Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1879-12-06

/ heads OF the small, although deep, gul
/ lies which cut the river bottoms at th'
K edge OF the bank. was mounted on al
extra-fne horse, one / had taught leap
/ ing. with the purpose Of more easily get
ting over large fallen trees and logs al
wayS encountered more or less M ridlns
/ through the primitive forest. Glancins
across the ravine, some ten or twelv,
/ feet wide. although the depth OF th'
same must have been some less than
/ that and, seeing that il extended almost
aquarter Of mile, irregularly. Tor me L
/ ride around. | determined to test th'
/ jumping powers of my horse by a run
/ ming leap. Retiring, perhaps, twenty
or thirty yards, | came at the rayine on
/ a full run, and nv horse, indeed, clearet
or would have cleared II handsomely ,bn
hls hind feet broke through the edge o
/ the further bank, where an old stuml
hal rotted out, and down he went back
ward into the deep gulley, / sliding Ot
/ behind as best could. Before ] cOul,
straighten up he rolled over toward me
and was compelled 10 make a sort o
scramble on all-iOurs out of his reach
until, with one or two founders. b,
stuck and, when ! got him up and on
OF the place, found he limped, and, &
punish me for my adventurous tolly, h,
never got over il. have only To al,
that this adventure pretty well cure,
me Of attempts 10 play the English fox
hunter in the wilds of Kentucky.
NV adventures on nv way down th,
river some six weeks alterwarl were mo-
much Oi an improvement ON those
have already given. Having business
down the Ohio river, | concluded To tak'
my way down Sndy To its mouth IN
small canoe or "dug ont, in company
with a remarkably tall fellow, some six
feet four inches high, and with a smal
box containing his 'plunder, We start
ell. The river was quite low, and by
this time the nights had BECOME frosty
and, while my companion was too bll
and clumsy 10 stand up and pole tht
canoe. could 10 il when tired OF pad
ding the craft.
Just about sunset, while | was thu,
occupied and while looking Tor some
settlers cabin on the hank of the rlvel
where we could spend the night, the
canoe struck a sand-bar with such i
shock as 10 throw me out into the river
The water was not very deep, but IT Ger
tainly was very cold, and, wet almost e
my shoulders, and the weather frosty
as have already said, it became pretty
imperative to stop somewhere soon.
And here was the first occasion where
had reason 20 complain OF both Virgins
aad Kentucky hospitality for the
river was the boundary along there be-
tween the two States. Calling first on
the Kentucky side. after Shlveung
walk mp % a double log cabin, l found
some sort Ot a grand frOlic on hand-per-
haps a weddng-and no chance 20 en-
tertain strangers. Getting into the canoe
again, / resumed the paddle, and my
teeth fairly chartered as the night be-
came colder: suffice il that | tried three
cabins in going several miles down the
river in the cold and darkness, having
had long tramp mp and across the river
bottom i'm one instance % where | had
seen light. Various excuses were
prOtFrred until at last having, in the
dark, come 10 part of the river studded
with great rocks and where the water
ran more swiftly, determined 10 bor-
row a light, ami, building 4 bonfire,
spend the night I'm camping out as best
We cOuh. Fortunately We, about that
time. heard the barking of dogs, and,
following the sound, We fetched up at
an old settlers house, who welcomed us
with blazing tire and the other accom-
mOdations ~ much needed. For some
time afterwar,l, however, Virginia and
Kentucky hospitality, must confess,
seemed somewhat at a discount with
me: but, after an, it Is fair % suppose
that the banks of a river, in almost any
case, are not a fair test :Or a section oI
district. and tor the very good reason
that il is too often tried Oyermuch 10y 4
class of rOughs seldom seen 10 SD much
disadvantage i'm the interior, tu say
nothing of the frequency Of such occur
enceS.
But perhaps q settler whom ! once en-.
ruuuterpl, and at whose cabin / lodge
upon the healwaterS Of the Kentucky
river. could beat even my friend Bit
Short, m his placid Couteutment with
short commons and other disabilities
always more or less incidental % an en-.
ItlNuF 10 lllht one bl luf di lrhl w Ut
pants or skirmisherS on the OutpoSts OF
civilization. As was SO often the case
we hal been driven into harbOr with
him Nv stress oi weather, and the slim
chance there was to reaching any NOR,
eligible place; ami after lodging mvSel
ami companion in a bed that had about
two inches ui straw on the boards, and
that stood M right angles % and almost
touched that of himself and wife, all 10,
could furnish Us besides was some frost
bitten sweet potatoes and tin cup al
water. IL didn't appear to dlscompoS,
the gnud couple at all. lie said be- "hao
iufsIpiHi % take some corn % the mil
and get it ground, and he had ui'nd,n
to ~ and shoot deer, but hr hal put lt
oH. NV friend Thought that hiS cabin
was something like what is said of the
bottomlcSS pjt III not paved with good
intentions, it was for any traveller
driven 90 it-"tOphct' all the same
However. consoled both him and my
self finally with the suggestion that IL
the mountaineer could stand such th,
whole time, surely We should put uI
with il once without grumbling.