Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1891-08-14
WEBSTER SPRINGS.
ROUTINE OF LIFE AT THIS HHALTH GIVING
RESORT.
Row the Visitors Get There and the RDjoymsnts
They HaYs-WhssliIg People in
the Party.

a trip from Morgantown TO Webster
Springs, w. Va, From Morgantown tt
Sutton, Braxton county, the trip was
made by rail, thence to the Springs by
conveYalces. The writer says:
sutton is situated on Elk river and /:
the end Of the railroad for the present
Elk is very pretty stream, about a
large as Cheat at RowleSburg, and /:
navigable to this place for push boat:
from Charleston, a distance of about 10C
miles. The town Of Sutton is built OF
jammed in under a hill, apparently In
the worst place they could FIND along
the river any place TO build town. II
has population Of about 400 or 500, and
Is growing. 1t will continue to grow, as
IL is q good lumber country, and is a
central supply point for a good scope OF
country. We met here q great many
friends and acQuaintances from Marion
and Monongslia county.
Now for Webster Springs; and right
here you may expect TO get skinned by
the livery men, and what they don't
take of you will rub of on the road over
here. The livery here is poor but their
prices are first class. 1t costs about S.
person to get from there here, dis
lance of about 81 miles, and II you can
stand the racket from here without dy-
ing there is not much danger of you
passing away while at the Springs.
At Sutton our party was Joined by
Hon. John o. PendletOn, mother, sister
and niece. They were very pleasant
and agreeable aud helped to make our
trip over the mountains more pleasant
We get IN shape, and start up Elk
river, follow IL for two or three miles
and every now and then your wagon
drops as you think from the face OF the
earth, but by the assistance Of an extra
man we take along TO hang on the high
wheel; this finally levels it up and then
ne flies around TO get to the other wheel
in like manner. The extra man we call
chang on so we leave Elk river and
tackle Wolf creek and its branches, and
IN q distance Of six or sevan miles we
cross the creek - times. Along this
creek the soil is good and timber splen-
did, bat the hills are out of sight, and
the sun has 10 do soma fine maneuver-
ing 10 get a peep at the creek. Now we
raise one OF the highest mountains you
ever saw on this side OF the rockies, so
we wind, curve and twist for four or five
miles till we reach the top. We stop
here and take long breath aud then
we have four miles OF reasonably good
road along the top OF the mountain and
finally you drop down the side OF
mountain. If one Of the wheels should
happen to jump the little ridge the low
er wheel has thrown up, away you
would go down the side of the mountain
/, 500 or ., 900 feet. Here our extra man
chang on" comes into play again, and
acts as a lever power on the high side
OF the wagon. This is not q very en-
viable position to occupy, but one feels
safer when he looks out and sees that
the extra man has not been thrown over
the top Of the wagon. There was a
train OF four wagons In line and the bar
gain was made when we started 70 all
keep together so IL anything should |
happen with one, the other should stop |
and help out OF the dilemma, so every |
now and then one would throw up his
hand and say halt, and we would all
CRY out ''What is the matter" and run
to their assistance to find out that 1t
was only spring broken, a trace, or n
spoke, or shoe of. The drivers are
used TO these mishapS and appear
very calm and contented. They are
prepared with ropes, wires, nails,
hatchets, etc, to repair anything that
breaks, and they say the horses wanted
rest anyway. We all got together
while they were repairing the vehicles
and amused ourselves viewing the
mountain scenery, the ferns, rhOdoden
drOns, &c, and in few minutes 1t was
repaired.
I'VE took our lunch with us and some
OF our party who had arisen u little
early that morning and hadn't a very
ravenous appetite for breakfast, want
ed 10 tackle the lunch by 10 o'clock.
We opened the commisary and gave
each a small ration 10 stay the appetite
till noon for we wanted TO make the
half way house by noon. We had
another hill to scale and a mountain TO
10 curve around and down the other
side before we were half way. Here
we arrived at 1890 at Mr.. Carpenters,
very nice old gentleman. Here we
watered and fed our teams and spread
our repast. The landlady was kind
enough 70 ask us to use her table and
we accepted Of course. There wasn't
much style, ceremony or etiquette about
the dinner, although there was Con-
gresham present, but this did not in
terfere with our digestive organs.
These old folks live here very COM
fortably. The old lady said she had
been born and raised and had always
lived within fourth OF mile OF this
spOt and expected 10 be laid 70 rest in a
short time on yOnder knoll. She said
she had been on a trip once TO Lewis
burg, and that was all the travelling she
had ever done. But she said she did
want 10 live to see the railroad done and
the cars run up Laurel Creek, though
she never intended to get on the train.
The Camden system OF the Williams
river route runs right in front Of this
old lady's house.
They have cut The timber, cleaned out
the route aud are building their camps
now. Here we strike Laurel creek, 60
upit 4 or miles and then climb anOth-
er mountain. Here the hillSideS are rich
and are covered with large timber. One
of the ladies OF the party said TO the dri-
Yer: This is good soil and looks like
there ought to be ginseng here" The
driver replied that ''there was little
ginseng but plenty Of ramps" She hys-
terically exclaimed ''clOSe down the cur
tains. don't want one Of them 10 jump
in here" She thought they were some
kind OF wild animal. The road for
miles at stretch along the mountain
sides is only wide enough for one We
hicle and il we should chance TO meet
another team one Of them would have
10 unhitch and take the wagon apart
and hang it on the hillside in pieces so
u luol-r-