The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-11-23
ABS VALLEY CAPTIVES.
CONTRASTS OF INDIANS AND
MANUFACTURERS.

CONTRASTS OF INDIANS AND
MANUFACTURES.
Ride Up the Mountains From Pocahontas.
The Tale OF squire Moore-Indisn sum
mer Among the blue Hills.
PocAHoNTAs, Nov. 22.-ISpecial. The
scattered, irregular town OF Pocahontas Is
left behind me, and find myself jogging on
horse up a most picturesque gleu TO the
famous Abb's Valley. The morning Is
typical one for November. Indian summer
in all its glory is upon US. Early to-day the
sky was overcast, but now the suns rays
are streaming through the tall trees al
ready wellnigh denuded oftheir leaves.
wRETCHED sHANTIEs.
have Just passed some wretched shanties
in a little cove. Here some OF the miners
live. What a contrast their miserable nuts
present TO the beautiful natural surroud-
Ings. As one goes along the road the music
of limpid mountain stream fills his ear;
The steep slopes of the glen are covered
with tall laurel bushes, and hundreds OF
snlendid view trees give the charm OF
sombre and romantic shade. Your cores
pondent is going few miles over the mis-
TO have talk with Squire Moore about the
captives of Abb's Valley. III Is story Vi
| an Indian massacre which happened years
AGO | am about 10 hear from the aged ana
venerable son of the man whose family SUI
| fered so terribly.
LOOK OUT FOR INDIANS.
ASH ride along this secluded and romant G
vale | can almost imagine that from behind
those tall, shelving, and moss-coNered rocks
and ont OF those thick laurel bushels VIII
annear once more a band Of painted lndi-
ans with their awful war-whoops and
lifted tomahawks. But all is quiet ana
peaceful. There is no noise save the iaillhg
leaves that seem like the mysterious;
stealthy steps Of the savages. / stop anu
admire the MOSES and ferns. How ioVely
| they are. I soon passes wagon loaded win
lumber. The mules are laborlng up the
steep hill towards Pocabontas. " Which
way is il TO Abs Valley?" ask the driver
n0inting to place where the road divided
TAKE to the lett" said he, land cross
that stream and 90 straight on
ABB's VALLEY.
have stopped a moment here in the
midst OF these rural scenes TO make a le"
notes. and now ] will hurry on TO my destl-
nation. A few miles of travelling along
the mountain road, through a hlliy
rough, but picturesque ana heasn!
timbered country. | emerge INTO what i
known as Abb's Valley. WIS very mar
row and very fertile vale. Through tht
middle of it runs an underground stream Of
water which is clear and cold, and only u
be seen here and there through some rocky
gallery or assure in the earth. Inc country
IL a limestone formation. and full OF caves
II is we'll watered, but the little rivuiets ant
snrings sink into the earth, and seek thel
Syay through the ground TO the larger stream
that drains the valley. The fields are wei
clothed with beautiful blue grass, and on
sees herds Of well-Dred cattle ana HOOKS
sheep. Grazing is the prohtabie pranch .
/, farming here, and land sells Tor hundre'
dollars an acre.
SQUIRE MOORE.
Squire Moore lives about the centre OF th
valley. which is nine or ten miles long
though only about half mile or llile Droau
| was soon i'm front Of his gate. The nous
i. a comfortable.looki home of moder
design.
I as Squire Moore imp ] called to mem
Der OF the family who appeared at the win
+ "Oh. YES. he is at home. Won't 20
alight!" SAID the lady.
. Twas met at the door by man OF mos
venerable appearance, who, though aDOu
) ninety years Old. still retains DIS ldcultle'
+ "This is squire Moore, | presume|
said. Eyes sir. Walk in the parlor," sal
q he, leading the way.
1;Souire." said f."knowing that you wer
probably the oldest man in this section
, the country, and being familiar with tn
wonderful story Of the massacre of you
grandfather and the captivity OF you
father. | took the liberty of calling on you
that the reading public might have fror
YOUR own lips your remarkable ana lntel
esting "reminiscences and those incidents o
y the early history of this country which 20
have heard from your father
CAPTURED BY sHAwNEEs.
.'Well. sir. il was in this very valley tina
nv father was taken captive by band {
rowing Shawnees in 1854, when boy ab0u
fourteen. He died in 1856. so you see
was his contemporary for more than lift
= years. My grandfather's family moved ou
here from the Valley OF Virginia in l1o'
The old gentleman had been soldier in tn
. Revolution. lie got grant for 81 acres here
> The valley had already become famous, an
: was named after hunter and scout VIII
! first found it. one Absolom Looney. wei
. Abb's Valley in those days was yer
: different from whatit is to-day. The countr
. was nearly all wooded |, myself, can re
: member when these forests and mountain
- were filled with packs of wolves. herds
=. deer. panthers bear, and wild turkeys
Why. sir, during all my early manhood
= was hunting these. | have killed as man
= as three fine bucks before breakfast. W
d. used to keep bear dogs, and once killed
2 panther with knife 10 prevent her frOI
. killing nv bear dogs. She had bee
wounded. We have had as many as thirt
. or forty sheep killed by wolves in nigh
A PIONEER
"You see, my grandfather, when he move
G out here, found hard life before him. III
and my grandmother were ScOtch-lris
Presbyterians, and were brave pan
Some of their neighbOrs were of the sam
heroic stock. Things were getting on pre-
i " well, and he was happy with his devote
# wife and family of four or five children
c MY father was at that time about fourteen
:, and one day he was sent after the COWS, u
L this valley. This was two years before tn
n great catastrophe which came TO us. VI
! father did not return, and soon my CRANE
o father found out that he was captured b
the Indians and carried away beyond th
Ohio. The band was on rowing eXped
ton. Ii is not hard 10 imagine the shado'
that fell on this little mountain home, bu
nothing could be done, so the good old peOpl
= went on with their annual sowing and reaI
ing, no doubt hoping that my father wOul
Z Wander Ddch. III WAS ABOUT luis lllllt Una
s one day my grandfather was standing j
e his cottage door, which stood just owe
= there on the hill, and saw his COWS comm
: in, and with them great buffalo, which h
very soon shot. Well, two years soon passe
, away and another little baby had come I
take the place of the captive boy, and m
grandfather had gone on trying to advance
his temporal affairs, when one day the ri
> NOR passed around that the Indians wer
I rowing around on another raid. And now
( if you will just come with me, | will SHOW
: you the very spot on which occurred tn
event ! am about TO describe"
THE VERY SCENE.
! readily acquiesced, following the age
guide, whose memory stretched over nearl,
century, and whose whole life had beef
| spent in this great valley apart from tn
, vast changes of this great republic. Tn
story he was about to narTate was gatbere,
from eye witnesses, and was in the pres
ence Of the very rocks and hills that hat
been the scene Of the event he described.
was exceedingly graphic and realistic
"You see that spot just beyond that littl
glen where the little riVulet runs and Wber