The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1881-04-21
For the VIRGINIAN.
Gleanings by the Literary Wayside.
BY PEN AND SCISSORS.


/ have reason to believe that am the only
surviving witness of that most adventurous
exploit of climbing the Natural Bridge in Vir-
ginia. have oftent1mes, and for many wears
withstood repeated solicitations to do this, tor
the following reasons, which l give, lest it
might be supposed, by some suspicious per-
sons, that l had waited for the death of the
other alleged witnesses.
Immediately after the adventure had been
accomplished, and while all the circumstances
were fresh in my memory, l recorded them in
sort of journal kept to record visitors
names by poor Patrick Henry, a man of color.
who kept the bridge. This record was re-
ferred to by Patrick whenever visitor be-
came inquisitive about the circumstances
Some believed my statement and others dis
believed it, but by far the greater number dis
believed it, as he informed me. This was
far from being pleasant to one who had
meyer had his veracity doubted before. But
this was not all. l happened to be at the
bridge some time after the event, when large
company Of respectable looking ladies and
gentlemen had just returned from under the
bridge, and were waiting dinner like myself,
at the house on the summit, to which | have
alluded. The conversation among the COM
pany naturally turned upon the remarkable
event, and the book was referred to- as usual,
for the particulars. L Immediately gave Pat
rick the hint wished to remain ancoq., in or
der that might hear for myself the remarks
upon my testimony. 1t is an old saving that
listeners never hear any good of himself, so it
turned out on this occasion. The company
were unanimous in discrediting my testimony,
ladies and all. | forthwith determined to vol
unteer no more testimony about things SO out
OF the common current of events; at all
events, determined to hold my peace until
the public mind should settle down into the
truth, as it generally does at last.
That time seems to have arrived. The pub
lie, without exception, SO far as | know, has
yielded its credence to the united testimony of
SO many witnesses Scarcely a periodical in
the country or book of travels, but mentions
the subject.
think it was in the summer OF 1918 that
James II. Piper, Vim. Reveley, VIM Wal
lace and myself, (Wm. A. Caruthers J then stu
dents at Washington College, Va, determined
to make a jaunt to the Natural Bridge four
teen miles off. Having obtained permission
from the president, We proceeded on our way
rejoicing. When we arrived at the bridge,
nearly all of us commenced climbing up the
precipitous sides, in order 10 immortalize our
names, as usual.
fore we were joined by Robert Penn, OF Am
herst, then pupil of the Rev. Samuel Hous-
toms grammar school, IN the immediate
neighborhood of the bridge Mr.. Piper, the
hero OF the occasion, commenced climbing on
the opposite side of the creek from the one by
which the pathway ascends the raVine. He
began far down the banks of the brook so
far, that we did not know where he had gone,
and were only apprized Of his whereabouts
by his shouting above our heads. When we
looked up he was standing apparently nigh
under the arch, | supposed one hundred feet
from the bottom, and that on the smooth side,
which is generally considered inaccessible
without ladder. He was standing far above
the spot where Gen. Washington is said to
have inscribed his name when youth.
The ledge OF rocks by which he assembled to
this perilous height, does not appear from be-
low to be three inches wide, and was almost at
right angles to the abutment of the bridge; OF
course its termination is far down the cliff, on
that side. The ledge of rock on which he was
standing appeared so narrow to us below as tC
make US believe his position a very perilous
one, and we earnestly entreated him to come
down. He answered US with loud shouts o.
derislon. AT this stage MI Penn and servant
LETT us. tie would not have done so, suppose
if he had known what was to follow; but up
to this time not one of us had the slightest
suspicion that Mr.. Piper intended the daring
exploit which he afterwards accomplished. He
soon after descended from that side, crossed the
brook and commenced climbing on the side by
which all visitors ascend the ravine. He first
mounted the rocks on this side, as he had done
on the other-far down the abutment, but moi
SO far as on the opposite side. The projecting
ledge may be distinctly seen by any visitor
1t commences four or five feet from the path
way on the lower side and winds round, grad
ually ascending until it meets the cleft OF rock
1n1.r
Following this ledge to its termination, il
brought him to about thirty or forty feet from
the ground and placed him between two deer
assures, one on each side of the gigantic col
! umn OF rock on which the afore mentioned
cedar stands. This column stands out from TIE
bridge as separate and distinct as ii place.
there by nature on purpose for an observatory
to the wonderful arch and ravine which il
overlooks. A huge crack or fissure extends
from its base to its summit indeed it is crack
eel on both sides, but MUCK more perceptlbly
on one side than the other. Both these assures
are thickly OvergroWn with bushes and nu
merous roots project into them from the trees
growing on the precipice. 1t was between
these that the before mentioned ledge con
Quoted him. Here he stopped, pulled off biz
coat and shoes, and threw them down to me
And this, in my opinion, is sufficient reputa
ton of the story, SO often told that he wen
up to inscribe his name, and assembled 50 higl
that he found it more difficult to return thar
go forward He could have returned easily
from the point where he disencumbered him
self, but the fact that he did thus prepare Sc
early, and so near the ground, and after hi
had assembled more than double that height
on the side, are clear proofs, that to inscrib'
his name was not, and to climb the bridge
was his object He had already inscribed BIZ
name above Washington himself, more thai
| fifty feet.
Around the face of this huge column, anc
between the clefts, he now moved backward
and forward, still ascending as he found con
venient foothold. When he had ascendet
about one hundred and seventy feet from tn
earth, and had reached the point where TIN
pillar overhangs the ravine, his heart seemed
to fail him. He stopped and seemed to us tt
be balancing midway between heaven AM
earth We were in dread suspense, expectin,
every moment to see him dashed to atoms a
our feet. We had already exhausted GU
powers of entreaty in persuading him to re
turn, but all to no purpose. Now, it wa
perilous even to speak to him, and very diff
cult to carry on conversation at all, from tn