The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1875-08-28

barracks painted. The stars and stripes
iloated above the whole; and while | re-
allied on looking over the place what
mere sham and make-believe it was as
fortress, yet ! confess to a little thrill OF
pride and pleasure at the sight Of the flag
as an emblem Of that great compact and
authority which preserves and makes US
a nation, floating from place where 1t
had been run up every day since the
times when from these very heights it de-
fed the foreign invader. Four or five old
brass guns, nearly as antique as the hotel
butter, keep watch and ward over the
nations honor and safety In these quar-
ters. The Fort is garrisOued by COM
pany under command Of Capt, Dickey, a
native and former citizen Of Beaver, Pa,
whom / found to be a very agreeable
gentleman.) The regular round Of mill
tary duty is kept. There is the morn
ing gun at sunrise, the evening gun at
sunset, the reveille and "taps," the white
gloved sentry pacing along the parapet
guarding the old guns, which guard the
Fort, which is supposed to guard the ma
tons honor. Its pretty place to walk
about and look down from on the sur
rounding waters and island, and upon the
village resting at its feet
Back Of Fort MackinaC a quarter Of a
mile the ground rises abruptly into u
ridge some $50 feet above The Lake, on the
east point Of which are The remains OF
Fort Holmes. An old lookout some lif-
teen or twenty feet higher gives you a
magnificent sweep Of vision in all direc.
tions except back towards the other end
Of the island where the forest cuts of any
view beyond, Directly across the strait,
mile and half distant, /, Round Island,
a little to the left is Bots Blanc (Bah
Blah, the natives pronounce IT, Then
we look over into Lake Huron, and iurth'
er around North are more islands which
you can find on the map ii you are
curious about their names. To the west
Is tho main land, running down into Point
Ignace, where was buried the celebrated
French Jesuit Missionary, Father Mar
quette, who was one Of the first explorers
Of the Mississippi, The old fort whose
worn embrasurcs are directly under our
feet was built by the British and christ
ened Fort George, afterwards named
Holmes in honor Of Ma or Holmes, an
American officer, who fellwhile attacking
British force n short distance west Of H.
It simply circular earIhwork covering
the crest Of the hill with ditch around,
and nothing but the worn embankments
remain, The position Is commanding
one, and whoever held Fort Holmes had
Fort Mackinac completely at their mercy
The original Fort Mackinac was on the
site Of Old Mackinac or Mackinac City,
Just across from Point lgnaCe ut the
northern point of the southern peninsula
and In sight from where We stand. After
the capture Of Old Fort Mackinnc and the
massacre Of the English garrison by the
Indians under command Of the celebrated
Chief Pontiac, during the French and In.
dian war about 1893, the English removed
to this island and built The present fort.
Half mile to the Northwest OH a
lower level stands the "Sugar Loaf" q
limestone rock shaped little more like
a'slim haystack than sugar Loaf, rising
abruptly from u plain to tie height Of near
hundred feet. 1 saw thi, curiosity from
respectful distance, and was soon salts
fed.
The story Of "lIobinsOn's Folly" Is in
brief this; Zone" Robinson, as Mr..
Dclano, would say, Ia member Of the an
clent firm Of Smith, Jones and Robinson,
doubtless) built himself Nh aerie on toy
Of high bluff, unmindfuI of the fact that
all things are mutuble, and some Of them
iriablc. Time passed The winds blew
and the storm beat against that rock.
Unlike the rock Of scriptural chronicle
and in spite Of scri pturalassurance to the
contrary, Robinson's rock crumbled and
fell and with II the house founded thereon.
Since nothing counts but results, Robin.
son was pronounced fool for his pains
and the place came to lie known Ns his
"Follyp
The Devils Kitchen" / have not
thought it necessary to see. When one
has been introduced 10 the products Of a
lhird.rate summer-resoh hotel Kitchen
he don't care to pursue lis investigations
any further in that diabolical direction.
saw small hole In limestone rock
supposed to be "scott's Cave 1t was
only hole and nothing more, and 50
small a person could not crawl into II
without an effort quite lisprOportionate
TO the amount Of indictment. My own
opinion is that II this Is The best cave Mr.
Scott had, he was not at all opulent IN
that class Of property.
| fear this letter il already too long for
liz thickness, and rs a steamer is about
leaving with mail, must end abruptly
40 AZ to get II of. RAMBLER.
Bank Tax Ease.
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