Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-08-31

FEET-RIcH AND ABUNDANT FLORA.
| Special Correspondence Of THE EVENING STAR
FoRT PENDLEroN, August o.
must correct error Of my first sketch.
The Brentanos sent me maps Of Maryland, vir-
ginia and West Virginia. ALI cover Garrett
county, and on that of Maryland Fort Pendle-
ton is noted. 1t is omitted from both the
others. 1 explored the fort the other day.
The shaley rock and slaty hard-pan walls re
main, little worn by the elements. The dug
way exit and approach-is it called the raw
elin?-from the northeast angle, where was a
block house, runs down the hill through
woods the third of mile to the Laurel. near its
junction with the Potomac (whence water
might have been procured), originally deep
enough to cover men walking along Its bottom.
The earth and rock thrown out on the SOUTH
erly side seem to have formed glacis, along
which was once a wel-worn way found it
long unused-broken tangled and wild Per-
severing broke through. made my way down
stony declivity, and landed on the one street
OF ancient Elklns, century old, dropped into
the crypt-like valley of the Laurel Its post
office still retains its name and the German
station stands on that side of the Potomac
A MIR. Hoffman, man of enterprise, and with
ms associates commanding ample capital, has
laid hold of the West Virginia side. The river
running northerly at this point where it takes
the Laurel, turns sharply eastward, the en-
closed angle is low lying and approaches a
level. Here Hoffman
HAS PLANTED THE NEW TOWN
Here he has constructed an immense tan
merry. He has gathered the waters of seven
or eight springs at the base Of the foot hills
In convenient reservoir at a height to give
ample pressure for his works and the houses of
his workmen, half hundred of which are in
various n h.
wide destruction of the grand old oaks and
hemlocks OF these mountain woods, and all
sorts Of wheeled vehicles go grooming over the
rocky ways freighted with bark. The Hoff-
mann company have a tannery at Wheeling
and an immense harness mandatory at
Davenport, whittier the product of this tan
merry Is to be shipped. so it is said. The chief
at German has another, a no-less interesting
and perhaps, more difficult enterprise in
hand-a suit to the real mistress of Fort PEN
dleton, the second daughter of the house-a
horse tanner
GIRL OF THE DI VERNON ORDER
Tall, commanding, finely nodded and at her
best on spirited charger. one could easily
fancy her riding at the head of a charging
squadron of cavalry, her dark eyes flashing
scorn III the faces of the foe. 1t is his one az
fair and the signs are noted by the half-score
OF literarily-inclined intellectual ladies of the
house and others. The sutton is well looking
OF large means, and seems to know what he is
about. The maiden may have had romantic
fancles, but she is certainly a capable woman,
and not without a woman's reasonable ambi-
lions. A mile above new German is still newer
Barrett, or, rather. W. A. Barrett IT, Co. They
or he Is In possession as lessee of the Smith
Pendleton estate. The precpitous left bank of
the Potomac depresses itself at the mouth of
runlet making space for Barrett along the rail-
road. The townlet is near year old new
stone road zigzags a fourth of a mile down
There ia he laru fai1
store In all this wild mountain region and il is
advertised in black and yellow on every large
tree and rock near every roadside within
twenty miles OF it. Barrett is a pleasant per-
slstent. restless young man from the north who
understands proclamations. He has a coal
mine and the inevitable saw mill A long row
OF houses along the end OF his new road is
rushing to completion Meantime, whatever
may be the result OF pending litigation over
the Smith-Pendleton mountains Barrett ir
Co. are in lively way of realizing their avail
able resources. We rather like Barrett his
pleasant superintendent, Pickens, and the new
town.
A mile above Barrett, on the right bank of
the Potomac, on another little depression
caused by the inflow of the Buffalo creek is
Bayard, below which the railroad crosses to
the West Virginia side. A little older than
Barrett, more populous. its industry is lum-
berlng and eoaling-that is to be. l found
also that they were shipping large quantities
OF spruce IN the log, cut into ive-foot sections,
to be turned into paper pulp at Piedmont, where
factory Is In successful operation.
HUNTING OUT AN OLD FOREST ROAD
one day, across and over which was a lumber
ing trail, in the SCARED depths of the wood 1
came upon skid way built over a rocky
glen, evidently once much used Mounting il l
discovered a well-built newish wooden tram
way leading southerly toward the Potomac and
evidently now unused. The oak plank floor
was inviting for a walk, over and through the
laureland rhododendron. in one of
the noblest of forests. though married by the AK
and saw OF the lumberer. Passing along it | soon
came to where it struck the rocky valley of
what l came to know as 'Hoy's creek" which
at this point turns short toward the river along
which and over the limpid waters of the con-
siderable stream, which went skipping and
ieapmg In musical cascades. the tramway ran
for considerable distance.
The discovery, for such it was to us. pro-
duced a mild commotion in our serene vet APP
preclatlve company, and day or two later I
was permitted to guide small party of ladies
over the old Ga hundred years old at least) to-
bacco field. fringed and ringed by the sur
rounding forest, across the woods to the skid
way.
ALAS, NOT MORTAL WOMAN
would attempt to walk the broad upper surface
of the largest skid over the shallow chasm to
the inviting plankway- Wallace, The Irish set
ter, and Old Smoke, the colly wagged their
tails along and over even the smaller skids
Jointly and severally, many times. but the ladies
were not persuaded, and there was nothing for
1t but to cut and tear a way up the vicious
untimely little stream to a depressed place in
Its banks. extemporize a bridge over its chan
mel, there running more than a foot wide and
fully an inch deep, and tear up the sleeper
other side and into and down an old log road.
and was more than rewarded by the several
and altogethery ecstacies of the ladies when
their blessed feet were all on the oak-blessed
by their being on it. How smooth and inviting
the way, and they all ran pattering over the
well-adjusted plank. every eager mother and
maiden o. Them with no thought or care of
the whittier or distance to go. The way turned
mysteriously. The grade was inclined a good
deal In places. The ladies were more inclined
all the way. What wondering at Hoy's creek!
At points the way was fully Is feet above the
noisy little creek.
would IT GIVE WAY UNDER THEM?"
No matter; they gave themselves away and
went on. They soon reached part of the for
est where the spelling AK had not struck: where
the huge hemlocks, the dark spruce. oaks. ma
Piles and other trees stood-tall thick and dark
making gruesome twilight at midafternoon.
ugh? how VERDI" Then there was the
Browns road winding down the wooded hill.
WHERE DID THAT Go?'
The tramway went direct to Bayard, took a
turn up amid wreck and debris. took another
turn, run over the river, now dark with the