The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1927-08-18

II derives us name from noun
tain cave where Indians, and subse-
quently white hunters, came to dry
and smoke their venison and other
wild meats. The curative process was
peculiar to an era when salt was a
luxury and scarcely to be had. Today
this famous Smoke Hole cave serves
as shelter for sheep that range the
surrounding mountains.
The easiest entrance to the Smoke
Hole country is by way of mountain
road that leaves the State highway at
point about twelve miles north of
Franklin. Over low hill and the Wis
itor comes to an imposing natural
gateway that is known as Eagle Rock.
This huge portal is a shoulder of the
gap in Cave Mountain that pushes the
South Branch from its wonted course
and rears skyward some 800 feet.
Virginia creepers Irvine their way up
and down the sides of this rocky pro-
montory.
The rock takes its name from VIII
liam Eagle, a Revolutionary soldier,
who spent his peace-time years in this
community. He sleeps in an unmarked
grave beside the South Branch, al
most in the shadow of the gigantic
boulder that perpetuates his name.
A few hundred yards away is the
Big Spring, a fountain of clear, ice
cold water that issues from the base
of Cave Mountain and flows away
in a dashing little stream to the South
Branch. A thousand feet above this
spring the wooded crest of CaveMoun-
tain is encircled by an overhanging
cliff of sheer rock resembling a dia-
dem about regal brow. In them
is the entrance to a succession of cav
ernous chambers, for the most part
unexplored, from which the mountain
takes its name.
Saltpetre Beds.
A little further into the Smoke
Hole country and one comes to the
Old Mines Caves, where the early set
tiers extracted saltpetre for use in
the manufacture of gunpowder. Near
by is Featherbed Run, a sparkling lit
tie stream whose name is the product
of yet another Indian legend.
The story goes that with the COM
ing Of the white man the Indians took
note of his use of feathers to make his
bed more comfortable. A tribesman
more skeptical than his fellows found
a feather and placed it on large fiat
rock along the side of the run. He
spent the night on it, but with results
that caused him to doubt the white
mans theories of comfort, and stalked
away in hearty disgust. The stream
has been "Featherbed Run" through
all the years since that legendary in
cident.
Further downstream one finds Fish
pot Rocks, Castle Rocks and Chimney
Rocks. The latter stand out solitary
and alone, surrounded by thick woods.
They bear striking resemblance to the
towers of feudal castles-"grand,
gloomy and peculiar"
Nearby, too, are the famous Blue
Rocks, so called from their beauteous
blush tints. Like stalwart sentinels
they st nd at a sharp curve in the
river, owering several hundred feet
high.
Many Unnamed Rocks.
Then there are the countless I'M
named rocks that crop out at every
notch or gap on these mountain
stretches. Sometimes they rise per-
pendicularly to the sky, jutting out
from the end of the mountain like
boards set up in banks of earth. They
are of knife-like Sharpness and re-
mind the spectator of blades that have
been dulled by misuse as canopeners.
At other places these exposures
take circular form around the abut-
ting peaks and become bright gar
lands of multi-colored tapestry. Oc-
casionally they break out in bold re-
lief in the very middle of mountain
sides, brilliantly hued pictures painted
on a canvas of forest green.
But Pendleton is not all rocks and
trees. Between its broad timbered
ridges lie fertile fields and rich pas
lures that make the county one of the
wealthiest in the States. And there
are scores of lofty natural observa-
tories from which one may view the
checkered pattern of these narrow
valley farm lands. One such view is
from the State highway across North
Fork Mountains vista of indescriba-
BILE excellence.
Natural Amphitheatre.
Your motor tops the mountain in a
wood and is about to start the long,
winding descent on the west side.
Suddenly it darts out into a cleared
space and you are in an orchestra seat
of a tremendous natural amphithea-
ire, where it seems that all the world
might come to see play. A thousand
feet below lies a gently rolling stage
carpeted with the green hues of grow
ing crops. 1t is the so-called German
l