The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1881-11-12

"Camp Nimbus Morgantown Fish
ing Club, August, 1874" Then fol-
lows the name of each member. On
another box top-suggestive of a
tombstone-under the head of "The
Babes in the wood" come the names
, of Mrs. E. H. Wells, E. HI. Wells,
S. P. Wells, Jr., Miss Lizzie G. Wells,
j. A. WetheralI, E. E. Cole, j. d.
Brown, guide, and Perry, the dog.
At Dobbin's, July %; left August
6, 1880.
Another party takes up half the
door with the names of "Cnas. Ora
ham, artist for Harper'S Magazine
and Weekly; Lanier Dunn, George
Dunn, of Washington j. e. Car
penter and Jerry Browning, guide.
September 8, 1879. Killed 200 trout"
Then follows picture of the Largest
trout" evidently drawn by the artist
with brush and some vermiliOn.
After this there come some further
pictorial embellishments, in satiri-
cal vein, concerning the game found
in the region. Another rough-and-
tumble party bas the names of its
members written in blue pencil. and
underneath, as an after thought, Is
the legend, so deer, 300 trout, 9
squirrels, 3 rabbits, s woodpeckers,
2. gallons of Whiskey and loaf of
bread" Whether the whiskey and
bread were among the game begged
in the country is left an unsettled
question. The probability is, how
ever, that the inscriber meant to have
written, ~ gallon demijohn. minus
the whiskey." 1t would be almost
impossible to give half the names
that are cut, scratched and written
on those walls; but it was easy to sit
down and imagine many a crowd
that tented within those unplumb
walls, jolly with untmmmeled spir-
its, joyous with the sense of being
free and alone in the Allegheny will
derness.
We left the Dobbin house about 10
O'Clock, and struck across trail lead
ing down to the Blackwater, near
Beaver Fork, and here our notions of
what bad road was were entirely
discounted. Comparatively we had
been travelling over broad country
turnpikes. What we then rode oyer
was a blind trail. though the toughest
region in the world. l make no ex-
ception-even this does not express
my feelings. Througha laurel swamp
where the poor horses sank up to
their knees and f1oudered fright
fully, then up steep, almost perpen-
dicular ascent, then down another of
the same kind, over rocks, through
bushes that pulled us about in agony,
over fallen trees. 1t was vile in fur
teen different languages. We got
down near the river, and struck into
what is called the Kent road, which
leads down to the banks and across
into Canaan Valley, or Canaan Will
derness. On the river we found the
remains of many old broken-known
huts built of boughs, old stone cairns
where camp fires were built, old tin
cans, and other debris. Invariably
the hunters in camp had blazed one
side of the nearest pine tree, and then
the names of the party were carved.
Curiously enough. there appeared to
have been ladies in many of the par
ties. How on earth they ever got
there is mystery.
The Canaan. or Kannane Valley,
which is one vast expanse and track
less waste of laurel and big timber,
is noted place. Here Judge Dobbin
once owned $1,000 acres. but he has
since sold out. The tract is. however,
still called "Dobbin Manor" Bear,
deer, panther and turkey are still
plentiful here. In fact, the whole of
this region abounds in game, and
each mountaineer has his long-bar-
relied, Old-tashioned rifle, with which
he eXterminates the cheerful turkey,
or brings down the timorsome deer
at long range. The next morning
we took the route back to Deer Park,
which we reached after nearly a
days travel. The trip was most
successful one from many points of
view. and fully established as facts
all the theories in regard to the lower
end of the coal region. When the
West Virginia Central road, which
runs up the North Branch, and will
finally connect with the Chesapeake
and Ohio road, is finished, which
will be by next year, the parties own
ing these fields will realize enormous
ly from them.
OAKLAND, Nd, Nov. 9Th, 1881.
EDITOR OF THE REPUBLICAN .
In your issue of this date notice a
| communication from one af the at