big stone post.(big stone gap, va) 1890-08-29 [p 2]. · wages and the cost of transportation, and...

The Big Stone Post.n'Bi.isHKD ky Tine

BIG STONE POST PUBLISHING CO._O. E. 8EARS, PR88IOKHT.

Tkrmh or Scascairnns:One Year..$2°0Six Months.. $1.25Payment strictly In advance.

AllVKKTISIMi Ratks:Display advertisements per Inch, for each Insertion,

60 cent*.Dtsconnl allowed for one column or more.

Friday, August 29,1890,Notice to Subscriber*.

Any person furnishing us the names of

ten yearly subscribers or more, and for¬

warding the cash by postal order, regis¬tered letter or express, is authorized to

retain fifty ccuts of the two dollars for

each subscriber.We will not be responsible, however, to

such subscribers unless the person actingas agent duly forwards the amount of sub¬

scription as directed.

Subscriptions to the Post ore payable in

advance. In no case will this rule he de¬viated from.

More Reasons for Our Faith.Few even of the most sanguine believers

in the rapid growth of Big Stone Gap, ap¬

preciate fully the advantages of its posi¬tion and the value of the resources thatwill contribute to its prosperity. So muchhas been said of the coal and iron depositsadjacent to it, that persons are apt to omitthe consideration of another important in¬

dustry which will soon develop into sur¬

prising proportions, and that is the timberinterest. As it is regarded as the least ofthe many elements that combine in our

favor and has been, to a great extent,overlooked, we shall consider it first.Thus far we have only been able to ob¬

tain imperfect data for our estimates, but

they arc sufficient at least to convey some

idea of the enormous returns that will berealized from this single and perhaps least

important of the three great industriesthat will, within a few years, have theircenter here.

In the report of Professor Procter, he

says he selected an average acre of timberland, and counted the trees upon it, find¬ing a certain number, and he averagestheir size. According to the estimate ofa timber expert, this calculation of Prof.Procter's, if correct, would show that as

much as 112,000 feet of lumber can be cut

from an average acre, which seems to bean unparalleled estimate for any forestregion north of the tropics. In order,therefore, to allow a wide margin for error

in the estimate, we will reduce it nearlytwo-thirds and say that it will yield 1:2.000feet per acre iu round numbers.Now the Virginia Coal & Iron Company

alone own 100,000 acres of this timberland, and they propose to have the timberremoved as early as possible iu order to

facilitate the development of their cokingcoal mines. Say ten years will be re¬

quired in the sawing up and removal ofthe lumber; that it will cost $(i.50 perthousand to cut the trees, haul the logsand saw them for shipment. This outlaywill be for labor alone, and the cost ofremoving the sawed stuff and charges of

transportation will be as much more,

making a total of $13 per thousand, or

$150 per acre, which will be paid out in

wages and the cost of transportation, andwhich represent the amount that will beactually expended and put in circulationin this immediate community by the re¬

moval of the timber from the lands ofthis single company. The total sum ex¬

pended in this one industry will be $l">,-000,000, making un outlay of $1,500,000per year for ten years.Other companies contemplate pursuing

a similar course, and it is a moderate esti¬mate that together they will expend equallyas much, which will increase the sum to

$3,000,000 per annum for a period of ten

years.But let us also estimate what the Vir¬

ginia Coal k Iron Company will expend in

developing the coking industry.Mr. Taggart, the company's manager,

says, as a moderate estimate, that fivehundred ovens will be in operation withintwo years, at a cost iu wages of $1,125 pet-day, or $28,1:25 per month, or $337,500 peryear.' Within two years more,the numberof ovens will be doubled, involving an

outlay of $5(i,'J50 per month, or $(>75,-000 per year. Add to this the costof the ovens at $:200 each, and we have$50,000 per annum in addition, makinga total average of $1,S87,500 for the firsttwo years, and an average of $2,2^5,000for the next two years, which representthe outlay of this company. Now ifour estimate that all the other companiescombined spend as much as this one,be cor¬

rect, we have an annual outlay of $4,450,-000, paid out in wages and actually circu¬lated in this immediate vicinity by the de¬

velopment of the timber and coal interestsalone, without adding the additionalamount which the railroads must expend in

handling and transporting the cokc.to say

nothing of the fuel coal that will, of itself,become uu immense industry,and the cost

of mining and handling of which will alsoinvolve an enormous outlay.The railroads at Koanoke spend about

$60,000 per mouth, or about $720,000 perannum iu wages and terminal expenses,and the roads centering here must spendquite as much if not more within a shorttime.The opening of our iron mines, the op¬

eration of the two rolling mills, of theplaning mill, of the brick industry, and ofother minor factories, will add considera¬

bly to the total sum put in circulation, andwe may safely estimate that $G.OOO,000or $7,000,000 will be put in circulationhere per annum, commencing withintwelve months from the present moment.The bulk of this sum will not be tied up

in unproductive investments, but will bedistributed among laboring classes that

keep it in circulation, passing it rapidlyfrom hand to hand, stimulating everytrade, increasing the business of everymerchant and every profession.There is not a city within an hundred

and fifty miles of us that will get any con¬

siderable part of this sum, or that can

compete with us for the trade it will rep¬resent. .

Sonic idea may be formed, too, of therapid growth of population which the de-

vclopmcnt of these industries will neces¬

sitate. Though the Conneilsville regionconsist* of a small district, and lias vir-

t-.tally hut one industry, it contains five

towns, each of .which has h populationof from 8,000 to Fo,000.The large corporations that have invested

here will certainly begin to realize as earlyas possible upon their investment. Thecost of constructing the railroads throughthe mountains is estimated at $00,000 permile, and until trains are running and a

paying tonnage is secured, this immense

outlay will afford no interest on the invest¬ment. The same may be said of the com¬

panies that have invested so heavily intimber and mineral lands. The capital isnow idle.dead. They will, of course,

make the investment yield them a rovenue

as soon as the roads reach their property:and, to do so, they must mine the coal aud

iron, ami cut the timber, on a large scale.There will he no half-way work about it, asthese properties are owned by experiencedand practical business men who havemade laborious and accurate calculations,and who understand that they can onlyrealize large profits by large productions.

