Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-02-22

Washington tells US in his diary that after
pToceedlng, about eight miles below Little
Hocklng, he and his party landed near
me present site of Harris Ferry. The fol-
! s sUm1ng th m9rning, October 20, they re.
Passe9 a small stream of water now called
% e Sreek the distance OF which Is just
- nnies oeiow Pittsburg. This run"
bottom land that had a very fine anpear-
nmnnS5e;, tae bottom lying above our encamp-
or nye miles down the river, where we
ro I'M hiasnuta and his hunting party en-
der q necessity OF paying our compiiments
as as ms person was one of the Six Nation
T5 NE ana the head of those upon the
a. o4d acquaintance, he being one of the
hnn11laalas ma went with me to the French
IN i'sS. He expressed satisfaction at seeing
me- and treated US with great kindness
sIsing JUS a quarter of a very fine buralo.
NE ne INSISTED upon US spending that night
We as possible, moved his camp down the
tner, Just below the mouth Of the creek.
me name of which I could not learn. AZ
THIS point We encamped."
The stream here mentioned is now called
toUSna SFeek. II is two miles below the
nown OF Belleville, West Virginia, the
present population of which is 500.
Continuing, his diary Washington saws.
oil Ateer mucn counciling over night they
ar gres came to my IRE the next morning with
lng what had passed between me and fha
Sachems at Col. Croghan's thanked me- fn
sashas that peace and friendship were the
ommendtng it TO the traders to- deal with
them upon a fair and equitabie footing.
anr men expressed their desire of having
a trade opened with Virginia, and that the
government thereof might not only bs
maoe acquainted Herewith. but with their
Irlehciy disposition toward the white peo-
pie. This l promised to do. The tediouS
which the Indians observe in
, M 3 couhennss and speeches, detained us
/ III y O clock lf DUhfgh f3V,A xna $500
our Journey"
Opposite to the Creek
Just below where they encamped. he saws.
mere was a long bottom of tolerably
nine miles below the aforementioned creek.
anu Just below a pavement of rocks on the
telt sue, comes in a creek with fallen TIM
ner at IT'S mouth, on which the Indians say
there are wide bottoms and good iands'"'
me creek he refers to is called Shads
River. 1854 miles below Pittsburg. lust
ABOVE TINS stream on the right side, up a
steep hill, near the river. there is In the
face OF a rock a remarkable cavern known
Devils Hole.1 This. however is n 10
mentioned by Washington. but CONTINUING
ms iE description OF the country he says.
Inc river bottoms above for some dis
lance are very good. ana continue SO rar
near half a. mile below the creek. The
| pavement of rocks is only to be seen at
low water. About a mile below the creek
there is a pavement OF rocks on the east
ssae IN a sedgy ground. ON this creek
account"
Six miles below he mentions a creek
now known as Little Sandy. coming in
70 Burlington Island, above which he mem
lions another pavement OF rocks. The
bottom through which this stream flows
side. Just opposite TO IL. Washington saws.
tine seems TO be a very fine large bot
tR2@ deso xfry nne of la Muses. Th Rsti answers TO
miles below Shade River. Here he tells
us the Great Bend begins and says. 1.-TWO
miles below, on the west side. comes In a
creek just below an island on the upper
point of which are some dead standing
trees and a parcel Of white bodied syca-
mores. In the mouth of this creek.
WHICH he does not name, but known now
as sand River. he speaks OF a sycamore
he adds, IAN east line may be run three
or four miles, thence q north line till It
strikes the river, which / apprehend.
acres of yctrable land"
At the mouth OF Safss River, W-aasamnu
GGSs sro Snown eou 5ne w y nas path to ~. y
two or three miles below This the ohio
runs a northeast course. and finishes what
they call the Great Bend" The name he
here gives has been changed 10 that OF
Ravenswood Bend. At the point where Il
finishes, there is a town OF loo inhabitants
sailed Ravenswood The distance from
wood is a great shipping town. A branch
of the Ohio River railroad runs south from
| ll4S punt - EptHteTs Inc next eucnfnp-
ment made by Washington was about
where Pleasant View is now situated. The
following morning, October S0th, they re-
past Z o'clock. The day is described as
windy and cloudy, having rained all night.
" miles below they came TO the head
OF a bottom in the shape OF a horseshoe
round. '"The upper part Of this Iand,S
but the lower part rather thin land cover
ed with beach" though there was some
good meadow land and a pond or lake.
Just below the rapid at the point of the
Great Bend" From this point, The river
narrows very considerably, and for i've
200 yards over" The water on the previous
day, except at the Great Bend, and some
dead, and as easily passed over one way
as another"
About ten miles below their last en-
campment, and "a little lower down than
the bottom described TO lie In the shape Of
a horseshoe, mention Is made OF " a small
creek on the west side opposite TO which
on the east was a body of fiat land which
the Indians claimed ran quite across the
fork to the falls of the Kanawha, and
must therefore,, says the diary, be a
three days walk across. IT so, the FIAT
land contained therein must be very con-
siderable"
was at the rapids in ihe year 1910, ma
chinery for towing boats up them. just
below was a grsst mill. Here on the right
El4t OI the T4Ntfs II Atsio. are me, exc
tensive and fertile bottoms, and some good
farms. On the left side are also some fine
farms; and
A SfupendOua Hill
juts into the waters edge ct the rapIds:
the primary cause, most probably, OF the
rivers making a great bend to the right,
not having been able TO break through the
barrier ere its arrival at this spot, which
evidently bears marks Of natures greatest
labors."
Three miles below this point there Is a
named book, the Rock OF Antiquity"
because OF its ancient engravlnSs which
conspicuOusly show themselves on It's
smooth and almost perpendicular front.
Time, the smoother Of al rouKhness, has
rendered all the engrayings uninteligfbie,
except one, which plainly represents the
huge figure OF a man with n pipe in his
mouth, smoking. He is sitting much IN the
style Of our natives when at their eaSe In
camp, with his elbows resting on his
knees, which seem 20 meet his breast, his
shoulders and breast leaning forward and
holding the pipe IN his mouth with one
hand. The curious land here. II at all,
with small crafts, as there are rocks and
logs in the river just below. difficult 10
avoid with large boats" Washington does
not mention the rock above described. He
tells US, however, that ne and his party
landed some distance below, probably
about Letart Falls. 23iz miles below Pitts
burg, and began an investigation Of tbs
country. which seems TO have pleased him
as he afterwards owned 1,1S9 acres Of land
In the vicinity. which has only recently