Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-05-26
BETSY C0YNER'S NINE
A Blue-RldSe Tradition Regarding a
Silver Cave.
LARGE NUGGET IN EVIDENCE.
Wonderful story Told ny a woman
Who Was Lost I'm the MountnIns-
Certain Trees and Lightning-The
Tobacco-Worm.

AT lONt VA, May D.-tSpeclal. line
long. rainy day'-multiplied by about
two weeks-broke up with a severe thun-
der-storm, which, though brief in dura-
ton, left the temperature considerably
lower and very unreasonable. Notwith-
standing the absence OF caloric in the
atmosphere the other day the lightning
about Humpback Rock and the Big Level
was quite vivid. This IS the region OF
electric disturbances. In the violence OF
swift-gathering mountain-storms In sum
mer there is an almost incessant play
OF lightning around these two points.
which is variously attributed to hidden
ores In the mountain. and TO the character
Of its vegetable growth.
Many years ago woman named Betsy
Coyner was lost on one OF these noun
tains. She lived near the foot OF Hump
back, on the Nelson side. and started
out with a party OF friends early one
morning to pick "huckleberres.' II u
not known how she became separated
from her companions. but whepf the other
young people gathered in from the berry
fields Betsy was missing. Tney shouted
for her. and hunted the mOuntain-slde
about until dark. when the women OF
the party were taken to their homes IN
the valley, and a relief party OF
men. with torches, went back tor lh1
search. /. was five DAYS before the losl
woman was found. She was down on
the Augusta side Of Humpback. about
where th. road now leads to SherandO'
but which was then an unbroken WIDER
ness. She was Almost demented-her
clothing torn from her by the dense
thicRets her feet bare and bleeding from
the rocks and thorn-but in all her wan
derlngs she had carried a piece Of silver
she had found She could never give any
accurate account Of where she had gotten
IL. except that il was supposed to nave
come from a cave.
A TRADITION.
The ore was very valuablc-a broken
lump as large as d goOse-egg. IheTe Is
an old tradition that such cave eNlaI'u'
and that the Indians made ornaments
from the metal. This poor woman ne
scripuon OF her discovery was sQinelhihs
marvellous. She claimed that the cave
ran very far back into the mountain
and that she had broken of her apron
fun of silver nuggets, but they were 'oo
heavy for her TO carry IL was ike Il
its reality. The countryside went VIII !;
mining expeditions were organized, am
every effort made to ind the "onderlu vi
cavern: but to this day BETSY Coyhei .
silyer-mine," as 1t is called KEEPS '9
secret and the lightnings play above th1
mountains boarded treasure. IheTe are
old backwoodsmen here who believe that
certain trees, in gregarious bodies ui1"
lightning They know nothlhS Oh tilS
mighty Thor and of the torked nre lionl
his hammer that would take root anu
propagate; they know not tnat req W. W.
the sacred cSor. and the robin-with the
G.sb or fire upon its breaet-the divine
bird. but they will tell you that the noun
tain-ash. with its scarlet berries, Is d
'ligbtuing-tree." and that 1t Is not SAFE
TO plant IL about your house.
over i'm 1.-THE Valley" the thrifty wives
NJ the Cohees 1--WE are the Tuckahoes) use
the ash as the best wood for hrlhs the
big. Dutch ovens for the weekly pahlil5
dav. and a country woman always wants
her cburn-dasher of ash. because II 'hoius
the heat and will make the butter come
FRUIT PROMISE LESSENED.
Tho splendid promise for fruit has un-
doubtedIy been lessened, but there was
such a prolific bloom that the REMAINDER
will give an abundant crop. Corn "hlcl
un, WAS cut hbNiA III NlAN f7-N'
much will have TO be replanted. Tobac-
co-a main staple here's unin1ured, ana
The prospects are safe for a good yield II
the damp weather does not develop the
worm. OF course, the enemy TO the TO-
bacco-trqde-ncXt to government IN
former-is the tobaccO-wOrm. rms pest
Is a plebeian. il has to be hunted without
a microscope, which IS not aristocratc'
and YOU cannot box it and serve up rose
leaves for its lunch The tobacco-Worm
Is born with en- inordinate fondness Tor
chewing tobacco; II can't wait LOT the
weed to grow and pass through the usual
process of manufacture. but takes it in
the leaf. and without saying, by your
leaf: nor is il even known TO buy your
leaf. or 60 by IL, either, for that matter
without troubling it for a crew.
HEALTH NOTES.
IF the sanitary conditions Of any coun-
trv may be gagged by the death-rate
of it's children, then we have the best ny
cienic region In the world. IL is Of note
here that the mortality-even Of the col
ored pcople. which greatly exceeds that Of
the whites-is Of grown persons; so rare
lv does a child die here that years pass
without the loss OF one.
"In fares the land, TO Fastening Ills a
prey;
Where wealth accumulate5 ana men
decay"
is not applicable 10 Alton, In either sense.
We do not grow rich here In fevered
speculations. but we have a suficiency
from the richness of the soil, and the
children thrive like the kindly fruits Of
the earth. one reason Of this is In the
tonic effects Of the early morning air.
which the feeblest child can enjoy, be-
cause dews do not fall here 10 endanger
colds from dampness.
The Sabbath school at the chapel Is
preparing for an unusually bright celebra-
-"Children' s-Day-the 10th OF June.
Mrs. Ruche Heilfrich was called to Bal
timore Wednesday BY the sudden illness
Of her husband.
Mrs. j. b. Hawthorne has returned to
Atlanta.
Mrs. Criss. Of Greenfield, IS visiting her
daughter, Mrs. James Good.oe, at the
hotel.
Arrangements are rapidly going ahead
for the reception Of expected guests az
the hotels June lst. At no other season
have indications been better. for full
houses. and soon our beautiful mountains
will re-echo with the gayety Of old ha-
In nF