The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-08-03
ON s1oAFEE.s KNOB.
A Party Goes to SEQ the Sun Rise, But Ia
Disappointed.

Disappointed.
very enjoyable party camped out
on McAfee's Knob last Friday night,
consisting of Con. D. s. Walker, of
Washington, D. c.; Anthony Lanata, OF
New Orleans; Robt B. Moorman, Jr., of
Roanoke; Wharton Griffin, of Bedford
City; Albert Walker, of Washington
city, and A. w. London, of Salem. They
were equipped with blankets, gum coats,
a tent, bag of provisions and dimi-
john of-tho deponent knoweth not it's
contents. Those venturesome gen tlemen
left the Roanoke Red at o'clock D. NJ,
and reached the mountain crest just as
the setting sun, emerging from bank
OF cloud, gilded with D flood of golden
radiance the huge rocks which form the
mountain peak.
McAfee's Knob is about five miles
from the springs and near 1000 feet
above the sea level. The inn, from it's
rock hound summit, is equalled in gran
deur by but few others in Virginia. 1t
would require the pen of an Irving to
describe or the brush of Rubens to de-
pict the grand outlook which greeted
tho painting tourists as standing on the
jutting capstone of the dragged bould-
ers which overhung a yawping abyss,
their eyes beheld such scene as it the
privilege of but few to enjoy.
Looking beneath them was perpen-
dicular descent of Thousand feet, be-
meath which could be seen the tops of
the forest trees; beyond and below
them an immense extent of ravine and
mountain gorge, reminding the obser.
YER of "Dante's Inferno" and its motto:
HE who enters here, leaves hope be-
hind" Far beyond these the grass clad
fields of the Catawba valley and the ia
nous Indian Mounds" rest at tho base
of the westward chain of mountains.
Eastward, the setting sun lit up well
its parting CLEAN the towering Peak of
Otter, the widowed queen of the historic
Blue Ridge mountains, while nesting
in their shadow the beautiful Roanoke
valley was seen looking lovely as the
famed "Vale OF Cashmere"
AS they gazed entranced upon the
scene, suddenly, as flash of lightning
from cloudless sky, cleaning lights
flashed heavenwardand the electric light
brought plain to view what in the ap-
preaching twilight seemed indeed a
Magic City, and was in fact the city of
Roanoke, plainly visible to the eyes of
the delighted tourists. After gazing
upon these grand scenes until the eyes
"reeled with the very fullness of
beauty" the tent was pitched, the lunch
eaten, and after vain listening for the
howl of the wolf. the .growl of the bear
or the rattle of tho spotted denizen of
the cliffs they slept the sleep of the just,
hoping to witness q sunrise from the
mountain crest.
Alas, for the vanity of human hopes!
AS tho time approached which heralds
the rising of the monarch
of the day preparing for his
journey westward, only a canopy OF
cloud was visible. The sun twas not
at home to visitors" After waiting in
vain to see his majesty, and the screen
of misty vapor yelling from their view
the grand scenes made clear by the set
ting sun OF yesterday, they folded their
tents and slowly, silently wendell their
homeward way. Even the seductive
smile Of mime hostess of Hotel de
Stofero," or the cordial invitation of the
host, who was slowly recovering from
an effort to get outside of Roanoke
watermelon, could not stop their home
ward pilgrimage, and after many q
downfall and groans not loud, but long,
at tho heavy burden of disappointed
hopes and damp blankets, their wearied
footsteps rested meath the shade of
the trees" at their home in this beau
tiful valley, and soon thereafter their
doughty efforts to produce a local
famine proved them men of great capa-
city no less than they had already
proved themselves fl soldiers for ''gen-
eral walker"
When next they go to McAfee.
May we also be there to see!