The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1878-10-21
yl.lt ~ a erar.en Man % nlennerla.sel

GsAfTox, ". Va, oct. 18th. 1873.
Editors IntellInncet. E nm
While in ParkeHburg recently con.
cluded 1would go and see this historic
place. l had only to make my desire
known to Mr.. R. J. A. Foreman, OF Par
kersburg, to have my wish gratiflet. He
being member Of boat club had access
to their boat house, where we found q
trim little two.oared boat, and with Mr..
McConaughey, Of Gilmef county we
started. Bob agitated the stern oars and
your correspondent the forward ones.
As,the island is only mile or two be-
low Parkesburg we soon found Ourselves
there. The first thing We notieedwaslap
artificial lake near the northern extremity,
said to haye been made by Mr.. Blenner;
hasset to keep his boatsin. II always has
water in it. Near the lake stands an iin-
mense sycamore; about ten feet from the
ground 1t is divided into two branches; be;
tween the branches is growing an elm tree
several inches in diameter. The island
contains about six hundred and forty
acres and is under high state OF cultiya-
ton. 1t Is fringed around the shore with
sycamore, elm and other trees Of huge
stature, and judging from their size must
have been there when this place was
bought by the unfortunate Blennerhasset,
and perhaps witnessed the ambitious Burr
and the once happy and contented owner
arrange their plans and lay their plots,
looking to the establishment of great
southwestern empire. We went to look for
the remains OF the old house, and while
on the way met an old colored man driv-
ing an old colored horse which was
drawing an old and highly colored cart;
Having Mark Twain in my mind | asked
the old man II he could tell US where We
could find Mr.. Blennerhasset, he reined up
his horse and eyed US sharply as II to see
II we were not testing. As we looked so
innocent he concluded we were asking for
information, and replied: "Well Boss |
guess de ole mans done gone" gone"
said ], "gone where?" The darkey rolled
up his eyes at me and answered, "Well de
ole mans gone anyhow, de Lawd only
knows whar." "Well," said I, "when did
the old gentleman move away?" The old
man looked rather incredulous, and was
inclined to leyity, but rs we looked reprov-
ingly at him, he straitened up his face and
very gravely informed US that Mr.. "Blan-
nyhazzard" was dead, in fact had been
dead many years. We then inquired
about the health Of Mrs. B. and the child
rem. This was too much for him, and he
gave way to laughter that shook his cart.
We then added that we were strangers
there and perhaps we had been imposed
on. The old man agreed to this at once,
and said, somebody is only foolin
you fellers, the whole family is
all dead and gone long years ago." We
expressed our regrets and passed on to find
the ruins, but no ruins are there. The
house was burned during the life time OF
its owners, and nothing remains to mark
tliespot but the well, some fifty feet deep,
where we found excellent water, and a
tree OF considerable size, said to have
grown from the cellar Of the old house
after 1t was burned. The present owner Of
the island is a Mr.. Neal, OF Parkersburg.
We spent an hour wandering along its
pebbly shore, gathering beautiful variegat-
cd stones, polished like marble by friction,
and OCCASIONAL finding small pieces of pet
rifed wood, fern, &c. Its truly beauti-
full place.
We loosed our little boat and were soon
back discussing our adventures over one
Of Andy's best suppers, and 1 may here
say in closing that Andy knows how to get
up something nice and palatable for hun
CRY man, and can measure your capacity
at q glance. The supply will BIO equal to
the demand. Il.