Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1893-09-27
oLpr1ME VIRGINIA.
Regions Yet Untouched by Nineteenth
Century Innovations.


Century Innovations
Boston Ereamg transcript.
The genuine, untouched Nirginian OF
to-day has often been declared TO De the
most complete survival Of eighteenth
century England now in existence.
There are certain eighteenth century
customs and phrases and manners In
common use here that have not oeen
heard OF in q hundred yearsin Englard.
One Of the quaintest is custom OF
the road which died out in England
when the post road and the travelling
chariot went out OF vogue. In THESE
days it was considered almost an al
front for one traveller in carriage 10
drive past another going the same way
The travelling class was made up gen
orally of the rich and leisure
ly. and as they bowled
along in their coaches, to
to have another coach dash by and give
back its dust, and perhaps incite the
coachman 10 q race, was considered
highly indecourous. To take ones
dust" was a common expression OF con-
tempt. The custom was not without
its uses in its day. But will 1t be be-
lieyed that at the close OF the nine
teenth century this etiquette OF the
road is rigidly maintained, and that
among well-bred people each eqnl page
has to take the gait OF the siowestE
True it is, some iconoclasts and out
siders drive past their fellow travellers
without conjunction, but they, there
fore. Drove their claim to be called icon
oclasts and outsiders. When 1t Is
very pressing case, an apology
is called out, such as pray excuse me,
but my horse is restless" or II am In
haste 10 catch the boat" or something
of the kind. But to drive rnthlessly
ahead without word of apology Is con-
sidered the acme of ill-breeding.
The roads in this part OF the world
are not interesting, except for their
natural beauty. as the people Of wealth,
following their English ancestors in
practice, sought proud secluson for
their houses. Only the poorest people
built their homes on the main road, and
one may travel from one end OF this
fair country to another and not lind a
single handsome residence on the pub
lie highway. There was another and a
very practical reason for abjuring this
public highway. Every mans house
was at the service OF every man, woman
and child in the county; an Arab hos
pitality obtained and was enjoyed to
the full. The people who had undesir-
able homes were always willing to be-
stow their company upon their more
fortunate neighbors, so that 1t would
not do to be too convenient to the main
arteries of travel. Especially was this
so when visit from family meant the
entertaining OF two coach horses, a
coachman and maid; for the
negroes went visiting with the
white people and enjoyed 1t qnite
as much. Hospitality was one OF
their great virtues, and is still; for
these people excel in social virtues, and
this particular virtue costs little. II
only meant the killing Of half dozen
more chickens for dinner, when there
were hundreds, perhaps, scratching
abont the poultry yard; and the gar
dens we're overgrown with vegetables,
for which there was neither sale nor
consumption. There were ice houses
full OF ice and meadows full Of cows,
and ice cream was manufactured In a
big tin bucket, turned about in a key
OF ice and salt. 1t took two women
and a man and boy to make ice cream,
but it took that many to do everything.
The ice houses are among the most
picturesque features of the landscape
here. A great mound of earth, thirty
| or forty feet high, was thrown up
around a place that was bricked up and
looked like a gigantic well. This was
finished at the top by a circular, roof
The sides OF the mound were graded
and turfed. and made nice places for
boys and girls to roll down when the
short, slippery grass was wet.