Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-07-10
AT OLD ROOKIE N ON
A Restfal Spot Far From the City's
Heat.
birds and Flowers Everywhere
Familiar Faces That Appear Every
rating the Fourth.
Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star

special Correspondence OF The Evening Star.
ROCK ENoN. Va. July O. 1897
or all the points where nature is to he
communed with. by seashcre, I'm the fertile
valley. or the mountain heights. there is
no more inviting spot than old Rock Enon
Springs. If you are tired OF the city, or IL
you are not feeling at your best or IL the
heat is too intense for you elsewhere you
may come to this beautiful place OF waters
and rocks. with certain assurance OF
contentment and comfort. close to natures
heart 1 have been often here. early and
late in the season. but I never found a
time when there was such wealth of blos-
som. of bird song and OF balmy breezes as
at this present time OF whitening heat I'm
the great cities
ON my first morning here I was gently
awakened by the whippoorwill. just as the
daylight came down the gorge and HIS
was the initial number in the most brilliant
and varied bird concert / ever heard
Among those who took leading parts were
the robin the cardinal grossbeak. or Vir-
gfnia red bird: the scarlet tanager and the
wood thrush. but the star of this galaxy
which outshone all others. was the hermit
thrush, or at least. that is what I suppose
appeared to come from the tallest trees on
the side of Sunset mountain and his
ciearness OF utterance and close adherence
to the notes Indicated the trained and ac-
leader of the choir
He seemed to say
Here is old Rock Enon;
Here is old Rock Enon;
We all welcome you"
giving the rising infection to the first line
and then repeating II exactly as at first,
and following with a rising infection IN
the middle OF the next line. and closing IL
with falling accent. After this he ran
through several shorter lines to which my
haif-awakened imagination could afiix no
words.
An Early Morning Rnmble.
A rsmble In the woods toward "Andcr-
sens View after breakfast, with opera
glass In hand. brought to view many Of the
scarlet tanagers. like bright flames of fire.
In the highest branches OF the trees. The
song of this beautiful bird is very much
like that Of the robin. only II is a weaker
note and G trile different in its ending. Ii
1, heard all day long about the pavilion and
up toward Moss spring."
also found or this walk some fine speci-
mems of that curious and beautiful plant.
the Indian pipe or corpse plant and to test
the tradition that II turns black soon as
picked brought some of these specimens
to the house and put them in a vase with
other wild flowers. pipsissewa and wild
coreopsis. and they have retained their
now beginning to turn black on the edges
OF leaves and petals.
Celebrating. the Fourth.
The time-honored custom Of celebrating
the Fourth of July was not omitted here.
Early in the morning Of the 9Th the flags
were all put out, with bunting of various
colors. representing the flags of many
tions, and all day long the small boy was
busy with firecrackers and other explo-
sives. The guests assembled in the ball
room and sang America" In the evening
fiynx -nrlyc he Low Of
until about o'clock. when the guests shift
ed to the east side OF the hotel to the
rocks, fountains and trees lighted up with
red. white and green lights. making fairy
scene. The lights and shadows. the trees
and fountains, the sound of gently falling
waters and of light winds among the
branches; the grandeur of the place: the
quietress of the hour after the previous
noise Of celebration. all combined TO make
the scene most impressive.
Familiar Faces.
Here one meets from year to year many
of the same old friends. the walks 20 the
Pinnacle" TO the mill. to "Crais's Rock
Sunset Tower and the "Catamount," are
not more familiar to you than the friendly
faces that greet you on the porches. They
may be trifie older than when you saw
them last, for some have been coming here
for many years. but. you should not make
strange of this. for IL you look In the
mirror In your ROOM or the smooth waters
Of the pool" you may think they could
truthfully say the Same of you.
While We all grow older. the place Itself
is renewed each spring. rs II that was It's
first season. The trees fresh and
green. the grass soft, the flowers so
interesting and the birds so musical that
We think nature never grows old.
Birds and Flowers.
In all my walks about the place do not
remember seeing a single English sparrow,
and fha nh nf 81, lstt1
may in part account for the great profu-
sion of other small birds The wood pewee
is here, and the house pewee has a nest Of
young birds on the east porch, while the
robin has a nest in a locust tree just In the
edge of the lawn. The great crested fly
catcher. with his delicate vest of gambcge
yellow, and the song sparrow, the little
chattering wren and the bee martin. or
king bird, are all here.
l found this morning on a walk to Craig's
Rock the purple-fiowering raspberry. which
is the name OF the flower, but which does
rot describe its color, as 1t is crimson-ma-
genta in colcr and looks much like the wild
rose. l also found two things on the sum-
nit which would make a native OF New
England think of home and recall the ex-
cellence of his mothers cooking. They
we're the sweet fern and the BURBERRY.
The sweet fern was a surprise to me,
have lever found IL before outside of New
England. Finding the sweet fern, looked
for the bay berry," but In vain. The
nearest approach to that Is the mountain
laurel (Kalmia lctifolia). whose shining,
evergreen leaves are noticed at every turn,
but whose beautiful blossoms have Just
dropped off. This shrub cannot stand the
cold winters on New England coast
Tonight We are expecting a party from
Capon Springs, ten miles away, who are
going to drive over for dinner. The guests
Of these resorts frequently exchange calls
of this character. as the drive between the
points is one of interest, and there are
usually guests at each place who are mu-
tUal acquaintances. HAROLD