The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1915-01-31
Concluded from last sunday.l

isfl ItConctuueu from last Suuuay.J
Is There was a continuous skirmisa
from Lexington to Buchanan, twenty
four miles between the rear guard OF
Gen. McCausland, Of the Confederate
States Of America. and Cen Hunters
advance guard. There was a wooden
bridge across the James river at
buchanan. McCausland set fire to this
bridge, but himself failed TO cross the
river before the bridge was fred by
placing hay on II. Gen. McCausland
Hwtam the river, SO close were the
Union forces. Gen. Hunter went up
the river few miles TO cross ana
came down on the south side.
& We 60 up the Blue ridge by a we'll
(. graded five degree, turnpike cut in the
side OF the mountain. The pits dug
in the turnpike to obstrilct Gen. Hun
tiers march are still to be seen. Gen.
Hunter filled the pits with logs and
crossed his artillery and cavalry
over. On top Of the mountain proper
the road passes between tie peaks.
Twelve miles from Buchanan we
came to the Moore hotel, with rooms
for fifty people and: stabling for many
horses. FROM The hotel to the top IS
a. walk OF about one milo very steep
A man On charge stays on the top
and has large comfortable one story
building Of two. rooms. ione room for
men arifro room fotI wpmen-also
feeds the hungry in another small
building. People stay there over
night to see the sun rise. The high
est peak is- five thousand three hun
dred and SIX feet above sea level
u The following glowing description
Oft trip to the peak lis taken from
Howe's history. OF Virginia printed
more than seventy. years ago:
AFTER riding about a. mile and q
quarter, we came to the point be
fyond which horses cannot be taken
and dismounting our steeds, commcnc-
cd ascending on foot. The way was
very steep. and the day SO warm
that we mad to halt often to take
breath. AS we approached the sum-
init, the trees were all OF dwarfish
growth, and twisted and, gnarled by
the storms of that high region. There
were, also, asfew blackberry, bushes
hearing their fruit long after the
season had passed below. A few
minutes longer brought us to where
the trees ceased to grow; but "a huge
mass, OF rocks, piled wildly on the
top Of each other finished the ter
mination OF the peak.
''Our path lay for some distance
around the base of 1t, and under gle
overhanging battiements; and rather
descending Cor awhile until 1t lead to
a part Of the pile, which could with
some effort be scaled. There was nc
ladder, nor any artificial steps and
the only means Of ascent was by
climbing over the successive rocks.
we soon stood upon the wild plat
form OF one OF natures most mag
nificent oioservatories, isolated and
apparently above all things else ter
restrial, and looking down upon, and
over, a beautiful, yariegated, and at
the same time grand, wild wonderful
and almost boundless panorama. In
deed. 1t was literally boundiess; for
there was considerable haze rest
ing upon some parts of the world be-
low, so that, in the distant horizon,
the: cart. and sky seemed insensible
to ming1e with each other.
! 81 had been there before. re-
member when a boy of little more
than ten years old, to have been taxi
en- to that spot, and how my unprac-
ticed nerves forsook me at the awful
sublimity of the scene.
: ION this day it was as new ais ever;
as wild, wonderful and sublime, as II
I had never before looked from those
isolated rocks, or stood on that lofty
summit. On one side, towards east
crn Virginia, lay a comparatively lev
ell country, in the distance, bearing
a strong resemblance Of the ocean;
IN the other hand, were ranges of
high mountains, interspersed with
cultivated spots, and then, terminating
in piles OF mountains, following in
successive ranges, until they were
lost. also in the haze Above and be-
low, the Blue Ridge and Alleghenies
ran off in long lines; sometimes re-
lieved b. knolls and peaks. and. in
one place above us making a grace
full curve. and: then again running off
In different line of direction.
Every near us stood the rounding
top of7the other peak; looking like a
sullen sentinel for its neighbor. We
paused in silence for time. We were
there almost cut off from the world
below. standing where it was fearful
even to look down. 1T was more hazy
than at the time of my last visit, but
not too much so to destroy the in
terest Of the scene. There was al
most sense of pain, at the stiffness
which seemed to reign. We could
hear the Tapping of the wings Of the
hawks and buzzards, as they seemed
to be gathering a new impetus aSter
sailing through one Of their circles in
the air below us. =
North OF us, and on the other side
of the valley of Virginia, were the
n1ouStains near Lexington, as seen
frcEl that beautiful. yillage7-the Jump,
North and House mountains succeed
ing each other; they were familiar
with a thousand associations OF our
childhood. seeming > nyuteriously
when away from the spot. to bring my
early home before me-not in imag-
nation, such as had often haunted me
when-sIl first left 1t TO find another in
the world, bnt in substantial reality
Further on down the valley, and at a
!. great distance, was the top Of q, large
mountain, which was thought to be
tho great North mountain, away
down in Shenandoah county, am
afraid To say how far of. Intermed-