FOEEST AND STREAM. 



327 



Cave, and scores of other celebrated great caverns, as we 

 would the crust from a pie, and we disclose physical features 

 which are reproduced above ground in the Yellow Stone 

 Park, the Valley of the Rio Grande, and the canon of the 

 Colorado, where we find broken ravines, bottomless springs, 

 huge basins, lake3, monoliths, buttes, terraces, and innumer- 

 able fantastic shapes in rock work, weather-worn and bat- 

 tered by time. "We do not gainsay that the wouders beneath 

 the earth appear more wonderful to us than those above it 

 To geologists and the Oreator they are not more so. But, as- 

 suredly, when heightened and intensified hy the glare of 

 torches thrown into all kinds of lights, shades and reflections, 

 and twisted and transformed into' all conceivable shapes, we 

 are excusable for being held in breathless astonishment and 

 admiration at the spectacle, and spellbound by what seems al- 

 most supernatural. The unaccustomed eye and mind become 

 almost paralyzed in their contemplation, and nervous persons 

 find their resolution inadequate to endure it. Quite recently 

 a new cave has been discovered at Luray, Page County, Vir- 

 ginia, which without doubt surpasses all others in the variety 

 of its features, if not in its area. If the accounts in the New 

 York Serald be true, there is nothing conceivable in 

 art or nature that is not reproduced here with more 

 or less truthfulness of detail. There are natural 

 bridges, grottoes, springs, lakes, cemeteries, blacksmith 

 shops, statuary, hallways, chambers, leaning towers, groups 

 of columns, masses of ruins, cascades, stairways, corridors, 

 galleries, pulpits, drapery, pendant monoliths, frescoes, 

 arches, domes, collonades, precipices, ledges, stalactites and 

 stalagmites of most beautiful varied colors, formations of shell- 

 work and moss, angels' wings, eaglet wings, candelabra, 

 mosaics, chandeliers, stalactites shaped like arrows with heads 

 complete, chasms, crystal walls, crystal basins, lap robes, 

 cornices, bust3, a theatre, fish market, bath-house- chapel, 

 monuments, a cave with 106 separate springs, each in a dis- 

 tinct basin, leaves in frost work, sphynxes, centaurs, a stone 

 vegetable garden, rotundas, bowers, pagodas, steeples, cano- 

 pies, besides live bats, tracks of animals by the thousand, 

 bones and skull of a fox, piles of unslacked lime, floors of 

 ready-made bricks already laid, alocomotive and tender of dark 

 stone, to say nothing of a " beautiful almost transparent cur- 

 tain one-eighth of an inch thick hanging in lUroo folds, one of 

 red, one of blue, and one of brown." 



The entire explored area is computed at from GO to ?f> 

 acres. The Herald's correspondent entered by a very small 

 half chidden hole in the side of a hill in Page County, Virginia : 

 but he expects eventually to find his way out by the big crack 

 in Black Mountain, North Carolina, where it was split by the 

 recent earthquake. 



Many years ago Porte Crayon printed in Ilarper's Magazine 

 a very beautifully illustrated article describing Weyer's Cave, 

 which is also in Virginia. There is no reason to doubt the 

 existence of the Luray Cavern in the same region, but we 

 wish to hint just here that the fancies and imagination of the 

 Herald's correspondent hold clean over Porte Crayon and dis- 

 count him so far out of sight that we don't expect to see or 

 hear from him again. The Herald man ought to file his Cave at 

 at once, and place his elay model and map of the Luray 

 wonder in the grand hall of the Patent Office. We have a 

 hull description of the cave from our own correspondent in 

 Virginia wnieh we shall print next week. 



