The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-11-05
OLD VIRGINIA TAVERNS.
QUAINT DELIGHTS OF DRYING IN THE
REMOTE HUE RIDGE
They Entertain You Well In tho Intervals
of Preserving Fruit and Sometimes
Have as Many rs Three Guests Mt Once
Picturesauely Inefficient Proprietors

'bNe Us Nthut M tnFtt outs'S NJ OhNS-
Picturesausly Ipeficient Proprietors
and ServRnts-A Young Grandmother.
My dear have Just come back from the most
delightful trip in the world" Mrs Strangely eS-
claimed. rapturously. bursting in on her dearest
friend one October day we went ON a driving
trip all through Virginia, stopping along the way
at the funniest, quaintest old hotels and taverns
and never had such a good time in my life"
oh, have been bored to death all the summer"
sighed the dearest friend "and II makes me burn
with envy to hear you. DO tell me what you did
Well, lrst Of oil, We drove: you cant imagine
the Joy oi skmming along behind pair Of fast
horses through the widest part VI the Blue Ridge
Mountains. Sometimes we'd stop for night and
a day, II there was anything to sec or do some
times II would only be for dinner or TO change
horses. We started from Washington at the end
Of June about 3 O'Clock one evening, and drove
all through the perfect night with the moon bright
as day. About sunrise the next morning we drew
up at little clump Of houses. and called ont to
bare legged girl at the pump to know II there was
any place where We could get breakfast. She
stared, dropped her bucket and fed into the house.
few minutes later man came out chewing
straw, followed by the girl and woman.
"Can you tell us where We can get our break
fns,?' repeated. pleasantly.
Nobody spoke for some moments: then. the
woman nudgcd the man. and he said. hoarsely:
You mought he able to git a bite Of sometbin'
al the hotel chokcd back a laugh. and asked
him TO point out the way. lie hesitated, and the
woman gave him punch. You might well
60 with en-, she said; he walked by the side Of
the carriage a. we drove up one dusty road and
through another Thar it's, he motioned with
his thumb, and. walking on ahead, disappeared
In green frame house bearing a painted sign,
Grand Central Hotel
u went into small room which had dining.
| table and bed, and called Ilello,' bu, nobody
answered, No passed into hall and down flight
Of dark stairs 10 the kitchen 4 bare footed
| woman was stirring something in big iron pot
Can you give us some breakfast? - asked,
politely.
We'll, | dunno. she hesitatcd i, Amt very
| convenient today, because I've go, my prcsrrvir'
to do. ri you allll take sents in the front porch
| I'll $40 cf kin cit you up a smack
a half hour later man in shirt sleeves beck
| oncd To- MS. lie was the proprietor Of the Grand
| Central We walked into the room where the
| bed and the dining-tnble shared the rights. Tho
/ man and woman waited on us. and our guide
sht on the edge Of the bed and stared with frank
| curiosity. We had fried chicken fresh Ash, cold
| lamb stewcd potatoes. fried apples eggs, four
kinds of bread. coffee. hot and cold tea milk
| preserves and mhrmaladc, honey and pickles
| 4 little darkey. too small To sce over the table
| brought us hot wailes with marvellous frequency
and rapidity and when VIC rose our landlord told
| us he had had our horses rubbed down and fed
| When "" asked for our bill ne said he hopcd We
wouldn't think he was trying {" cheat us hut
this was busy day and he was nightly afraid
| he'd have I" charge US 80 cents apiecc
| One day We stopped for dinner at the Mountain
| Sid" Inn. a wrctchcd old shanty at the junction
| 81 two local railroads There were two pcrmn
| ncni bnardcrS and few drummers whu were
waiting for their train We hclpcd ourselves to
| what We could reach and went without the rest
| a. the one very green handm6idcn SEEMED over
come with shyness and whenever one Of the tav
ellins men would multcr thank you for the butter
| or ia H. Obliged 10 you for the cabbage sh.
would Immediately bc panic stricken. and throw
ing her apron over her head. rush back into the
| kitchen, which was plainly visible through the
open door Only once did she put herself in eyi
dcncc. Walking boldly into the room with her
| black hands stuck into very uninvitng dish
she called gu, Hospitality. viii any you all have
string brsns. and was overcome by her daring
| for the rest 81 the meal
! ~ one darling little place where We stoned
stone cottage which had once bccn a store but
now was transformed into the Hotel ROYAL |
asked for some flannel cakes The Old coIorrd
waiter was gone for ages, aud when he Hnnlly
came ph'hs bF'hFN deeply TrcStthIen
| Where are the cakes asked
| 81 thought I'd better come hack and tell Won
about EN- FIRST he said sadly
| why, aren't there any
| "Ncs'm but they's ten cents cA,ry aud it'Il
max" big difference IN your bill Ns the table
d'hor was - cents. thought would risk H.
We Nrr" driving through the gorgeous noun
| tains 81 West Virginia when We discovered a very
| charming historic old spot Fairfax Inn. laid
out by the truthful George himself and muc,,
irepucnted by that gallant gentleman and Lord
Fairfax when they were gay young bucks The
long porch lies flat ON the dusty road without even
like balconies ovcrhang this porch. whose nul,d
| wormca'cn stone columns support twentieth
| century electric lights. ~ We entered the front
door We bumped our heads against the stat,
steps which rushed down to meet IT, and our IA nd
lady cautioned us To step tightly in the dining
room for the fOoI was 80 rotten II might fall through
at any second. The low pitched dark little room
WAS dotted impartially will smoky kerosene lamp
and electric bulbs, and from our seats We could
see the muddy yellow stream which ran under
one side Of the hotel \ smiling mulaito Cir
answered ne cal gave out the back window foI
What is your name ! asked. kindly. de
ypur,ns her wonderful toilet Of pink lawn skirt
| black low rcChcd waist and nhpping nccktic.
her dazzling teeth.
| "\rbHiu.is my second name, Trailing Arbutu,
maam My friends mos inginry calls NJ,
| I'tlllN
| - sh all call you Emma said. sictnly
| There is n curious tavern near the old battle
field 81 Bull Run which used To be known a.
The Cannon House hut since certain recent events
In our history !, bears the proud title Of Hotc
Maine and on the signhoard is Il highly colorcd
picture of that Inflated vessel. We stopped her,
several tines on our wandcrings through III,
country, and many amusing hours have passed
In the red rocking chairs on that long tobacco
stained porch. On our first visit ainrge, pleasant
matron received me in the parlor and showed me
10 my tiny apartment over the kitchen, When
] rang for the chambcrmaid the same WON an
answered the call, and | was a little surprised
when went In the office TO pay my bill 10 fnd
my hndladv .Chamhcrmaid seated at the desk
! was Just climbing into The carriage when sh,
ran after me with little, thin dirty blank book
80, would you mind putting your name In
here she painted Most uf the visitors do
"Onr evening about nightfall We drove up to
very fOrnrn railroad station, called in simpl,
unprctcntiGus language, Jacks. A man in blue
| jean ovrralls and straw hat without a briu
was seated on pile of tanbark. and when ",
asked him II there waS any place where We cOul,
stop for the night he slowly descended from hi.
perch and said, myStcriously I'm your man.
| directing tnHt our CarrisgC should BE- tSk,r
| Ia n barn nearby, h" relieved me II my satrl ri
aud walked u few steps ahead 81 us up the ON,
wTctched street, down an alley, through a COycTr,
l IL