1+2 



THE GriDE TO NATURE 



charged each passenger a dollar. Many 

 accidents have occurred there to visitors 

 who were too daring in their flirting 

 with danger. 



The earliest historical mention of the 

 bridge was in [759 by Burnaby who 

 speaks of the curiosity as an arch join- 

 ing two high mountains and a river 

 running beneath it. A bloody Indian 

 battle took place near the bridge in 

 1770. Lightning struck it in 1779 and 

 hurled down immense stones from the 



tion, Secretary of State William M. 

 Evarts of New York, visited the bridge 

 and a delegation of the oldest people 

 of the vicinity was there to meet the 

 distinguished man. One old gentle- 

 man told him that George Washing- 

 ton threw a Mexican silver dollar over 

 the arch from the creek below and that 

 the dollar was recovered. The Secre- 

 tary replied that he did not believe any 

 living man could do this feat now nor 

 did he believe Sampson could have 



THE ARCH OF STONE IS REALLY A BRIDGE, AND IS SO USED BY MANY TEAMS. 



This team is on the bridge. 



crags. George Washington surveyed 

 the tract while surveyor to Lord Fair- 

 fax, and his name may still be seen on 

 the bridge where he carved it. Mar- 

 shall, Chief Justice of the United States 

 Supreme Court, visited the bridge and 

 said it was God's greatest miracle in 

 stone. Presidents Monroe, Jackson 

 and Van Buren each made trips there. 

 Henry Clay, Sam Houston (who was 

 born near the bridge) and Thomas 

 Benton were among celebrated visit- 

 ors. During the Hayes Administra- 



done it in his day. The old gentleman 

 contended that it was a well authenti- 

 cated story. "Well,"' says Mr. Evarts, 

 "I can explain it only on one theory 

 and that is that a silver dollar went a 

 great deal further in George Washing- 

 ton's day than it does now," and the 

 subject was dropped. 



Nature is always interesting, but at 

 times her handmade wonders awe us 

 by her beauty and sublimity, and she 

 was in this mood when she made the 

 Natural Bridge of Virginia. 



