Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1882-12-10
THROUGH THE. STATE.
Tramp Among the Wiids finest
Virginia.

nn;lt.n fac tk !Ss.ldaq Reaistec.

Hrittea for he SsIlddg Register.
West Virginia Is a small State, but
still there are things in it that may
hardly be found any place else. Al
least that was my opinion when, late in
the evening of November llth, landed
from the steamboat Andes at Hunting
Ton, resolved on tramp through my
native State. prepared myself for the
business; for 1t was not my intention to
20 the trip on bed of roses. l expect
cd to see all that was visible, and to that
end | made arrangements to climb
maintains, wade rivers, combat bears
and panthers, and, IN short, take 1t
rough and tumble anyway could
make it. There was not much to be
seen about Huntington, except one cleo
tric light and some boardwslks; so,
early Sunday morning l took the train
for Charleston, keeping a sharp lookout
for anything of note. I did not much
admire the general appearance OF the
Chesapeake & Ohio railroad rigging
Evervthipe, III the way of rolling stock
oesp.ed to be old and dilapidated, but |
suppose that is none of my concern.
reached Charleston about 8 o'clock. L
had thought. of spending a day there,
but my curiosity was satisfied In an
hour or two. | flung my knapsack on
my back and started up the Great Ia
nawha to see the salt works. This was
much more interesting TO a sight-seer
than our State Capital. AT least liked
il better. The furnaces for evaporating
the brine were far more numerous ana
much larger than had ever imagined.
They extend at intervals along the north
bank of the river for many miles.
spent the time till noon looking al
the saline wonders, then crossed the
river TO Brownstown, intending 10 Jake
the afternoon train for hanawha raiis.
But thew told me the train did not stop
there, and that | would nave 10 go 10
COalburg, six miles further-and only
two hours to do it in. Tired as was,
trudged ahead, and reached Coalburg
in time to wait two hours for the train;
Thus far the Kanawha Valley had
| presented a very creditable appearance.
The bottom lands were level ana w!de,
aud well cultivated. But it is by no
means the incest part OF West Virginia.
After waiting till nearly four O'Clock
for the train, at last got started for the
| Fails. noticed one popularity among
the conductors and brakemen on the
road. They cannot speak the English
language. | suppose that they pretend
to do so, but they make q poor out OF 1t.
When they come TO station they bawl
out something, which i'll the dark
! might be mistaken for the snOrting OF
leopard or the escape Of steam from an
engine. | was obliged to impose on the
good nature of the passengers to find
out when was TO my destina.
| ton: for, although the conductor might
! pronounce the name of the station
several times, still ! could not under
stand it. Once he repeated it twice for
me, and / was settling back despond-
ingly, still endeavOring to trust Prov.
dence to let me know when L reached
| Hawks Nest, when q lady in front or
me said that the conductor was trying
to say "COttOn HILL"
About 4:SO ] reached the Falls. I
had heard 81 much of the
Falls OF the Kanawha
that my expectation was on tip.toe.
Howe's History OF Virginia says that
the river at that place is $1,000 feet
wide, and the water makes pependicu-
/ to dispute this; but, II seems to me that
The picture IS overdrawn. The river
does not look to me one-third that
width; although New River, a few
hundred yards above the Falls, may
be 800 feet from bank to bank. The
precIpice over which the water plunges
does not extend straight from bank to
bank; but runs in zig-zags and curves,
first up, then across, and down, 80 that,
by measuring along the brink of the
ledge it may be 800 feet long. AT
some points it probably is - feet high;
but it is not that high all the way across.
More generally the water makes the
| descent by q series of cascades, arranged
one above another like stair.steps. The
Kanawha Falls are worth seein ,, to be
sure, but, they are not the finest in the
/ State. The "Cataracts Of Canada" in
Tucker county, are more romantic and
| beautiful, although not so much water
flows over them.
Having satisfied myself that the Falls
were all right, l went ten miles up New
| River to see Hawks Nest, or Marshall's
Pillar. had barely time to see it be-
| fore dark. Having engaged bunk in
the Hawks Nest Hotel, went out to
visit the Pillar. had no instruments
| with which to measure it, and must
therefore take for granted that the
measurements by other people are cor
rect. The Pillar in question is a cliff of
rocks jutting out boldly from the noun
tains toward the river. II was originally
! called Hawks Nest, and is still known
by that name in the vicinity. In 1872
Chief Justice Marshall, as one of the
State Commissioners, visited aud
measured it, since which time it has
| frequently been called Marshall's Pillar.
1t is said that a person may stand on the
brink above and drop pebble from his
| fingers, and it will drop 900 feet before
1t touches anything but air. Whether
this is true or not, cannot say; but /
was told while there that it is only $50
feet from the river to the top of the
| rock. The precipice is of dull red
color, and is plainly seen from the rail:
road, although few persons ever notice
it. When ! went to see it, asked a
man, who lived not half mile away,
where Marshalls Pillar was. He
answered that he knew of no such
place. Yet, travellers beyond the ocean
have gone to trouble and expense to
visit this rock!
Thus one day of my tramp was gone
travelled l0l miles that day-Sunday.
l went to bed, resolved to see more
wonders the next day. The village Of
Hawks Nest Is without exception the
most drear and desoIate place of human
abode that it has ever been my lot TO
see. The place contains only
about a dozen houses. No gar
dens or fields, or orchards or
fruit trees, or anything that makes life
enjoyable can be seen. Nothing but
rock and cliffs and everlasting noun
tains looming up on all sides. Far be-
meath, through ch&sms and abysses
and caverns the foamiDg flood OF
New River
boUIa a,,H 10 ahaa ana rnar5 Nth q MAD