Steam Link9 to Florida.— The prospects for an increased 

 travel to Florida this winter are very bright; indeed, the 

 movement is already so heavy, that new lines and additional 

 boats are being entered. One of the jauntiest, staunchest, 

 and most comfortable of all the vessels is the new side-wheel 

 steamer St, John, which has just been added to the Quintan! 

 line. It was built by Arthur Leary, Esq., with especial 

 •adaptation to the through route, and will run from Charleston 

 to Savannah, Jacksonville, and Palatka, seventy-five miles 

 up the river. Such confidence have the owners in her speed 

 and the requirements of tourists, that they expect sho will 

 -make two trips per week! As each round trip is at least 600 

 .miles, she will have to heat the historical " Lively Sally" to 

 do it. Her passenger accommodations are even luxurious- 

 private parlors, double beds, suites of rooms, etc. She draws 

 only 7 feet of water, and is commanded by Capt. Vogel, 

 formerly of the Dictator. 



Mallory & Co., of this city, long known in connection with 

 our coastwise navigation, are pushing forward a new enter- 

 prise, the consummation of which a fortnight ago, was 

 welcomed by the people of Florida with demonstrations 

 •of the greatest satisfaction. This enterprise consists in 

 placing an ocean steamer on their line of sufficiently light 

 draft to rnn from New York and cross the bar at 

 Jacksonville. The first achievement was made by the steamer 

 Western Texas, which reached Jacksonville on November 0. 

 She was drawing 8 J feet of water, with 11 ^ feet on the bar. 

 Five thousand persons visited her at her dock. The event 

 was duly celebrated by the citizens. Capt. Hines, her com- 

 mander, says there is very little doubt that regular trips can 

 •be made. These trips will be made once a fortnight for the 

 present. It is hoped to add another vessel within six months. 



The Western Texas is the first regular ocean steamship 

 ■which ever entered Jacksonville, although many previous ef- 

 forts have been made, some of which were attended with dis- 

 aster. 



The Western Texas touches at Port Royal, 8. C, and 

 Brunswick, Ga., thus affording comfortable means of com- 

 munication to many who have heretofore gone by rail to those 

 places. The trip from New York to Jacksonville consumed 



about four days, including stoppages. This fine ship was 

 built by John Roach, at Chester, Pa., last year for Messrs. 

 Mallory & Oo. She is 1,121 tons burthen and has a capacity 

 of 3,000 bales of cotton. Her length iB 235 feet. She has 

 accommodations for 32 first cabin and 20 second cabin pas- 

 sengers. On her return trip to New York the Western Texas 

 crossed the Jacksonville bar in a pale of wind. 



From a commercial standpoint, it is expected that this steam 

 line will divert from Middle Florida a portion of trade which 

 has hitherto found its outlet in Savannah. 



In this connection we desire to mention that Dr. F. D. 

 Lente, one of our best known physicians and scientists, has 

 published a timely pamphlet of 56 pages entitled the " Con- 

 stituents of Climate," which all invalids should read who 

 contemplate a visit to Florida. It is particularly full of in- 

 formation regarding the meteorology and endemic influences 

 of Florida. He indicates what diseases are contracted in 

 Florida, and what are cured by going to Florida. The first, 

 which are of malarial type, are purely local ; the greater part 

 of the State is altogether exempt from them. Of the latter 

 are enumerated pulmonary consumption, Bright's disease, 

 throat, nud bronchial affections, dyspepsia, nervous disease, etc 

 It is published at Louisville", Ivy., Medical Journal Book Con- 

 cern, 104 Greene street. 



FBEDER1CK A. OBER ("Fred Beverly.") 



Frederick A. Ober was born in Beverly, Mass., in 1849, a de- 

 scendant of Richard Ober who settled in Beverly 250 years 

 ago. Beverly is the birth-place of Hon. Robert Rantoul, Lucy 

 Larcom, and other persons of no'e. Young Ober early im- 

 bibed a fondness for field sports and natural history, and 

 while yet a mere boy had collected and preserved nearly all 

 the birds of New England, and noted their habits, in the 

 rough prosecution of which he did not spare skin or clothes. 

