Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1902-07-04

up 10 the FAMOUS wager spring-a
crystal lake whose bottom was bub-
bling with white sand and whose
waters were teeming with mountain
trout. 1t is the largest virgin spring
In Virginia, and probably in the
South. Nearby are the stone ruins
of where stood in the Civil War the
wooden factory whose wheels were
turned by the gushing torrent OF
cold, clear water that for ages has
been running from this beautiful
pool. The mill was one of the feeders
to Confederate supplies, and conse-
quently brought down the wrath of
Sheridan's vandals when Stonewall
jackson was no more to oppose his
course of wanton destruction. To-
day the spring serves only the pur-
poses as reservoir to Col. Yager's
house, and SIS preserver of milk and
butter liz the diaries of the neigh
boring tenants which stud its banks.
The thousands of gallons each
minute now gushing from its rocky
outlet keep pure and clear the
western side of the muddy Hawksblll
Greek fer several miles. Back to
Luray, onto the heights overlooking
the town, to the ruins of the famous
Luray Inn and the grass-grown
streets of the ''boom" town where
twelve years ago smart business men
of Baltimore and other cities for the
time being became insane in mad
rush to buy corner lots of 20 feet
at $4,000. Today cattle browse over
the rolling acres at fifty cents per
head per month. This is a fair
sample of the fate of many other
farms that were once hives of in
dustry and plotted cities-on paper.
Luray proper, and some other places
through which we went later on,
were not Jared from the even
tenor of their way by these dead and
gone adjuncts, and are today more
beautiful and prosperous than ever
before. The farms which were marked
for metropolises have in most cases
reverted to their original owners and
purposes. But this is story long
since exhausted.
A piping-hot breakfast (for the
thermometer was way down in these
last June days in the mountains
awaited our return; and then the
summons Gall aboard for the cavel'
hustled US into a stage, pulling for
Cave Hill. The Luray Cave is in
describable in its grandeur and
phenomena, although description
has been attempted by writer's and
artists-and even one of this
party essayed to portray it to
the world from surveyors stand
point twelve years ago, the same
being done for filthy lucre and
at the command of his chief.
Two-hours of this left us still little
time to visit the famous Northcote
Sauitarium, erected over one of the
cave shafts for the purpose of supply
ing the occupants with pure dustless
limestone air of a temperature of sc
to 5S. We caught the eleven a. m
train southward-and also caught up
some of our belated baggage.
On and up the South Fork of the
Shenandoah, past the Grottoes, the
Crimora manganese mines, and into
Basic City. A fifteen minutes stop
permitted us to enjoy dinner with
two friends from Staunton, who
were doomed to share our company
for the next two days. A little
further on came Lyndhurst, an
obscure station on the Norfolk &
Western, but the stopping-off point
for one of the grandest and most
romantic spots in all Virginia. Four
miles of drive from here brought us
to Sherando, little mountain hamlet
which guards the way to the great
Humpback Mountain. Sherando has
not changed since our acquaintance
with it sixteen years ago, but the
course of Back Greek has changed
about as many times as the number
of years. In dry seasons one might
walk upon its cobble-stone bed aud
not get the ankles damp, but when
she becomes thirsty she gets her
shack up" sure indeed. Naturally
her bridges are oftener the bottom
of the creek than towering struc-
lures.
With some hours left us to sun
set it was decided to ramble among
the foothills of Humpback mountain.
We hadn't walked much of con-
sequence up to this point, but
now came the rutland that
pretty red on the heel. With
shepherds crooks, canes and scant
headgear the contingent sauntered
out from the rustic domicile of
'mine host" Balsley, and, follow
ing the leadership of the "know-it-
all" in our party, began chasing
the course of the mountain trout up a
tiny crystal stream. We were on
an exploring expedition and a
trip of discovery to Tor, rather, iden-
tity of some lakes on the mountain
side which our Mentor knew once
nestled there. 1t so happened that
we ourselves had to be discovered
by an ebon-hued denizen of the
mountains, who, for the price of 3
quarter, put Us right aud pointed ont
the pond that had eluded US. There
it stood, but not in its pristine glory.
Covered with green slime, and with
leeches and skilpots floating on its
bosom, it told tale like that OF
Back Creek, of a once beautiful
stream that flowed in aud out over
a stony bed. Today the little tor
rent In its course leaves the thirsty
mountain lake half mile dis
tant. Our dusky guide (who. by
the way, wore petticoats) told US
of another lake yet little dis.
tant, and with hope blistering oul
weary feet we followed through the
huckleberry, raspberry and tiger-lily
waste in pursuit of this. This, too