The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1881-10-12

hanei sup, uiack-sulCn SnOp, barn, ana
every stack Of hay, drove off all his stock
and left him destitute of every comfort
Still nothing daunted, he built another,
but much humber house, and was refur-
nishing it when they paid him another
visit, and sacked his house again, break
ing every dish in the house, and that too
In the presence of Mrs. Hickman. He
must, l think, be excused after this, for
being a tolerably warm Southerner. 1
found him also admirably read up on the
ttue points, and able to hold his own
against all corners on the distinctive doc
trines of our Church.
On Monday after our services closed.
Mr.. hickman accompanied me to Web
ster Springs. This was my farthest
point westward on my trip. Here
was the guest of Mr.. Currey, who keeps
one of the boarding houses for the
accommodation of the visitors to these
springs. On my way to the springs,
L found we were travelling on
ridge, from which we could see the
waters OF Gauley On one side and Elk on
the other, and at the springs these
streams are not more than one mile apart.
1t is not altogether germane to this
missionary tour, to give an account OF
these remarkable waters, and yet they
are too remarkable to be omitted The
springs, for there are several of them, are
In the edge OF Elk river. They are very
strongly impregnated with both salt and
sulphur. Evidently there is a salt lake
underlying the whole valley. In bor-
ing for salt the sulphur vein was tapped,
and both salt and sulphur commingled,
flowed out The salt is about two hun.
dred feet below the surface, and the sui
phur is not SO deep. Before the war salt
was actually manufactured in paying
quantities. The pipe through which the
salt water flowed upwards, seems To have
stopped the flow of the sulphur, but
when these were taken up the COM
mingled waters again flowed forth. 1t is
difficult to determine the relative proper.
tons of the two ingredients. The waters
did not quench my thirst. In fifteen min
utes after drinking them I was as thirsty
as at first, and had to repeat the dose.
finally fearing least in my dreams I
should have to repeat the fable of Tan
talus, I had to call for some other kind of
water before retiring for the night. These
waters have never been thoroughly ana
lysed-but for whatever diseases they
may be beneficial, they will be tremen-
dously so. Two hundred visitors were
IN attendance on these springs at one
time this summer, and doubtless far
greater number would have been at
them, but for the inaccessibility of the
place. A railroad will, ere long, be con-
structed either down the waters of Elk
or Gauley, and then crowds will resort
to them. The scenery around is far
wider and grander than that of any of
our older watering places. These streams,
Elk and Gauley, head within a few hun
dred yards of each other, but separate as
they pursue their way to the Kanawha,
and are upwards of thirty miles apart at
their confluence with the latter, the one
empting in at Charleston, and the other
uniting with New river at Gauley
Bridge, and forming the Kanawha.
My stay at Webster Springs was short,
but long enough to form favorable opin-
ION as to the future development of the
place, and to its Importance as point for
missionary labors. If our Church had
the men and the means, we could occupy
this whole territory, with good prospect
of building up self-sustaining congrega-
tons at no very distant day.
Big Beaver Creek.
From Webster, 1 turned my face home
ward. At Big Beaver Creek I found
congregation assembling, in pursuance to
the notice / had left on my way to Web
ster Springs. The services were held in
the grove, as the weather was intensely
warm, and the school house near by
would have been oppressive from heat.
Among the audience I found quite
sprinkling of brother Browns congrega-
ton from Maiden, among whom were Mr..
and Mrs. Lewis, summering at a farm
owned by the Mr.. l.. on Beaver Greek.
After dinner we headed for Gauley
River, some twelve miles distant, where
we expected to spend the night. On this
Journey [ was accompanied by Mr.. N.
M. Hendrick, to whose kindness I am in
debted for pilotage homeward, by what
is known by the people of Greenbrier as
the Cold Knob route, and to whose intel
lgent conversation am also under obi
cation for relieving the tedium of what
would otherwise have been O. wearisome
journey.
Mr.. Spencer.
Night brought us to q Mr.. Spencer's.
tenant of Governor Price, at the mouth
of q aireann oo11ad 0roo 1 49,, n -