The advocate. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1901-1913, 1911-10-26
HON. WILLIAM SEYMOUR EDWARDS
WRITES LETTER Of PROTEST

4
inStor had accumulated sutticien,
| land script to warrant a survey. no
would himself. us Il State surveyor.
30 out lay these lands in the most
fertile valleys of the western water
shed Of Virginia. and when his sur,
vHNs were completed and his mans
prepared, he would file them in tho
offices Of the Governor of Virginia
and receive from him patents giving
him title 10 these lands. Thus it
came about that WASHINGTON be-
come the greatest landowner in Nir-
"inia and the greatest owner Of wild
land Of probably any man in all the
Colonies.
SO 1t was, that travelling fire.
Qnently across the Greenbrier COun-
try and descending into the Kama
wha Valley, he camDed more than
once at the burning spring WASH
lnGton evidently pondered upon the
nature Of this strange natural
phenomenon and, while he was not
able TO determine just what it was,
he yet realized that to posteritv it
might POSSIBLY lie Of great value.
SO, it came TO pass that he set anart
and dedicated to the public forever
the acre Of land surrounding the
spring with the burning flame.
There is today in possession of
ono Of the leading citizens of Char
lesion, {. G. Lewis, Sr., a neatly
written deed. The handwriting is
1ull and clear and evidently done
with we'll sharpened quill pen,
Ihls deed was prepared for WASH
ington by young attorney who did
much Of that work for him during
his early life. The young man was
named Thomas Jefferson. Now this
deed Of Nashin Ston's written for
him by his attorney, Thomas JEFF
lerSon, goes on to state that while
the donor does not understand O.,
July comprehend the nature Of the
natural phenomenon Witnessed at
INA burning Spring, nevertheless,
he appreciates that it may be
fought with unestimable value for
HosterIty, and, accordingly, he sets
the land surrounding the spring
apart and dedicates it to the public
forever. The deed, as then the law
required, was acknowledged by
Washington before two Justices OF
the Peace. One Of these. Justices
was able to put his signature to the
acknowledgements, but the other
was killed by the Indians before he
set his name 20 the paper. Thus, the
Paper, imperfectly acknowledged
vas filed away and Drobabl! forgot
ten. After Washington's death,
when the executors found it eXDeG-
lent to examine his western estates
they discovered that the public did
not nave perfect title 10 this acre,
nor were there Immediate relatives
of Washington's sufficiently interest
ed in the matter to give il especial
attention, and SO the land was sold,
together with what other land Wash
lngton then owned by this section
OF Virginia, and ha; passed on
from Nendcc 20 vendee until, ato-
day. the land is owned by Mr..
Lewis, VINO proudly preserves this
dtCu tlHOllS Tie CndlllS or tltle to his
property.
Now, the matter have up with
the n. & NJ. I&y. people is, that this
historical inci:lcnt SHOULD have
Deen so far forgotten that the fam
Gus NashingtOn's Burning Spring
and the little valley where the
spring Once dubbed and Which has
lnr more than a century been
EHOWn as NaShington'S Burning
spring Hollow, should have sudden
~ beer. thristcncd by the term Of
flcSkett by the officials Of the *. &
VI. Railroad, who have there a flag
station. The man, IIeskett, seems
10 have been an unsuccessful Ohio
ian who appeared in this country Il
few years ago, laid u trum"ay track
W. the Turning Spring run, and at