The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1890-11-21
. scAooL-eooK FICTION.
a Washington Story That Goes with the
NO. Tale Of william Toll.

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n Washington Story That Goes with the
Tale OF William Toll.
would not be understood as believ-
ing the Natural bridge not worth see-
ing. 1t isa magnificent sight and more
than pays for the pains it costs to get
fthere to see iti A natural blue lime
stone arch in height from the bed Of
Cedar Creek to the surface of the arch
21611 feet with an average breadth at
the top OF eighty feet, is wonder which
is not seen in any other part of the
known world. 1t is worth the while to 20
there and see this wonder and it is also
worth the while to go there and have tho
mind disabused of some of the impress
sions which were made of this place whom
the present mature generation was on
gagged in drinking wisdom from the old
Towns Fourth Reader. 1 remember
that my own mind was once powerfully
impressed with the ingenious story told
in that reader about a boy, or rather a
young man, being seized with an am-
bition to carve his own name above the
sc. W." which Colonel Parsons, the
owner OF the bridge, tolls everybody
stands for George Washington.
The story goes on to say that tho
young man climbed up tho giddy height
by cutting inches for his hands and feet,
and at last, with the same knife, carved
his own name above tho initials of tho
name of the Father Of His Country.
The namo carved the nspirant to fame
looked about him, preparatory to do
scending when he discovered that tho
rock to which he chung overhung the
water and rocks below, and that he
could not go down tho way he had
climbed. Thero was nothing left for
him to do but to cut inches for his hands
and feet and climb to the top as he had
climbed to his present dangerous place
And the rock above him ovcrhung az
did the rocks to which he chung. Tho
story then won't on to graphically por-
tray tho painful and laborious work no
had in reaching the top, how, at last
whom within few feet of tho surface
of tho bridge, friends who had gathered
about with bated breath reached down
with ropes and in some way adjusting
them to him, succeeded in hauling him
to tho top.
OF course, TO give Il rounding finish to
the story, tho young man had to fall
ifainting into their arms as soon as he
had reached the top. Now. anybody who
has road this thrilling story, and thoro
a!e few who havo not, will go to tho
bridge with the confident expectation
of seeing that young mans name and
seeing the inches so laboriously cut
in tho rock. He will be disappointed.
There are no inches there. There never
was any young man to perform this
task, thcrc mover was young, or old,
or middle-aged man who could do it, for
tho blue limestone at the Natural Bridge
is almost as hard as granite. knife
would make no more impression in that
rock than would rats teeth on file.
Tho initials &c. W." whose ever thcy
are, were chisolcd in the rock with a
cold chisel. There are few admirers of
the great G. w. who believe that he
ever had the time or disposition to get
q ladder and climb up twenty or thirty
feet for the purpose OF chiscling his
name in those hard rocks g. w. al
ways had moro important business in
hand. The &c. W." arc there fast
enough, and rectangular frame has
boon chiseled around them, but therc is
very prominent suspicion lurking in
my mind that G. w. himself never saw
them.--Cor. Cincinnati Times-Star