Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1915-09-24
VISIT 70 BUCHANAN COUNTY.
Annual Meeting OF Sunday School
Association Held at baptist School.

AS stated in the last issue Of this
paper, Il little gossip about my visit
To buchanan county, would DO given
for the benefit of those of our readers
who like such reading. Those who
do not can stop right mere and read no
further.
had been in the historic county
of Buchanan only once beforc-that
was years ago, during the Rhea Walk
or campaign. have forgotten the
year Judge Stuart remembers il.
We rode over horseback from Raven
to Grundy. | vowed then never to
make that trip again-on horseback.
ana we kept the VOW. But | made
the trip last under conditions scarcely
less comfortable.
Inc occasion which called me into
the 'wllds," of which | had heard so
much and seen so little, was the an
nual meeting of the Sunday School
convention of the New Lebanon AS
sociation, which met at the Corinth
Mission School, ~ miles north of Ho-
maker, and about twenty miles this
side of Grundy.
The Members Of the Party.
IN the party from this section were
Kew. Dr. ii. >. Mabic, pastor of the
FIRST Baptist Church, of Bluetield:
Kew. j.. f. Gibson, pastor of the Bap-
tlSt church at Graham and his sis
Yer, Miss Grace; Rev. Thomas Camp
pen, pastor of the Baptist church at
il,a|cwell; Mr.. John NJ. Newton, of
l'ocahontas, President of the conven-
tion; Mrs: w. ii. Walters, of Poca-
hontas; Miss james, of Graham. and
this poor scribe. We went down on
Wednesday Il. m, on the early train.
At Putnam, where we were to embnrE
on a log train, we were Joined bv
Rev. j. G. c. Dunford, of Bristol. Sec
rotary of the State Sunday School AS
sociation for Southwest Virginia.
The Log Train.
There are only three ways to get
INTO Buchanan from Putnam. One is
to walk over, another to ride over
horseback, the other to take the log
tram of the Ilonaker Lumber Com.
pany, which makes regular, land IT,
regular) trips across the mountain.
bringing logs out of the mountain of
Buchanan and Dickinson counties. We
took the log train route and a great
tlme we had. About 8 y. m. we went
aboard, perching upon the water tend
er OF the engine, and with long line
,ol empty coal cars in front of us. were
pushed slowly to the top of Big A.
Mountain and on down the other side
to our destination at Council, the name
oi the postofiice and where the school
Is located, arriving about p. m.
NO attempt will be made here 10
describe this railroad. 1t is indesrib-
an'e. The Honaker Lumber Com
oany,. about six years ago, built the
road INTO the great timber sections of
buchanan county. The road, believe
Is some 40 miles long, somebody said
anu terminates within about seven
miles l the c., c. d o. The road is,
OF course, steep and crooked. The
grade Is not less than per cent. A
"TRIP across Is full of thrills for any
one who takes it for the first time
On the buchanan side, down Big A
number of "switchbacks" are ne.
G5essary. In a number of places, cal
dropping from the tracks would land
in the track below. AS many as tbrae
dliierent tracks can be seen at one
time, one below and under the other
Although the track is steep and wind.
ing and the rails and roadbed not il
good shape, there have been very few
accidents on the road. The engineers
and trainmen are careful, and take
their time. They seem to have time
and to spare.
The trip over was, withal, pleas
ant. Everybody was in a good humor
The flow of wit, humor, puns, anec.
dotes, etc, was astonishing and also
helpful n making an otherwise Jour
ney exceedingly tiresome. No use e
try description further of this wonder
full trip. .s,sR.