Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1933-10-12
TOUR OF SOME OF THE HILLS IN
THIS PART OF STATE

| have just returned from a tour
of the hills of eastern Ohio, and we
enjoy the unfolding panoramas, I
could go right back again If you
wish to speed along and make good
time, I would not recommend our
route. We found some of the crook
eldest, windingest roads in the whole
state. But if you are willing to
take your time and loaf along and
enjoy the unfolding panoramas,
would certainly commend it to you.
The roads are we'll paved and the
driving is not difficult in the least
If you do not try to hurry.
There are some of the finest WIS.,
tas to be had in Ohio in Washington
and Monroe counties. Range after
range Of hills spread out clear to
the horizon. Green hills, with
woods and pastures and cultivated
lands. with pretty houses tucked
away here and there and roads
winding around until they disap-
pear from sight. Sometimes the
road follows the valley of stream,
when YOU get intimate glimpses OF
bits of scenery close at hand, and
there is always the unwinding rib
bon of the road bringing new sur.
prises as you roll along.
There are rocky cliffs showing
variety of stone formations-mas-
siye sandstone. layers of shale, and
everywhere, thin, close-gralned
strata of white limestone bedded in
between shales. / am no geologist,
but I suggest that these llmestones
are "bog marl'' that is, that they
were laid down, hundreds of cen
turies ago, in fresh-water mari
bOgs, such as we see today at CEDAR
Swamp and other places in ONO.
Our massive limestones, on the 9TH
er hand, were the accumulations or
centuries of deposits of shells and
tiny sea animals on the bottom or
the ocean.
There were five of us who made
the trip Ralph Dury, director OF
the Cincinnati Society of Natural
History; Roger Conant, educational
director Of the Toledo Geological So
ciety, and Charles F. Walker, John
Thomas and I. Dury was interest
ed in insects and amphibia (frogs
and salamanders) for his institu.
ton: Conant was collecting reptiles
for the Toledo ZOO; while Walker,
John Thomas and I were hunting
specimens for the Ohio State mu-
scum.
We started out over the fine new
National highway as far as jack
sontown, where we turned south on
State Route 13 to New Lexington.
From New Lexington, we drove to
McConnelsville and Marietta on
State Route 81.
There is some very attractive !
country on this route between the |
junction of State Route rs and Nc
Connelsville. You begin immediate
ly a climb up a pretty winding road,
f1anked with woodland of oaks and I
hickories and tulip trees, until you
reach the ridge. And soon, you
descend again into a valley, a very t
attractive valley, with woodland all /
along. There are few enough high
ways in our state where the wood
land comes in such an intimate way.
From McConnelsville to Marietta,
of course, the road follows the val
ley of the Muskingum most of the
way, offering beautiful vistas down
Al. n |
the drier slopes one notices occas-
ionally thicl1ets of red cedars; slen-
der, symmetrical evergreens, which
are not frequently encountered in
such numbers in town to meet you
on either side eastern Ohio, though
they are plentiful enough on the
of the Marblehead penin-
sula in northern Ohio and on the
dry prairie slopes of Adams county
at the opposite end of the state.
One of the most interesting fea-
lures of the trip was the abundance
of the sweet buckeye. Few Of us
are aware of the fact that
we have two distinct species of
buckeye which are natives of Ohio
Tin addition to the horse chestnut,
an introduced tree which I have
never seen outside of our cities.)
The common Ohio buckeye occurs
the state, but the sweet
buckeye is limited to the south
eastern quarter of Ohio. 1t is fine
.ree. It grows to a greater height
4, ,nJy h. q |
caves, larger fruits, and the bark
S often smooth and gray, not un-
ike that of beech or of red maple
branches. The most important dis
,inguishing character, however, is
he pod of the fruit That of the
Ohio buckeye is covered with stout
,rickles, while that of the sweet !.
,uckeye is entirely smooth. The
sweet buckeye gets it's name from ,
he fact that its sap does not have
he strong, disagreeable odor of that
If the Ohio buckeye, and hence is !.
weet by contrast.
After spending few hours
lround Mt. Carrick, east of Woods
ield, we started for Columbus over
State Route IS, via Caldwell and
This route is also -.
ull of crooks and sharp turns, but :
f you do not attempt to drive too
asst, it is most enjoyable.
The fields were full of color,
With asters and goldenrods every
where. The Canada goldenrod, our :,
ommonest and most widespread :
pecies, was at it's height, and it's !,
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