National Republican., 1880-07-17


Maryland and West Virginia. And ono must
not forget tho old, venerable sleopy-gliding
canal that reaches up to Cumberland with IFS
"Garfeldan fleets" "Chango cars for Shcnau-
doah valley" cries out tho conductor in blue
and brass, aud people hustle about and take
the train in waiting to run off southwest
wardly at that lovely valley land forty miles
away" At Martinshurg rawboned youth,
with lOp.eared hat and two straw-hatted
girls, came aboard, aud they all squeezed
down in ono scat, when a breeze of merriment
iippled through the whole car and the rail-
read literature aud fruit hend promptly struck
the party with his variety store. At Sir Johns
run they got OF with others from Washington
and Baltimore 10 enjoy lark and a drive up
tho narrow wood-wallcd valley 10 the famed
Borkeloy Springs. Good dinner or lunch at
Cumberland. And at Piedmont. all! there
we have to climb for IT, for leaving
the Potomac wo break off up through wild
gorges and riffs in the mountains, with two
mighty locomotives Rroaning and whirling
up, up, round this sharp curve and that, and
| through stone tunnels aud over brawlinR
mountain strsams--but up, up, rs though tho
long, winding train were the tail TO huge
kite
AT Dcor Park you step out on long. clean
plank platform, feeling that you are "well up
in the world" And how still IL is up there I!
after the roaring ride up the echoiug noun
tain side--and how light IL is IN thcso great
glndes and how the brtezes take pleasant lib
critics with you Up on the hill there Ia the
observatory" from whence sou may sce away
off over tho ridges in various directions. On
tho north side Of the road, in neatly trimmed
grove at tho top OF long green slope, stands
tho great hotel with its broad yeraudas, French
roof and its leapng fountain.
At Oakland, democratic village in the
new republican county Of Garrett, Md. sports.
man strobe toward the summer mountain ho-
tel with a bunch of loug-billed NoGdcocks,
and a barber assured us that they had found
no rattesnakeS in the house yet this season.
Procuring n light team and a heavy carriage
our party started for our evening drive of
twelve miles over excellent. alternate, gady
aud shady mountain roads that lead TO Aurora,
Preston county, w. Va, respectable old
village OH the backbone of the Alleghanies
As we ratified along the cool breath of the
evening wind was spiccd by tho fragrant
woods, and the stars came out IN the bending
heavens.
Although Aurora is on ono of the finest of
mountain roads, its highways, like the roads
Of all this elevated region Of nature, are pleas.
antly and appropriately called "by paths in
the mountains" For such they certainly are,
so far away up from city, sea or
even the sound of the railroad world.
In RebeCca Harding Davis article, by
RUNS IN inc MOultdlus, III lNe JUlY HWpC ,
although the article is devoted mainly to the
wild rough region about Fort Pcndloton" and
| "Carnan," dozen or score of miles south ward
| from here, this reference is made TO
Aurora. whose moro prosac name is, or was,
west Union; They slapped for the night
at the pleasant little Omsh village OF West
Union. 1t was just after sunset us thoy rodo
| through the quiet cluster of white houses set
back in gardens of deep bloom. At the door
some of the Omish women sRt knitting in their
tight suuh.colored gowns, white kcrchicls aud
| white caps: the men with brund.rimined hats
and long hair aud beard falling on straight
brown coats (fastened by hooks aud eyes, wero
stll at work in the gardens. They are a
branch of the Dunknrds (Dunkers y, and are
noted in West Virginia rs successful farmers
and dairymon."
We stopped briefly at the same hotel at
which this party Of wanderers in the pleasant
and wonderful "by-paths in the mountains"
spent the night.
But most of the good people are not Omish,
but Pennsylvania Dutch, aud our excellent
landlord wore buttons, He has greatly i'm
proved the Aurora house. 1t now sits in
its garden in deep bloom" 1anked by two
large, pleasant porches, and in its paror stands
II new nobby Kuabe piano. About its porches
swing mossy baskets of brilliant flowers and
stands of flowers aud beds OF them are all
about the door-yard, and vegetable and fruit
| gardens in prOlusiOn. On the table are golden
butter crisp vegetables, puro milk, thick fresh
yellow cream, yellow honey and yellow legged
chicken, and mountain trout for the catching
in tho brooks that pour down to the Cheat
and Vac rivers, the waters of one of which
flow 10 the Atlantic and that of tue othel
| finding lis way to the Gulf of Mexico.
a wade, a scramble through the pink laurel
bloom and over the messy rocks and great
fallen monarchs of the forest, down Wolf
creek for speckled beauties, is about as stall
wart sport rs one wants. All about Aurora,
aud in many portions in Preston county, are
fine farms, spring dairies, and great barns aud
orchards. And this is the land of Chostnuts,
hundreds of bushels aud barrels of them find
ing their way down the mountains. And
| ginseng Is dug on tho mountains in wonderful
quantities and finds it way through the by
paths Of commerce even to China, whore it is
much esteemed
For - you can go to Deer Park or Oakland
| (und return), and then you are on the border
OF this lovely land Of the "by-paths OF the
mountains" Run up to Oakland or cross to
tho Aurora region and live cool, quiet and
chcaply--that's the best "way in the world'
10 escape the red hot world of this midsummer
stew. Cool All, delicious all the time, in.
vigorrting, and so grsndly beautiful 10 the
! lover Of the sublimty Of nature. And this is
in easy reach--wont cost you more than TO
stay at home. Il. Il. w.