake. Tired and worn out, WI
rested for the night, and next morning re
| turned to the New River White Sulphur
| Srr;nors one of the most beautiful and TO
mantle watering places in the mountains o
| VIRGINIA. situated Immediately ON IN
L,nis of New River. in Giles county, ili
,oa, miles from Central depot on the Viz
I'M, and Tennessee Railroad, the hotel
Lant Inv Capt VIM. EgglestOn. y four
horse stage goes and returns every other day
! IN. wafer is the same rs that OF IN
| G,aenbrier White. The springs are iin
e,-,IIv paironized by NiTGinians and NlSl
los from other Southern States. Board .
lsss than at any other watering place am
| tba attractions superior. New hINer behu
I 4 on ~