West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1902-01-30
4 Remarkable spot In Grant District
4 Description Of Beautiful
Little Valley.
rrom om slaa Rnnstnhnnl-

From our StaG Roustabout
The scenery Of our county is SO fun of
variety and SO pleasing, that no person need
so away from home to find objects Of in
teros, in the landscape Sometimes. how.
ever, it takes a little search to find them.
In one of our little valleys there is sur
prising wealth Of objects of scenic in,eres,
as we'll as surprising evidences of the for
gotten handiwo'k Of man. Aud strange TO
say, this almost unknown spot lies near two
villages and between two wcll.uaveled
thoroughfares.
Now that long evenings are again upon
as, IL would seem lit time to speak Of this
curious glen, as it was described by person
who visited il several months ago.
One bright afternoon Ia May, a party of
three, consisting Of a doctor, teacher and
a visitor set out from Bruceton, aud going
pas, the residence of 7. $ Cunningham.
they came in few moments to the very
narrow entrance of wooded valley
Connor Creek flows out on its way to the
Sandy. The valley entrance is hut very
short distance from the Kngwood pike. and
! rs SO meouspucous that the person travel.
ing 10y does not suspec, that this little gorge
with It's commonplace appearance, is the
( gateway 20 a veriiable wonderland.
Near the edge of the branch and righ, at
the opening of the valley, is a strong spring,
heavily impregnaied with sulphur. These
waters will some day be in demand. They
compare most favorably with the world.
famed sulphur springs of the Shenandoah
Pushing their way through the under
growth the explorers found to their sur.
prise that the valley rapidly expands, and is.
in fact, botle-shaped. II was not possible
TO look very far through the woods. yet
they found that the bluffs rapidly reccde as
soon as the entrance to the valley is passed.
Here, resting in a vast depression amid the
encompassing heights, is an expansive
bottom, through which the slow moving
waters of the serpcntinc creek find their
way toward the gorge.
In this remarkable bottom, the surface Of
the ground is quite level and rather free
from underbrush The struggling ravs of
the afternoon sun fell in spots upon the
shimmerng current Of the pulling creek,
aud elsewhere they lighted up most won.
deriul prQfusion Of herbs and wild flowers.
The level basin is very botanic garden.
Il would seem as though every plant in this
entire region is TO be found here Some Of
the flowers were Of species unknown to any
member Of the party, aud they did not
think they had ever seen them before.
Along The border of this basin are plain
traces Of bitches Of artificial origin. II will
surprise many of our readers to learn that
these diichcs were at one time irripatinr
ranas. Yet so they were. Some Of the
early settlers Of Grant were Quakers from
near Philadelphia and they were the best
farmers in America. They cleared cut lhi,
basin, aud finding il admirably adapted to
artificial watering, they raised crops Of hay
the abundance Of which Is even yct matter
of tradition. This was done when the very
word irrigation was almost a foreign word 10
The dwellers IN the East lt was long be
fore the great irrigation works Of California,
Colorado and other States Of the far West
were even thought of
lis said there was once beaver dam
near the sulphur spring. and 10 is very prob.
able that by throwing a stronger dam across
thc outlet This siugular basin could be made
20 produce a large part Of the cranleuies
consumed in our State. il would even be
turned irho an artificial lake, though 70 would
o. 700 bad to spoil ihis flower garden OF
nature. Fourth Of July picnics used to be
held here In this wilderness the party
found The siockyad used by those early
farmers. u is rectangular inclosurc,
walled with stones, but now in very ruin.
oul condition
AZ one edge of the basin, they came sud
denly upon the crumbing walls Of stone
farmhouse. The roof bad long since fallen
in, and the open windows we're witnesses 20
thc fact that This silent and now forgotten
ruin bad once resounded with laughter and
song aud with the pauerng Of infant feet.
Lewis Whcisell and other famous hunters
used 20 visit ih.s house
40 ihe opposite side Of the basin IS the
crumbling wreck Il an of mill. In The carly
days ~ ihs county, FAX was grown in ibis
region aud inseed oil was pressed from
thc seed and made an article Of trade.
Not iar away, the explorers almost sDum.
bled over rude milestone made Of con-
glomefaie rock and used at a sin earlier
time boz a mill, of which nothing now remains
bui mounds of ub1sh nearly hidden by
bushes
Probably dozen fresbuatcr springs
bubble from ihe ground io,sud on the borders
of 'his basin while G. chalybcsts and also am
a.un. aprIng were discovered, and what Il,
snii more remarkable a spring with TEN.
/ peniarc of more chan summer heat and
around which the grass s said to remain
I green Throughout the winter
hi thc upper edge of Che bottom is a LARGE
I dtt ioet known as tlc "m, ,s,efoas stone.
/ lt is So hard TO Get at chat 80 is seldom
I visited. The mrfale IS coveted with large
/ chauc'crs oecudng in regular order. and 30
impossible l7 resist ,bc conclusion taat
/ this tablet of stone s memorial of "a
+ vanished aud forgotten race or of some gle.
. historic cSploing party iha. visited bs
spot hundreds aad 10 may b- thousands of
/ years ago Perhaps aey arc mnio letters
careed ay some oi thc Nouumcu advsntufers
who visited Amadca nine hundred years
ago
bat here IS further evidence oi ibe long
T ago presence Of men Near the mysterious
]. stone oIth ie impeol'mblo riddle. is gine.