Watauga Democrat. [volume] (Boone, Watauga County, N.C.) 1888-current, 1926-10-07

Purgatory school, Purgatory chut s.
and cross over the waters of Py g
tory creek. We thought this W 4
very wonderful-that Pur ry
should have all these conve les,
especially church.
The first place we visite Lex
ington was the grave OF ,eneral
Stonewall Jackson in the .metery
there. A fine monument marks this
great leaders, last resting place. We
next visited Washington and Lee
University where we saw Lee chapel.
In the back of the chapel lies a
white marble monument of Lee in re-
pose after a battle. This was one of
the most impressive sights we saw
on the whole trip. We went down to
the ground floor of the chapel where
we saw Lees office which he used
when president of the university The
original furniture is there, and they
are trying to preserve the room just
as he used it. On the other side Of
the hall from the office is Lees
Tomb where he and several other
members of the family are buried.
There are % vaults in this tomb, Id
of which are occupied by members Of
The family.
We saw the Lee coat-of arms, on
which was the motto, ''Non Incautus
Futuri.. At the front of the chapel
was this motto, 'Pro Aris ct Focis."
This was the motto of the Stonewall
Jackson Brigade.
We had the distinction of being
witnesses to the first wedding cere
mony ever to be performed in the
Lee chapel We arrived just as this
was taking place. We did not learn
the names of the party.
Lexington is also the home of Gen.
Sam Houston, but we did not visit
this place or any of the other his
torical points, as this would have
taken up too much time.
From Lexington we drove to
Staunton, the birth place of the
great Woodrow Wilson. We had to
drive around and see this. 1t is a
large brick house painted white and
with white pillars on the front porch.
The next place of Importance that
we, visited was the Endless Caverns
Just beyond Staunton and about two
or three miles off the Lee Highway.
We arrived here just in time to join
party making tour of the caverns.
We each paid the admission fee and
set out on the tour of sightseeing in
the wonderful caverns. These cav
erns are lighted by electricity. There
are $40 lights in the caverns, seven
miles of electric cable which is said
TO have taken force of twenty men
five weeks to lay and put in the
lights. These lights are laced at the
most suitable points to show off the
wonders and marvellous colors of the
caverns as well as to aid the sight
seer 70 traversing them. These cav
erns gradually descend until you are
standing nearly 800 feet below the
surface of the ground. 1t is estl-
mated that these caverns are 3D.
100000 years old. Biologists also
claim that it takes many years to
form one cubic inch of the stalactlte
and stalagmite formations. One OF
these formations is formed like an
icicle while the other is built up
from the floor in the same way. In
many cases the two formations meet
and form pillar.
The trip through the caverns is
about two and ond-fourth miles IN
length A guide goes along with
each party to show the way and ex-
plain the different formations that
are to be seen. These formations
are indeed interesting. The guide
showed us about one hundred differ
ent formations and told us the names
of each, The most beautiful sight
is the Bathing Pool of the Fairies,
and the Rising and Setting of the
Sun over Diamond Lake. These are
illuminated by many electric lights,
and the rising and setting of the sun
looks very real as the lights are turn
ed on and off.
Explorers are at work in the
caverns and soon hope to have anoth-
er route for tourists mapped out and
lighted with electricity. Thus a
person will have to make two trips
to see it all. 1t is well worth the
time and money, though, of any one
to visit one of these caverns and see
the wonderful formations that have
been caused by the solidifying action
of water on the limestone.
These caverns were discovered ac-
cidentally by hunter while out with
his dog The dog had got on the
trail of an animal and tracked it un-
til it disappeared in a large hole in
the ground, The hunter took a
torch and began to explore the cave.
in this way the beautiful caverns of
tn Shenandoah Valley were discov-
cred.
These caverns were used during
the Civil War as hiding places for
soldiers and also deserters. Owing to
the many hiding places in the caverns
l. WOULD bo ,,ovf 10 ivonncSiblo tn find