Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1880-05-11

BILE selection. From its gray walls hang
patches of curious and beautiful wood
vines. There are touches Of soil here
and there that send up beautiful wild
lowers The clear stream foams In its
dasltihg course over Its Clearly but rug
geu bed. Birds fit In the cool shades and
from hanging limbs ravish the ear of the
already excited beholder. Table Rock
is think 700 feet above the stream
which from it's summit 10 seen to fit be-
tween patches Of shade at the great
depth below. While on its summit we
heard the unmistakable signal of a die
tant railway train. No that could not
be. Then it must be our friends Mai.
II. c. Wood and Mr.. r. A. Ayers who
had promised to meet MS at the tunnel.
They must be at its upper entrance call
Ing to ns, and perhaps the long tunnel
through which. the sound
must come gave it the sound OF the fur
Of steam whistle. Correct! Using our
hands as sound condensers by which TO
throw our voices from our great height
down into the tunnel, we answered
them, and soon rejoined them, and were
OF for Big Stone Gap.
We passed \ mile or more up Stock
creek and turning to our left were soon
in the Flat Lick country, stretch Of
level land lying between Stock Greek
hills and Powell's Mountain. 1t is said
the Natural Tunnel can lie avoided by
leaving Stock creek just below 1t and GO
ing straight TO Flat Lick, rid Dcrirs
Race Path. This would save two or
three miles. Passing through North
Fork Gap of Powell's Mountain by wa
ter grade we were in Wild Cat Valley,
which reaches some 10 miles to Big
Stone Gap, passing by water grade all
The way between Wallen's ridge and
Powels Mountain. In places along the
road could be seen huge masses Of iron
ore, lying on top of the ground, and
some Of them almost a. heavy as pig
metal. This article ls the Hema tite, but
Powell's mountain aud Wallen's ridge
are full Of Fossil ores, Of great beauty
and surprising value. Since our passage
through Powell's Mountain, we had
travelled N. E. along its Northern boun-
Diary. We we're aiming for Big Stone
Gap, and so was Powells Mountain, for
It passed OH far ahead of us and then
turned to the left and united ut Little
Stone Gap with Stone Mountain, which
then bore away TO the s. w. at Cumber-
land Gap. Between these two Wallen's
Ridge is inserted, but 1t stops short OPP
poste Big Stone Gap, leaving the space
between them from Big Stone Gap to
Little Stone Gap vacant, except Of nice
farms of which It is very well supplied.
BIG STONE GAP is washed through by
Roaring Fork of Powell's River, but
Little Stone Gap has no water course
and it must be very high wind tn
can pass over 1t. At Mr.. j. NJ. Flana-
RVS we dismounied and found Gen. I'm
boden and Mr.. Tinstman awaiting us.--
Mr. Flanary does good mercantile bus
mess Mt the Gap and keeps a good hotel.
His daughter, Miss F. F. did the honors
ut the table, and with such grace and
ease Of manner that we concluded to add
the v, and rank her as genuine r. F. V.
Monday morning we mounted our
steeds, rode through the Gap and ex-
plored four Of the numerous mountain
gorges thN empty their waters into the
Roaring Fork of Powell, aud pass out
through the Gap into Powell's Valley
On them, at short distances from the
Gnp, we were shown by Gen. Imboden
fine deposits of Biluminous coal. Pass
Ing up Callahan's creek, to Preacher
Fork and theme until there was no
longer pathway for our horses, we dis
mounted and entered the widest and
most impcnetrable jungle Of laurel ]
have ever seen. Awaiting ourselves Of
the qualruped style Of lWomotion. and
the scanty foolhold furnished by stones
In the branch, and half-decayed trees
fallen In confusion over them we soon
found ourselves where | am sure man
has not been for ages. Pizaro's men IN
the Jungle Of Brazil, hunting for the
land VI the Cinnamon, never saw any
thing 10 surpass 1t. Through al this
our friend Tintsman. Of Pittsburg, kept
we'll ahead OF ia. until he ran against a
; splendid vein Of splint coal; the gray
pplint that makes iron without coking.-
Gen. Imboden through mp his hands In
ecstacy, and he thought Eureka, and &C
tually said something like II. A hun
dred yards further revealed n splendid
vein OF pure camel coal, surmounting \
he'd Of mtumlnous coal. This was
enough for one day. All that Gen. I'm
hoden had said was true. He had not
told II all. Investigation had overshot
his story. North Of the Gap we had
everywhere found roal In almost endless
amount and OF the finest quality, btu
minous, spint aud camel. On the
South Of the Gap was Iron In endless
beds Of purest ore. At the Gap was
Limestone packed up by the generous
hand OF God to work them with, and
there was water power sufficient to turn
NIL the spindles Of civilized man. We
looked up at the hoary head Of the
| Miami or Cnr,A,nlnnd Mnnninln Ihrce