The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1912-01-15
FROM WILL HUGHES.
Interesting Description Of Walk, and Of
What May Be Learned Along the
Way in Winter.

DEAR EDITOR NEWS.-l Cook
a walk yesterday-a not unusual
thing for me to do. Not in the
city, however: City walks are
common to many persons, and
there is value in them in a way,
but not the highest value. My
walk was in the country. A
trolley car, in forty minutes,
landed me at Angora, where runs
Cobb's Creek, the dividing line
between Philadelphia and Della
ware counties, on the southwest.
This is point from which many
summer excursions start to near
and far-away fields, woods and
streams in quest of wild flowers,
etc. The place is familiar to me,
as is all the country for miles
around, for, have | not been over
all of it at least a hundred times?
and at all seasons? and in ev-
cry possible condition of wealth
er? For five hundred years, un-
til several years since, the larg-
est White Oak in Pennsylvania
stood near this place. 1t meas
ured twenty-five feet around at
four to ten feet above ground.
A great wind upturned it, and
now naught remains to mark its
site.
cross the bridge and am on
the Baltimore pike-one of the
many fine roadways that lead out
from the city in all directions, -
as suitable to those who carry
themselves as to those who en-
ploy autos, or other vehicles to
do the carrying. The day is
gray" and the temperature
about right for snow, perhaps
rain; it will matter little to me
which comes; though a binding
snow storm would shut me out
from many interesting objects by
the way.
There are three purposes to
my walk-aye, four. First, the
walk itself-the ten miles of
leg-stretching | mean to do; with
spasms of "dog-trotting, to in
crease the blood circulation, fol-
lowed by pauses for deep breath
ings to fill my lungs with the
better rural ozone: this must not
be omitted; it is physical health
measure-good for everybody,
but sadly neglected by most peo-
pie, Iregret to state. Secondly, |
mean to use my eyes in seeing
any wild plants, and especially
trees, that may be in evidence;
which innocent diversion will
afford me great pleasure and
some profit. If | fail to do this
my conscience will tell me that
| have sinned against my higher
self. God is never nearer to me
than when l behold him in his
handiwork. God de the
country, and man m ade the
town." is true in more sense than
one. My third purpose is to
meet several young men who
wish to learn the manly Art of
Self-Defense. Accordingly, the
hand bag which | carry, con-
tains a set of ten-ounce Boxing
gloves. For purposes of instruc-
ton a mushy glove is most agree
able to the pupil, since it allays
his fears of a knockout punch.
My fourth object is to visit an
old-time friend in order to learn
something from his superior
knowledge of matters geologic.
And now start. Few persons
being in sight, ] break away in a
gentle run (dogtrot), and am
soon a quarter mile ahead. Here
| stop to climb a fence to see if
Draba Verna (Whitlow grass is
in bloom. Some years this wee
wilding comes to the fore thus
early; but today there is no sign
of it. On to the pike again, a
five minutes pause for some deep
breathings, and | am eff, but