Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1882-12-24
VALLEY OF CANAAN.
Sketch of a Remarkable Section OF
UndeveIopsd West Virginia.
The Story Of Sol Cosner, the hero ana
Pioneer of the vaIey-tife as Seen
in the Primitive Days-Senatof
Davis Railroad Penetrat'
ing the Wilderness.
Written for he Sunday Register.

of Canaan, on the Blackwater OF Cheat RIVER.
in the county of Tucker. It is natural
marvel and has afforded fascinating theme.
for the pens of poets and the pencils Of
artists who have been bold enough topene-
trate its wilds. A valley lying about Two
thousand feet above sea level, averaging
from four to six miles in width and nearly
twenty miles in length, skirted on all sides
by towering mountains, with no opening.
except the narrow space where the
Blackwater breaks through near
the northern boundary and dashes
its waters over immense boulders
and precipitates itself in success
sion of falls. Nearly the whole area OF the
valley is covered by an immense forest OF
towering pines interlaced with cherry,
beech and maple, with a rank underground
of creepers and morning glories, making .
Jungle, while the virgin soil is deep ana
black giving q coffee color to the SLOW
winding waters of the stream which steals
along with its murky tide scarcely peNep-
tible as it winds in and out along its tor
tuous channel through the dense woods.
Such is the land Of Canaan. In its appear
ance one is struck with q resemblance TO
the wild, weird forests along the Ochawaha
river in Florida. But the soil is better and
when once opened to the sun is fruitful.
It is the home Of the wild berries. straw
berries grow wild and attain size equal to
the largest varieties of cultivated ones, and
Isaw six different kinds of raspberries grow.
ing wild-the black cap, the purple, white,
yellow and two varieties OF red.
The stream, rising at the southern eX-
tremity of the valley and fed by asucces-
sion OF cold springs, is the home OF the
speckled trout while the dense roads are
filled With game, and il makes
A Little Paradise -.
for the hunter and the trapper.
The population OF the valley is sparse,
and confined to the southern end. Nari-
Gus openings or clearings, perhaps dozen
in all, have been made ut the upper edge OF
the valley, and they extend at intervals Tor
distance Of five or six miles.
The hero as we'll as pioneer, OF this val
lev, is Solomon Cosner. II is worth trip
to this secluded spot to see Sol. Cosner and
hear him relate his pioneer adventures.
He is one of the finest specimens OF physl,,
cal manhood that mortal eye ever rested
upon. Fully six feet high in his stock
ings, weighing over two hundred pounds,
without a pound OF surplus flesh,
all bone and muscle, straight, as
an Indian, with a face Of manly grandeur,
every line showing marked determinations
Withal, kindly expression, he seemed TO
me perfect model fn. !i.c.,l... U" INV
mind ne appeared the last remaining type
of that splendid band of pioneers, who,
over one hundred years ago, invaded the
foundations of future empire. My first
sight of him was accompanied with crate.
full feeling that had seen one who filled
my ideal Of a pioneer in the primitive
DAYS. Over siIty-fve years OF age, he
doesn't look to be more than thirty-iye.
Stalwart in frame, firm In step, earnest in
speech, delighting in danger and hard
work, ready for any kind of frolic or 40:
venture, he Is the very picture OF one OF
those old ruby-faced Dutchmen, who were
the sturdy pioneers Of American ciViliza-
ton.
Cosner's house is headquarters for all ex-
plorers to this region, and none ever leave
it without kind remembrance of the gen
erous flavor OF his rude hospitality.
Seventeen Years Ago
last fall he cut the first stick of timber
that was ever cut in this valley. The same
fall he made q clearing, built cabin, and
late in November, brought his family from
the east side Of the Allegheny, crossing by
blazed trail, and took up his permanet
quarters. Since that time he has cleared a
farm of about six hundred acres, which is
richly clothed with luxuriant sod Of blue
grass and clever. His house, at first
cabin, has been added to as the necessities
OF his family required flor he has raised ten
children) until now it is a long one story
building, sixty feet long, and presents an
unique appearance standing on an emf
hence near the centre of his possessions, in
grove of stately sugar NAPLES, whose
spreading branches in summer cast O
shadow giving peculiarly inviting aspect
to its cool looking situation, while to all
sides roll of in gentle slope a magnificent
meadow. From the base Of the little hill,
from beneath limestone ledge, bursts
spring OF singular beauty, whose waters
spread over fiat lime rock, in which, by
some curious natural cause, are distinct
impressions OF the tracks OF all kinds of I'M
finals that ever roamed these woods. There
are plainly seen tracks of the bear, the
panther, the deer, the coon, the squirrel
and even human tracks-large moccasin
imprints, and of tiny bare footed children,
just as natural as though made by the In
dams as they came to Stake their thirstwith
cool draughts of this refreshing water.
There are those unkind enough TO say
that Sol Cosner stretches the blanket"
when narrating his marvellous pioneer ex-
periences. II so, it is pardonable fault
with all hunters or fishermen. Without
vouching for the accuracy Of his stories,
can only give them as they were related TO
me with the statement that the surround.
ipgs justified the impression that such
things could have happened, and that he
looks to be the man who would do just as
he says.
During the three days l spent in
HIS HospitsbIe Cabin
on my first visit two years ago, TO this val
ley, had occasion 10 ask IL he knew how
much game he had killed since he had been
living in this wilderness.
81 have il all here" and with that the
tally stick was produced, and there were
the notches. zone hundred aud FIVE bears
and five hundred and seventeen deer, be-
sides what the boys and the old woman
killed"
"Tbe boys would hunt with your
"0b, yes. That boy there, he is q man
now and has two children, but when boy
OF twelve years old I had him with me
once on bear trail. 1t was she and her
cubs. The boy had the dog with the rope
tied, one end around the dogs neck and
one end around his own waist, to keep the
dog from breaking ahead and getting his
self killed before we got up. When I came
up to them the first thing sees cub
which had dropped behind In the race.
The old one was the one wanted, so played
trick to get her to come back. Just as
the cub mounted log / fired and broke Its
back. OF course it hollered, and that
brought the old she back tearing like old
Nick was after her. Just stepped behind
q tree to reload. Ny boy Harrison had
hard work to hold that dog back. The
blasted dog was heavipg and surging to
get at the bear and he was dragging the
boy along with him. spoke sorter low
and told Harrison to crap a sapling and
hold the dog. He did. II was curious to
zee the antics that old bear cut. She run
up to her cub, and Il squalling like all the,
world. Then she would slap Ii and
try to make it get up. Then she would
roll il over to see what was the matter with
IL. Then she would rear up and look all
around, and when she couldn't see any
thing she would slap the cub again, Just
like person slapping child. Then she
would look mp into the trees to see IL she
could find what had hurt her young one.
Then she bawled Q pitiful cry, and then
grunted q mad grunt, a. IL she wanted to
know who had done il.
Had Reloaded,