The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-08-08
UP ABOVE THE CLOUDS.
on a mon MOUMTAIN PEAK WIN
1HE RAIN MANY FEET BELOW.
How the Mountain We.ps for tho
Heart Broken Indian Maiden.

gathered thousand feet below you! /
Is unique sensation. | watched rain
fail away beneath me yesterday alter
noon. All around me was life and sun
shine. Half an hour later the clouds be-
gan to separate gradually; then they
seemed to lift themselves with an effort
and soon 1 found myself envelopel in a
thick mist. Finally the gloom grew
denser was in cloudland. The mists
! scttlcJ about me until / was fairly
drencned. 4 general drifting az the nuiiy
environments ensUed; the sun peebed OUT
cautiously here and there; brish,er ana
DIshter grew the SURROUNDINGS uhul AT
lisl All Was light and lie anu suhsh, ne
l again, while an abundance OF tangled
WILDWOOD sparkled Ike innumeiaDle iuy
jewels. y stin breeze climbed up the
aMiu precIpice, chased away the Hols-
ture, ana IN little H. ore than nalt an hOur
no signs ot the rain could be seen.
Blowing Rock. which is some three hum
drcI yards from Green Park, mas been
! frequent theme for correspondents.
shall dwell briefly upon II. Inc rock lies
on a narrow pinnacle. which forms sort
! OF apex 10 colossal cone. On either
! side II juts on In an almost perpendicular
! direction, and the preciplce extends near
! ~ eight hundred feet 10 the summit OF
! hlSn peak below. \ strange freak of ma
! ture I'D The shape OF a strong air current
| from the abyss has kindied the curiosity
! Of thousands OF tourists. This upper cur
! rent, AT place some thirty feet IN di-
! dmeter, originates in cavern far be-
! Hedth, ana gradually gathers force
through a narrow passage way until IL
reaches the top OF the rock, where It's
I power Is quite remarkable You can
stand upon the pinnacle at almost any
tlinc, drop handkerchief or a light shawl
| over the edge. and the air current seldom
IaiiS 10 return them. / have seen hand
k-rchief faI fifteen feet from the summit,
tucn change its mind suddenly ana de-
IlDefately return 10 its original starting
pace Ihls rock, when taxes ITS name
from the unique geOOsical conditions sur
IVuhuinS II, furnishes one Of the most
charming retreats imaginable for romantic
couples. II Is said that no less than I'VE
thousand individuals now owe their matri-
monldl state 10 soft whispers. tender
Gldncts and moonlight effects brought out
during lingering tete-d-tctes ON the rock.
Besides. there is a pretty legend ASSOC
cidted Wltn the place in such a way as
10 fan the sentimental spark I'm the ma
lures OF visionary young people. Accord
ing 10 the accepted version OF the legend
there was. years and years ago, young
couple from Raleigh spending the sum
MGR up mere IT, WAS wildly n love, and
Worshipped nothing higher than q tender
look from the cold proud beauty. who |
was carrying ont the feminine idea by |
Way of Keeping tine poor fellow i'm fever |
on suspense and anxiety from day 20 day.
" eek after week gided by. lie uttered |
ms weird Wild. passionate vows with his |
IcAft lh ms throat. me maiden rejected !
him daily. Finally while standing on tine |
top OF This strange rock. he declared that |
ii she would not return hiS 1--we he could |
with cruel haughtiness. The passionate
youth deliberately threw himself over the !
cise OF the cliff. Then the strong upper |
current blew him back into the beauty s.
arms. There was mysterious fatality |
about the affair that proved irresistible
TO the cruel girl. She threw her arms
around the neck of her long and patient
Wooer There WAS a wedding in the fall
There is another little legend connected
with the rock. II seems 10 have been
borrowed from Grecian mythology, how
ever. From the side Of the immense
-pecimen Of natures masonry there
rickles constantly, drop by drop, a tiny
stream which has its origin away ms de.
For many years the cause OF this drip
ling was topic for constant speculation.
