Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1894-05-18
The Heroine Of Queens Peak,
c o mn t T. y a
N =.

s D D: ss !l3!ss ! !!
Queens Peak. Its
history is closely associated with TINT
OF II woman who is declared by the St
Louis Globe-Dcmocrat to have como
pretty near to being queen in reality
MS well rs in nnme.
1t was in 1856 that Ellen Quinn
went from Western North Carolina
10 inns part OF Texas. As would he
ludgcl from her name, she Ind Irish
blooi III her veins, but it was mixed
WITH copioms strain OF Indian. de-
rived from the Cherokces TINT still in e.
habit II reserve among the Carolinu
Mountains. just under what circum-
stances she left her native State no
one seems to remember, but soon
after she announced her intention TO
open school for the benefit of the
surrounding country. 1t seemed ms
II the school would likely benefit the
country, literally 50 called as there
were very few inhabitants to yet the
good OF 1T. What few men there
were, however, got together and nut
up II house for her 1t was the first
schooihousn ever put up in Montague
County, and was made of rourb
logs cut from the timber surroundino
the base OF what is now known MS
queen Peak. 1t was situated about
half way up on the southern side in
order to protect it from the cold
northern winds of winter. There
were several reasons why this site was
chosen. Wood was near Mt hand for
building the house and supplying the
fires iii winter, which items were very
important ones To the Texans of those
days. Water could be obtained from
" spring close Mt hand, and this also
was not to be sighted. Moreover.
the Peak, though only IL hundred or
so leet above the surrounding prairie.
WAS the highest point for miles
around, and from its summit watch
could be kept for the approach of
Indians or other hostile characters
From it signals could be given in case
OF danger.
School opened with four pupils. all
OF whom came from the only house
within two miles of the plnce. Soon.
however, it began to increase MS Che
fact OF its existence began to be noised
abroad through the country. Grown
men who had come to Texas when
boys and who had lived on the frontier
without educational advantages would
come to school to Miss Quinn in oder
to redeem their lost time They came
from anywhere within 100 or 200 miles.
Most OF them could come for onlv n
lew months consecutively, Mt times
when there was little to do on farm or
ranch, but they put i'll good work
when they did come. For some months
the attendance would run ms high MS
thirty and then again it would dron
down to three or four. Tuition was
uniformly So per month. 1t must have
been an interesting sight to see the
little room crowded with big, bearded
cowboys porting over their books
They probably had spurs iinglinc nj
their heels and big six-shooters dang.
hing from their belts, but the black
haired little Indian-Irish woman wos
mistress for all that. On one occa
sion big six-footer refused to obey
some command she had given him. Go.
ing to the flour sack in which she kent
collection of her miscellaneous be.
ionglngs, she gathered up handful of
black pepper She had probably pre-
pared this for Just such emergencies
and before her recnlcitrant pupil knew
what was coming she threw the pepper
square into his eyes. The bully sprann
to his feet with IL roar of pain. while
the rest OF the school shouted up-
roarious approval of the act of disci-
pine. Then dozen OF the deyotees
OF learning grabbed and carried him
bodily to the foot of the Peak. He
was then informed that if he ever en-
tered the schoolroom again OF in any
way molested the teacher there would
be feast for buzzards and COYOTES.
Fora while Ellen Quinn wastroubled
by occasional travellers who, in pass.
ing through the country, would use
her schoolhouses rs II lodging place for
the night. One night, just as such a
party were pushing i'll the door, a roar
like that of n cannon started them, and
on investigation it was found that a
rusty old musket had discharged about
double handful of slugs into the roof
with force enough to have killed g
dozen men had they been in the way.
from that time on no nocturnal liz
trnder ever entered that schoolhonse