Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-05-05
MOU NTAlN VIEW.
4 Picturesque Virginia Home and lis
CurioSitieS.
PIPPIN.
AIDEMARLE
THE
A story Regarding It's Origin-"re"'-
Great.Great-Grandf athers CLOCK
An Ancient Finno IN"
History.
ocorrespondence OF the Dirpatch.)

CORRESPONDENCE OF the Dispatch)
CROZET, VA. May 4-With Mountain
View" the picturesque home OF DIT
Frederick Hughson. near GREENWOOD II"
Western Albemarle. are associated many
things which recall the days OF "Auid
Lang Syne." Mrs. Hughson was Miss
DEBTOR. her ancestors having come from
"Das Vaterland' at the time that young
George Washington was surveying TOT
Lord Fairfax in the Valley OF Virginia
From the records we find that "Nichoias
Dotter. Mathies Dotter. and Martin Dot
ter landed at Philadelphia October q l7is.
from the ship Jacob. Adolph de Grove
captain. from Amsterdam. last from
Shields. England There were 20 passen-
gers from Swabia, Wurtemberg, ana
Darrnstadt." Mathies Dotter was Mrs.
Hughson's great-grandfathcr and kept
hotel at York. Pa. during the Revolu-
tionary war. In which his son. John' her
grandfather. was a soldier.
INTO A PLOwsHARE.
John Dotter, the warrior, who. by
his sturdy arm and steady aim, having
helped ito trail the red cross OF 81.
George in the dust" beat his sword
into plowshare and his spear into a
pruning-hook." and settled in the Old
dominion at Mountain View" beneath
his own vine and fig-tree.' lie had n
son, Joseph. whose surname by k'nd
OF metabaeis became Dettor. lie was
Mrs. Hughson's father.
John Doetter had six pippin-apple trees
sent him from nursery in Pennsyi-
vania, which are said to have been the
first trees OF the kind brought to TINS
county. These he planted AT Mountain
View" over one hundred years ago.
Three Of these aged trees, which are
still living, are well worthy of being called
the sires Of the worid-renowned Abe
marie pippin.
A BIG CHESTNUT TREE.
There is also an aged chestnut tree In
the orchard. which at the base meas
ures about q feet in circumference. -Four
generations ago thirty-two gallons or
cbestnuts were gathered from it during
one season.
In one of the halls Of the residence
stands an old clock Of which. as Mrs.
Hughson herself is now grandmother,
the tots Of the latest generation may
sing: Great great-great-grandfa s
clock stands upon the floor. for IT ia
the time Of day 1t also indicates the
days of the week, and in case of sick
ness the striking bell may be kept ST.
lent. This clock was brought from Ger
many by Matthies (as it is spelled in
the old records Dotter in lIi9.
A CURIOUS PIANO.
The greatest curiosity. however. among
their antiques IL an upright piano. manu-
featured by civilian Rolfe & Co, III.
Cheapside. London perhaps 10 years
ago. 1t was brought from Europa as an
heirloom by Madame Chevalie 20 Rich
mond, Va. where it was afterwards
bought by Joseph Dettor, when his
daughter Mrs. Hughson, was quite a
young girl. IL has six octaves. is feet
10 inches long. foot and 9 inches wide
at the keyboard. and about Z feet high.
II is made OF rosewood. and inlald with
flowers and figures of brass. The facing
OF the upper portion OF the piano is
covered with silk. which Is fastened in the
centre with a metallic star.
A little rustic lad was at Mountain
View" upon one occasion. and heard
some stirring selections upon this aged
pianoforte, and when he went home he
said: Mamma, Miss Ida played on the
cupboard for me to-day and made the
sweetest music ever heard" The young
Americans idea of this old instrument, as
far as its shape Is concerned. was quite
accurate AS we looked upon II 1t seemed
to say:
otis sad. tits sad, TO number DER
The faces glad and gay.
Which I have loved: some smile no more
Around me as they did Of yore.
And many. many have passed away