Horace Kephart (1862-1931) was a noted naturalist, woodsman, journalist, and author. In 1904, he left St. Louis and permanently moved to western North Carolina. Living and working in a cabin on Hazel Creek in Swain County, Kephart began to document life in the Great Smoky Mountains. He created 27 journals in which he made copious notes on a variety of topics. Journals 1 through 4 deal with the various aspects of mountain life and contributed to his popular book, “Our Southern Highlanders,” first published in 1913 and revised in 1922. Kephart was not always kind to the mountain people he wrote about. Journal 1 (previously known as Journal I) includes sections titled, “Literary Slumming,” “Godforsaken,” and “Laziness.” Still, Kephart is acknowledged to have painted one of the first pictures of life in the Great Smoky Mountains, covering topics such as “North Carolina Mountains,” “Deforestation,” and “Thrift.” Click the link in the Related Materials field to view a table of contents for this journal.

• Creator
  • Kephart, Horace, 1862-1931
• Format
  • Manuscripts (documents)
• Type
  • Text
• Date
  • Date digitized: 2017-04-10
• Extent
  • Dimension: 11" x 8.5"
  • Pages: 279 pages
• Subject - Topic
  • Appalachian Region, Southern -- Description and travel
  • Appalachian Region, Southern -- Economic conditions
  • Appalachian Region, Southern -- Social life and customs
  • Appalachians (People) -- Social life and customs
  • Forest conservation
  • Mountain life -- Great Smoky Mountains (N.C. and Tenn.)
  • Mountains -- North Carolina, Western
• Location
  • Swain County (N.C.)
  • North Carolina, Western
  • Great Smoky Mountains (N.C. and Tenn.)
  • Appalachian Region, Southern
• Source institution
  • Western Carolina University
• Source Collection
  • Horace Kephart Collection
• Identifier
  • HL_MSS80_24_55_J01
• Repository
  • Western Carolina University Hunter Library

MOTIVE. - METHOD . "I have attempted to portray the impr essiens mao.e on a mind which. I endeavored to lceep wholly unprejudiced, and even free from all t endency to despise as gross superstition t l1at wb.ich by the natives is deemed holy and r e ligious . I do not wish to forget that I was r eceived e.s an 11.onored guest in Kay an longb.ouses; it is r would beJ sorry payment to villif)r my hosts. Rather let me throvv what cb.2.rm I may over the daily round of the natives• dateless life . " ( :!..H.. Furness , 3d , Home life of Borneo head-ll.unters ~ ) 110f COlU'se , I have kept t o the su.:o.ny , t he i dyllic s i de of the subject . Wb.y not? I lcnovv· there is another s i de , but tb.ic is a t rue s i de ; it is the s i de a. l ,,ays turned to me , and I am vrell ~0 1 eas e d with it, j u s t as mos t people are well p l eased v:i tb. tlle single, sunny s ide of the moon. Wherefore should I go need l essly beyond the luminous disc into t he darkness and co l d behind?" (Canton, wm. Children• s Sayings , ·13 , 44.) "Characteri zation i s a l ways in danger of becoming caricature in . the clescri}.ltion of a ~o ecu li ar peop l e , and much h&.s been wri t ten of these Hi ghlanders ·Nhich has become caricature ." (Ryder, Chas.J. , quot ed i n Harl an ' s Mountain Peop l e of Ky . ) "My object in visiting Cor sica was to study t b.e r emoter regions, where t.h.e peop l e and tJ:J.e landscape have the charm of originalit y . 11 {Vuilljo;r·,Gaston. The Forg0tt en Isles.) "And Moses sent them to spy out t he land of Canaan, and said unto them, Get you ~ this way southward, and go ~ into the mountain; and see the land, what it is; and---=che people that dwelleth "'tile rein , whether they be Strong or weak, few or many; and what the land is that they dwell in, whether it be good or bad; and what cities they be that they dwell in, whe t her in tents, or i n strong holds; and what the land is, whether it be fat or lean, whether there be wood therein or not." (Numbers, XIII, 17-20.) . I MOUNTAINEERING. Limits of Normal Vision wi t l1 unassisted eye, clear day and sea front , or l evel ground. -- At b.eight 0~ 5 feet the range is 2 . 