 So strong was his passion afterwards that he abandoned a 

 lucrative business in which he embarked early in manhood, 

 and went to Florida. Indeed, he has subordinated mercantile 

 pursuits to science ever since ; and in this brief statement is 

 contained the history of his life. He has made several trips 

 into the unvisited parts of Florida, living for a time among the 

 Seminole Indians, aud penetrating to swamps which few other 

 have ever been able to reach. His past two years have been 

 spent in the Caribbean Sea, with results of the most satisfac- 

 tory kind, we have no doubt that in the prosecution of his re- 

 searches he will add much to the stores of natural science in 

 futuro years. 



Major Jaoob Wagner.— This gentleman, who is well 

 known to the "moonshiners" of the Blue Ridge and mid- 

 county mountain ranges, if not to all our readers, favored us 

 with a call a few days since. He is one of the best diplomats 

 as well as fighters who have ever dealt with illicit manufac- 

 turers and revenue defrauders. It was the good fortune of 

 the chief editor of this paper to be attached to his command 

 for five weeks in tho fall of 1876, and to inspect and partici- 

 pate in his operations against the law-breakers. Fullest testi- 

 mony of his efficiency and of the adventures of the trip was 

 published in five columns of the New York Herald last March, 

 prepared by Mr. Hallock's pen. The narrative is full of in- 

 cidents. Major Wagner has been eminently successful in all 

 his campaigns of the past six years, and while he has fought 

 and obstructed the enemy at evary point with great courage 

 and pertinacity, it speaks well for his discretion and official 

 amenity, to say that he has the respect and esteem of the very 

 class of men against whom he is warring. Quite recently he 

 negotiated for the surrender of a noted outlaw and forty men 

 who had held the Government forces at bay for months in 

 Tennessee, walking into the enemy's camp unarmed and 



unattended. His arguments convinced the offender of his 

 folly in continuing resistance. Tho Major is in town on official 

 business. 



Shout Lessons in Woodcraft.— Several years ago, under 

 the head of "Syilline Leaves," we published many useful 

 hints which are now incorporated in the chapter on " Wood- 

 craft " in Hallock's " Sportsman's Gazetteer." The following 

 additional instructions may some time be of service to persons 

 not already familiar with them. They are the common les- 

 sons of everyday life in the bush, and a. knowledge thereof 

 may be of service. Simple expedients often save much 

 trouble and add greatly to the comfort of the rambler and 

 sportsman s 



1. Notes of the barred owl and loon indicate rain within 

 twelve hours. In the fall wet weather follows the cry of the 

 tree-frog. 



2. Bark grows thickest on the north side of trees. Girdle a 

 tree if you wish to tell which is north. 



3. The centre of rotten stumps affords dry Btuff for kindling 

 fire in drenching rain. 



4. A torch which will last many hours is made from half- 

 inch strips of cedar bark bound together in faggots two feet 

 long, or more. 



5. To hold a boat in a swift current, set the pole, oar or 

 paddle on the bottom at an oblique angle with the side of the 

 boat resting against it. Very little strength will bo required. 



6. To mend a birch canoe cut a patch of bark large enough 

 to cover the fracture : sew it, on with an awl and stout cord or 

 hemlock roots ; then apply a piece of natural spruce gum to 

 the seams or joints with a slowing brand used as a soldering 

 iron is used. 



7. To carry a fish of two pounds weight and upwards, 

 place it between hemlock boughs of the proper length, tied to- 

 gether at both ends and in the middle, with bark, roots, or 

 cord. It will keep fresh and sweet a long time, is easily 

 cured, aud will not soil what it touches. 



8. To mend a broken osr or paddle, bevel the fractured 

 parts so as to make a neat joint, pass a wooden plug through 

 both, and serve neatly with twine to cover the joint. Or, 

 having made a joint, as above ; bore two gimlet holes two 

 inches apart ; double four feet of wire so that the cuds will 

 pass through the holes in tho same direction ; then whip or 

 serve neatly with the wire, and finish with a service of twine. 



