The Washington times., 1902-06-23
Eccentric Character Liv-
ing on Shores of the
Potomac.
JUST ABOVE CHAIN BRIDGE
Held in Awe by Her Neighbors-Is Hard
to Approach-Supposed Story of Her
Life Remarkably Strange One
Conflicting Tales.

"The Old Lady OF the Coats" is the
name given to a most eccentric character
who lives in the scrub timber about five
miles southwest of the Capital City. Her
domicile is n tumbledown hut, which
stands upon the lip of a half -obliterated
rife pit about a half-mile from the
Virginia bank of the Potomac.
The wayfarer in search of wild aa~-
ers, solitude or drink of spring water
who crosses the chain bridge Just above
the beetling brown rocks which general
ly shelter from the sun dozen or mo -e
fishermen will find himself inside of
hundred yards confronted by the choice
OF three winding roads through the
woods. II he does not care to take the
one leading northward toward the club
house on the hill, or the broad road
which goes straight ahead and looks as
II 1t might really go somewhere on busi-
sharply to the left, cross the little rus
tic bridge which spans the gully and
plunge into the pine woods which cIothe
the hillside. II he will boldly desert the
twisting road at this point and struggle
upward through the underbrush of a
grove which Nigh: be mistaken for
primeval IL II were not for the paper
sacks and sodawater bottles strewn by
an effete civilization, i've minutes walk
and a great deal of exertioh will bring
him to the top OF a miniature mountain
ridge. The slope runs steeply down to
the bottom of cultivated valley to
which the surrounding hills give the
shape of an oval pickle dish. Directly
below the spot where the wayfarer is
now supposed to be standing are the
huts of three or four negro
families. and straight across the vale
is the house Of the ''Old Lady Of the
Coats
Never Leaves the Valley.
She never leaves the valley. or the
hills around it. which she thinks belong
to her. and no one knows just exactly
how she exists. Just what her right
name is 10 one seems to lsnow--the ne |
,roes are undecided between several
out her nickname came through her |
ondness for the society of goats She 1
always has half dozen or more OF them |
her about. and with the ex-
,eption of two pairs they never get |
more than half grown before she |
'laughters them. The smaller the goat
he mere fondness the old lady shows |
or the animal. She generally has one
)et animal. which she carries around |
With her in her arms.
The old lady will sometimes tell for
unes when one wanders her way, hut |
f she does not fancy the looks of those
yho are approaching she will pick up I
Ter pet goat and make off through the /
avines with the res. of the herd scam
,ering at her heels. The negroes have
superstitious awe of her. and no power
IN earth could persuade one of them to
-enture near her rifle pit after shutdown.
they think that she possesses the power
o curse the crops or to bring rain in
he valley whenever she will, no matter
THAT climatic conditions may prevail
eyond the hills.
Her age Is variously estimated as be-
ween ninety and one hundred and FIVE
ears. but it is mere likely that she is
ot more than eighty. half dozen
ifferent legends as to who she really
are current In the vicinity. Accord
ng to one OF these she belongs TO .
fealthy aristocratic family who owned
II the land for many miles around be- !