96 mile(. 11 " u 20 II II II II 5 . 91 II II II " 50 11 II II II 9 . 35 II ( II II II 100 II II II II 13. 2 II II II II 5GO II It 11 tl 29 . 5 II If II " 1,000 II II If tl 41. 8 II 11 II II 5 , 000 If If II If 94. 0 tl (H~rQld , Manual Of Legal Medicine. ) SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS-- Accessibility. The best of the southern Appalachian region i s nearer the center of population of t11e United states tllan any other mountains that deserve tb.e name . Asheville is witl1.in a day • s travel :from all cities east of the Mississippi. Surprising, then, is it not, that so lit ·tle in known of this great natural playground and sanator ium? The Alps and the Rockies, th.e scotch Highl ands and the Hartz, are better kno1m by actuc-.1 t ravel, or more familiar in t ype and picture, to the American people at large than are the Black, the Balsam, and the Great smoky Mountains . our peop l e r ead more and talk more about t11e TF>ilipinos , see more of the Chinese and the Syria.ns , than of the two or three million Simon-pure - Americans who dwell next - door in Appalachia. I believe that a party of ~.v.ePag~S mountaineers ±'resh ±'rom the baclc settl ements of the Unakas, l eft to their own guidance on the streets of NdW York or Boston, would draw more stares t han woul d. 8. similar number of whites from almost any other q11arter of the earth. And yet these same odd peo:ple are more p·t.irely bred f rom: colonial American stock than any other element in our population. TOURI~G. - SCENERY. Avoiding Show- places.-- "It was on (our) consciences that (we) should vinit Linville Fa ll,s ••• long held up before (us) as the most magnificent feature of tl1is re gion, and on no account to be omitted. Hence naturally a strong ciesire to omit it . The Professor talces bold ground against these abnormal freaks of nature , and it vas not J:J.ing to him t hat the public "v-:<Ould demand th.at we s hould see Linville Falls •••• Fifty miles of sucb. trave l t o see a little water run down b.ill! Every country has a. local waterfall of which it boasts ; (we) had seen a great many . one more would add little to the ex-perience of life. 11 ( !~rner . On Horseback, 45 , 46.) so I about Bi ltmore. Mr . warner• s route was : Abingdon, va. (July 22) to Bo on~ 1 - N.e.; to Cranberry; to Roan Mt . (July 29) ; to Bakersville; to Burnsville ; Big Tom Wilson• s ; Mt . Mit­chell ; Asheville; warm Springs ; Paint Roc1~; Jonesboro , Tenn.; Union ; Bristol . t< ZJu : ~j,_ j. .... ~~~~.L ~t' ''Q~-~ 1-~·" "qt.;..,..;;._~~,, ~~- 1 TRAILS . - - HIKING TRI PS . I Tramper's Trail;. Through. The I . North Carolina Highlands :1\ot Marked as ln Korthern Mountains, but Path's arc \Yol·th Explolthag for \'ide Ylews and \Yild !'asses. BY MELLINGER E. HENRY, in N. Y. Evening Post. The north.ern hiker, can, I believe. find many trails to h;s liking in the highlands of ::\orth Carolina. Some disappointments will be met with. The trails are rarely blazed or mark­ed in any way. I have not seen any so in di cated. There are practically • no lodges for sleeping purposes. Hik­ing apparently is not so much of a business in the Southern mountains; owing to the climatic conditions, these mountains a re often cu'tivated and used for orchards or grazing purposes to much higher alt~tud es than they are Jn any of the northern mountains. They are also more thickly populat.;d. Yet these are wlld and attractive trai ls. The scenery is magnificent. 'l'he a t mospheric cond itio'n lends a pecu:iar charm to the panoramic \ 'Jews, tor these mountains cover a great area and do not lie in per­ceptible ranges They a ppear as one vast whoce, through they are dl s t ln· gulshed as ranges by natne, such r~s. Great Smoky, the , Bald, and t he Stone. It superb scenery of mountain, over-topping moul}iain reachinll' !nto several States boyond North Carolina has charm for the hll<er, her" he will revel in ae wild and enchantlnll: beauty as can be found anywhere in the United States. Overnight Ride From New York If you will tak., the train In :-<ew York at 1:10 p.m . and arrive at Dia<'k Mountain at 10 :25 the next mCJrnin~ . you will be at a ~ro od starting poont for many hikes. I shall spe a k · e>! only those trails that I have been over mysecf. (1) Ride to Montreat 1>Y automobile (50 cents)• and there tn.l'e the trail to Greybeard (5,600 feet). 