The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1892-06-25
WAKEMAN'S TRAVELS.
Tho Great Travellers Interesting
Tramp Through Cornwall
SOME CORNISH HOBGOBLINS
And Bueaboos..Grucsomo Deserted
Mtnc.staclss..Aloving a SIIne-boh.
Growdcr and Growder Sellers.
Roadside Games and Strange old
Customs
Special corcpondt1et Of ne Inte'llgnor.


CRowAx, CORNWALL, June l5.--What-
ever Wesley and Whitfield, with the
railway, the newspaper and tho tele-
graph, may have done in altering the
every day lives OF the Cornish folk. no
power has yet been able to Danish the
endeared wraiths Of the mYsticisms and
mysteries Of legendarily heroic past.
To-day, MS firmly as five centuries since,
the inner heart of the Cornish man
clings to his 'droll" or tale OF giant,
hobgoblin and fairy with the greatest
tenaclty; and q few OF these are in
teresting by the way Of iiiustra.
ton. Bellerian was formerly the
name OF Lands End, rs also the name
OF mighty giant who made it his homo.
Cormoran built st :lichael's Mount,
but was slain by tho redoubtable Jack
the giant-killer. Holiburn of the
Cairn defended ordinary mortals from
other giants than himself The giant
Of Nan cledry principally subsisted up.
on little children. The giant Trobig-
cnn frightened bad children into virtu-
Gus lives, and dined off tho incorrigible
ones. which he usually fried upon fiat
rock by his cave door, The giant Blum
dcrbus, killed by little Tom 1hckathrift
with a cart-axle, was the embodiment
OF surly laziness and cruel greed. Tho
cinnt Wrath, terror OF the coast, walked
out TO sea dozen miles or so, and, fas-
teninr the tishermen's boats to his cir
die strolled leisurely back to his cave
to serve his prisoners up for food at
will.
Gogmagog lost the kingdom OF Corn
wall 10 Trojan giant, Corineus, in q
wrestling match. Thunderbone Walked
the land everywhere inspiring terror by
his awful ugliness. While the, mighty
Bolster, whom CruikshanE endeavored
to depict, was so huge that he could
stride from st. Agnes Beacon to the top
Of earn Brae, distance OF six miles.
This was the amorous giant who, while
nearly killing his wife from overwork,
was making love to st. Agnes, who to
rid herself OF his opportunities persuade
ed Bolster, as test OF his affection, to
bleed himself TO death in an attempt at
Chapel Forth to fill hole, which had q
secret outlet 10 the sea, with blood lot
from vein in his massive arm.
To all Cornish folk these monsters
still live in tiresile tales, and the num-
berless monuments to pagan past
scattered over the rocky tors and wild
moors, such as cromlechs, monoliths
and other rude stone monuments, are
the household goods and pastime inn
elements OF this vanished but no van
dIished race. Every hill or crag has
lis cairn or cromlech; every gorge or
glen its ghost or goblin. The knowl.
edge OF all this takes firm possession OF
the wanderer through Cornwall.
II these were not enough to keep
alive all manner OF weird superstitions,
the chimneys Of the deserted mines OF
Cornwall alone would furnish sufficient
pruesome influence to create and foster
spooks enough for an entire people.
Anyone who has ever looked upon the
drea:y round tower puzzles OF Ireland
will recall the feeling OF dread and mys-
ticism that always engender But these
lonely landmarks OF former activities
seem to possess more dire and forbid
ding aspect
Away back in the vicinity Of Liskeard
they began to loom darkly upon the
landscape. From this place they were
everywhere seen, increasing in num-
bers rs the Redruth district is ap-
preached, and decreasing in frequency
towards St. Ives and Pcnzancc. From
the top OF some high Cornish hill what
seems to be hundreds can be seen; and
on tho road between Redruth and Cam
born, a distance OF but five miles, |
counted upwards OF forty "knacked"
or abandoned mine stacks.
They usually comprise the tower-like
chimney, the old engine-room. and the
lofty bob.shaft. Indescribable sterility
and dreariness encompass them. Not
even iurze will grow upon the poor
dirt" and ''churks," or mine refuse
around them. DAVIS chatter in their
tops, The wind means through the
rotting chimneys. Weird tales, super
stitions and whispers of tragedies, are
associated with them. ! often turn
inside to the drcar!est of these places.
In one found half dead English
tramp with his half starved wife who
had lust given birth to child Here
was a real tragedy for another Cornish
bupaboo. left them little money;
sent a member OF the mounted con.
stabularv TO them; and went on my
way: but now l see CHASTITY faces
through tho crumbling walls OF every
other "knacked" mine stack that looms
in sight.
Moving mine-bob Is ono OF the Curl
Gus performances in the Cornish min
ing districts l happened to witness.
Turning from hill lane into wide
highway saw q great concourso Of peo-
ple following an enormous truck drawn
by ut least twenty teams OF shaggy
Welsh horses. Joining the crowd ]
found that Cornish folk had come from
miles around to see the "mine-bob
moyin'." This "mine.bob' is the great
beam, the hugest piece in oil huge
Cornish mining machinery, which
works, like a steamer beam, the man.
engine and the man pumps. This ono
weighed upwards OF lis tons! A mine
had bcen abandoned; u new one was be-
ing opened by the same company; and
from the great forge works at Hayie had
come this iron truck forty feet long,
with steel wheels like engine drivers, on
which the tremendous casting was
being conveyed. The earnest interest
Of miners, "Ecpens" [captainsl and en-
gineers who accompanied theponderouS
beam; the curious excitement OF hun
dreds OF stragGlers drawn together by
the event; and the mischieyous prayers
OF Cornish boys that something would
"scat' or break, to increase the ankle
ties OF tho occasion, here very great
owing to tho hilly nature OF Cornish