The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-05-16
AN HONORED ORDER.
The knights OF the Golden Horseshoe
and the Good Work Tney Did.
M,itt !.

ONritten for The Times.i
In the early days of the Virginia Colo.
ny settlements were principally along the
great streams-the Potomac the Kappa
hammock, the York and the James, while
the country beyond the Blue Ridge was
an unknown land.
ut was in connection with journey into
This undiscovered territory that the first
serious effort was made to establish in
Virginia an Order of knighthood.
The beautiful range of mountains which
divides the State throughout its entire
width, leaving on the east the Piedmont
and Seaboard region, and on the west the
great Valley of Virginia, had proved an.
insurmountable barrier to the tmid In
dian and usually adventurous ana coura
!geous Colonist, While the wild territory
beyond became an EldOrado to the minds
Of tbs multitude, where lay, doubtless,
the sources of 1.-The Father of Waters.
The historian declares that in 1910
certain Colonel Wood, inhabiting at the
falls of the James River, about a hundred
miles west of Chesapeake Bay. discovered
at several times several branches of the
great rivers Ohio and Mechasebe (N1is-
sissippD" while later Sir William Berke
ley, then Governor in the Old Dominion,
dispatched a brave company of English
men and Indians to explore the unknown
regions.
THEIR REWARD.
They assembled the first heights and
were amply rewarded by finding wide
plains and green glades alive with flocks
of wild fowl and herds of deer, but be-
fore them rose new mountains. more
rugged than any they had yet encounter
ed. The timid Indians dared venture no
further. and affrighted their companions
with terrible tales Of the Gwal1Hre
in these mountain Businesses. who made
~salt, and who never permitted the return
'0f strangers once venturing into their CO.
main.
1t remained, therefore. for Governor Al.
exander Spotswood to explore the. mys-
teries so long shrouded beyond the noun
tains' blue veil, thus pursuing the task
to which, with indefatigable zeal and eX-
cellent Judgment. he had throughout his
administration addressed himself-the de,
velopment of all the resources of the Col
ony.
Twas in August, then. of 1716 that the
gallant Governor. "The Tubal Cain of
Virginia. accompanied by Mr.. John Fon-
taine, late an ensign of the British army,
and recently arrived in Virginia, left Will
lamsburg on MS expedition across the
Blue Ridge Mountains
CROSSED YORK RIVER.
SIUSSiliS ok TlFSl DIT Liz Ioi!Sh IlouSS-
the two explorers were, their first night,
Hospitality entertained by Mr.. Austin
Moore at his estate of Chelsea, in King
William.
Thence TO the home in Middlesex, of
Mr. r. Beverley, the historian, on the
second day; and here his Excellency aban-
doned his cllaise and pursued mis- journey
on horseback, accompanied now by Bever-.
ley as we'll as Fontaine.
oIn hon
they came to Germantown, where halt
of several days was made, and the party
regularly organized.
Here We're mines pretended by the Ger
mans to be silver, but, observes Mr.. Fon-.-
tame, whose copious diary furnishes the
most authentic chronicle of the expedition,
81 am of opinion il will not come to any
thing-no, not as mucn as lead.
The party as now composed consisted of
spotswood, Fontaine. Beverley, Colonel
Robertson, Austin Smith, Todd, DR.. Robin
son, TAYLOR, Mason, Brooke and Captains
Clouder and Smith; two small companies
of Rangers and four Meherrin Indians.
probably in all fifty. They took riding and;
pac!. horses. an abundant supply Of pro-
visions, and IAN extraordinary variety. Of
liquors..
AFFLICTED WITH HEADACHE.
Mr.. Fontaine, being afflicted with nead-
ache and pains in his bones consumed, he.
tells us, one ounce of quinine in twenty
four hours, whereat his head was mucn
out of order. Small wonder! The more
doubtless that in their first nights camp
they made great fires, supped, and drank
good punch.
The merry cavalcade rode laisl,rslv wests
yard. crossing ana PROGRESSING the Kappa
h. s.cas -sa al was a.eass III.
sue sky h!ed with white e,ouis drifting
on before the wind. like ships with all
sails set. The woods were In full leaf, the
streams were laughing and the birds sing
ing.
The season was full Of hope and