Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1899-08-05
lc0MMt SicArED. j
A pax,s outing on EIk river.


his family and few friends, fishing aaS
boat-yiding GA the placid and beautNu
Elk, river that has IT'S rise at the BIZ
spring in Randolph county. and flows
TWO hundred miles through the central
part Of the State passing through the
counties Of Pocahonlas. Webster, Brax-
ton. Clay and KanaWha, and pouring its
crystal waters into the great kanawha
river at the State capitol. Sutton, the
county seat OF Braxton county, is midway
between the head Of the Elk and its
mouth A few miles above Sutton the
river becomes rough and picturesque, I'M
navigable for boats and commerce. II isl
hemmed in by great mountains towering
heayenward. covered with a magnificent
forest Of elm, ash, hickory, oak and pop
lar Of gigantic size. At Webster Court
House is situated the famous Salt Sulphur
Springs, whose healing properties have
restored to health and made glad the
hearts of so many invalids. who have
gone to that popular and famous watering
place. A few miles farther up we find
the Gauley river, running several miles
parallel with the Elk, but about four hum
bred feet above it. The Elk flows at the
base OF the mountains. while the Gauley
is four hundred feet nearer their summit
1t would not be a difficult matter to cut
a channel and turn its flow into the Elk,
thus making one OF the greatest cataractsI
and waterflows on earth. The mountains
and valleys Of the Elk from its source to
its mouth are laded with the finest veins
of canal and bituminous coal. In the
counties Of Webster and Pocahontas is
found the fiat top coal, noted in the mark
cts OF the world and used SO extensively
on shipboard7on account of its freedom
from spontaneous combustion. But to
speak of the natural resources of the Elk
and its tributaries, and the noble men and
women who have lived around this IN
spring cline would hll many volumes.
But we only started to tell about a days
fishing with a few personal friends. We
found the camp located near the
mouth Of Stony creek, and a veritable
camp it was A commodious wall tent
with all the modern equippage, and provi-
sion enough to last through an ordinary
military siege. And then one Of the inn
portant things in camp is good cook,
and we don't think one more faithful to
the comfort of his company, or more
skillful in the art could be found in any
culinary department of the country than
VIM G. Hyer, naturally endowed, and
with many years of experience. He can
prepare any kind of vi: nds in the latest
American or European style. So Jealous
IS he OF his reputation as a cook, that it
would be a mortal offense for any mem
Der of the party to speak except in the
praise Of everything that he prepares.
Think Of Saratoga chips, delieately fried
bass and wild honey being served in the
| fairness of the mountains and not feel a
thrill of appreciation. We thought on
entering the camp that the good and no.
bic Hyer had furnished it after the FASH
ion of the comforts and luxuries that he
provided for the men who went out to
camps OF instruction during the time of
Dewey and SIMPSONS war with Spain
We found real congenial company.
J. 5. Hyer, a very successful business man
and prominent Republican, having twice
read the nomination for Auditor. and was
twice beaten, once by the Democrats, af-
ter he had made brilliant and hotly con-
tested campaign, and once by some un-
scrupulous Republicans. His brothers.
VIM. G.. and Joseph are both skillful,
whether preserving The hnny tribe or the
larger game of the forest, and are Jolly
fellows. There were two other person.
ages in that fishing expedition of more
than ordinary note. One was the intriped
and dexterous Squirley Bill Carpenter,
and the other was the veteran warrior and
hunter, James Dent. Carpenter is one of
the most remarkable personages in many
respects that has ever lived in central
West Virginia. He is the son of Joseph
Carpenter, who was born under a cleft OF
rocks on Holly river and kept there for
some time concealed from the Indians.
His mother saw that the first food that
ever entered his mouth was bear meat
and sweet potatoes He was the first
white child born on Elk river. He be-
came a noted hunter and trapper, and was
a vlolinist of such rare skill that it is said
the mice would come out of the cracks of
bis log cabin and dance around on the
floor while he was playing, so charmed
were they with the harmony of sound that
he made. Squirley Bill has caught more
fish and killed more game, and knows
more about the character and habits of
animals than any man on Elk river except
perhaps Uncle Tom Coger. During the
Civil war Squirley was captured b. some
Federal soldiers and accused of being al
scout or guerilla, but he soon convinced
his captors that he had been created by
nature for far higher and nobler pur-
pose than that of a bushwhacker, and
on the earnest appeal OF the female por-
ton of the community in which he lived
was promptly set at liberty. James Dent,
to whom we referred is venerable old
warrior and hunter. He uses rifle with
unerring aim and has a storehouse of
good stories and seldom prevaricates. He
has hunted and fished from the head
waters OF the Elk and Tygarts valley to
the Pacific slope. He was hunting buff
falo in the wilds of New Mexico at the
time OF the Custer massacre, and so in
dignant did the old veteran seem that
seeing two large Indians in full war paint
standing about a hundred yards off, lean