Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1875-05-08
OUR CORRESPONDENCE.
Concluded from first page,
4 Fourth of July EXcurSiOn-MuchP O-
ctry and IA Little Matter of Fact.

We landed on huge rock, several acres
in extent, running out into the bed Of the
river forming "narrows." After q great
deal of cambcring over rough places we at
length arrived AT the spot selected for the
picnic ground Then business commenced
Baskets were unpackcd, lemonade made
and the table spread The table was one Of
natures own make; flat rock raised about
two feet above the level on which was
placed substantas and dclicacics enough
to have Toasted a battalion. My guardian
and had wandered out on some of the
huge rocks reaching out into the water and
were drinking in the poetry of the scene
(along with some river watcr) How re-
markably grand is nature! What changes
the world has Scent The eagle that we
saw away up on the mountain cliff watch
ing us with unwnking eye-scanning our
every movement from the cycric that mag
he had been its tribal homc--whcre caglcts
have brooded for a thousand summers
thought perhaps that our.."batouX with its
cargo of living freight Of song, of shout and
ripping laughter, was a strange sight in
that weird solitude. When the red man
dcckcd with feathers that crst had grown
from the eagles wing, stcmmcd that flood
in his light canoe, running the gauntlet of
his subtle foe, hurting defiance to all that
offered harm and challenging to battle in
chants of heroic poetry, maybe the warrior
stood, where we stand now, wooing his
tlusky maid with songs of his proves in the
chase OF on the battle field, or listened to
her spartan words"
Say! you folks come up here and get
your dinners
The hail came over the water to us and
we bctooll ourselves to the meal. And
then the dampncss began to fall and in
few minutes every person there was i'll
soaked condition. Some soul that atilic-
tions could not down" vcnturcd the asscr-
ton that cit was not rain,-only the spray
from the falls" | excused 'mattcr of fact"
this time when he growlcd out that "he
never heard of spray from Il ten-foot falls
travelling four miles over mountains five
hundred feet higher and settling down so
rapidly, accompanied by thunder and light
ming" He declared it was rain and feel
ing of getting wet kept down argument
while we all ran lclter-skcltcr to house
about Il quarter of mile OFT. However,
the sun soon re-appearcd and we venturcd
back to the table; but, as though things
were fixed for that especial purpose, the
rain RECOMMENDED falling at precisely the
moment we commenced eating. The clouds
were almost entirely hidden from lis by the
cliffs until they were Immediately over lis
when they commenced to drop. We ran
the second time only to return to repeat
the race a third time Every thing got
damp. The sandwiches were rather too
juicy to be really good; the cake was some
what soft and the dinner proved failure.
Think of it standing in the rain eating
a ha!f pint ofacater in piece of cake while
little rivers formed on your hat rim and
meandered down the back of your neck
Everybody got damp and we would have
been objects of commisscration to chickens
in thunder storm. If it was ycXing to
the men, it was willing to the ladies, paltic-
ularly she Of the pollonnase and pannicr
attachment, covered with light, thin ma
terial The pannier happened to be made
of newspapers and menagcric advertise
ments and the dripping of the rain exposed
weird cuts of rare living animals and
natural curositles.
We adjourned a fourth time to the house
where the ladics'betool themselves to dry
ing by the fire, while the men put in the
time on the porch smoking and lodging
the big drops of water which leaked through
the clapboard roof When the linen coats
got thoroughly wet, and too heavy they SIM
ply wrung them out.
About four O'Clock, 2. NJ, the rain ceased
and we started Tor the cars. We got in
the boat and then the sun come out in reg
ular old-fashioncd style and dried us 50 fast
that fog arose from us SO dense that onr
boat presented the appearance OF steam
boat under full Roadway When we got to
tie cars we were perfectly dry, and by the
time we arrived at Charleston we were
again in good spirits and everybody seemed
to think that our trip had heen full of fun
So it was enjoyed myself hugely and