Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1919-06-20
INSPECTING ROAD
i. NEEDS in CLEAR
FORK DISTRICT
County Road Engineer Enables
the Editor to View Historic
Section of Tazewell C0un-
ty-The Balky Henry"

day morning down Clear Fork and
Cove Creek, as far as to the Bland
County line, and had pleasant day
IN that section of prosperous farms,
clear streams and green valleys.
Engineer Martin and his right hand
man, Bishop" Meade, were on Il road
inspecting tour, and invited me to go
along, and so it happened that l saw
a part OF the county had not seen
before. Further down lies Rocky
Gap, in Bland County the terminus
of the railroad branching out from
Narrows on the new river, and which
road has been surveyed on up the
valley west, coming out mt Burkcs
Garden switch, and which the people
hope will be built sooner or late. if
not sooner
From Tazewell 70 Shawvcr Mill
and mile or so beyond, but below,
to the Bland County Inc, no work
has been done, and the road is in IL;
primitive state Gin statu quo,".as one
man put it. Mr.. Martin went down
to look things over and see what
needs to be done, and will 20 ut it
rs soon rs possible
AT Cove Creek-Nyes Cove.
We enjoyed delightful lunch at
the hospitable board of II. l.. Snuff
lebarger, the Cove Creek merchant.
and fine one it was and enioyed
by three hungry men who got in too
late for regular dinner, and Tom said
he would give us what was left over
from dinner" and we concluded that
the regular dinner must have been
"a swell affair"
After dinner we had drive up
through t pa.t of Nye's Cove, nearly
TO the top CT East River Mountain
in Shufflebargcr's car-Tom at the
wheel, Mrs. Shufflcbarger, Mr.. Mart
in, "the Bishop" and myself, making
up the company.
| had never seen Nyc's Cove, and
III fact, didn't know where this his
toric spot was located, but know
now, and some day l am going back
and stroll through, the big silent
woods of the hemlocks, poplars and
oaks. Here is original Virgin forests,
owned, l was told, chiefly by the
Bowens of this town.
Years ago, DR.. Nye, physician.
bought large tract of land here
with the intention of erecting IL fur
mace, as iron ore abounds. The Civil
War came one, putting stop to the
scheme, and DR.. Nye moved to Me
chanicsburg, in Bland, where he prac-
ticed his profession, end where he
died. And this is how it came to be
called "Nye's Cove" Cove creek heads
up in the Cove, and unite8 with
Clear Fork at Shufflcbargcrs, and
lower down the two creeks .ninglc
their waters with Wolfe Creek, which
drains and cones out of Burke's
Garden. | should have stated above
that DR.. Nye was the father of Com
mander, General w. p. Nye, of Rad
ford, whom we all know.
Rev. VIM. Neel.
Another of the old worthless who
lived in this section, was Rev. VIM.
Neel, an useful and popular minister
in his day He was the progcnitor of
a number of strong, useful men. some
OF whom still live here Father Neel
is remembered by some of the older
inhabitants, and his memory is
81 cen" and his name is honored
His old farm is now owned, | be-
lieve, by Millard Kinzer.
The Men We Met.
MIR. Martin had an engagement to
meet several of the citizens of the
community who were interested in
the road work to be done, and we
came upon them at John Shufflebarg-
ers blacksmith shop-three of them,
sitting under the shop shed, "chaw-
in terbacker," and waiting. They
were, j. w. Shufflebarger, the nei-
ghborhood blacksmith and good one,
they say, and also pretty fair farm
er, D. w. Slade, 81 successful farmer,
Crabtrce whose name bellies him, for
their is nothing of the crab-apple
taste in him. He bought the home of
DR.. Hicks, who moved to Maryland
last year, and nice place it is. One
thought of DR.. Hicks when looking
at the office in the corner of the
yard, and the old home, and of the
years of travel over hill and dale,
mountain and valley, day and night,
he travelled doing the best he could
to relieve human suffering, and was
not surprised to hear expressions of
deep appreciation and regret that
he moved away.
The three gentlemen went with US,
on horseback,-John Crabtree riding
bareback" over the road, and gave
Engineer Martin the benefit of their
advice etc. and we proceeded on our
way. met also, j. p. Neel, farmer
and blacksmith between times, and a
sensible useful citizen, they told me
Andy Fox lives on the county line
the line running between his house
and barn, Reese Neel, brother of j
p. lives not far away, and Sam Bel
CHER, Mrs. Compton, widow of the
late Commodore Compton, the home
of John w. Kidd, and-but what's tns
/ rco9 frip,n anI .no,o fo,l;.l.