The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1944-02-10
Turning Over An
Old Leaf
By PHILLIP A. GLADDEN.

1here were fires Of grief and fear
that are few forgotten ashes;
There were sparks of recognition that
are not forgotten vet"
1t is encouraging to know that stu
dents in the Oakland High School are
b ecoming local-history minded.
Those students who are thus inter-
ested should see Miss Orley Durham,
who is the librarian Of the Garrett
County Historical Society. The Soci-
ETY. has a number of books and pamph-
lets from which can be obtained ma
terial that should be of real interest
to the high school student.
For example, a student when taking
2 course on World War |, sooner or
later comes across the name Of Rich
ard Harding Davis.
Davis was the pioneer reporter that
covered the news at the front. He was
also a writer of novels and magazine
articles which placed him in the front
rank of our literati.
Now what has Richard Harding
Davis to do with local history? For
one thing his mother was born in
Washington, Pa, and for a time lived
in Wheeling, West Va.
In April, 1861, James Russell Lowell
published one of her short stories in
The Atlantic Monthly, entitled, Life
IN The Iron Mills" She found herself
suddenly famous. Shortly thereafter
she was made member of the editorial
staff of the New York Tribune While
in that position she, together with four
companions journeyed to our noun
tains.
The first night they stayed at the
Deer Park Hotel; the following night
in Oakland. Here they hired a team,
which took them to Fort Pendleton,
near what is now German. At that
time there was an inn at Fort Pendlc-
ton, operated by Mr. and Mrs. William
f. Deakins, both of whom have been
dead many years.
1t was the jumping off place for peo-
pie whose curiosity, combined with
courage led them into what was
known as "Thc Great Wilderness"
This tract Of country now comprises
what is left Of The Monongahela Ma
tional Forest. At Fort Pendleton the
party engaged guide who was no less
q person than jeremiah Browning,
the youngest son Of the famous Me
setback
The party under Browning's leader
ship went into The Great Wilderness,
whore they spent several days.
On returning to New York, Rebccca
Harding Davis wrote her experiences
for Harpcr's Magazine. The title Of her
story was "By-Paths in the Noun
tains,' illustrated by etchings made
10y an artist who was in the party. This
article, together with Illustrations, is
IN a bound Harper's Annual that is in
the possession Of the Garrett County
Historical Society. Anyone interested
in her narrative, particularly the i'm
preston she had of Oakland and of
Deer Park in 1880, the time the arti-
Gle was written and published, should
by all means read it.
The etching of Jeremiah Browning,
with axe in hand, cutting a path for
the multiple pctticoatcd ladies, in order
that they might obtain better view of
Rlackwatcr Falls, certainly should
evoke amusement.
SO far as the writer knows there
were two authors Of national distinc-
ton who during the Nineteenth Cen
fury visited this section of the coun-
try and wrote from first-hand expert
once articles Of literary charm. These
were Porte Crayon General David
Hunter Strothcrs) and Rebecca Hard
ing Davis.
Two years after becoming famous,
she was married to C. Clark Davis,
later a prominent figure in Pennsyl-
wanna JUL DdlI0JlI, anu IOl IIlc ltSl OI
her life made her home in Philadc-
phia. "She was according to The
Dictionary Of American Biography,
"a constant contributor to the maya
zines and until late in life continued
to produce popular fiction. Her lead
ing titles are: Dallas Galbraith, Wait
ing for the Verdict, Bcrrytown, John
AndrosS, Doctor Warwick's Daughters,
etc. She died at Mount kisco, n. Y,
September %, 1910.
(Anothcr writer, known the world
over as the author Of Bcn-Hur was
General Lew Wallace. A portion of
this work was written at the original
Gladcs Hotel, shortly after the close
of the War Between the States. An
other figure, wcll-known on the stage
was Mrs. Leslie Carter, in THE Heart
cf MaryIand,' who spent two summers
at the Gladcs Hotel while the piece
was studied and practiccd by Mrs
Carter under the personal supervision
Of the STANDARDIZATION The Republic
CAM
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