New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-09-29
A VIRGINIA SUMNER.
NOTES ON MOUNTAIN CUSTOMS, SPRINGS
AND TOURNAMENTS.
Capon, W. Va. Sept. 10, 1888


by Toms" house. This gentleman had piaucp
| twenty miles over the mountains, with saddle-bags
full Of implements, and he was now coming uo"u
the valley, marking his path with gore "sukey
small brother, who was sont out as scout nhaiS
reported that he hetrn 'em hollerin awful up ter
Rodenheier's cabin and it was inferred that me
mm of blood and drawing near. "suhey
showed signs of nerve" tho fateful moment
! approached, surprising development In moun'a"
girl But at last the dentist arrived with his sfule'
bags. The best room became the worst ior tio
trembling sukey," when she was led to tho sacri-
fee. / suspect that Magge's tooth-pulln was
due to her fine scorn at "sukey's' shrleAs anu "
desire to demonstrate her superior courage VI
perhaps, as often happens In the mountain HOUSES
It deemed wise to improve the dentists presence
by an all round tooth pullin" generar principles
At all events Maggie underwent the operation with
perfect compOsure, and presently reapp'areu psat-
! ing in her hand an ensanguned grinder when
was triump hantly exhibited and re-exhibed to eacn
and every one within reach. Meantime the man OIL
blood and forceps assed on his way Perhaps MS
ministratiOns suggested the pains and penalties Oh
wrongdoing more forcbly than the words OF tho
( itinerants who occasionally hold preachin" ia
| that mountain valley.
If have said little of trout 1t is because there Is
really little to say There trout as well rs
snakes the creek before the house. but on the "hoo
the chances Tor snakes were better oVer aroSs '"o
mountain which in front Of the house was lrouI
Run, which, according TO the hrcslde thh wac
Variable trout preserve. Some two miles above THIS
rum on the summit Of the mountain, was large spring
or small lake, remarkable for the purity and dep'h
of the water. Every fisherman has heard OF lakes
whore there is no bottom and where the roit
refuse to be caught. such IS the reputation OF lrou'
Spring. The outhowing stream descends LOT l"o
miles and disappears In " sink" alter the fashoh
Of creeks in this country which take headers uhuer-
ground as suddenly Arizona rivers. Some distance
!
cold wafer which are believed to be fed from the out
| let of Trout Spring. These supply Trout huh' INC
objective point Of an expedition which / made On
horseback. 1t necessary to cross mountain anu
TO descend for four five miles through me FOREST
on the other side "sukey.p who had recovered from
the dentists forceps was about TO ride up TO the
deer lick on the top of the first ridge, and thus she
acted as guide ! should like TO introduce "suhey'
into one OF the fashionable NewYork riding acadcmeS'
Her establishment at the fuss and ceremony woulu Dc
equal to that Of the carefully equipped riders II ,heS
could Sukcy. catch her horse IN the held sip
bride on jump on It's bare back and start up
mountain trail There was thought OF rdnS
habit or of saddle. The trail straight up the
mountain side and. to repeat the uS'ai
comparison, It appeared considerably sleeper IMAM
| the ordinary pitch Of roof FOR myself
| confess serious thoughts regarding the stfehg"
of NV saddle cirth but "Sukey," leaning easily LOT
wari on the bare back Of her horse, with one mana
resting on the withers seemed TO keep her place WIN
ont an effort A man who good rider might
have dispensed with saddle and stirrups, nut for
woman IT was a different matter-one OF the thlhgS
which are not taught in the riding academies Nh"n
We came TO the fence at the top, Sukey jumper o'I
and threw rails with the usual salfresnt dlsdan
Of any offers of aid. The mountain girl wastes no
time In seeking her sphere She finds II or makes II
at once What the boys do, the girl does kine
and saddle are her paythngs. and riding haltorokeh
colts Is one OF the innocent pastimes OF her chldhoo
It is a pity that her vigorous, splendid youth couu
not be prolonged by some of the fountains of per
potual youth in this country of mineral springs hu'
| hot bread bad cookery, rheumatism and very Akely
overwork are more potent than the Virginia fountains
| When "sukeyp left me the top OF the noun
tain | was set upon path down through the loreS'
which turned out to be the bed OF ntle Dfooh-a
torrent in the spring However the path had the al
vantage OF being clearly marked and the morse by
this time was hardening himself to tho rough riding
OF the country. But 1t was nearly noon before
| had made my way through tho woods and virginia
rail fences and fields which lay in my cratic course
The springs which fed Trout Run were promptly
utilized for a millpond and there fish which
would como TO the fly in the cold water at the upper
end There was also a native who told the customary
| tale 10 tho effect that time in the
misty past thar war right smart o. trout I'm this here
unn Enough remain furnish afternoons
snort but suddenly the dropped behind the noun
tains and ride of eight miles over mountain roads
and
infinite credit of Dragon, my strawberry roam There
was a stir at Tom's' when splashed through the
creek before the house. and It appeared that there had
bcen talk OF a search expedition. reason for this
| WAS given next morning by one OF the mountan"ers
vvbo mystcr ouslv delivered himself Of remarkable
taIc :. Thar war man out yOnder" he said flrvely
1,pcIpr about TO detect any possible eavesdroppers
| - thar war man as tuck to mnnn' a little WHISKY
an the revoOnoo men they took after him. Thar war
n little rassle an low he hurt one Of 'em powerful
had sose that man he mover did git over H.
nobow Accorin', this here fel.cr no tuck 10 the
woods with his gun an he Keeps hid out back thar an
tbe folks they feeds him kase they re powerful sheered
Of him. and he takes jest about what he might want
III he laid eyes on a strange man out there In inc
woods he might think that thar stranger war an ocer
an, nebbe agin he might think that thar strange
man had some money, an he'd be powerful llksy 10
got behind a tree an bring up his ole gun an jest
drop him on the chance. so'se when yer dldht gu
hack last night, we're kinder skeeed That yer mghl
% han ened on this feller an got hurt. Yer see, we
uor,n,t reckonin we'd say nohin' to yc aforehand,
,kase this here feor he don't like to be talked apoH
7, was a charming tale. particularly the naive ending,
but I fear It was product of mountain Imagination
7, would be dangerous to hint that the virtues oil
a,v Virginia springs imaginary, but IL Is possioo
10 have enough even of healing springs. Ihele are
times when a glass Of plain oldfashioned water would
no very grateful unjust to that Respectable
organ the stomach to make II portable chenicai
laboratory for the testing of all kinds of mineral water
but the springs" in the Virginia mountains appear
N he regarded as sacred things, genuine ounts OF IN
sniration and healing If you call at wayslde house
for some water you not unlikely TO De leu out 10
a spring, and soIemnly presented WIN cup Vi par.
tcuarly bad smelling WATER which Is descroed a.
ososine marvellous curative properties. Your host
Is in earnest and you drink, struggling baVey against
the SMELL and remembering that at one familiar VIZ
oins sna the odor of suphuret ted hydrogen peryahes
| the very dining rooms without diScohferths inc
: uests In the mountainous parts OF Virginia every
banner SEQ, possibilities in his mineral springs almost
coual b. the cherished possibilities Of oil regions IL
the little farm spring has not been anayled It IS never