The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1881-09-28

For the Central Presbyterian.
A Missionary Tour in West
.-.s--r Virginia.
Before l began my missionary tour in
the counties of Fayette, Nicholas, and
Webster, of our new State, made brief
trip down to Huntington, Catlettsburg,
Ironton, Ashland, and Greenup, towns
situated some in West Virginia, some In
Ohio, and some in Kentucky. Ironton
in Ohio is driving place. owing its i'm
portance to the immense traffic In the
article whence it derives its name. 1t
has grown up in the last decade from a
mere hamlet to city of between ten and
fifteen thousand inhabitants. Hunting
ton now boasts between four and FIVE
thousand, and as the Chesapeake & Ohio
railroad company own the land on which
it is built, they will aim to bring every
improvement to the point which will en-
nance the value of their property. At
the same time they are not exorbitant
in the price at which they hold their lots,
as this would drive population away.
They allow the purchasers time in which
to pay for the sites of their houses; thus
adopting the instalment plan.
Huntington.
Our church here is under the pastoral
charge of Rev. j. B. Shearer, brother of
DIR. Shearer, now Professor in the Uni
versity at GAINESVILLE, Tenn, and we'll
known in the Synod of Virginia. Mr..
Shearer's congregation is not very large,
but they have a neat and commodious
house of worship, and there is great
"a &c
in this growing city. The Chesapeake
& Ohio railroad have extensive shops for
repairs of machinery, and the foundation
was laid when was in Huntington for
still more extensive shops for the manu-
facture of car-wheels and other para
phernalia connected with railroad trans
portation. There will not be less than
FIVE hundred hands employed on these
works, and to minister of zeal and tact
there will be a wide opening for useful
labor.
Gauley Bridge.
In passing down the railroad to Hunt
ington l had left note at Laurel station
for brother Haynes, and found on my re-
turn arrangements made for three days
meeting at Gauley bridge. The services
were held in church overlooking the
two streams which by their junction form
the Great Kanawha This spot is one of
the most picturesque in West Virginia
Kanawha river at its source is about three
quarters of mile wide. The mountains
Of either side rise to great height, ana
together with the water scenery above
Kanawha Falls, form panorama of such
exquisite loveliness as even to captivate
that captious English tourist, Miss Har-
riet Martineau, who mentions it in her
Book of Travels The congregation at
Gauley was large part of it composed
of summer boarders who had fed from
the oppressive heat of the Ohio valley,
and were spending the season at the Ka-
nawha Falls.
After closing the services at Gauley, I
mounted nimble-footed steed furnished
by friend, and in company with brother
Haynes started for a hundred miles tour
along the head-waters Of Gauley and Elk.
Six miles from Gauley we passed the site
of new furnace to be under the man
agement of Col. Jordan, of Rockbridge.
The outlook of this enterprise is favor
able. A very large bed Of coal overlies
the iron, and in mining the latter enough
VI COd1 Will NC ulSlOuSeu lOT running Gn6
furnace. When the furnace is in full
blast large number of hands must be
employed, and here will be an opening
for ministerial work A few miles from
this place we crossed stream called by
the suggestive name Of Twenty Mile"
from the length of the creek. This
stream empties into Gauley and nearly
opposite it is another called Rich Greek,
flowing also into the same river. Along
Rich Creek are traces of the old road
travelled by the forces of General Lewis
when on the march to the battle Of Point
Pleasant, where the famous chief Corn
stalk fell. The army of General Lewis
marched down Rich Greek, crossing eau
ley, and thence up Twenty Mile to the
ridge which divides Gauley from Elk,
and thence down to the Kanawha River
in the vicinity of Charleston A large
overhanging rock in this vicinity still
bears the name Of the captain Of the pio-
neer corps which was engaged in cutting
out the road for the troops as they
marched to the scene Of conflict.
An Indian Tragedy.
After crossing "Twenty Mile" we fol-
lowed the general direction of New River
for some miles, getting glimpses Of its
blue waters from time to time. Noon