Big Stone Points.

The Big Stone Gap pamphlets mailedin England and Soctland this summer

had an extra sheet inserted, which, in ad¬

dition to other things, stated that."IUg Stone Gup lias a high griul'.' of coking coal and

several good Iron ores, andj limestone for fluxing,and sandstone and other building materials, ami

abundant water furnished by two rivers ami numer¬

ous spring*, und forest- of the very finest hardwoods,

nnd au elevated und healthy .situation, mid a beauti¬

ful topography varied fur business and resident pur¬

poses, and a fine agricultural country surrounding it.

and abundant und cheap transportation furnished byone railroad now completed, two being graded to befinished in November, two others being constructed,mid altogether fourteen operated, building and pro¬jected."The above contains a point that can not

be emphasized loo forcibly, or too often,in these days of hurried investments when

people without reflection put thcr moneyin lots, houses and business, in placeswhose future is based upon one naturalproduct, (and not upon so many as wc

have here) and subject to the arbitraryfreight charges of the one road uponwhich they are situated, without earlyprospects of competing lines, as we in ef¬fect have now. with so many more to fol¬low.

The Iron Situation In Pennsylvania.The Post commented last week on a

very significant editorial which appearedin the Iron Age on the advance of freightrates by the Pennsylvania railroads on

southern iron. In the last issue of thesame paper Mr. J. Wesley Pullman has a

card on the same subject, in which heurges the Pennsylvania railroads to come

to flic relief of the iron men of thatState. He says:Your editorial of July 17 was prophetic. The ad¬

vance iu freights mi the Pennsylvania railroads andthe Philadelphia ,V Heading railroad on Southern pigs(from their junction points lo northern mills) was

promptly mel by the southern lines absorbing theadvance (»50 cents advance per gross toll), so that thesouthern furnaces ship lo all Pennsylvania points at

same through rales us before. The writer knows uf

large contracts since concluded at old prices.The eastern Pennsylvania rolling mills inusl have

mill pig metal of quality equal to, or heiter than, the

southern irons at southern prices (delivered), workingwithout profit, or they will stop losing money iu

Pennsylvania ami go to Virginia ami further south,where manufactured irons can Ik< made at a roundprofit. The same Is irueof the heavy iron founders,such as east iron pipe works und the stove founders,who, together, consume the great bulk of the nun-

tiesseiner furnaces' make of Nos. 1, 2 mid :t Iron. Wemust soon expect to lose the greater part of southernorders for bars, plates aud sheets. We are alreadybeaten in iiuils. Some of the Albany mid Troy stovefounders are now building southern plants, claimingthey can no longer take iA'higli foundry pigs to tide,thence up the Hudson, to put into stoves for the gen¬eral trade. The Hudson River blast furnaces, exceptthose on Bessemer pig, are mostly cold, notwith¬standing cheap anil good Cliainplalu and Dutchesscounty ores, und the few slacks still blowing, can

hardly live at existing prices.******

I write to second your editorial of 17th tilt., hopingyour influential journal may convince the eastern

Pennsylvania railroads und coal companies that

prompt relief is needed to avoid the bankruptcy or

closing up of many of the furnaces and mills locatedon their lines. Very truly yours,

J. Wksi.kv Pullman.Of course there is a great outcry among

the Pennsylvania manufacturers, and, as

is the case iu all disasters, the result is

very unjustly attributed to first one cause

and then another. The railroads are

catching most of the blame. Put whyblame the railroads'. The Philadelphia &Reading road, for instance, owns seven!furnaces iu the Schuylkill valley, five ofwhich have already been closed to avoidrunning them at a ruinous loss, and theother two will soon share the same fate.Is it reasonable to suppose the railroadcompany would deliberately pursue a

policy which destroyed the value of theirown property': The simple fact is, thefurnaces must pay for long hauls on theirraw material, nnd they can't do it andcompete successfully with furnaces locatedwhere the raw material is found in thegreatest abundance, and where the haul¬ing is a trifling item of expense. It isnot strange, therefore, that " idle, aban¬doned aud dismantled furnaces may beseen on every hand as monuments ofgreat enterprises that have been wrecked,"as the Philadelphia Record describes thesituation.

Six years ago, the late J. B. Moreheadowned two furnaces iu the Schuylkill val¬

ley; and an experience of fifty years iuiron making should give his utterancesthe weight of high authority. He testi¬fied before the ways and means committeeof congress that "the actual cost of ma¬

terials and labor, with no allowance forinterest on capital, and wear and tear of

plant, was 50 cents per ton more than themarket price of the pig iron made."When it is observed that the price of thissame iron is now $1.75 per ton less thanit was when I his statement was made,some idea may be formed of the constant

tendency and effect of southern competi¬tion and the inevitable result which mustfollow it.The ruilroads are not to be blamed,

since it is unreasonable to suppose theywould form a combination to close thefurnaces a(nd thereby destroy their own

tonnage. These disasters are due solelyto natural causes. They are due entirelyto the simple fact that railroads havepenetrated the mineral regions of thesouths affording us the transportation we

need, and thus iron is made here severalhundred per cent, cheaper than it can

possibly be made in the north. There-suit is inevitable. There is no plainerproposition in mathematics. With theraw material so much cheaper and more

nl im limit; with labor no higher anil even

lower; with fair transportation facilitiesand a superior climate, it is very clearthat the south must soon become the cen¬

ter of the coal, iron and timber industryof the United States. Railroad compa¬nies realize this and arc penetrating thissection from all directions. Capitalists re¬

alize it and nrc investing their money here.It is sheer and costly folly for the manu¬

facturers of the north and east to closetheir eyes to these facts. They stare themin the face at every turn, and they can

neither get over them, under them or

around them. They arc hard physicalfacts backed by nature with all her irre¬sistible force, and the man who fightsagainst them fights fate.

