Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1881-11-29
OVER THE MOUNTAINS.
HORSEBACK JAUNT DOWN THE SOUTH
BRANCH VALLEY.
Towns and Country Along the Way Man
Who Had More. Iron than 0re-0ur
Young State---lts Rich and
Varied Resources.
THE'llfs OF A MOUNTAIN HERMIT.
yoccfd Correspondence oJMe Register.

| PETERSBURG. GRANT COUNTY, W. Va, No
| vcmbcr 26-ProSpcctnS for ores and MN
| erals along the barren mountain SIDES may
seem to be dry business. but 1t has its
| comical features, nevertheless. Ii IL
| marvellous how much some people profess
To know on any given subject. yet how lit
| tie they really do know. IL il quite natural
| for al individual ;u attempt 10 create the
| impression upon strangers that what hc
owns is Of superior value.
Meeting 4 dwcllcr on the North Fork and
plving some questions relative 10 the iron
| deposits in his vicinity. ii was the easiest
thing in the world To tell me OF the i'm
mcn>c banks of ore in his region, OF how
rich il was. OF how somebody or somebody
else has made horSeShocs from the raw ore
in common blacksmith shop and all
that sort of thing. But" said "has it.
been analyzrd?' wishing to get at accurate
details. "Oh, yes came The response;
Prof Murray lNurry) got some OF IL and
tested it," We'll. what was the per cent.
of metallic IRON One hundred and
twenty-five per cent
gave il up.
The Hermit Of the Mountains.
He lives alone, on top of the South Fork
mountain, some miles east oi Franklin. No
other inmate ui his cabin. was hungry.
for 4 half days prowling over rocks on
steep hill sides will whetteu the appetite,
hut when my guide ard ehaperon, Mctlung
the popular young merchant of Franklin,
proposed Ia drop i'm on the batchelor her
init ior dinner, | felt rrpn lScd. The idea
oi letting dinner from such a quarter waS
not encouraging to Il hungry man. How
ever. ! went. what surprise. What an
nrXpcctcd picture ot comfort and happi-
ness. The face that met Us at the threshold
and extended a cordial welcome was that of
a man past the mcridcn OF life, face
hrunZrd hv exposure L. the mountain AR.
but il MAS 4 face uf high intelligence. On
every feature uf it was written refinement.
grace, dignity. in short, there was every
| thing in iarc and manner la indicate
| the cultured gentleman. That was the
| first surprise Now for the second. This
WAS given on entrance Ia the cabin. SURE
~ the hand Ui woman must have been in
all this tidincS>. The yarn carpet on the
huur the tidy l""king bed in the corner.
the elegant pictures suspended on the
walls nf the cahiu--onr of them picture OF
rare beauty aud merit-Could all these
comforts and adurnmcnt~ be- the creation
uf Il bear "r
4 Hermit BRtrheiOr:
which j. SvnouomOu> here. Here they
were. Here was the bear. and no woman.
II was Eden before Ewes creation.
Give me littlc time, gentlemen, and j
will yet you some dinner, was said in
voice swrctly assuring enough, but our
faith WIS weak IL had often been matter
of wondcr how Adam got his meals before
Evr'S appearance. lie might have kept
house after Il sort, bat nobody ever be
licycd that hc knew anything of good din
ncr> until after his memorable sleep
from which he aw"kc, but il the reader
wants the details let him look up Milton.
| am speaking now uf another batchcior.
In due time the dinner came. Now put
uS down for surprise third. with big ;.
What fragrant coffee, no hotel chicory
stuff. Hot, strong and stcaming, those nice
Iy Drowned ribs and. .SauSag">; the golden but
ter with no artificial culOring and Swcct.aS
the clover blossoms; hot mullins light and
delicious: the fruits. jcllicS and preserves.
and all lust like th" dainty little handS.of
the woman who had made them. But the
crow ming effort al the feast was the pas
try. Those cherry tart, melting in the
mouth like honey. oh, well. II doesn't tio
tn dwell too long at the table. The point
i, that all this came aboutm
4 Lonely Cabin
on tlrr mountain top wherein no woman
dwclt. the world, eighth wonder! II was
- pleasant tu tell our kind host how happy
hr must bc with such Il care faculty oi pro
yiding comfort. ease and even elegance, and
how ,hal there was nothing lacking to adj
iuv tu his home We were mistaken. n
significant shake Oi the head and tender
longing look tu the corner ui the room gave
Us L. understand that thcr" was void
>n,urwh here. sure enough, there II -. IT,
had escaped observation up to that time.
There stori Il little trundlc bed. A Strangs
bit ui furniture in such locality. But itS
unoccupied prcscuc" spoke tOuchiDgly OF
the absence ui children. There must he g
yacurm in the heart oi man or woman not
filled with baby love. What would all the
brautirS ui GOi- creation b" without the
light ui the suns rays. \ home without
children j. dark. PattcrinG feet and pratt
tling voices are the sun rays nf the house
hold. God pity the childlcss'
The south Branch VALLEY.
Nv observations have not been extensive
enough tO speak confidently, - yet Of the
iron deposits along the South Branch. The
fossil ore EXISTS, and there II some very
gooI fIinooilr ore, but ia what quantity
am not prcsa red 10 say. But outside Of its
mineral v;drt' the South Branch !, Splcr-
did country. The bottoms ar" exceedingly
fertile. judging from the appearance oi
the Mccoy farm at Fran;!in and the conn
try along tn" PIPER Tract section should
saN th.y were well adapted - grazing As
wrli ~ {" crop-rai,ing. Corn seems 10 be-
the most productive crop. The more one
see. oi West Virginia the more you are i'm
pressed with itS varied resources. II j. no
stretch al Imagination nor outburst Of en-
[ r,ia,tir State pride /" say that We have
tn. richest and the most wonderfully var
led state IN il, natural resources Of all the
state, Oi this Union. The Creator has done
wonders for us. now cant We al" something
iur uur,"iy"~. Let every man put his
shoulder to the. wheel and give trial. We
can al least give encouragement To those
who are aiding in our Development.
Franklin, the county seat oi Pendletou
county. j. u steady going inland town, but
il j. giving every evidence Oi thrift and en-
,rrrri>r number Of new and handsome
building> recently erected. or in process OF
erection. give assurance that there il life in
the old burg yet.
Petersburg the county seat Of Grant. Il
new town, but very pretty one. IL Is
source ui c"ngra.ulatipn 10 see
The Nestncss DispIaycd
in the buildings. and from the way thing,
are laid out here il looks ~ II the town i
not finished yet The hotels are good.
Tunniughaln krr;rs ~ good house ~ sam
Walker of 'laTksburg does. That ~ saying
a good deal. The new court house -
model Of ueatn-,I 2, well a. cheapness-
The new bridge over the South Branch has
stuck i'm the mud. bat the county cpmmis-
yioners hope 10 pull it out. Thi, Peters
hurg !, not ,hr home Di the Gar, but IL II
-! Major Nur,manr, and that j. about ~
.ord The Faruput and Nurtn,burg
Convention folks remember the
Major. and stranger. coming 10
Petersburg will remember his ahable man
mcr, and Kindness in showing them around.
The Major Is dcspondrn, just NOW over the
Virginia election. Like good many
ether. ne thinks OF withdrawing the Nir-
cinia blood from his veins. aJi readiustins
himself Poor old Virginia!
much have yre loved her in hcr glorious past
our lingering breath shalt bless her 70 the last.
Though a!i rrnUn> hr sunk, and NIL her starr
And storm mud dnrisncs> rs.gp, gs love her
"a II ".