The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1889-04-27
PICTURES ON THE ROCKS.
SIGNS or A PREHISTORIC RACE In
WEST VIRGINIA.
The Famous Stone Near Charleston
Hidden by Government Dam
A Yellow Wolf That Stands
Guard ON Noun
tain Side.


CHARLESTON, w. Va, April 49,
The erection Of the new government
dam in the river near this city has
hidden from sight the famous Pic
lured Rock" one of the familiar
landmarks OF the Kanawha Valley,
and one which has occasioned much
wonder and fruitless speculation.
The rock was located near the mouth
Of Paint creek, and while the river
was in its natural condition was Wis
ible at low water every summer
Some years ago q part of the stone
was removed for building purposes,
an act of vandalism which should
have been prevented at all hazards,
and now the remainder is submerged
at all seasons OF the year. When
whole, the surface Of the Pictured
Rock" was about twenty by thirty
feet in extent, and was covered with
Representations of animals, fish and
fowls, carved deep in the smooth
surface. On one side were the fig
ures of a man and bear, the latter
being about life-size. Near by was
a buffalo track, and short distance
away was the representation of
large fish, and number Of foot
prints, evidently representing the
imprints of a child's feet.
The work was evidently done by
prehistoric people, as the traditions
of the valley are that the represen-
tations were on the stones when the
first white man visited the region,
and that they then bore unmistaka-
BILE signs of great age, being water
worn and smooth. The vicinity of
Paint creek is rich in aboriginal and
prehistoric relics, and volume
might be written Of the discoveries
which have been made there. Al
most every excavation brings to
light something of interest to the
antiquarian, and there is every evil
dence that in past ages the valley
was thiekly peopled by an unknown
race, probably contemporary with
the mound builders of the Ohio val
ley, and to whom the American In
dams were utter strangers.
MooREFIELD, w. VA, April 49,
From the time of the first settlement
of this part of the country, the cliff
known as the Cap Rocks, in the
Petersburg Gap, has borne the gi-
gantic representation Of common
fox. The picture is upon the sheer
and inaccessible face of the rock,
some 30 feet from the top and nearly
100 from the bottom, and being col
ored dingy yellow, in sharp con
trast to the brown stone, is visible
for long distance. On Tuesday,
the 9th instant, Glenn McGill, Of
Ohio, who was visiting Cell Beans,
near this place, went to view the fox,
accompanied by Mr.. Beans. After
an inspection from the bottom Of the
cliff, the two men assembled to the
top, and making rope fast to a tree,
McGill lowered himself down to the
fox.
He describes it as being about II
feet long, end painted or plastered
on the cliff with substance resem-
bling earthenwarc glaze, which is as
hard as the rock ITSELF The surface
of the fox is quite rough, as though
the stuff was roughly smeared on by
hands before it hardened. There
was a high wind blowing at the
time McGill made his venture, and
he ran considerable fisk.
He took along mallet and a
chisel, intending TO cut his name on
the fox, but he was swung around
at such an alarming rate by the gale
that he found it impossible to graft
fy his ambition in that direction.