Good Times Coming:.Whatever may be said of Mr. Jay Could,

.his bitterest enemies will admit that he isa shrewd and accurate judge of the busi¬ness outlook; and in a recent interview hesaid:The difference In money thai will go to the growers

of wheat, corn, rye, barley and small «min generallywill u- between fmo.oon.ooo and fcwyinn.iioo more

tbis year than last. On corn alone, taking tbo pres¬ent quotation as compared with ismo, ami figuringthat tin- crop is, ns intimated, lint I.ßOO.WMi.OüO, n«

against 2,<iOn,(Kio,otK) laut year, there will 1m- in roundfigure* unmethin« lila- $200,(MKi,<KK> additional frofiito sellers. II« laiil great stress upon the fact thatthen-will be short crops in many parts o( Europe;thin will necessitate correspondingly large exports.In a iuiihIii-II In- said: '*The farmern have enteredupon mi i-rn of prosperity, the like of which lias not

been seen In more than ten years."Though the crop in some sections is an

entire failure, reports from the south are

all favorable. More money will be broughtto the South within ^tlu next six monthsin return for crops and for investment thanduring any previous period in the country'shistory. Everything indicates unparal¬leled prosperity.-

Particular attention is calf to an ar¬

ticle in another column, taki from thePhiladelphia Record, which gives an

account of the decaying iron it lustry of

Pennsylvania. "Idle, abandon. and di>mantled furnaces may be seen on eveiyhand as monuments of great enterprisesthat have been wrecked." is th languageit uses in reviewing thceiiuation. Thoughpartially closing its eyes to the causes

of these disasters, the writer doubtlessknows what every careful observer must

know, that they arc due to the impossibil¬ity of competing with the South in themanufacture of iron. It would be wellfor big Stone Gap to raise a fund and

employ an expert with practiced knowledgeof the subject, who is thoroughly familiarwith our resources, to establish his head¬quarters in Pennsylvania, visit everymanufacturing company in the State,andpresent to them the advantages of removingtheir plants here. Ten thousand dollarsspent in this way would prove the most

profitable investment thai can be made.

Thk card of Mr. .1. Wilder in anothercolumn complains of the account of theS. A. A; 0. row which the Post contained,and says we represented Dr. Bailey andhis associates as outlaws. This is a mis¬take. We merely described the sensationcaused by Dr. Bailey's expected arrivalhere and the preparations made to resisthim. The friends of the S. A. \ 0. road

complained because the account seemedto ridicule the elaborate arming of men

and the marshaling of the forces in battle

array. Now the other side complains.When the partisans on both sides com¬

plain jf a newspaper it is very apt to h*.

right._Tuk work of cleaning the town is pro¬

gressing well, but poisonous odors still

prevail in several localities. Lime shouldbe used freely, anil very little of it hasbeen used thus far. It is to be hopedthe authorities will not abate their effortsuntil every source of stench is thoroughlycleaned and disinfected. This is a dan¬gerous.season for localities where sanita¬ry laws are neglected.

. ^ .»_If any public spirited citizen wishes to

become a public benefactor, he shouldtake steps to build a school house and in¬augurate a public school. The matter isof more importance than people seem to

regard it. The work cannot be com¬

menced too soon. A public school is a

necessity.Tin: United States government has been

called on to decide two very importantcontroversies recently, the one betweenGautcmala and San Salvador and theother between Bates and Bailey. It ishard to tell how the questions at issuewill be decided, but in both cases it isunderstood that whatever the governmentsays, goes._ _ y(AThe school question should be agitatedSMr. Beckford, B. A., of Yale College,proposes to organize a high school and itis to be hoped he will be successful. Butwe need also a public school for youngerchildren, and we need it badly.Grandpapa Hoar had better heed the

advice of Quay. The latter knows more

about politics in a minute than an hundredHoars.

Wiikn good Frenchmen die they go to

Paris, and when Pennsylvania furnaces die

they eome South.

Clean the town.

Lawyers should send their briefs to thePost's job office.

Something That Talks.August 26, 1890.

Ukau Sib:.flaring tin- dispatches, which we willgel by-ond-by, you arc, in neat typographical ap|iear-uncc, preparation of articles, and meeting tin- pur¬poses for which you founded it, giving us the bestpaper in Virginia. I hear nothing but wonl* of com¬mendation on all sides. And if you do this duringthe summer, what may we mil expect with the re¬newed activity of the fall and winter?As an evidence of my appreciation, lind enclosed

check for $00, for which please send the harr to thetwenty-five names ami addresses given on the accom¬

panying slip, beginning witli your first issue.A newspaper is one of the best exponents of any

place. ,-iii(l 1, for one, am <|iilte willing for Rig Stone(iap to lie shown to the world through you medium.

Very sincerely yours..

They Know u Good Thing.(The Screw-Driver.)

Thk Bio Sto.sk Post Is the name of a new paperjust started at Big Stone (iap, Vu. The company hasample capital and has acquired a magnificent news¬paper aud job office outfit. The Constitution hasbuilt Atlanta, the Times has built Chattanooga; so Itfollows that the Post, aided by the Herald and Screw-Driver, will build Big Stone. Gap. Every one inter¬ested In the South should subscribe for the Post.

