The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1892-03-31
In Darkest Kentucky.

nave returned from the burial of the late
Representative Kendall, of Kentucky
tell the Washington correspondents a
story of perils by field and flood which
beats all previous records of Congress
Junkets out of sight. The delegation
was made up of Senators Warren and
Pasco, Representatives Belknap, Long.
Fellows, Gillespie, and Paynter, and
Sergeant-at Yoder Mrs. Kendall
and her son and House messenger also
were of the party Everything was con-
Quoted decently and in order until the
party reached Morehead, KY, where
they were to take carriages for West
Liberty, the former abiding place of the
deceased Congressman. The hearse and
six light spring wagons came from Ster-
ling, forty miles away, and were some
what the worse for wear when the Con-
gressmen came to embark in them.
The hearse proved too small to hold
the cherry box that encased the coffin,
and another wagon had to be provided.
! BY the advice OF native, each Senator
and Representative bought a pair of
high rubber boots, "comforters,n and
woollen socks, such as Jerry Simpson
would not have disdained. Then they
packed their grips in the coffin box and
started for their drive of thirty miles,
all but Congressman Fellows and the
messenger, who were left behind because
there was no room for them.
One of the two drivers had big bottle
| of mountain dew which he constantly
offered to the Congressman, and which
some of them did not refuse to patronize
freely. Scarcely had the line of wagons
started through the rivers of mud into
which the road was transformed, than it
became necessary to make a breach in
| the fence and take to the fields in order
to find bottom for the wheels. Two
miles out they struck the Triplett river,
running bank-full at a six-mile gait, and
as they took to the water each Congress
man said a little prayer under his breath
| and put bis feet up on the dashboard or
on the seat under him. The water was
just high enough to come into the car
rage bodies
They followed up this stream a short
distance, most of the way in water from
one to three feet deep. Soon they came
to the foot of five mountains they must
cross. These mountains are hog back
ridges, and the trail led up narrow
crest that was but stairway of rocks
few feet wide.
a N had To or,t liz
up, because the horses could pull only
the empty carriages. AS they assembled
the storm became more furious, and the
air was dark with flying snow. The cold
became intense. Crossing the ridge mud
took the place of rocks, and then the
rubber boots became Invaluable. The
red mud was nearly knee-deep and of
the most clinging nature. In one place
the hearse tipped partly over, but was
saved by large rock at the side of the
gorge. After this a rope was fastened
to the axle of the hearse, and a couple
of the Congressman were detailed to act
as anchors or hcldbacks while going
down the mountain sides.
L Then one of hc-celorad drivers sues
cu1nbed to overdoses of mountain dew
and cold, and Senator Warren took his
team to drive. Four hours of driving
found the party at the first stopping
place, ten miles OUT. There the chilled
ones were thawed out before blazing
fire of logs in the great fireplace. Coffee
was made by the warm hearted wife of
the mountaineer, and then it was dis
covered that the luncheon brought by
the party was solidly frozen, the eggs
being like small cakes of ice. So they
drank coffee and pushed on. Senator
Warren, however, was completely used
up. He was not well when he left Wash |
ington, and was not properly clothed to
withstand the storm. Yet he had worked
with all his strength until he could no
longer stand. Much against his will, he
was left at the house by DR. Loders adj
vice, but without medicine, The owner
of the house was about seventy years
old and had lived there all of his life, ten
miles from a railroad. He had never
been on the ears. He had forty acres of
tillable land. The house was older than
the man. Clutches on all sides held it
up. 1t fairly staggered in the breeze
A cat with horns could walk in under
the doors and be thrown by the tail
through the holes in the roof without
knocking off q shake. The old man and
his wife, their son and his wife, and
their five boys and two girls, eleven in
all, dwelt in the house. There were
three beds, and the question how and
where Senator Warren slept that night
has never been explained.
| When the party started again, Captain
Belknap mounted the hearse as driver,
and led the way up the Tokum river,
which had to be forded forty-two times
The narrow gorge is about four miles
long
r The walls upon either side rise straight
up. 1t is the only place in the country
! for a river, to run, and also the only
| place for Il road, and, since there is not
always room for both, there is continual
strife for the right of way. The rushing
water dashes and foams from side to side
of the chasm. Under the whip the
| horses leaped into the stream. OuG
upon the farther shore a few rods furth>
er, they were in again, and this was re-
peated two score times. By this time
the men looked like snow kings. Ice
ornaments hung from their boards and
moustaches. Representative Paynter
looked like Odin. His tawny moustache
was tipped with ice pendants. His high
top boots and great coat were red with
mud.
AT the upper end of the valley half
way up the mountain the hearse got
stalled in the mud. The hind wheels
sank down to the hub The front
wheels were up in the air. In fact the
hearse was standing on one end in the
road, with q sea OF mud on all sides.
Then Senator Pasco, of Florida, and
the gentlemen of the House took rails