The Big Stone post. (Big Stone Gap, Va.) 1890-1892, 1890-08-29
THAT RIDE OVER"
A "Reminiscences of Days Before the Rail-
road Came.
$40 die be given us, or to attain;
Fierce work It were to do again."

slight, it probably seems quite enough 10
have plunged through miles of mud to Big
Stone Gap in the early Spring OF this
present year of grace. In the celebrity of
the city's growth this phase OF its carly
history may soon be but legend or a
myth, hardly credible to those more
| felicitously waited in on any one OF several
rail lines. Before the iron age sweeps away
completely the vestigcs of that softer
period it may not be uninterestlng to
recall an episode in it, common, and yet
unique to many, have no doubt; and'
since the color of our thought depends so
much upon the point of view, it might be
well to add that the writer's spcctaclcs
were of IL Northern-though not of an
unsympathctc tint.
1t was warm sunny noon III March
which was coming in most lamb-likc-
when Il little party of some eight or ten
stepped off at the Tunnel Station % and
proceeded to hold Il council of war.
Rumors of mules drowned along the road,
and others hardly less grcwsomc in char
acter, caught on the ride up from Bristol,
lent IL genial interest to the question OF
transportation, not much improved by the
appearance of the animals brought out for
inspection The Outstanding natives
seemed to take mild kind of pleasure in
rcmnrking that the roads were "rnthcr
bad" but their knowledge ri the country
appeared limited to that. Two possible
routes were suggested; al Whichever
YOU took, some one said, you would "lsh
YOU had taken the other. While the
writer succeeded in making some entirely
indie fritc arrangement about baggage. the
others, breaking up into two dctachmcnts,
sci 90 on the aforcsaid roads. Left to
the .oci. capabilities II the mail boy,
who VS. not quite ready accepted, with
SON. rclucta', Il mustan- pony, said to
be admirable Tor endurance and ingenuity.
! anticipated some rcstivcncss of spirits;
but, Oh no. the poor brute had been that
way before. The traditional lamb was out
of comparison.
As, on the trail Of the stalwart mail
carrier, we made up the first easy grade
Il momcntary cxultation dispelled ones
more sombrc forcbodings. a temporary
lease of life impaired enough energy to
my nondcscript stecd to give touch of
that feeling of elevation and gathered
force one has astridc Il steady, active rider,
with clear blue skies above one, solid
travelling undcrfoot; and the road ~ yet
gave slight prcmonition of our coming
fate. The soft. delightful southern brcczcs
played all about us; the budding vegcta-
ton, already well advanced, mingled lis
faint, delicate perfume with that of the
rich, red soil. Along side the road the
silver tinkling of little mountain brook,
hurryinS over the stones, blended in with
the rest to lend an alluring drcamincss to
the air-sOon to he dispclled.
AT the crest of the hill the stern beauty
of that broken valley with the river
threading its tortuous way i'll and out, like
II ribbon of gold through patches of open
and forest lands, into steep gulchcs under
the sloping hills, caused moments halt.
We struck diagonally down the other side.
passing within sight Of the entrance of
the Natural Tunnel. Hoping to see it
again under more favorable auspices, we
had time for only IL passing glance at that
mystcriously grand and significant piece
of natural engineering. Once fairly into
the valley there was sufficient near at
hand Tor FOOT tn claim our most immcdi-
ate and unvarying attention. After
wading through mud to the knees for sew
cra minutes my pony would make Il side
| L. L.. 81, Il.
superb in calculation, though not particu
larry expected always. Acting on well
authenticated advice, | allowed the pony.
in the main, to pick his own way; but if
his deep instinct always hit the iirmest
places, Imagination fails for the rest.
The best bit of travelling on this stretch
was the river bed, which we took for some
half mile, and after several weary hours,
arrived at the post-olcc near Horizons
summit. While the mail was being sorted
bv number of his children, | enjoyed Il
brief conversation with the patriarchal
postmaster at the Old-fashioncd hearth,
taking, together with the horses, a not
unapprcciatcd rest The moments were
allowed, however, by drcary tales of
buckeye Hollow" which lay just beyond.
These were bcttcrcd to the syllable when
We descended, soon after, into this COM
panion of the pits of Avcrnus Some
apparently bottomlcss sloughs were avoid
cd by slight detours off the road, but
finally we reached one from which there
was no cscapc-a high fence on one side,
steep bank on the other. 1t amounted
almost to swimming, but the mail-boy
managed to make it. Half way across,
what heart my'poor beast had left. failed.
He had kept well to the right and seem
ing now to find no bottom, made one last
heroic burst; and, attempted to scale the
| adjoining bank, ut an angle of about GO
degrees. Success would have broken the
law of gravitaton. l had just time TO
catch hold of small scrub tree, and get
out from under, when with forlorn gasp,
my pony tumblcd back into the mud.
But relieved now of his burden, he scram-
bed up again to the edge of the bank,
and taking his bride with wiser. though
muddicr grasp, led him through the rest
of that trcacherous hollow, making my
way gingcrly along the side of the bank,
and on occasional ridges il the road.
While | admired that horses pluck,
must confess to decided shaking of con-
tidence in the infallbility Of his Judgment
Even animal instinct, am convinced, has
its limits Near the end of the hollow we
struck path leading to the top of the
railroad grade, and ascending, took Il last
look below. / have never wished to re-
visit that scene. The memory is one of
mans least exclusive faculties, but even
that has to draw the line somewhere.
Would might as easily, as pleasantly,
forget that vale of gloom and unfathom-
able mud!
LITTLE further on. | Dnrtcd. with much