Evening star., 1877-08-22
A PEDESTRIAN TRIP TO THE NAT
URIL BRIDGE.
DAGGER's SPRINGS. Botetourt Co. Va. ,
a

slow fun by most mericans A quicker mode
OF travelling than the walk is In better accord
with our national hurry. Nevertheless, the
Dumber of those who scour the country on
foot during the sun.me fol- health and amuse-
ment is increasing every year and the White
Mountains and the Adirondacks are well ac-
quainted with the blue-shirIed individual
who tolls up their cliffs. But the noble army
OF gentlemen "tiamps,' With its access OF
fresh recruits each campaign, has not vet iu-
vaded In earnest the springs region of Nir-
elnia. The tread of The PEDESTRIAN is not
heard In The land. The heat of a southern
sun, and perhaps the fear OF rattleSaakes,
unite 10 drive him farther north aud eau Se
him 10 neglect all of the beautiful aud sIrik-
ing and marvellous in nature with which this
regloi. Is 10 richly gifted In our excursions
We hdV" ii Il with but four fellow - WalkisJs.' -
all OF u ON. to the credit OF our city De IL
SalC. were Washiugtoniaus-
The turnpik ka road bet ween Dagger's Springs
and the Natural Bridge, passing ov-r q Arden
Mountain, is n fair specimen of that pTeVa-
lett style of Virginia road which has long
been tie greatest drawback tn the develop
ment and prosperity of this section of the
state. 1t Is probable that the huperiiuOus
wear and tear caused To vehicles 10y the un-
sighIly ruts ami rocks over which they iOlt. .
would, IL expressed in money. be sufficient
10 construct Tor the whole distance A smooth
and broad thorOughfare, the great a ijutict 10
the railroad Ia the deveiO Dment OF a states
resources. The wise driver thel viii 90 from
L agger's 10 the Natural Bridge by way OF
Buchanan; but the mountain road htS no
teTTOrs Tor the ped,s str!an. and the walk OF
nineteen miles over IL was most ple3s4u1.
AN INTkRYIkW WITH \ RATTLEsNAKE.
Garden Mountain is the highest peak In
the range thaJ rams past the nOlcl at Dag
gers, and is crossed by the road directly he
meath its highest cliff. A. this point IN our
tramp We two eN-cOllaS" Students left the
turnpike, ani made our way up the side OF
the mountain, breaking through underbrush,
scram bling over rocks, aud al times pulling
ourselves up by means OF young JIeeS. rue
tedious ascent was ealivened By an encoun
l. To-,
rotten log. He eyed at first in silence
with head moving gently back wards and
forwards, ard tongue projecting; bur when
he felt The violent conclusion II "a mou ltain
staff against his head he gave vent 10 d few
strong cjsCulaiOry remarks IN the rattlesnak ke
tongue that sounded like the angry buzz OF
an immense hive of bees, only ten times
louder, higher, and more intense. The natives
are lot incliied to dread the ratflesnake
"uch, considering him rather an open and
gen lemanly fellow as compared with the
.ui perhead, who is quite as venOmous, and
who trikes without warning. With his
snal es Ups rattles as trophy We renewed
our bi eathless scramble, and at la It reached
the summit. A fine view lay spread before
us. On every side the mOuutains stretched
RAJ ge beyond range. to the horizon, and
tn ough the valleys checkered with cuIti-
waited fields and fringed with forests, spark
/ Dg threads OF water forced their way. To
the southeast
THE PEAKS OF OTTER
might be seen standing boldly out against
the ky. In this connection 1t may b. well
10 announce to Washingtonians desiring 10
settle In q high and healthy locality that the
Peaks of Otter are for sale.
Descending again TO the road we luncha ad
luxurIantly by the side of large spring
which trickled with refreshing coJlness from
the side OF the mountain.
SANG HUNT.