The Post.(Bristol Courier.)

It is a solid brevier paper in a leaded small picatown. The issues published would have been credit¬able to any office in any city.

Forty-Klght Bometlmes.(Bristol News.)

Thk Biu Stoxr Post is the name of a new eight-page, forty-eight column newspaper started at BigStone dap. It Is neat in typography, ably edited andvery newsy.

" THAT RIDE OVER-'

A Reminiscence of Days Before the Rail¬road Came.

"To die be (riven us, or to attain;Fierce work ll were to do again."

Such in the wearied lamentation of theMohammedan pilgrims, as they toil across

the Arabian roads toward Mecca, that cityof their hope. The analogy may seem a

trifle forced; yet, for those of us whose

experience in desert pilgrimages may lie

slight, it probably seems quite enough to

have plunged through miles of mud to BigStone Gap in the early Spring of this

present year of grace. In the celerity of

the city's growth this phase of its earlyhistory may soon be but a legend or a

myth, hardly credible to those more

felicitously wafted in on any one of severalrail lines. Before the iron age sweeps away

completely the vestiges of that softer

period it may not be uninteresting to

recall an episode iu it, common, and yetunique to many, I have no doubt; and,since the color of our thought depends so

much upon the point of view, it might be

well to add that the writer's spectacleswere of a Northern.though not of an

unsympathetic tint.

It was a warm, sunny noon in March.which was coming in most lamb-liki.when a little party of some eight or ten

stepped ntTat the Tunnel Station (?) and

proceeded to hold a council ol' war.

Rumors of mules drowned along the road,

and others hardly less grewsome in char¬acter, caught on the ride up from Bristol,lent a genial interest to the question of

transportation, nut much improved by the

appearance of the animals brought out forinspection. The by-standing nativesseemed to take a mild kind of pleasure iuremarking that the roads were "ruthcibad;'' but their knowledge "| the countryappeared limited to that. Tworoutes were suggested; a v. it

you look, some one said, you would isiiyou had taken the other. Whih thewriter succeeded iu making some entirelyindent Ite arrangement about baggage,theothers, freaking up into two detachments,sei m on the iforesaid roads. Left tothe capabilities f the mail boy,v i, w not quit" read}. accepted, withsou. eluctai a mustari pony, said to

be admirable for endurance and ingenuity.1 anticipated some rcstiveness of spirits;but, Oh no! the poor brute had been thatway before. The traditional lamb was outof comparison.

As, on the trail of the stalwart mail-carrier, we made up the first easy gradea momentary exultation dispelled one'smore sombre forebodings. A temporarylease of life imparted enough energy to

my nondescript steed to give a touch ofthat feeling of elevation and gatheredforce one has astride a steady, active rider,with clear blue skies above one. solidtraveling underfoot; and the road as yetgave slight premonition of our coiningfate. The soft, delightful southern breezesplayed all about us: the budding vegeta¬tion, already well advanced, mingled itsfaint, delicate perfume with that of therich, red soil. Along side the road thesilver tinkling of a little mountain brook,hurrying over the stones, blended in withthe rest to lend an alluring dreaminess tothe air.soon to he dispelled.At the crest of the hill the stern beauty

of that broken valley, with the riverthreading its tortuous way iu and out, likea ribbon of gold through patches of openand forest lands, into steep gulches underthe sloping hills, caused a moment's halt.We struck diagonally down the other side,passing within sight ol the entrance ofthe Natural Tunnel. Hoping to see itagain under more favorable auspices, we

had time for only a passing glance at thatmysteriously grand and significant pieceof natural engineering. Once fairly intothe valley there was sufficient near athand (or foot) to claim our most immedi¬ate aud unvarying attention. Afterwading through mud to the knees for sev¬

eral minutes my pony would make a side¬long dash on the edge of the embankment,superb iu calculation, though not particu¬larly expected always. Acting on wellauthenticated advice, I allowed the pony,in the main, to pick his own way; but ifhis deep instinct always hit the firmestplaces, imagination fails for the rest.The best bit of traveling on this stretch

was the river bed, which we took for somehalf mile, and after several weary hours,arrived at the post-office near Horton'ssummit. While the mail was being sortedby a number of his children, I enjoyed a

brief conversation with the patriarchalpostmaster at the old-fashioned hearth,taking, together with the horses, a not

unappreciated rest. The moments were!alloyed, however, by dreary talcs of..Buckeye Hollow," which lav just beyond.These were bettered to the syllable whenwe descended, soon after, into this com¬

panion of the pits of Avernus. Someapparently bottomless sloughs were avoided by slight detours off the road, butfinally we reached one from which therewas no escape.a high fence on oue side,a steep bank on the other. It amountedalmost lo swimming, but the mail-boymanaged to make it. Half way across,what heart inv poor beast had left, failed.He had kept well to the right, and seem¬

ing now to find no bottom, made one lastheroic burst; and, attempted to scale theadjoining bank, at an angle of about (illdegrees. Success would have broken thelaw of gravitation. 1 had just time tocatch hold of a small scrub tree, and getout from under, when with a forlorn gasp,my pony tumbled back into the mud.But relieved now of his burden, he scram¬bled up again to the edge of the bank,and taking his bridle with a wiser, thoughmuddier grasp, I led him through the restof that treacherous hollow, making myway gingerly along the side of the bank,and on occasional ridges in the road.While I admired that horse's pluck, Imust confess to a decided shaking of con¬fidence in the infallibility of his judgment.Evcu animal instinct, I am convinced, hasits limits. Near the end of the hollow we

struck a path leading to the top of therailroad grade, and ascending, took a lastlook below. I have never wished to re¬

