The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1877-11-24
SEPTEMBER RAMBLINGS
AMONG THE WEST VIRGINIA
MOUNTAINS.

By a Staff Correspondent OF the Register.
"a in the blue uuclOuded weather
of the first week IN September, in the
year of our Lord 1877, We bsde farewell
TO railroads, and telegraph, and plunged
boldly into the wilderness that lies be
tween Deer Park, on the Baltimore and
Ono railroad and Moorefeld, West Vir.
ginia.
The way that 1t all came to pass was
this: Mr.. and Mrs, Burbank (os l will
call them) of Baltimore, with their two
daughters, Misses Mabel and Nellie,
aged respectively, nineteen and seven
teen, and Miss Nettie Husin of New
y Ork, sworn ally of Miss Mabels and on
visit to her. Francis sole heir to the
glories OF the house OF Burbank, youth
VIII Sc Lame Was on the roll OF Columbia
College, and whose energy was divided
between the iairest pencilling on his
upper lip and college pastlmes, and who
("as it WAS whispered on the Riato")
nsrbored a tender feeling for his sisters,
pretty, bewitchIng, little friend Miss
Haslin, and the humblest of your serv
ants. Mortimer L,ghtwood, small and
trembling iumiaary IN the legal heavens
OF Gotham, had been staying at sum-
mer resort In the mountains until the
house was about to close, but as the
party had two or three weeks which they
could call their own, they were both to
return to their city and homes, and leave
such superb weather. One morning l
happened to speak OF a horseback excur-
-. u, I 10 hafnra
through the mountains to Mooreheld,
ard when / paused, Frank sung out from
the foot of the tablD: IL sayl why, it's
Just the thing. Lets all Z ct horses and
90 out 10 search of adventures like Porte
Crayon and his partyW The girls
seconded the idea with an eagerneSs
winch showed that the novelty OF the
thing had taken q firm hold upon their
.aucv and after sundry interrOgstlons
rom the heads OF the family depart
ments, the expedition came into the
,apge Of probabilities. Necessities OF
various kinds were packed in saddle. bags
and sacks. and swung across pack
aOrs ,. while n stout young country lad
was hired to take care OF the horses, guns
nd fishing rods.
At last we are ofi-Geo-ge, our guide,
Baggage master and hostler, leads the
way, followed by Miss Nettie snd
Frank, who in turn are followed by our
iuarred chaperone, while Mabel and L
bring up the rear. Our position was
owing to suggestion that l wished to
look Tor autumn leaves and late flowers,
aud did not desire to stop the cavalcade,
and in this idea was joined by Mabel
who is by the way cousin of mine.
I must confess that was disappointed in
regard to those leaves. IN fact, Frank
rode back and said that the onl y teaUsS
he saw were our frequent and abrupt de.
partures, to explore by-roads or to exam.
me something at distance from the
highway, and he added wlckedly in an
undertono. "The Autumn trnts seem to
oe all on MAIDS cheeks" whereupon she
remarked that boys were nuisance and
She wondered how Nettie liked 10 ride
a.one, AMI the young scamp gallopPed OIL
To his lady.
Nellie did not attach herself to any
body,in particular but being daring
rider she cantered here and there, now
before and now behind as pleased her
sweet will.
The first three or tour miles OF our
route Law through dense oak forest.
Inc road sometimes passing along
deep ravine or skirting dark thicket OF
nine or laurel. Now and then u squirrel
would run chatterIDg out on limb and
eve US sauciy Tor a moment and then
scamper oil to tell of our invasion OF the
woodland. Pheasanis (rutlled grouse)
OCCASIONALLY came booming out OF the
bushes by the roadside soaring the horses
halt out of their sense at first but they
soon became accustomed to the sound,
and we would follow their flight with
s,ralniug eyes as they sp d swiftly of
throug h the trees. Oace George stopped
10 show u deerS footprint on the edge OF
. puddle, but rs l saw hog OF the sPe-
c.es called by the mountslneers, Sub
sellers" and "sharpshOoters' "a great,
gsunt. wiry fellow with bristles standing
up on his back like spIints on street
sweeper "A hort distance further on
my iuilh in our disciple OF Natty Bump
20 WIS considerably weakened, Tor the
track of the "antiered monarch of the
waste" came to an end just when the
porker was roofing after acors.
Presently Frank called cut "A
strange sail in sight-looks like apirate'
and IN few months we passed tall,
heavily bearded son OF the mountains on
u meek little horse and with her arms
D. 4I ~ Mt y s4pk
uy Way OF pa.ion, was bpXom dam
sci, pr baby his daughter. They stared
at US IS it they thought we were travel
Ing, luuat'c asylum, or q circus, until a
turn in the path hid them from our
sight. The incorrble Frank said IL was
pity We had not thought OF this mode
OF iourneylng sooner bu. he guessed from
the appearance OF Miss Nettie's horse
sac might have totry 1t eventually"
l turned to my fair companion 10 ask
her opinion OF IT, but before l could say
a word she b.ushed and said she "was so
sorry 10 trouble me but would l please
pick up her whip, which she had just
dropped" This distracted my attention
and the question is still an open one.
Five miles from our startling point
brought US 20 the "top Of the mountain
We were on the great Backbone OF the
A.leghanes. Here we paused to look
back at the magnificent expanse of forest
below us, broken in a few places by
clesrlngs. Way of at the edge of the
horizon was faint, clOud-Hke range OF
hills nearly thirty miles US, and border
ing on the once famous National Pike,
which before the railroad was built WAS
the great thoroughfare OF trade and
travel between Baltimore and the West.
Between US and that chain of far of hills,
ole-nundred and twenty-five years age
George Washington the young provin-
| cial officer, tMentY-three wears of are