Here we were Overtaken by an inquiring
native on horseback, who, b ing bufIei in
played great curiosity on The ubject of
''strike" news and, by way of return for in
formation furnished, gave us q description
of a Z" sang hunt" as practised by some of
the mOuntalLeers, whose one roomed cabins
We had stumbled upOn III some of the most
out OF the way places. A sang" hunt is
not an especially exciting or blooithrst sty
recreation. Sang" or ginseng is roo
which the mighty hunters capture with picks
and spades Ii Is bought from them for al
most nothing and exported to China, where
1t commands high price.
AN ACCOMMUDATION HOUSE.
AT the post which marks four and three
quarter miles from the Natural Bridge, one
OF our a -ty 'struck" for something TO eat.
ard refused to go any farther, or to allow his
conf aniOn to proceed, until his wants were
satisfied. To This trifiing circumstance We
m OfatiOn House, whose like we never
expect to see again. We were provided with
toilet accommodations. viz towel, tin
basin and bucket OF water On a bench in the
front yard; were offered repast consisting
of ore blackberry pie, three fourths Of an
apple pie, one glass of mOlaSses, one fourth
picious substance resembling a mixture OF
yellow paint and axle grease, one pitcher of
buttermllk, and One-half pitcher of sweet
milk. We crank all the sweet milk, nearly
demolished both pies. drank five glasses OF
spring water. sat for two hours on the porch
waiting for the air TO get cool and taking u
mild satisfaction in the unsuccessful efforts
OF a German peddler TO persuade our a amiasle
AID accommodating hostess into purcha sing
something from his varied assortment-and
all this for The ridiculous sum OF ten cents
Vp
that our landlady took us for some curious
species OF the genus ''tramp," pi led our
dusty AZ d fer!orn appearance, and regulated
her charges accordingly. Ii we may Judge
of the regular prices, by our experience on
this occasion. we shall take great pleasure
in recommending this as an n"AccOInmoda-
uOn House" without rival.
THE NATURAL BRIDGE.
AS the Natural Bridge is broad and the top
layer OF earth supports numerous trees which
fringe its sides, you may readily walk or
ride over IL without being aware OF its pres
eDce. But just before the road crosses the
Bridge you pass clump of cottages, and by
turning aside soon after and going through a
gate Ou the left, you are enabled to 10 ok down
from dizzy height on the little brook which
flows under your feet. A road from the hotel
the brook called Cedar Creek, seen from
above. At the entrance to the field is posted
this notice, Admission S1.00." II seems
that the proprietor of the hotel owns or leases
the ground on which the Bridge stands, and
as almost all his guests are tIansients who
come only u see this natural wonder he
takes advantage of the opportunity OF turn
ing hundred honest pennies at the expense
Of each. People living within q few miles OF
the place have never been under the Bridge
and probably will not be SO long as an ad.
mission fee is charged.
THE NATURAL BRIDGE FROM BELOW
Seen from be,Qw, the natural bridge is q
vast gray arch OF limestone, compcss;S:a cs A
single rock whose almost perpendicular walls
raise its summit many feet higher than the
crest OF the Falls OF Niagara. Some tre-
mendous force N fracturing the earth's crust
at this point has LEFT untouched this mig ghty
rock, spanning the upper air in graceful
curve with q breadth ofsixty feet, more than
two hundred feet above the deep ravine over
which 1T furnishes convenient crossing. At
It's great height the pOnderous mass seems
almost free from irregularities, and the arch
appears light and symmetrical. No matter
how much one Is prepared by description or
by picture for the appreciation of this mar
vel OF nature, he Cannot fail to be dlIed with
astOnishment and wonder at its Dimensions
and extraordinary character.
After the grandeur of the bridge the side
shows, connected with this as with ali fiIst-
class exhibitions, are painfully insignifi can't.
We are not positively certain that Wa saw
the countepances OF the eagle, the lion, and
Washington outlined again the sky: the
strain on the Imagination is perhaps q LITTLE