The Southern herald., 1897-10-15
4 PARTT o- YOUNG People VISIT
TIE FAMOUS FLUKER BLUFF.

"N~tN AhHN ~ t-AA : ~N-N+~ : ~f
a. u remains in ny mind, that
winding road, as il stretches over
hili and vale; here boriered with
tangled masses Dfviues and flowers;
there, leading through snowy cotton
frlds-and, always, and every
where the stately golden rod filuuI-
log its yellow plumes-the wild.
sunAOwsrs nodding in the bretze-
October 10 the very airl The river,
The croEuing scene of beauty, beg
gars description. We passed a
largeIndlan mound, and stopped
20 search for some relic 10 carry
home with rs. Ii is so completely
coYersd with grass and briers that
We could not even fnd a rock. We
gathered a bunch Of the beautiful
purple grass, to place in our winter
bouquet.
At l O'Clock We reached ,heBlufT
To me Che only member Of the
party who had not seen it befurt),
It was, indeed, grand sight. To
the others there was only the spo,
where years ago a house stood, and
a cave Of extraordinary depth and
size, wondrous 10 behold, but TO me
it was, in a certain sense, the reali.
cation Of tales told TO me in child.
hood by my moiher--wonderfuI
tales Of her childhood days. Il
seemed 20 strange 10 think that ",
were wandering over the same
/ ground-watching the same river
along which these happy, care.ire,
children' strolled so long ago
Naugh;remains oflhat once palatia
home, but few rocks, that show
where the chimneys stood, the ole
cistern, aud a few cedars, nothing
left to tell the story Of one of Lou
'isiana's best families. Ii seemed
alm St sacriIege TO be gay in sucI
a place.
! We ate our dinner with rea
sharp appetites, as well as silye
knives and forks and then took il
the wonders Of he Bluff. 1t is, in
deed, a most wonderful sight, |
is said that in single night th'
whole side OF the hill Con which
/ the Fluker mansion st1od) caved in
| So tremendous a cave was it tina
the river was filled up at that point
and caused TO change its course
This cave has been caving NOR
and more ever since until now it j
about 80 feet deep, and about 10,
yards long. 1t extends in TIVE
lprongs Of almost uniform length
The jagged walls are lined Will
small rocks, which at the slightes
touch go tumbling, with a pro
longed rattling, to the bottom @
the cave. The nature Of the soil i
much like that Of Liberty's "Bi
Ditch" except there is much NOR
clay. The rocks, many Of them
are peculiar to the place, such as
never saw elsewhere. We foun,
quite a number Of petrifed article
"a piece Of yellow jackets
comb, a small cork, etc. We Gu
our names on the walls, as mum
bera Of other people had done be
fore us. This is quite a resor
for sight seers, and it is worthy O
inspection.
We went back home by anothe
road, and passed through my grand
fathers old plantation. | stoppet
at the old homestead, and saw, 70
the first time, the spot that all o
my life / have loDged to see. Tn,
house had been burned, and th,
place bad long since passed int,
the hands Of strangers. Tw,
tumbled.d down oulhouses, and lh
massive cedar and oak-trees, ar
all that remain of that grand ol,
, place. Tears filed my eyes as
realized that was standing on tn
very spot where my sainted mothe
spent her happy girlhood. Re
membrance woke with all her bus
train"-into my mind came tn
sweet stories my mother told Q
times "Befo' de war;" In fame
| could see the house, and peopl
lit, Still many a garden fowe
grows wild there. | brought on
home to plant on mothers grave
Only three Of that proud family al
left--and they are sundered far
the rest have
"Gone 10 that far land, whence morts
7 ne'er return
o Known but in the memory Of th1se wi
= Tor them mourn
}. At 8 o'clock p. m. we got back