The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1889-09-21

Notes Of Local Interest From Mary
land.
DRurD HILL, MD, Sept. l6.

DEAR NEW DOMINION :-During a
recent drive through Mountain Lake
Paik / had the pleasure of seeing
Geo. C. Baker sitting out on shady
veranda with his winsome bride,
looking as "happy as big sun
flower"
On a previous drive Mr.. Will
Worley's six feet of dignity we're en-
countered.
The Park was again filing up
with faith healers and hay fever suf-
ferers. The question naturally arises,
why don't the faith healers heal the
hay sufferers?
Mrs. Howe still has quite num-
Der of guests and expects to be full
far into October.
Last Saturday small party of US
spent the day at "Buck- horn WALL"
a few miles west of Rowlesburg.-
The view is unspeakably grand and
there is splendid field for the study
of geology where the bare ribs of
mother earth loom up for hundreds
of feet in frowning majesty. As we
filed our lunch baskets with speci-
mems l found myself wishing for
half hour with your talented geolo-
gist, Pro-. White. The descent there
is so great that the train ran nearly
a quarter of mile after we tagged
it, and then we had to run or be left
all night on top of Cheat Mountain.
Two or three heads hung out of each
car window watching us make the
race.
Tuesday three carriage loads of
us picniced above Aurora, and we
were favored with day that was
simply perfect. The road is the old
northwestern turnpike after the
State line is crossed at Chisholm's
mill, at the headwaters of the Yough-
iogheny river, and from there on
every sinuous turn is leafy land
scape surprise, full of slumberous
shade and golden sunlight. The
way is densely hedged on either side
with glorious masses of pine and
laurel, threaded with gurgling
streams. The geological formation
is commonly called ''bean stone" and
makes one of the most delightful
driveways imaginable, the little
snow-white pebbles or beans max
ing it superior to the finest shell
road.
We were accompanied on the trip
by Mr.. Bowie johnson, and family,
a son of the late Reyerdy johnson,
who was Attorney General under
Taylor and Minister to England
during Lincoln's administration
He dispenses charming hospitality
at his lovely country seat near Oak
land, known as Woodlands.
! am now at "Druid HILL" semi
leyil plateau two miles in extent
which lies at the foot of Mt. Cynthia,
the highest peak of the great Back
bone range Of the Alleghanies -
When we came into possession of the
place it had on it picturesque old
log house, supposed to have been
built about 1895. 1t was double
house with huge chimney in the
middle containing stone enough to
build medium sized house and
fireplace big enough to roast an OK
whole. There was the mantel so
high | could only reach it from a
chair, and the door so low tall per
son must needs stoop in passing in
or out. There was also the tradi-
tional wooden latch with the leath-
ern string changing out" and
primitive lock made entirely of wood,
There were little, square Queen
Anne windows and doors almost as
wide as they were high.
Since the new house was built the
old one has been considered a sort
of Anticipated eye-sore, but this sum
mer along comes the ubiquitous
and iniquitous) correspondent Of a
city paper and tells his readers how
it was used as an inn in old stage
coach days, and how its old punch
con floors had resounded to the tread
of Clay and Calhoun, Corwin and
and other worthless long
since gathered to the "tongueless
of the dreamless dust" Since
that it is quite the common caper
now for a load of tourists to drive
up, unload photographers outfit,
focus the camera on the moss grown
old ruin and carry off counterfeit
presentment of it.
Three miles from here lives a.. old
man, grizzled with age and twisted
with rheumatism. He is poor and
ignorant, but he claims descent with
one Of the prominent figures of Eng
fish history. General Wolf, who fell
at the battle of Quebec, was a great
uncle of his, and the old gentleman
has the sword held by Wolf when he
died on the fields of Abraham before
the Revolution. 1t is only now
about Is inches long, evidently having
been broken at the hilt, which has
been replaced by rough handle of
bucks horn There is a crown deep
ly stamped into the blade, showing
it to have belonged to a royalist off
Ger. The old man refuses all offers
to buy it, yet shades of the mighty!
he uses it to carve his breakfast ba-
con with. 1t ought to be in some
English historical museum.
MAY