Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1888-08-03
|SUMMERING NEAR HOME.

| Nv Ill ulI1 ll1IO 1lll11k In 4i4As
THE LONE FOUNTAIN, THE
BLACK ROCK SPRINGS AND
THE COLD SULPHUR.
HOW OUR PEOPLE MAY SUMMER WITH
OUT GOING FAR FROM HOME-THE At
IRA CTIONs At THE LONE FOUNTAIN
ITS PATRON sAINT-THE GUESTS REGIS
TERED THERE-INDIAN RELICS-THH
BLACK ROCK sPRINGs-125 VISITORS
THERE-THE sPRING-HOW THE TIME
f., Is SPENT THERE-sOUTHERN STATES
REPRESENTATIVES, COLD SULPHUR
&C., &C., &C.
Reported for the staunton VIND1cAToR.i
LONE FOUNTAIN, Aug. 2.-No doubt
many of the VINDICAToR's readers have
asked, as 1 have done where is the "Lone
Fountain?" "What sort of a place is it?'
"How did it get its name. &c.. &c. p
These questions ought to be answered
The writer has been asked to answer
them and the public is entitled to the in
formation. The place is IN delightfully."-
cool, shady mountain gorge. about -four
miles west of Churchville, and therefore
about twelve miles from Staunton, as you
pass through Churchville to get there.
ITS NAME.
It was named the Lone Fountain about
20 years ago by Rev. Patterson Fletcher
when giving out notice for preaching
here, as he said at the time, "for the lack
of better name" AS there was then
only single spring here and only a lone
house, and the place was as quiet as quiet
could be, the name was accepted as suita-
BILE; SO Lone Fountain it has been ever
since. =.
AS to "what kind of place it is" you
must give me little more space to answer
that question. 1t is certainly the business
mans Rest; the tired housekeeper's Re-
pose; the chiIdren's Paradise, and the
invalid's Restorer. 1t is no place of fash
ion and forms. No style and stiffness
here. no parlors and brussels, no chande-
Tiers and gas lights. no cushions, hail
mattresses and spring beds. The gloss of
silks, the shine of beavers and broad
cloth is pever seen here, nor is the clinkiDg
of julep glasses or the stroke of billiard
balls eyer heard, and the German is I'M
known. The young folks play croquet and
various other games, battle in the creek,
and roam the mountains and berry patches
for miles around. and the older folks rest
so passes the time.
A WHISPERING GALLERY.
There are eighteen buildings, the largest
number being ranged in semi-cir or
the hill, and the rest in a straight row al
the bottom facing the others, with the
spring between the two ranges. The acous
tics of the place flor unlike other springs
it has decided acoustic properties) are re
markable. Being in gorge, with noun
,, tain on each side, it Is almost like whis
pering gallery. and guest sitting in hi
portico in one row of cottages can heal
what all of his neighbors are talking about
in the opposite row, so that lazy man OF
an invalid need never be lonesome
Hardly an hour passes that conversation is
not carried on across the grove between
the occupants on the hill and those at its
foot. 1t will therefore be readily under
stood that the place is intensely sociable.
PRIMITIVE BUILDINGS AND CUSTOMS.
The cottages are built of undressed
buards and being upholstered and mostly
protected from the sun and presenting
many cracks and openings for the air, are
the coolest houses [ eyer stayed in.
Every night while I was there it took
three blankets to keep me comfortable and
the sleeping at night is as delicious as the
resting by day. Every night as soon
as it is dark great pile of lightwood is
kindled on the little lawn between the
ranges of cottages, and around it the
young folks gather to dance and play. or
seated on the benches around listen to
stories from any old war veteran or pro-
fessional story.teller that they can press
into service, and it is IL and often II
O'Clock before the famous fire dies out and
quiet reigns in camp. There is one large
dining room where the boarders of Mrs.
Wilson, the proprietress, take their meals
and substantial. bountiful, we'll cooked
meals they are, number of families also
rent cottages and keep house for them.
selves and friends. But the chief attrao-
ton Of the place is. of course
THE FOUNTAIN
of ice.cold mineral water. 1t acts like
magic upon the dyspeptic and the day
after he gets there he goes to eating fat
bacon and snaps like field hand and
laughs at the hippo, while it heals sores
and skin diseases like the balm of Gilead.
The visitor soon gets very fond of it and
being always handy, he never thinks Of
ice; if he did it would be no use, for there
is no ice to be had.
THE GOOD GENIUS OF THE PLACE
is Capt. H. W. Henry of Staunton. This
is his fourth season here, and no matter
how late he comes the season is not con
| sidered as fairly open until he arrives
J He engineers every improvement and ther
does the work, grades the walks and ther
leads the force in making them, repairs
the cottages, nails up hunks, cleans Out
the springs, trims up the trees, heads tn
lightwood hunters, piles up the rocks, fixe
| the bathing pools, cuts walks through the