visit that scene. The memory is one ofman's least exclusive faculties, but eventhat has to draw the line somewhere.Would I might as easily, as pleasantly,forget that vale of gloom aud unfathom¬able mud!A little further on, I parted, with much

regret, from that worthy representative ofthe government, the mail-boy. Compau-ionship in misery had aroused a degree ofattachment out of all proportion to lengthof acquaintance. Having been informed,however, of a better road over Powell'smountain, with a convenient stoppingplace for the night, at Mr. Jeff Dillon's,I now struck off to the right alone. Aftera little, the mud grew less profound, butwhen we reached firmer footing, the wea¬

ried horse was unable to go faster than a

slow walk. It was getting now into thatstill time of late afternoon, when all na¬

ture seems "preparing for the night," and.as the shadows grew longer, there was thesweetness of "rest after toil and pain" inwandering slowly on through the valleyroad. Often it ran through dim lightedclumps of forest trees, with here and therestretches of the evergreen laurel, andutmost always within sight of a romanticlittle stream, which was forded, I forgothow many times.Just before sunset, I cume out into the

clearing about Mr. Dillon's house, and usI rode up "Jeff,".as ho is soweit known.came out with a greeting as cordial as itwas genuine. No need to ask if he had a

room for the night.with all the heartinessshown to an old-time friend he anticipa-

ted everv wish, showing by not the slight¬est touch of manner, that he had never

seen me before. Had I not been preparedfor Old Dominion mountain.hospitality, Ishould have asked, perhaps, if there were

no mistake. The warmest place by thefire on the broad, kitchen hearth, was im¬mediately tendered, and having seen myhorse, the genial host did not hesitate tooffer condolence on my rough trip over,

wishing he might have been able to showme a better war than that through "Buck¬eye hollow." "But he did not dwell on a

"heaviness o'erpast." Soon the table was

literally crowded with mountain viands,and any nnfamiliarity on my part with themode of cooking, was far more thanatoned for by my host's wealth of gcnial-itv, touched with not a little originalhumor. After supper, wc adjourned to thebest room, where a blazing fire was madeagainst the great back-log. Here, in theflickering light, "Jeff" told some of hisliest stories, revealing an untutored powerof thought not soon to be forgotten. Iremember one striking illustration hemade, speaking of the conformation of theGap. "If," he said, "you can imagine a!time when the hills about Big Stone Gapwere all one heap of white flour, and an

enormous turkey came along, planting itsfoot on the heap, the Gap itself would bethe impress of its heel, while the creeksrunning into the Gap, would be markedout by its toes." For a woodsman or

mountaineer, this would, doubtless, be a

much more effective description than thefinest map.Among other local touches "Jeff" spoke

of (he difficulty ho had experienced in

convincing some of the mountain peoplethat "free trade" was not some outlandish,African animal about to be imported intothis country.The rare, quaint flavor of these moun¬

tain qutps fades at second-hand; butthrough the memory of them all, touchedby the flickering light of that wood fire, Ican hear clearly yet the hearty, ringinglaughter of my host, as, at the suggestionof his sou, soniething especially rich wouldtouch his fancy. Across the months Icould reach a hand of gratitude for a most

cheery :isis made that night on a roadnot s; illy adapted for unfamiliar feet.At in!" v Is that night and in the morn¬

ing ¦¦' e 1 was especial!} -'ruck bythe I itisical murmur of the moun¬

tain !'. , which sang its plautive. un¬

ceasing melody just beyond the house.After an early breakfast, with Mr.

DillonV-son as a guide, we were soon farup on the mountain.

Here, in spots, traces of now lingered,though the soil was warm and soft in thevalley. Excepting one or two grand, far-reaching prospects, the ride that day was

mostly and pleasantly uneventful.After crossing the moutain I pushed on

alone; and, by a few futile inquiries, find¬ing that the Gap receded further awayeach time, kept ahead, with the blindfaith that I should reach it eventually;although I almost despaired when myhorse, (which, the liveryman afterwards in¬formed me, had carried a distinguishedConfederate general,(practically collapsedin the mud about a mile outside the Gap.By more or less pulling he was broughtthrough the last few sloughs, and mostwelcome, as we rounded the last hill, ap¬peared the rough board houses, just visiblethrough the trees. Never.should it stir-

puss the dreams of the most ardent.couldthis mountain city seem more beautiful tome than it did that day, stretched out be¬neath the slanting rays of the afternoonsun. It is something to have enjoyedsuch an introduction, making it a kind ofrefuge tor wearied memories. Though a

suggestion of mud remained in the atmos¬phere, and even in the food, for a week or

more thereafter, I have since been heartilyglad that I could have known the Gap inthose primitive days, before the gettinginto it had lost those peculiar features so

remote from the commonplace, thoughseldom longed or sought for a secondtime, I imagine, by those who had knownthem once. W. H. Beckfouh.

Airy Tongues.Mr. James M. Hodge, of this place, formerly ot

Plymouth, Mass., is a lineal descendant, mi bothsides, of Vary Chilton, the first white woman tosetfiint on America's shores, on Forefathers'Kock, De¬cember 21, 1020. Four fi ts of Mr. Hodge's ancestorshave livid for a period of upwards of two hundredyears in the same house in Plymouth.

* *

The Nashville paper* are boasting vt a young ladywho is so modest Unit, since she learned her canarybird was a male, she covers the bird cage with n towelwhen she dresses. Rill bow did so modest a girl Andout ihe bird uas a male ?

A company has been formed to make a railroadtunnel under Milwaukee, But the engineers say thebeer cellars are so numerous they can't dodge them.

