The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1899-08-09
AMONG The MOUNTAINS.
Rev I. A. Barnes and others at
Webster Springs.
Messrs. Glasscock, Sisler and Reay So
icurning at this place All having Il
fine ! ime and ssainiag aealih- The
Picturesque Village of Addison.

WEBSTER SPRINGS, W. Va, Aug. g.
Ny ap ilogy for writing this,is the consci-
entioHs belief that the person who can
20 among new and interesting scenes,
ought 10 let home folks see them from
the point Of his pen
While waiting for hack at Cowan on
Monday morning a travelling salesman
drove up to the store OF my old friend ]
n. Berfhey, and was invited to occupy
a seat in his buggy NV new friend was
d. A. Ours, OF Buckhannon, and very
pleasant travelling companion.
About IL O'Clock we began to drop
down off OF the mountains. Drop. is the
proper word to use, for the carriage
wheels simply fall from one stone down
to another until YOU are in Elk river.
Ones first look at Addison is disap-
pointing. 1t is not as picturesque as the
Imagination pictures it. But the lofty
mountains which surround it are ma.
jestic, and compensate for the lack o.
the romantic in the village The sharp
curves in the river canyon, above ano
below the village, make it seem sur
rounded by mountains and give you the
impression that you are in the bottom
OF an immense kettle with the sides COW
cred with forest trees.
After an excellent dinner at the Stan.
ard house, ! started out to find the
spring, which is located on the bank o.
the river just below the court house. A
canopy, or summer house, is built over
it, and broad walk leads to platform
built in front of the spring. Across in
front OF the spring is bar or counter
behind which boy stands to dip the
water and fill the glasses for the drink
ers. Guests at the hotels pay 25c weeb
for the water but the natives get it free
Near the spring | met Mr.. Sislei
and Mr.. Glasscock, of Morgantown, ane
directly the smiling face, pipe and fish
ing tackle of Presley Reay .shove il
sight, and | soon began to feel at home
But that smile had faded from Pres
ley's face, when late in the evening
met him returning from away down tht
river with ask him what.
The Mo asntown people, excepting
myself, are topping at the big hotel
which, OF cou Sc, is the proper thing TO
Morgantown man, but from the mum
Der OF hints dropped, l am persuaded
that all OF them would appreciate snFul
OF the good Square" meals s~joyed by
your humble servant, three times day
If you want little style and modern
conveniences, tie Springs hotel is the
place, but if you want to feel at home
and have an abundance, and variety o
good, well cooked food go to Stanard's
Mr.. Sister is putting on an average 0
one pound daily, and l am doing full,
as well. At this rate we will need new
clothes before winter
Yesterday was the first day Of tn
circuit court, and it afforded splendit
opportunity to see the natives.
By ten O'Clock in the morning tn
village was full of men and women
Among them were some fine specimen
physical manhood. Two men in parti
cular attracted my attention and
sought an acquaintance with them
One of them, Thos. J. Woods, said tina
he was 81 years old six feet So inche
high and during the winter weighet
206 pounds. The other, Edward McCo.
| is % years old, 6 feet inches high
weighs 2S5 pounds, and wears No. /
shoe. His foot is 124 inches long. 4
shoe maker told me that he once mad
| a pair of boots for Mccoy. The legs o
the boots were % inches long, and whei
they were sewed and turned before tn
crawled through one OF them.
ADDISON, Aug. BIN addition to tn
big fellows mentioned in my first letter
there is family living in the countr.
named Hamrick, of whom it issaid that
one hundred men can be found VIII
will average feet inches high. | hay
met quite number of them. and d
not doubt the statement. They ar
like the poplar trees on the mountain
sides, tall and straight.
Speaking of poplar tree, remind
me-" | rode eight miles over Elk noun
tain, yesterday, onto branch of Holl.
River. For distance OF six miles
saw but one improvement, except tn
deserted lumber camps. But ever
where there were poplar stumps an
ends OF trees, many of them and 5 fee
in diameter. A lumberman told m
that he hap helped to handle log 16 fee
long and over 5 feet in diameter, an,
from one log they had cut 1200ft. c
lumber. As Camden on Gauley, | say
poplar plank measured, that were 4
inches wide.
have heard some interesting stories
and quaint expressions from the noun
| taineers. A fellow told me that 9Th
trouble with this country was that, pov
erty struck it before the war, and ha,
not let up yet, and the devil had beei
loose for a season.
"Tom Jack" Woods, as he is called
the big fellow mentioned yesterday
told me that he was attending Meth
odist revival at uppergrade. once, and
lady came around and asked him t.
come down, so that she could talk t.
him. He said, II came down, but
caused some of the small people to laugl
and l was indicted for disturbing tn
services. The jury convicted me, but
was never fined or imprisoned Con
gresham Anderson defended me an,
when the Judge overruied his motion
to set aside the verdict, he said that h
supposed that it was unlawful for maj
to go to church who was more than
feet and one-half high"
| At Erbacon l met lady who is nov
the wife of Rev. A G. Ellison. who re
sides in Braxton County She told M
the following interesting
STORY.
elm 1883 l was living with the famil,
OF Ballard Conrad, clerk of the count,
count at Addison.
At that time one Charles Duffy, rel
alive of ex-auditor Pat Duffy, was run
ming an open saloon of the very wors
kind. The saloon stood near the Bap
fist church, of which was then mem
Der Our prayer meetings had Otter
been interrupted by the carousals a
tie saloon, and l had thought about j
a good bit, and prayed the Lord to re
move the evil from the town.
7 law fhA
impressed me that | must burn that sa
loon. studied over it for several day
and became convinced that it was m,
duty to burn it, because it was ruinin,
all the young men Of the town, an,
causing great amount OF sorrow am
trouble.
On Thursday, June 10, 1888, prepar
ed my kindling and poured oil over ii
ready to use That night | went t,
prayer meeting and after everybody ha,
gone to bed, and the saloon had beer
closed for the night, | went out and Sc
fire to it | waited to see that it woult
burn, and then went back to bed.
The light from the burning buildin,
shone into my room after awhile, ant
| got up and awakened the family.
The alarm soon spread over the tow
and the people came out, but the saloon
could ~ b. saved. But by hard worl
the charch was saved, although the sid,
nev.G to the saloon was scorched.
The next morning / WAS tracked int,
my room. / had taken my shoes of
and the mud was still on the stockings
had worn
In the afternoon ! was arrested ant
taken to the court house, but Mr.. Con
rad and number of other men gave
bond for me and was released.
At the next circuit court was indict