The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1913-06-14
BLUE RIDGE NOUN
TAINS OF VIRGINIA


"On the trail of the lonesome pine -
As the above words were sung by
vaudeville artist at the Nixon few
evenings ago, our mind went swiftly
back over the vista of years since we
made our first, last and only trip to
the Blue Ridge mountains. 1t was in
the early spring of 1889 that business
called us to that locality, and during
the visit an incident occurred that
left lasting impression on our mind.
We left Washington on a Saturday
morning, arriving at Richmond early
in the afternoon of the same day, TAX
ing late night train from the old
Confederate capital for Danville,
where we arrived early Sunday morn
ing. Danville, by the way, was at
that time the greatest primary tobac
co market in the world. Here we were
obliged to remain until the next morn
ing, as there were no Sunday trains to
our destination, the "Patrick County
Courthouse.
Monday morning we took passage
on a little narrow guage railroad train,
with only one other white passenger
aboard. This gentleman was a large
man. in his shirt sleeves, with belt
around his comfortable girth, from
each side of which an immense re-
volver protruded. We soon learned
that he was the United States marshal
for that district, but were not ac-
quainted with his business on the trip.
Arriving at our village at about
dark that evening, upon inquiry we
learned that the man we had come to
see lived about fifteen miles distant, in
the Blue Ridge mountains. We engag-
ed a "private conveyance" with a
driver, for the next day, from the
landlord and started early in the
morning on the last lap of our jou--
new.
We had driven along for about five
miles, when firing of the monotony,
we set about to interview the col
ored boy who was driving.
GLOW old are you. boyf
" Bout fohty, I reckon
"Marrieds''
"Yep.v
Glow MANY children have you?'
CT Just disremembah whether the
lass one made seben oh eight
"What wages do you get at the
hotels"
HDoan git no reg'l wages. We
has our cabin. gifts our rations, and
once in erwhile, on a holiday, de boss
gibs us dollah.'
Silence reigned for several min
utes while this information was being
digested. when the driver turned the
tables by suddenly propounding the
question,
"Evar drink anything. Colonels"
"Well, 7 don't care for anything
right now But don't mind me, &c
ahead and take a drink, if you have
anvthing'
"Haint got nuffiin.'
"Well, what are YOU talking about
tens"
thens'
price,
We looked around in astonishment
for there was not a sight of human
,habitation The road was hardly q
trail, running through dense under
brush, and where the drink was tc
come from was profound mystery.
"Here is two bits, now let's see you
get drink. -
Gan right, Colonel said the driv
er, stopping the horses and handing us
the lines. He disappeared IN the brusf
by the roadside. and in a few moments
we heard shrill whistle, sounding al
if blown on the fingers, and after an
other short interval there was crack
/ ling of the brush, after which the driv
er emerged, wiped his mouth on hi:
| coat sleeve and with a broad grin OF
his face.
Moonshines' we enquired.
| "Yah. yah, yah,' was the response
"and mighty wahmin on cold day.
The incident was soon forgotten an6
after transacting our business we re
turned that evening to the hotel.
The next day we employed loca
attorney to help in the matter in hand
and while sitting in his Office, on thu
main street of the town, we noticed
eommotion in front. when the lawyer
excused himself and went out to sex
what was up. He was gone for abou
half an hour. and upon his return in
formed us that the United States mar
shall had raided moonshiner in thu
mountains the night before, capturing
the illicit distiller redhanded with S0'
gallons of whisky, winding up will
the following startling information:
"They all think you are the mar
shal $ stoolpigeon, and that you sen
that nigger in there yesterday to ge
drink. -
We explained the incident as bes
we could to the attorney. but he ap
peared rather skeptical, evidently
sharing the opinion of the moonshine
and his friends. He finally told us
however, that we were in no persona
danger as long as the marshal was il
town. but advised us not to remain fo
an instant after his departure.
As we left the attorneys Office T.
return to the hotel, we were me
with dark seowls from a crowd of tall
heavily bearded men, wearing boots
with their overalls tucked in the tor
At the hotel our reception was ais
frigid. where before it had been eS
| a1rI.a1 Aak.nn ,,nan tha al