Captain Jo.- Bell, the ex-postmasler at Shelbyvllle,Ky.. died a few days ago. He Weighed about .'Will

pounds, and was appointed by Cleveland because ofhis size. Ex-Governor McCrearey took old Joe andanother friend to the President. "Here, Mr. Presi¬dent," said McCrcaery, "are two gentlemen equallycompetent, equally good Democrats and equally mygood friends. I can't decide which I will ask you toappoint postmaster, hut leave the matter to yon."The President glanced at the two men, but us soon

as he saw Joe Bell's huge body and the rolls of fat on

his neck, lie -aid. with a smile, "Well, let's takehim."

* *

Mr. James IV. Fox has only been back from Europeten day. bin during that time he has been lookinginto every enterprise pertaining to Rig Stone (lap,andis better posted in regard to the situation here, andthe prospecu for enrlj improvement, than any one inor out of the town. He i- the personification of

energy, ami has ahead filled with bmdness sagacity.Hi- value to lüg Stone Cap cannot be estimated.

41 *

It Is said the Screw-Driver will Is- moved to Bris¬tol, Ii i- a live newspaper and will wake up thatsleepy suburb of Uig Stone Cap.

Mr. Wilder, sr., of Bristol, who was an adherent ofDr. Bailey, during the recent legal squabble over theSouth Atlantic A Ohio railroad, was asked tie- itntn.<of the affair."Did you ever see a game of base hull?" he queried.

"Well, we've been in twice, the other fellers once, andwe've six more innings to play, and nobody can tellthe result till tin- las! round."Then off he went.

* *

A pretty go,,,! story was told the other day, showingtin- Keutuckiau's pride in the place ot his origin, andhis estimate of the appearance of people from some

other state.An liidlanian, meeting u Kentuckian, ami wishing

In be sociable, asks:"An*you from Indiana?""Xo; I'm from Kentucky. r« tickIuhIiuj; that's

lehnt itinket mr look so bod."Ami the Indlanlan said not a word.

* *

The founding of so many towns in the South Isreally Dot it bad thing. The advocates of each placeare pulling for that place, and influencing all the peo¬ple, money ami business for it that they possibly can,and sii are btillthllug up the South which her peopleall love so dearly. At the present rate we shall soon

approximate the population and thrift of the West, or,for that matter, of the Rast.

a .

The Masonic Lodge hall, over die Short! building, isa very creditable one und is being handsomely fittedup. Several meetings have already been held. Thefraternity will soon lie well organised here.

* .

Dr. Cooper made an Inspection of the town Tuesday¦ml says it is far from being clean. There are a num¬ber of very offensive nuisances which should Im» re¬

moved ut once. He says he can do no more, underthe law, than report the facts to the mayor, whoseduty it is to have the nuisances abated. 1>v ? . X.\Mr William H. Reckfonl has been promised uboutten of the fifteen pupils to which he has limited thenumber in his private school, lucluilliig Misses RettieChurchill, Elizabeth Fox, Rettie Dun*and-Oooch,aud Messrs. Willie Duff, two Masons and WillieAyers. Mr. Beckford Is a graduate ot Yale, and an

earnest, conscientious teacher, who will do goodwork.

» *

Mr. W. E. Addison ha- returned from a visit toRichmond, where he secured subscriptions amountingto |10,000 to the Building Association, which make* atotal of f*3,ooo that has now been tubscrlbed.

THE CONGRESSIONAL RACE.What Several Prominent Men Have to

gay About It.

(Bristol Courier.)A short time ago it was suggested that

it would be the policy of the republicanpartv to make a contest this fall in a num¬

ber of the Virginia districts, the ninth

being one of them. But other counselhas prevailed, and a convention has been

called to meet on the 18th of next monthat Pulaski. Quite a number ot gentle¬men, not unknown to political fame, havebeen mentioned us the probable choice of

that meeting.The Courier interviewed a number ol tnc

leaders in the political battle? of thesouth-west to let the people know theexact situation of affairs;

gbjt. a. L. i'hidehore.

Gen. Pridemorc, of Lee county, was thofirst victim. It has been noised abroad andheralded in the newspapers that the ex-

COligressman was champing the bit andanxious to run the race as an independent.He has written letters to different parts ofthe district urging the republicans tomake no nomination, and encouraging themultitude of solicitations extended him

by other men of all parties to enter thecontest. . IThe General is of tine form, towering six

feet three inches and weighing over two

hundred pounds; the study and experienceof years have sharpened his immensenatural ability, and he is as perfect a

specimen of robust, vigorous, intellectualmanhood as the human eye ever wants tosee.Mr. Pridemorc said that he had not

mingled a great deal with the people ofLee county since the convention, beingengaged in court most of the time. Hethinks Buchanan is a good man, a

strong representative, and in more favorwith the people now than two years ago.All things considered, it is possible that.Major H. C. Wood, of Estillvillo, wouldmake a stronger race than any other man

the republicans could nominate; althoughMajor Slemp, of Lee, or Senator M:ils, ofWise, arc not far behind him in popularity.The general was surprised to hear thatsome of the papers had stated that he was

sere and disappointed, and said that itwas not true: that he had been approachedquite frequently to make the race but hadnever made any promises, or committedhimself iu any way. He added with a sig¬nificant smile, '. might possibly run ifthe farmers should nominate me, and Ithought there was a good fighting chance."In earnest he emphatically dccla' -d, " Iwill not run to help elect somebody se! "

The Courier inters thai General Pride-more is ambitious, and that if the enemymakes no nomination and the Farmers'Alliance endorses him, he will run; other¬wise, he will be found in the ranks doingvaliant work for the success of the ticket.

JflHiK J. 11. IIICIIMOXI).

