The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1897-09-04
THE NAME OF CHEAT.
Thomas D. Harry Goes into the
Philology of the Thing and
Spins a Pleasant Yarn,
In Regard to West yirginia's Famous
Stream-A Poet IdylI on Summering
mp Cheat River Throws Physics to the
Dogs and Advises C0rncakes and
Fresh Air.
Thomas d. Harry.

IL - Cucdti Ou iiihy live W tuc
side of it for lifetime and when you
finally lie down and give up the ghost
you will have had just enough expert
ence with it to be able to disclaim any
responsibility for its actions, or any
previous knowledge Of its cratic in
tentions. Cheat river is black; 1t is
mysterious; and though this is sup
posed to be an age Of science and of
knowledge, yet to this day nobody has
ever been able to offer thoroughly
satisfactory explanation Of the sombre
blackness OF the Cheat waters. sit
comes down from the mountains" is
about as full and clear an explanation
as the average resident along its course
can youchsafe to the inquiring visitor,
and it is possible that In this seem
ingly unprofound answer is the most
satisfying explanation to the poetic
and mystery-loying inquisitant from
the cities. Some way he likes to as
sociate that deep, smooth flowing
blackness, so dark and silent yet so
clear, with the deep recesses Of the
heart of the Alleghenies; or to think
that those peaceful waters carry
freighted on their bosom somewhat
of the rich solitude and unfamiliarity
that cling in the dripping GOODNESS Of
the forest and the wooded banks
whose trailing vines ripple their sur
face. With all its blackness Cheat
water is clear. The idlers who row
about over it in the awkward skiffs of
the region may look down into its
crystal GOODNESS and see bright things
below, but they can never tell how
many. The thing is deceiving as it
can be. A man bethinks him that he
will take bath in the river, as is in
deed the thing to do when on sum-
mer trip; he descends exultingly to the
shore, quickly removes the habila-
ments of man, and clad only in the
simplicity of Natures garb prepares
to go in. He casts a Thoughtful eye up
the river and then down. Possibly he
can't swim and doesn't want to be
rash, and he looks obviously upon the
water. He plays with his feet in the
sand for awhile and gradually APP
proaches the line of tapping waves on
the white sand. 1t looks all right and
he puts one foot slowly into the water,
then draws it out with a little jerk.
1t feels cold and he looks around to
see il any one sees him. He feels
ashamed and tries it again. This time
he gets both feet in and begins to en-
JOY il. He takes step forward, makes
it all right, and takes another. He is
up to his knees now, the bottom slow
ly sloping away gently under his feet.
He steps boldly forward again, and
his foot goes down and he after it,
splash! in s feet of water! The inno-
cent looking bottom had deceived
him, and lucky was he indeed If
Cheat had not placed another life on
the debit side Of it's ledger.
But it is not alone in its glimmer-
ing bottom that surprises await the
observer. The farmer who loves his
little patch that runs down the edge
Of the bank, sees clear sky above
him; the sunset heralds the approach
Of a day not unlike its fair predecessor,
but as he casts his eye next morning
on the river he is surprised to see the
water running high along its banks.
No rain has fallen, not cloud has
dimmed the sky, but silently takes
place this irregular ebb and flow of
this mysterious river, and no man can
tell the cause of it. Does the spirit of
some gentle Indian maiden, imprison-
ed in these dark abysses, thus animate
the. bosom Of the waters with the
heart throbs OF her disappointed life,
as mayhap they once received the sac
rifice Of her grief-torn body? Or docs
some giant of the mountains, some
tremendous, unknown being, perhaps
the Genius of the river, thus show his
might and power by manifestation,
inexplicable and awe-inspiring to those
who gaze upon it? No man knows.
But there is as much reason to believe
these things as in any offered explana-
tion of the occurrence.
Time was when Cheat was utterly
obscure and removed from the world
but now the two have been brought
into very close contact for the lower
three miles of the river, by the build
/ ing of the railroad along its banks,
which also crosses it at Point Marion,
the thriving town at the junction of
Cheat and the Monongahela. The
great saw mill at the mouth, with its
great log booms, its huge RATS, and
its hum of whirring machinery has
helped to break up here the sylvan
solitude of the place; and its influence
extends to a small extent even farther
up the river into the heart of the great
woods. Such an Extraordinary sight
as coal tipple is seen not far from
Cheat Haven where the railroad leaves
the river, and its trains of cars help
to mar the former beauty Of the scene.
Slackwater extends up to the town
where the first rifle is found, and
above which the real Cheat river be-
gins. Numbers of tents once lined
the lower part Of the river here, and
the spot was favored one for fisher
men and campers, but now the old
sites are abandoned and everybody has
moved up stream.
A beautiful road follows the right
bank OF the river from here up. That
is to say most of it is beautiful: but
the first mile and a half might
certainly be called traditional noun
tain road. The wheels of your carriage
drop into some great hole only to be
lifted up again over jutting rock till
Won are almost ont on the other side