The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-05-24

ana while We are blessed with game,
we are favored with many mighty hun.
tiers, and can boast Of more good dogs
than any like number OF people on me
continent. Speaking Of dogs reminds me
of the deadly feud existing between the
"still.hunt'' men Of the back counties,
and those OF the low country, who prefer
chasing the deer with hounds. The
mountain people object to dogs, for the
reason, as they say, that they scare the
gatne out OF me country. l expect there
Is some truth in thisi and many a good
PACK oil hounds are destroyed In conye-
quence. Rare old fights sometimes occur
between foreign hunters and the noun.
tain men, when II Is discovered that a
pair OF splendid hounds have been merci.
lessly shot, when ia full cry after a deer:
and fatal results Of such auarrels Ito the
mem have been avoided thus far more by
good luck than good management.
The sportman's paradise at this season
o. 1.-THE year is In the county OF Webster,
situate on Elk River, q stream which emp.
ties into the GreatK anawhaat Charleston.
Nature has afforded every Opportunity
there for game Of all kinds to increase and
multiply. In the proper season, deer,
bear, wildcats land occasionally a "Sain.
Ler, !, and all the smaller game, are to be
had In abundance, while at this time the
county affords as good trout fishing as the
heart OF man can desire. The people are
hospitable and generous. When the wal
broke out they were unanimously Confed-
crate, and they are now unanimously
Democratic. It is an actual fact that there
Is not Q single bona tide resident Of the
county who Is a Republican. This cir.
cumstance, together with the fact that
many OF the men frequently boast that
they never surrendered to the Yanks,"
has given the county the name of the
Independent State" and she deserves
the title. The total population is about
1000, and the wealthiest man, County
Judge McDoddrill, Is oppressed with the
care Of about $4,000 worth Of property,
Your city people, who run away from
home in summer time, in search OF health,
would.tnd 1t much more pleasant and
profitable to be breathing pure air and
catching tfouti in the mountains Of Web.
ster, than s%weltering over the absurdities
OF fashion at White Sulphur. The route
from Cincinnati would be-: To Hunting
ton BY boat; thence to the falls oiKanawha
by the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad;
thence by stage, about forty miles, to Ad-
Olson, the county seat Of Webster. AS a
matter OF course board is very cheap, and
ntetheglin Ia liquid which every good hum
ter appreciated is plentiful. The fact is,
ita man can't live happily and grow iatin
Webster he is q misanthrope, unfit to live
at all.
Let me say to your Republican readers
that the people don't talk politics much
unless you tackle" JED. Davis. Refrain
from discussing politics, and the Webster
folks will take it for granted that you are a
Democrat, as they think you ought to
be.
Another attraction Of this famous coun-
try is its wonderful salt sulphur spring-a
fountain Of far greater power than any
other medicinal spring In either OF the
Virginias. OF late years the medical prop
critics Of the water have become known,
and invalids from the surrounding coun.
try flock there in great numbers during
the summer season. It is impossible "a
imagine q more beautiful stream than ELI
River. 1t heads in Pocahontas County,
bursting from the foot Of one OF the spurs
Of the Alleghenies. For two hundred
miles It's waters are so pure that you can
distinctly see the bottom OF great depths
Its waters are abundantly stocked with
fish, and fifteen or twenty feet below the
surface you can observe all varieties OF THE
inny tribe. This peculiarly as to the
water applies to adjacent streams, sc thai
you need never be at q loss for fine sport
Spearing or ''gigging'' the larger fish is 1
f~ayorite pastime, and experienced gig
gers rarely fail to hit their fsh.
Close by the banks Of Elk, Holly, Little
Kanawha and other streams, are numer
GUS clicks" where the mountaineers en-.
Joy lots Of sport in shooting deer. Tht
most remarkable Of these Is called "Boil
ing Lick" and 1t Is such freak OF nature
as to deserve special mention. It is RICH
in the Little Kanawha, and the saline wat
err bubbles up from the perforated rocky
bed of the stream with such force as L
give q portion Of the stream, OF probabl,
thirty yards square, the appearance 0
boiling water, and hence It's name. Thi
Is q iavorite resort OF the deer. They will
rush into the water aud, thrusting thei
nose under the surface, drink as heartily
as would q tired hunter when offered
gourd.full Of matheglin. "Watching deer
lick Is \ cowardly occupation; and W
people who delight In the music Of q pacI
Of hounds, do not engage in it unles
there Is o right smart deSrth OF venison!
The most experienced hunter in tn
State, probably, Is Squire Jesse Wooftel
Clerk Of the County Court OF Lewis coun
ty. He has but one eye, but what q powe
there is In that single optici The old ger
ltleman Is q hunter by nature. His firS
exploit was when he was q mere Chile
He was out "sanging'' digging ginseng
when he was attacked bya panther, an
by q handy use Of his sang hoe he lai
low the foe. In olden times he was
Wing in politics, and even yet almot
worships Henry Clay. When signs Of n
bellion appeared, he remained o firm a
herent 10 the Union; and when the fr
Confederate company which organize
here raised the flag Of the South 9
our Court House, the old fellow d
I~liberately tore It down, took II In
the middle OF the Rtreet, and set f
TO it. 81 had q cuFiosity,". 90
: he, ITO see Il the did thing would bum
= Throughoutthe war and since he has be-
an outspoken Union man, andyet, stran
: TO say, be has all the time held importa
positions by the voice OF the people. Il
October he was re-elected TO his prese
position, notwithstanding the pemocrl
claim the county by q large majoril
Uncle Jessie's personal popularity carr
him through. He Is q dealer In fur, q
his office 10 sometimes Q strange admixtr
OF coon skins aud deed books, deeF bid
and appralsement bills, loaters and 4
: hounds, Allthe odors Of the woods are
be discerned among the records, and
: has become THE thing" TO say that I