No satisfactory explanation could be set
led upon. Finally an old gentleman who
lad taken active part in numt ere-s sum-
ner campaigns, brought his knowledge or
irecian mythology into play. Most people
III not recognize the piagiarism. and ms
olution OF the mystery mas been con-
eded 10 be the correct one. lie said that
many years ago pretty Cherokee maiden
Welt with her father near the top OF the |
ock. The old man was chief OF his tribe d
mi wore his war-paint with an air OF I
istngue. y gallant young member OF q I
ostile tribe, who had two hundred scalps b
marked down TO his credit. lost his hflrt
nth the Cherokee maiden. tie lost MS y
cad, too. That usually ullOWs. She was ! =
mely. tempting, passionate, and al RET :
he dashing young warrior. But the Old %
IAN opposed the match. and put his foot ~
own that his dauchter. just then bud
ing into WOmanhOOd should under no ,
circumstances link her destiny with that ! "
the ardent lover. lie was not even per- ~
lifted TO make pop calls 10 his divinity n
the Wigwam, and the Old man swore n
Y string OF his bow that II he caught the l.
lssionatc woaer making love IN secret ID
his daughter the tomahaWk would =.
cure conspcuOusly in the case. +.
(.
Matters remained in statu quo for a e
EAR or two. Every evening at the
ststcnt lover appeared on Il ehet-llNe
ace ON the side of the rock and wrote
)tes I'm Cherokee vernacuiar 10 the maid ..
,. who drew them 10 the top by means =,
string, read them between tho Ytl- 'i
MT throbs Of her heart, and kissed nor o.,
ma 10 her WOrshippcr below. There b..
as no embracing no games Of p1lmistrr -,
B Wild VOWS in accordance with fin da
'clc summer coup c-. There was simply -,
understanding that II the olt gentle nm
am eyer found himself minus scalp IN -
n1u tim s'rimmagc there would be a M
lrr.dse. one evening the old man re- ba
rnei 10 the wiswam from a skirmfsl "a,
the valley and found his daughter MISS IN
&. He turned things tOpsy t.rgy lu nn
rcA of his pipe II couli not be found. m
ter "a frultl,ss search for his daughter ! AZ
scrambled out on the eige OF the rock. hO
ID, % his horror spled the young couple tc
appel i'm cacn others arms. he pa
Ith In his desperation. had climbed the col
cipi'e during the .iefs absence. IOtn stC
20 drew their tOmahawks smultaneous- an
The maiden screamed ana sNcOntd hr'
ay. II was fight To the death. 4 mo- Nl
NJ later the ardent young lover went dc
milling down the precipl'e. am ugly De
ind i'm his forehead. There was duu
"a, rebound, and still another,
M rumblng sound away down I'm the
SIN a thousand feet below. Then an !
S deathly still. The body .. the young | Spl
rrlOr was never Afterwards seen. All | Nn
jrts on the part OF the cAleitain fallei doe
comfort his daughter. l. or weeks she II
not speak When the oil warrior Went mes
10 do battle with the Zoe the maiden no.
lt constantly, until some OF her scOrcn- pan
tears dripped down The side OF the a
k. Finally she died of a broken heart. pro
S. so far as known, the only case on sue
lrd. She was tenderiy laid in an un- mo
tcntious grave beneath a gr en- pot me
r the wigwam. The rock continues 10 Yer
p through sympathy Tor the pretty an,
rokee maiden. cih'll
mountain looms up in W.
.ul proportions from every side, form t t.l'
sort Of central dome around which N0'
nei@hboring peaks seem 10 gather with -
KIND OF reverence. This wonderful
,e with its clOud-capped summit NJ
hes nearly 600 feet above the sea an,
j. 1t takes its name from the re- wo
'kably accurate resemblance 10 an old for
rs face. The features are clear-cut, ent
met, ana possess an expression more Der
sng than that Of many an old gen Rel
IAN all broke up on his personal | ono
without Il rival There are | Cor
nose. the mouth, and the long. sharp &
lfHar~ III 1 Il.