The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1915-12-02

road, which runs through the reform
school farm and which is known all
over the state as the Beverly pike.
This is an old, well graded road. 1t runs
through Webster. where the Parkers-
burg branch of the B. & o. is crossed,
thence through Switzer, Phillip and
Belington, to Elkins. The scenery on
this road is magnificent, particularly on
the grade going down to Phillippi and
on the upgrade on the mountain south
of Belington, about where the line be-
tween Barbour and Randolph counties
is crossed. In fact, the citizens of
Belington claim this latter view to be
the finest in the entire state.
From Elkins we double back on the
Beverly pike about two miles, then turn
right along the railroad and down the
river. through the towns of Gilman,
Vanderbilt and Kerens, about seven
miles, where the river Is left and the
road starts up short mountain grade,
thence down to Pleasant Run, down the
run to the Shafer fork of the Cheat,
along the river through Porterwood to
Parsons. South of Parsons the road is
narrow, but is being improved by con-
yict labor. Leaving Parsons the road
runs through a beautiful river valley
for a few miles, after which we strike
a wonderful piece of road engineering
on Slip Hill and locally known as the
Horse Shoe. AS the mountain comes
in sight the outlines of the road can be
seen, but how to get to it is a mystery.
The road goes up a ravine on the south
of the mountain, doubles back and
comes out on the west face, three or
four hundred feet above the river,
where a rock bench or roadway IS
literally chiseled out of the face of the
mountain. This bench extends for
nearly half a mile and ends as suddenly
as it began, by turning east on the side
and descending to the river level
through another -raYine From here
the road follows the river to a town
called Leadmine, where the ascent to
the top of the Alleghenies begins. From
here to the main ridge the.road, smooth
and well graded, butsthe grade is tour
and eight-tenths miles, long.
At the top of the mountain the road
forks, the right hand road leading to
Thomas and Davis, the left going to
Oakland, eighteen miles away via Red
House. This. eighteen miles is com
paratively level, and is a very salts
factory auto road. The view from the
/ top must be-seen to be appreciated-lt
is too grand for me to attempt to de-
scribe it. At Red House, eight miles
south of Oakland, the North western
pike is again crossed. From this point
detours can be made on the west to
| Brookside and Aurora; on the east to
Gormania, Mt. Storm and Greenland
Gap
From Red House to Oakland the
road is exceptionally good, fully half of
the distance beng over a recently COM
pleted section of the MARYLAND state
road system, which is generally admitt-
ed to be the best in the United States.
with the possible exception of Cali
fornia From Oakland to Wheeling
1876 miles with the exception of three
short gaps, the entire road is almost as
| good as the two stretches of Warrenite
road in Ohio county. 1t can be Travelled
with safety in any kind of weather and
at any speed the tourist decides on. The
loop above outlined is about 80 miles
| long. 1t can be covered IN two DAYS
easily, but this would hardly give suf-
ficient time to enjoy the scenery An
additional day could well be devoted to
this. Very fair and some excellent
hotels are to be found along the line,
garages and supply stations are close
together, so the trip can be made quite
comfortably.
Many local people drive to New Eng
land to see the White Mountains who
have never driven over the Alleghenies,
except possibly over the National road
or the Bedford pike. To such | would
suggest this trip. See America first,
but in starting out to see it. first see
West Virginia. Mr., Bruce who has
travelled much, exclaimed as we were
going up one five mile grade: Talk
about the White mountainsl You could
put them in here among these mountains
and not find them.