Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-09-25
A Weeks Outing In Caroline.
For the Dispatch

Touched Caroline at Ruther Glen, where |
a carriage was In waiting for me. |
Was driven eight miles over dry. mar
row road TO the farm OF a relative. On |
either side of the way viewed well-.iiled |
fields of corn and tobacco. relieved here |
and there by pine and oak woods of Sc
cond growth.
Golansville, little more than half way
on the ridge (as this section is called).
consists OF a well-stocked store, we'll
kept post-oftice, and a nearby dwelling.
Brooks and brooklets are few and far
between. water for farm use is drawn
from wells.
Shortly after arriving at the farm 1
made a hasty survey of the ridge lands.
One of the branches of the Mattaponi-
the Mat-was without gravelly shoals or
well-defned terraces. | walked a mile
up and down this sluggish stream with
out observing any vestiges OF ancient set
Elements. The superficial soil of the lands
is gray, sandy loan, In some
cases with no gravel intermixed. III
yields good crops when constantly YER
tilted. It's base Is a schistose granite,
which has undergone, through long ages,
a persistent disintegration.
No wonder that gravels should be
wanting on the surface, and appear,
though sparsely In the dry runs, and low
places of the roads. When came the
well-rounded and highly-polished quartz
lite. pebbles, and gravels that are
dug out OF the wells, and appear, occa-
sonally in the low places of the roads,
One knows for certain how plums get
into a pudding, but no one knows, unless
contecturally, how quartzte pebbles get
into the body of soil derived from
granite. There is no quartz or quartzlte
rocks in the country round about, no
high grounds swarming with eratics,
from which they might have proceeded.
Whence came the pretty aliens then!
From the upper country, undoubtedly
they have been transported by various
agencies to their present abiding place.
In their tortuous passage from the Fled
mont TO the lowlands, what countless
ages have intervenedl They are older
than tho soil IN which they lie imbedded,
and as old as the glaciers, which had
much 10 do in their making. They could
not have acquired their present shape
without a long and constant movement In
the quarternary drifts.
sNO PRIMITIVE SETTLEMENTS.
II is probable that the Mat was ancient
~ a much broader stream than 1t now
is. and may have spread these quartzltes
over the underlying bedrock.
II is noteworthy that the surface of the
ridge lands shows no indications OF print
tive settlements. Not palueolith, not
a stone chip, not potsherd Is TO be seen.
Indians may have roamed over the ole
| barren lands, may have impressed their
footsteps on every acre, but they ablded
| not. and for good reason. Here were no
| great forests, no well-watered tracts,
where game was plentiful and easy OF
| capture.
| | have brought away from this county
several beautiful specimens of nature S
| handiwork These are all OF medium
size. of spear and axe shapes. They look
| as If they had come from the lathe, IN
stead OF the brook. They are patterns
from which primitive man fashioned MS
| finest works. Have you ever seen stone
axe OF the rough-cut variety and com
pared II with the thing 1t was before
man touched IT; II so, you Will compre'
bend how little he has had to do in snap
ing his implements.
| Among the curios of the farm was ar
Indian tochahock, hewn out OF greer
stone. and measuring nine inches long pS
three inches broad 1t was mine WIN
out asking Another was a Cnihes'
idol Of sandal wood life-sze, slightly de-
cayed and Invested OF hands, arms ahC
| head. II had been recently discovered
IN field where ii lay, without respect
tiu the collector came upon the scene
| If was thought to be of Indian manutac
| ture bur the further discovery OF one
| OF it's bronzed hands solved the problem
The presence of this torso Is accouhte,
| FOR by a visit made to these parts MANY
wears ago by a Chinese missionary OK th'
name of Shork, who left 1t, presumably
in charge of some church.
7 walked a mile through painless
woods and fenced fields to see grea
Usage orange tree growing on the laii
of Mr.. Dick Dunn. 1t is OF noble aspect
and looked to be OF the oak variety i
should be grown In our parks Oru
ginians are better acquainted with IL thai
their posterity. 1t is truly rehc-ia'
disappearing-of Colonial days
RUINS OF AN OLD CHURCH
But far more interesting TO me Is IN
ruins of St Margarets Episcopal churcn
or. old Bulls, which lay, | was inIorrieo
three miles away from the farm. Deioi
soino 70 view it, / was approached by
9ood'natured colored woman, who aske
me n I knew the place TO be haunted
..Oh yes" replied, "all such places are
ar ought 10 be. haunted-by good spirits.
rhither | wendell my way, note-pooh
rand intending to copy in IL such lnscrll
lions as might appear on the olu gray.
ones 81 do love these ancient runs "
,o,ar tread upon them but we set ou
foo, unon some reverend history.
Eolowing the county road, when passe
nv near the ruins, / soon came IN SIZE
~ II 1t is situated on rising srouhu,
80 near the base OF which are s"e'
.nrines and a pretty pool or clear "ate
IN ire woodwork has been burned Dy
rocent fire. and only blank vans ieindii
~ old eiebe is grown up with "eee
"a tangled briers. / saw 10 sId''
stones save two upright SLABS to"dIe
front These were without nscril
Hon The ruin, though not as picturesqt
as that AT Blandford, will, on Recount
ire loneliness. and the preyading deson
,tor engage the attention ana D''sn''
~ interest OF the antiquary.
=, Margaret's, or Old Bull, cnurcn We
ID, shortIv after the formation OF lar
line county. out Of the upper 20, w,
rssex King and Queen, ana hins W.
,ia,o Its records appear 10 nave pe'
inss or partly preserved. ana are, tne,
49, very scsnty. The roll OF It's in'n =,
49, ,s not complete, and long gaps VI
$50 II May some tender mana DC y
isu. 80 write the reverend history OF u
founu " c. NJ. w.