Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-10-30

| clear, running stream, tlat WlmpitS SOFT
ly over the broad-bottomed granite
which here. as at Richmond. is OF goo
grain and easy quarry.
on a hillside overlooking the placi
river on one hand and a pretty vale oil
the other is a small brick cottage, which
was once the residence OF Charles Carte
Lee. eldest and brightest son of "Ligh
| Horse Harry" Of glorious memory. b,
the favor OF my guide. companion
| friend" who is native here and TO th'
manner born" l was permitted to ente
parlor OF the house. wherein we wor,
civilly received. in the absence OF hei
husband. BY Mrs Robert Lee.
Here 1 recognized portraits in oil OF
William Berkeley, the old Colonial Gov
ernor: OF Colonel Richard Lee. Richard
! Henry Lee. General Henry Lee. and
others OF the Lee kin a little way vi
/ the creek stand out I'm clear and strongly
marked outlines the ruins OF three gran
! ite buildings which are said by Or. Jer-
voy. who lives near by. to have been
erected during the progress o: our second
war with Great Britain The largest one
OF these-clcse to which is a massive
iirbye of Ike material-was designed to
be "a foundry for the manufacture of arms
appear TO have been used as residences.
Neither Howe nor Martin makes mention
Of them nor do think any other writer
has deiSned 10 give them a passing no
ticc.
GRAND FOREST RUINS.
The unirequented forests Of Powhatan
have older and erander ruins. which /
have hope this paper may make known
TO glaclalists wherever they be-
Meanwhile ! take leave Of the gray o.d
relics Of Fine creek with faint hope. but
earnest advice. that summer excursion
fists direct their steps i'm future 20 TINS
interesting portion Of Powhatan county.
My aforesaid guide now led me hence
a o'-the- wisp dance through the
great woods Of the level highlands south
east Of Fine creek We take hasty steps
through rustling leaves and thOrny un-
derbrush now stumbling over fallen trees
or Kicking our shins against gray quartz
stones that lie so abundantiv about us
until al length we come I'm sight Of Cool
Spring and the Wesson Toulders.
All the land hcreabout was formerly
owned by the late MI Wcsson. who
valued the spring water so highly as TO
make the place a summer resort for his
family. and such Of his friends as hap
pened 10 be his visitors He. as well as
others, looked upon the boulders as hav-
ing been thrown up TO the surface by
some extraordinary CONFUSION Of nature
Surely If such a freak had occurred in
prehistoric time. or at any period Of the
earth's history. our common mother
would hardly have been guilty Of the
folly Of ejecting from the granite depths
such beautiful specimens OF the Old
rivers shaping. There is no land near
them much higher than that on which
they rest. and no overhangng cliff from
which they might have been precipitated.
They have been dropped from above
though, and tumbled together in a sort of
wild disorder. The glaciahst will ration
ally account for their presence by calling
into service the ice-raft.
BED OF THE BOULDEKS.
The bed in which the bCulders lie is
but few feet below the general level
of the highland, which may be 200 feet.
more or less. above the river. distant
upwards of a mile From a cursory sur
vey Of this and adjacent tracts I incline |
to think that we are here in the course |
Of The old glacier, and likewise I'm that |
Of the still older river. The broad-bot- |
toned granite lies apparently but a few /
feet under the soil. and were 1t laid bare |
might show traces of the ancient ice |
sheet
The stone-heaps lie grouped within a |
radius Of a hundred feet, and are 50 /
posted as TO give the idea OF their hav- |
ing been dumped suddenly by a break in |
q floating ice-raft They are unauostion- |
ably Of local origin and have been ev- !
IDENTIFY transported hither by the glacier |
from the natural qudrries of the old /
river. Some of them are of huen proper
lions and various shapes we'll rounded on /
their sides and smooth Of face. One Of !
the larger ones contains. according to a
hasty calculation upwards OF 1909 cubic
.ect.
Apart from their picturesque surround
ngs. they are likely TO awaken emotions
o., i'm minds accustomed 10 mediate
'n the qu.ck-forgo and Westinghouse of
hought' From the middle of the hueest
it the blocks there grows n black |
gum tree, and by the side OF another Of
less size springs forth a stalwart oak.
whose roots a.-ei' q fantastic fashion
have pushed themselves up. so as to
over ID fatwise with q species Of close
litng network l make not the least
.oubt that the MOnacans resorted hither
n their time of trouble for the purpose Of
Eering prayer to and asking counsel Of
he protecting deitics Of the woods.
WORSHIP OF PRIMITIVE PEOPLE
In the aelf-samc track Of tho eupposed
glacier few miles below the Wesson
3oulders, and near Bon Air, lies q similar
group, which bears upou The uprlised
ace Of one of the largest stones UNI
doubted Evidence Of the worship OF q
primitive people. This evidence consists
If eight drilled holes, some shallower
han others, but all Of the invariable
indian or prehistoric type. They are so
arranged IS TO incline me to think the
esigner had in mid the constellation of
he Great Bear. But Of this more anon.
l should like to linger long enough here
0 brush away the thick vegetation that
verlies the Wesson BOulders and make
pictorial sketch of them, but time
resses and dinner awaits US at the house
f hospitable friend. On our return
omeward we rest awhile under the
hadow OF st. Luke's Episcopal church. a
eat structure of brckwork, and whilst
ny elderly guide lights his pipe l spring
Yer the low wall enclosing the grounds
nd tread with reyerent steps the sacred
recincts of the dead
THE CITY OF THE DEAD.
l never visit cemetery Of our people.
nd observe the lettering of their tombs
nat l am not i'm some unaCcountable way
assessed with the soul Of Old Mortality.
long like him to be at work with ham,
Ter and chise wherever a faded letter
eeds renewing or a fallen stone needs ,,
eplacing. But here the burials appear
, 10,
lbles clear-cut and show not, as in !
der grounds, the slow-corrodng pres !
are of the elements. ,
,rhn GNlinrns L-oha Iau.l.na NI.cn,... ! .