Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-10-27

his Indian allies except one feet-footed Ca
madam, who escaped and carried the tidings
of the disaster TO Fort Duquesne.
We followed our little guide through the
woods in Indian file, clambering across
fallen trunks and lodging overhanging
boughs, recalling, as we picked our way, a
visit made to this romantic spot more than
20 years ago, and wondering how the scene
was impressing certain young people in our
party to whom we had many time and oft
deseanted upon the weird and solemn grand
eur of these primeval trees, beneath whose
shadows it was twilight at noondav
and where Sabbath stiffness reigned per-
petual; where maze after maze of feathery
ferns grew with almost tropical luxuriance
through which one must tread warily for
fear of stepping upon "that terrible serpent
with the tigers skin aud the castanets on
the end of its tail, !" which is habitant of
these mountains and makes its winter
quarters in Rattlesnake Lodge, a mile or so
away. Here and there along the pathway
were vistas, or bits, as artists say, of ex-
quisite beauty, but, instead of penetrating
deeper into the gloom OF the forest as afore-
time. the way seemed to grow brighter as we
proceeded, and we began to doubt our own
memories and the sagacity of our guide, but
the little fellow said he was certain sure we
were going straight to the place, and added
encouragingly.
DESIGNATING A HERo'S GRAVE.
SIT isn't much to look at now, for a good
bit of the timber's been cut down. The
hogs run through here and root up the
ferns, and the boys from the Soldiers Or
phans' School at Dunbar's Camp come over
here on Saturdays and scatter the stones
from the grave. Why, just a couple of
weeks ago, some of them tore down the cross
from the top ofthe pile!'
Think OF II, guardians and educators of
such as these-think OF the sons of soldiers
deseerating q soldiers grave! And instiIl
into your wards, if you can, q spirit of man
illness and reverence, causing each to bear in
mind this maxim: He who respects not
the resting place of the dead, will be found
not to respect the rights of the living"
We kept on our way, and sure enough, with
the sunlight streaming upon it, and bare of
moss and vine and fern, and partly thrown
down, was the once picturesque cairn, from
the foot OF which, in the long ago, we had
gathered partridge berry vine and Robin
Hood, carefully preserving it to this dav, in
memory OF the spat where was fired the first
shot of the war which resulted in the domi-
nation forever OF the English-speaking race
on this continent. Some of the stateliest
trees that had stood for more than a century
like grim sentinels about the grove have
been felled, probably for fence rails or fire.
wood. On several of the stumps $50 RINGS
are distinctly marked, registering a growth
of az many years. Surely, with timber.
tlmbcf everywhere on this mountain, these
trees might have been spared.
The young artists of our party finished
several hasty sketches just as the shadows
began to fall, and we reluctantly turned our
footsteps toward the highway, earnestly
hoping that some of the public spirited eiti-
zens Of Fayette county will unite to pre-
serve this memorable and still charming spot
from further desecration.
1t is this and other sites, hallowed by deeds
OF valor and self-sacrifce during the history
of the last 20 years of the colonies, that lend
to this whole region fascination indepen-
dent OF its grand mountain scenery and its
revivifying air, and which awaken
a more general and lasting interest
than the superannuated innkeeper's lore
of the palmy days of the National
Pike, what time Andrew jackson took
whisky straights at Chalk Hill or Henry
Clay played poker till l o'clock A NJ. at
the Old Stone House, or DR.. Braddee
robbed the United States mail at Turkey
Foot or Jenny Lind sang like a lark with
the landlords daughter at Pennington,
They are entertaining anecdotes and stories,
still they are but local gossip about famous
people who passed to and fro, Will-o'-the-
Wisp like, over the great highwsy-stories
of yesterday, signifying nothing.
But the story of Jumonville's grave.
Fort Necessity, Dunbar's Camp and Brad
docks grave, these are part of the history
OF three nations and they are a part also of
the history OF man, who. taken all in all,
was the greatest and best of his time.
THE GREAT PIKE.
The mountain roads that branch off from
the pike are so narrow that in MANY places
vehicles cannot pass each other without one |
or the other turning into the woods On |
our return we met a gentleman in buggy, |
who. to let us go by, obligingly drove his |
horse up bank several feet high, at the i'm |
minent risk OF an upset.
As our horses turned eastward into the |
pike at the summit, and the wooded |
mountains rose spur after spur before us,