The handsome and talented ex-congress-man from Estillvillc was in conversationwith his friend Pridemorc when the re¬

porter interrupted them. He jumped on

the General's last remark with both feetand emphatically declared: "1 will neverrun unless I am nominated by the demo¬cratic party. I am not so independent iumy democracy that I will set up my judg¬ment against the decision and expressedwish of my party." In Scott county thedemocracy is gradually gaining ground.Buchanan is in favor with the people andthe majority against him will be smallerthan it was two years ago, if. the republi¬cans nominate anybody but Major Wood.And it is so in Lee, Wise and Dickinson.Nobody but a local man can carry morethan his party strength against Buchanan.The force bill will cut n small figure be¬cause the negro population is very smallin the district. The people are growingrestive under the infamous tariff. So, thedemocracy ought to win; and the prospecti- bright for victory; but a strong man!like Wood, Mills or Slemp, who has moneyand is liberal with it. would force the de¬mocracy lo keep their powder dry and callfor a generous dispensation of the sinewsof war.

COL. A. I I I.IU.r.So.V.

Col. Fulkcrson, ex-congressman fromBristol, was in his shirt sleeves smoking a|cigar when the newspaper man went intohis office. "Oh. Buchanan seems to beall t ight, ami ought to beat Slemp or Millsor (.Mint Wood. (Clint Wood is the bestelectioneered ever 1 saw.) Buchanan hasstrengthened himself by his term in con¬

gress. 1 have not read his speech on thetariff, and think the sentiment of the dis¬trict is rather doubtful on that question.Yes, the alliance is getting strong, butwill hardly give us any trouble this year.John's chances are all right.especially ifthe force biil is passed. Slemp wouldmake a very strong canvass. He is themost deceitful fellow in appearance youever saw. One time John T. Harris was

cuirvassing t ii rough the country, and Slempmet him at Illaekwater. He wore an oldslouch hat pulled down over his face, andhad on his regular farming clothes. Har¬ris thought he was going to do the greatGoliath and David act and played with hisopponent at first. But Slemp kept gettingcloser and closer to him till Harris rea¬lized that he was in for a big debate andhad to exert every power to save himself.

JL'PGK it. It. WOOD.

Judge Wooil said that he had perempto¬rily refused to allow the use of his namein connection with the congressional nom¬ination, and declared that his brother,Maj.Wood, was not n candidate, nor wouldhe be nominated nor aecepl a nomination.He gave us to understand that anotherman was hid out in the bushes, and thatWood, Mills, Slemp nor Dickinson, would,not be called for this time. The conven¬tion at Abingdon Monday will probablyindicate the nominee. The judge thinks(he republicans will win.

Farmer Keith's Terrible Discovery.(From tho Philadelphia Press.)

Birmingham, Ala., August 25...JasperKeith, a farmer living in Winston county,awoke yesterday morning and found hiswife and eight-inonths-old baby dead inbed by his side. Their bodies were badlyswollen, and coiled iu one corner of thobed was a moccasin snake, whose bite isas fatal as that of a rattlesnake. Duringthe night the snake had crawled into thebed and had bitten Mrs. Keith and thechild. Keith was so overcome with griefand horror that he fell prostrate acrossthe dead bodies of his wife and baby.This aroused the snake and it struck atKeith, but its fangs caught in the sleevesof his nightshirt and he escaped the fatalsting. Realizing his peril, Keith caughtthe snake iu his hand, and hurled it tothe floor before it could strike again.

Capitalists at Middlesborough.Miudlksbouoi'uh, Ky., August 30"._A

number of distinguished men arrived inthis city this morning in the special carof Mr. M. H. Smith, vice-president of theLouisville & Nashville railroad company.The most prominent of the arrivals wereMr. M. H. Smith, of Louisville; Mr. A. M.Shook, general manager of the SouthernIron company, Nashville, Tcnn.; Mr. At¬kinson, also of Nashville, Tenn., and Mr.M. H. Woodward, of Clarksville, Tennes¬see, all very prominent iron and coal men.The objeet ef their visit was to studv ourcoking coal for the purpose of drawingtheir supplies from Middlesborougb. Thedistinguished guests visited the coal minesand took in the sights of the citv, and be¬fore leaving expressed themselves as be¬ing more than pleased with tho qualityaud quantity of coal found here, and withthe prospects of our citv.

-¦ » .'-iThe Leeaunrg Convention.

General W. H. F. Lee was voted for bvcounties and received the solid vote of theconvention, and his nomination was unan¬imous.

At Last.

(Prom the Churchman.)When on my day of life the night U falling.And, In the wind« from unsunned place* blown,

1 hear far voice* oat of darkness callingJtfy feet to path* nfiknown.

Thon who baa made my homo of life so pleasant,Leave not Its tenant when It* walls decay:

0 love divine, 0 Helper ever presentB» thou my strength and stay.

Be near me when all else from me is drifilng.Farth, skv, home's picture, days of shade and »hin«

\»d kindly'faces to my own upliflim;The love which answers mine.

1 have but Tl.ee, 0 Father! Let T!.y .SpiritHe with me then to comfort and uphold:

No gate of pearl, n<> branch of palm, I merit,"

Nor street of shinning gold.Suffice it if, my good and 111 unrcckoned.

\nd both forgiven through Thy abounding graiI find myself by hands familliar beckonedUnto my fitting place.

Some humble d.s.r among Tliy many mansions,Some sheltering shade where sin ami striving cease.

\r,d flows torewr through heavens green expan'

The river of thy peace.There from the music round about DM stealing,

I fain would iearn the new and holy song.

And Bud et last beneath Thy free« of healing,Tli- life for which I long.

John GaarxutAF w iuttii-k.

DANCE, THE GREAT TRAVELER.

