Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1906-07-13
VIRGINIA FAIRY STONES
Found in Patrick County And are (barm
For Love.

|
Near the point where the Blue Ridg
and The Allegheny mountains unit
north of Patrick county, lie the mead
owS of Dan. 1t is not far from tbl
remarkable plateau on the eide or 10
Bull Mountain. n spur of the Blu'
Ridge that fairy stones are found
They are little natural crosses, pro
nOunced by McCrea,h, .Genth, Dana
and other scientists as heretofore IN
known to the mineral world, and ge
ologists asset that they have never
been found elsewhere.
These stones, which range in weight
from one fourth to one ounce, are all
IN the form of crosses. Some are Ro-
man, some Maltese and some ST. An
drew's s. frequently they are Joined
| together. making remarkable combi-
| nation No two are exactly alike.
Some are as tiny as pin, others weigh
DIS much as an ounce and half They
also vary in color; the handsomest are
a rich maroon with the luster of high
ly polished onyx; Others are amber
and pOrphyry brown, while the COM
mOnest are rough, and relemble Ordi-
nary bits of rock. Some of these stones.
which were ana1y zed, contained titan
ite. tourmaline, garnet, and steatite;
titanite being the principal material.
Biologists say they are crystals, but
fail to explain why they belong exclu-
sively to this spot.
Crystals resemb bling these have been
discovelep, but the perfect cross, or
fairy stone. has been nowhere else
found, not even in any other part of
Patrick county. A few years ago these
stones were first brought to notice by
a mineralogist while making tour on
horseback through this mountainous
region. Until then they were known
only to the people of that section of
the State-that ignorant and deeply
superstitious class who for genera
tions have lived in the isolation of that
mountainous territory. The snake
hunter, mOOnshiner, and the ginseng
gatherer constitute the people of that
wild and rugged country. To this
class the fairy stone is thing of su
perstitious veneration. They believe
that evil in all forms is averted if they
wear one of these stones about their
neck, aid to lose it signifies disaster. |
No distance is too great and no
height nor depth so inaccessible as to
prevent these mountain pilgrims from |
the possession of a fairy stone. For a |
century this superstition has existed
and has descen ed from one generation |
to another, and today they will tell you |
with childlike faith. of the marvel |
lous power Of these little crosses.
From all sections of Patrick county |
and far beyond, the people make pill !
grimages to the fairy stone shrine. In |
contrast to the mountain Hercules you |
may see slender, pallid faced woman
picking her way down cragged
height, bearing in her arms her sick |
child. She does not consider the dis
tance or difficulties that lie in her path !
but, taking up her babe, she leaves +
hut and goes her way, believing that
if she Can but place upon the breast of
her child Roman cross fresh with the
mold and grit from the bed of the
shrine the babe will be healed. And
you may also see young ginseng
gatherer, looking like some flower of
the mountain gorge. with her yellow
hair blowing against the fresh cool
breeze and her blue homespun gown
hugging tight her straight, rounded
lmts, She is making her way there
also, but she tells nObudy what kind of
il cross she seeks. But watch and you
will see; she looks until little double
Maltese is found, which she presses to
her lips. then ties it Oh string and
suspends it around her neck.
Now l ainter skeerin' ov no gal in
all ov Patrick s county. Tibe Bleeks
Is mine sue. Nancy and Peg and all
Ov the res ainter gOin to skeer me-"
Jealousy and doubt are exercised as
the rough little twin crosses CRATE
against her breast, and on she goes
with this assurance giving strength to
her waning hopes. And SO these noun
tain falk come and 60, just as they
have done for more than century,
some on oxen. some on dOnkeys, but
the greater number OIL foOt.-Harper's 8
| Weekly.