The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1879-09-03
A LONG WAY ON HORSEBACK
Rev. Mr.. wyooff Spends His Summer
Vacation in the Saddle.
Riding From New Orleans to New Jersey
On a Kentucky Mare, For Health and
Notwithstanding, He Says,
Plenty of Both.
New York SUM-

n.l
There passed through the State of New
Jersey last week q solitary horseman, who
attracted much attention. He was young
man with sun-browned face and luxuriant
beard, clad in q dark riding suit, wooden
SHIRT, high riding boots, and wearing on his
head large white cork helmet. He rode
bay mare that to horsemen show good
points. His saddle was q Mcclellan"
with big, leather covered wooden stirrups,
and slung behind him were saddlebags
Man and horse showed indications of much
travel. New Jersey people stared at the
| horseman as he rode, and children followed
him.
A Sun reporter found this horseman sit
ting with friends IN a pleasant farm house
near the Lesser crossroads, in Somerset
county.
IF you had not ridden so far to find
me-" said Rev. A. N. Wycof, 81 should re-
fuse to have any account OF my journeyings
printed. don't want to be classed with the
wheelbarrow and flag carrying characters
| that roam through the country seeking
fame. My trip was made in seach of health
and recreation simply. Last springI received
| a call to the Canal Street Presbyterian church
| in New Orleans. had been preaching in the
| Centennial Mission chapel in Wyckof street,
Brooklyn. 1 went to New Orleans. When
it came time for me TO take my two months
vacation, l decided that horseback ride to
the North would give me as much recreation,
health, and Information as any
thing else. had taken such trips
before, once riding on horseback through
| Syria, from Jerusalem to Damascus l
bought Kentuky mare, an improved Nc
/ eaddla a n N
which put change of woollens; and on
| June began my trip at o'clock in the
morning. l rode 35 miles that day, and for
20 miles l neither saw house nor human
that night. That was rather a disagreeable
experience for the first day. l kept up
along the Jackson railroad for 100 miles,
two thirds of the way being through the
great pine woods, lonesome ride. Leaving
the railroad 1 went northeast, to GAINESVILLE
Alabama, and thence to Tuscaloosa, where l
rested two days. From Tuscaloosa to Cad
sen my route lay through the great cotton
| region of Alabama. At Gadsen / put my
horse on boat and went up the Coosa river
to Rome, Georgia. The distance was about
| $50 miles, and the trip lasted two days II
saved me 90 miles, the distance across from
Gadsen to Rome, and gave both the mare and
myself needed rest. With that exception
the whole trip was made on horseback.
From Rome my route was nearly due
esque country. 1 passed through the gold
mining region of Georgia, and at Dahlonega
l saw mine where So, 600 worth of ore was
taken out the week before. / visited the
noted Tokoa falls, crossed the Tugaloo river,
and rode into the northwestern corner of
South Carolina, in Pickens county. l made
an excursion up to Caesars Head peak of
the Blue Ridge, on the line between North
and South Carolina I came down on the
Fourth of July, and at the base of Cesar s
| r H. svxf -
q farm house. / rode up and told them L
was glad to see the flag. They proved to be
Northern family, and we're evidently glad
to talk with Northerner.
Thence / went into Buncombs county in
North Carolina. In Ashville, on the French
Broad river stopped five days. making ex-
cursions into the surrounding country and
mountains. 1 climbed the Craggy noun tain,
the highes peak east OF. the Rocky mountains.
6 500 feet above the sea level. Passing through
the Hickory Nut Gap Pass, in the Blue
Ridge, rode due north through Marion and
Turkey Cove, up the Lindville river. stop
ping at the Lindville Falls; thence through
Wautauga county into Virginia by the Bent
mountain. At Fincastle l halted for sew
eral days. and made excursions 10 the Peaks
of Otter and the Natural Bridge. l rode the
whole length of the Shenandoah Valley, Wis
iting Weyer's cave and the Luray caye, in
Page county. Luray cave contains the most
remarkable stalacutes I have seen. At Har-
per's Ferry 1 crossed the Potomac, and rode
through Maryland. l crossed the Susque-
hanna at Wrightsville, and the Delaware at
Frenchtown, and on Saturday last rode up
to friends farm IN Pennington, N. j., rid
ing 45 miles that day in order to get there.
1 had hidden ,493 miles in 10 weeks, resting
% days and riding As days. In all that trip
no unkind word was spoken 70 me.
II Stunned large large towns. Those
could visit at any tins by rail, but / could
not see the life of the people in any better
way than going by horse back. There we're
no hotels most of the way. / used TO ride
up to a house and ask for glass of milk
and my request was never refused. Start
ing at 5 in the morning / rode till IL, then
turned my horse loose to Craze. She always
kept near me. She endured the journey
} bravely. Her back got little sore at first,
} but cured it with decoction of James
town weed as they call 1t. She is Ken
tucKy mare, with all the traits of those
|, celebrated riding horses, and is as intelligen,
as dog. She now has her shoes of, and is
} resting on farm three miles from here"
Ibid you ever preach on the route?''
Eyes. every Sunday excepting two !
had letters to clergymen in many towns
, that passed through. l rode thIrty-sever
, miles in the rain one day to keep an ap
pointment to preach. / didn't feel much
/ like preaching, though. l had pair Of
black trousers in my bag, and OF
SundaysI pulled them over my high boots
, put on . paper collar and a scar
that covered my woollen shirt, buttoned uT
my coat, and thus looked as clerical as pos
, sible. One evening, when in the mountains
] of Georgia, as l rode up to little building,
, man came forward as though expecting me.
Then he said he was mistaken; that ht
thought it was the Methodist minister, who
, was expected to preach there that evening
told him that wasn't Methodist, bu
was preacher, and would preach for then
! if the other preacher DIDN'T come. Soon
boy rode up. and said that the preacher had
turned his horse out to Craze, where he hat
had gone into the brush, and the preacher
: couldn't find him. So preached. Tn,
; church was little log building, with al
.. opening IN each end and no window. Th,
.. only light was little spirit lamp, set on
. beam as hige as could reach it gave as mucl
light as candle. In order to see to rea,
my Bible took the lamp down. After read