Some Curious Sights He Has Seen In Dis¬

tant Countries and Some ThrillingAdventures.

"What arc some of the striking scenesvou have witnessed?""To an old traveler everything becomes

monotonous as time passes, bul I willname a few interesting points; fur in-stance, the island of St. Helena, whenNapoleon Bonaparte was first buried.Everybody knows how the great rock ri- .

out of the'sea. You ascend from the shipby means of 30'3 steps, and the first ohje<;visited is the little cottage where Napoh on

lived, and next his tomb. The t inh issquare and is built of marble, with stepsleading down to where the body was

placed seventy years ago. The spot is.made beautiful by the most lovely flow r

beds I ever saw. Then there are man

interesting points in India. The towersof silence, in which the Parsecs bun tlidead, are striking objects to the trat«These towers are round and are 130 feethigh. The top is reached by means

ladders. On the top is an iron gratiand here the bodies of the high castesees are laid to be torn to pieces hi i.

vultures. An excavation, carried to a

great depth, connects beneath the totwith the river, to convey away thosetions of the body which fall through rliugrating."The most beautiful building I evei saa

was the Taj, at Agra, about 1,-lOH miles inthe interior of Northern India, above Cal¬cutta. The structure is built of snow-white marble, aud looks as if it were com¬

pleted yesterday. At the time of theIndian mutiny the British soldiers gainedentrance to the Taj, and with their hay.onefs they scooped out bushels of rubies,emeralds, sapphires and other preciousstones, with which the interior of thefice was ornamented. The bayonet marksmay be distinctly seen. It is said tlthe entire Koran is engraved in stone inthe interior of the building. 1 didn't stajlong enough to verify the truth of thisassertion."At one time," continued Mr. Dance, I

saw 700 elephants camped undermango trees. It was the annual pi<which the princes of Northern India enabout Christmas time. Some of theprinces travel 300 miles on the backsthese animals in order to reach the cam]iug place. I staid several days on illspot and witnessed many curious feats oljuggling; for the best jugglers of thecountry were there."One juggler brought out a little animal

about the size of a ferret. It is called a

mongoose. A string was attached to tinmongoose and at the distance of aim ittwenty feel was fastened to a stake. Thena big cobra was prdouced and let I" -

upon the defenseless little creature, boyou believe it? The mongoose killed thecobra. There was ;i hot nglit. unG flusnake tried to crush his antagonist lodeath by winding round his body, bul lllittle fellow had no bones and crept <airthe slimy folds uninjured."On the same day a juggler brought u

an empty basket and turned il upsdown on the ground over a jittlc hoy,Then he thrusl his sword repealthrough the basket. We could hear I hescreams of the child and see theflow, and just as the crowd was rushing itthe. man he kicked the basket ovtthe boy was nowhere to be seen. A f< *

minutes later he came rushing from tlcrowd. This trick has never been re¬vealed to foreigners. I also tasted mangofruit, grown apparently from seeds phi .

in flower pots sitting in a row on theground. .We could see the young treegrow and the green fruit appear andripen."

Mr. Dance said that on one trip in hhis palanquin-bearers became frightiat the presence of Bengal tigers,wading out into the Oangces river,stood all night up to their shoulders in thewater, holding their charge aboveHood. The tiger will never enter v\.t:.:even to seize the most tempting prey.

Mr. Dance was iu Buenos Ayres, Si ithAmerica, during the plague, when them "

pic of the city were dying at theo'HO a day, but was never sick an houi inhis life.The hottest place he ever saw was

the plains near the Himalayas, wheithermometer registered I Go "degrees ii tli«shade, and at night the lowestreached was 125 degrees. The tempera¬ture remained in this condition for -itweeks, the only relief being affordedthe natives throwing water on thematting of the windows.As an ostrich fanner, a few years ...

when ostrich feathers were in d<Dance proved a splendid success mJreaped a golden harvest from 300which he looks after in South Africa. H«has made several trading expeditionsthe interior of Africa, palming off glassbeads upon the unsophisticated nativ*exchange for ivory, gold dust and ustrifeathers. On one of his trips he unnegro boy who picked up the celcl !. idiamond known as the "Star of H "¦

Africa." This sparkler weighed fc>73., ca¬rats, and is one of the finest ever disered in the world. A sheep farmer trade«!the youth out of his fortune, givingchange :«)0 sheep, sixteen yoke of osa Dutch wagon. The farmer sold thmond for £10,000, English money, and ilwas for some time exhibited at Cap Tat the rate of 62J£ cents a head. Tlmond was sold a second time forand finally found a place among the cr >»'«diamonds of England at the pri<£W,000.

Mr. Dance traded for curios in Chin*and Japan, and made a lucky streak '¦* 1

deal in mules at Buenos Ayros. ! 1

bottle of whisky he bought a negro Vuow a girl fourteen years of age in >."York city.Mr. Dance says* he never carried a :''

volver or weapen of any kind.He considers Australia us ba^n-:

finest climate of any country in the »<

but Colorado the finest scenery.Having become enamored oi' the IiMountains, this unique man has tiidecided to make an attempt at setidown, aud within a few weeks he willbark in tho mining business at He". '.>¦

Mont.

A Warning to Cigarette Dudes.

BiUMtxouAM, Ala., Aug. 23..WalterNumulee, first lieutenant of the Wood¬stock Guards, at Anuistou, Ala., has n¬

come violently insane from smoking cigar¬ettes. He was to-day removed to the su^asylum at Tuacaloosa. Numuleeformerly one of the editors and piopnVtors of the Auntston Daily JjTatchw»"-Ho had purchased an outfit,"and was pro-paring to start a new paper, when symp¬toms of insanity compelled him lo g'40up. He smoked twenty packagescigarettes daily,