9. For night shooting, chalk the gun barrels lengthwise 

 from breech to muzzle ; or, make a foresight by lashing a 

 V-shaped stick to the muzzle. By bringing the object within 

 the V, a good bead can be drawn. 



10. When a tree brushes off wisps of hay from a load, the 

 hay falls on that side of the tree toward which the cart is 

 going. In summer hay is carted from the field to the barn, 

 unless stacked where cut. In winter it is carted out from the 

 barn to stock employed in cutting logs, wood, etc. Salt or 

 wild hay is most generally stacked. It can be distinguished 

 from field hay by the taste and smelL 



11. An excelleut moccasin, nearly waterproof, is made 

 from the hind leg of a moose, cut above and below the hock, 

 the hock forming the heel. It is wholly without seam, except 

 where sewed up at the toe. If tanned with the hair on, it is 

 very warm when worn in dry snow. 



12. The well of one's boat, when empty of fish, makes a 

 most excellent wash tub or basin. 



13. A table is easily constructed by taking a turn with a 

 rope around c-ach trunk of three or more trees or saplings con- 

 veniently near together : haul taut, make fust, and lay boardd 

 on top. 



[from otjr own correspondent.] 

 OUR WASHINGTON LETTER 



Partridge Shooting— Ducking on the Potomao— Viola- 

 tion op the Protective Laws, Etc., Etc. . 



Washington, D. O, Nov. 16, 1878. 

 YX7HEN Charles I., in 1632, made the grant toLordBalti- 



W more, that distinguished nobleman two years later 

 settled with his colony within the limits of the present State 

 of Maryland upon the stream now known as the St. Mary's 

 River, which empties into the Potomac a few miles 

 from its mouth. Although the grant was for a much 

 larger tract than the State of Maryland now occupies, 

 this spot was selected for the colonial seat of govern- 

 ment, and I have always believed that the controlling 

 reasons which influenced Lord Baltimore to locate there was 

 the abundance of fish, oysters and wild fowl found in the 

 vicinity. St. Mary's County is a peninsula, with the waters 

 of the Chesapeake Bay washing it on the east, the Potomac 

 River on the south and west, while the St. Mary's and 

 Patuxeut Rivers, both navigable slreams, drain its interior. 

 The forests were filled with game ; the wateis were bounti- 

 fully supplied with many varieties and the most desirable 

 food fish ; the soil was a rich, black mould, and everything 

 gave promise of peace and plenty. As these things attracted 

 Lord Baltimore and his followers, so do they attract the 

 sportsmen of Washington and Baltimore to-day, as the county 

 is easy of access to both cities. Adjoining St. Mary's is 

 Charles County, with a river front of forty or fifty miles on 

 the Potomac ; then comes Prince George's County, which 

 surrounds the District of Columbia, except on the northwest 

 where we have Montgomery County. Several of these coun- 

 ties cover an area of more than 500 square miles, over which 

 are hundreds of acres of stubble fields, where the partridge 

 dwells in luxurious plenty. Wheat, corn and tobacco are the 

 staple products of these counties, but in some of them the 

 land has been much exhausted. On the other hand, intelli- 

 gent tillage has brought some sections up from almost a barren 

 wilderness to fertile fields. But I did not start out to write an 

 agricultural letter. I mention briefly the prominent features 

 of this neighboring county, so vast in extent, so easy of ac- 

 cess and so abundantly supplied with gome. I nave often 

 started out at four o'clock on a keen frosty November morn- 

 ing, driven fifteen or twenty miles from Washington, had a 

 good day's shooting, and returned home by eight o'clock in 

 the evening. There are not many Eastern cities which can 

 boast of superior Bportiug advantages, either for field or 

 aquatic shooting, than Washington. 



Iu Prince George's County partridges may bo shot from 

 October 19 to December 20, Montgomery County, from Oc- 

 tober 15 to December 15 ; but Charles County has no Iocs. 