'rhe View frim the top is magnificent and ex­tensive, and it will g!ve yon th" lay of the lancl. (2) 'rhe way to P innacle and Mount l'vl itch ell (6,711 feet), the hi <; h~st peal< east of the Mississippi River, lies be­for you a nd is easy to follow from t he summit of Greybearcl. l have not cllmbed Pinnac'e, but I am told that an ex.cel!ent trail leads to the too. ThP trail to Mitchell affords the hiker such a succcf's:on ot panoramie views as he wil l hardly meet with any­\ ·hcrc. One after th~ other will ao­l1(' ar, " ·indjng s"~annanoa RiYer, Rainbow Gap, Point L ookout, Brushy Mountain, Sourwood Gap, Old Fort in the d : stan-c~. Long Gap, L ittle and Big Slaty, l\li'l Creek Spring, An­drews Geyser, Div:din&' Oce~n. Gulf ·waters. Cragg y in the dlstaance. Table Rock, Grandfather Mountain. C'ingman s Peak, Pota to Knob and Blackstock Knob, At the summ it the view extends i!'.to many States. At Camp Alfce, one mile from the top, the-re arc tents, " 'here you may ~ecu~;e lodgings, but it is expensive . Most campors sleep in the open. (3) '\V irh Montreat as a base you can make you r way to Lookout and the nce over var:ous trails of Brushy, l~adin g to Uidg ecrest and back to Montreat by trails presenting mag­nifi<~ ent \·iews. (4) From Black Mounta in you may enter Lal<ey's Gap and pass by trail to Chimney Rock throu~rh as superb scenery as any that may be seen In th:s mountain country. In !leu or a lodge, as the t r ip is too long for one day, ~-ou may stop at Mr. Ledbetter's, about four miles before you come to Bat Cave. (•5) From Chimney Rock you can easily make the summit of Sugar Loaf Mountain, whi ch is not quite 4,000 feet. but offers remarkable view9. At Bat Cave take t he road to Ed'ney­ville. Ask the direction to Sugar Loaf. Part of your way will be by real mountain trail; some of it wiJI be by mountain r oad. Don't miss the s view from Sunset. about a mile from the summit. nor the one at the Edge " of the Worlcl. (6) Frorn BC' ~ cave ~y ou may pass up Hickory -:-:ut Cap and a short dis­tance above T om '" Spri ng take the trail over Bear ''~'all ow Mountain. (i) From Black Mountain. again you may take thP trail to Catawba Falls, ride to Rld~:ecrest, take the r trail just, beyond Ridgecre"t on your right a s you come from, Bla~k )foun­tain. It begins at a sprin g, enters the rhododendron-coveud path passes up a ravine to t he le'dge of the mountain. Thence your way lies to a ''ou r left straight down to the wlld ravine. (8) From Black Mountain vn•· should al.so, for the sak,e o f the views, make the short higes tn Brown's Pasture. '.rurlrey Rid!l'e and High Top, b All can be done in a halt day. . (9) For longer hi.kM, take the road 5 t') Montreat and turn up th e ~orth 5 Fork to Ernest Walker's. He will 0 · dlrec't you to the be!rt trails over the Craggy Mountains and you may leave h with him what you do not wish to e carr y. A Reries of sevPral days' hikes 1 might he made from this pOint. Through Mountain Pass From -:-:ew York you can also go direct by good train to -John son. City, Tenn. There you will take the riarrow gua.gc E. T. & \V. -:-:. C., to Shulls' :\fills, ::\. C.. you will pass through d such a mountain ~orgc a" you have never seen. From Shulls' Mills sple n­did hikes may be had to Blowing Rock. Llnvllle. l ying directly hetwe-;n the Blue Ridge a nd Stone ::\Iountam range, and the summit of. Grand­fath<> r Mountam. the latter bem~r a dandy climb. A good centre froln which to make the start is ,fta!le Crucis. From .Johnson City you m" y take the Clinchfielcl . . Cincinnati & Ohio Rai lroad te> Spnvoe Pine. or Alta Pass through ,·:ild. rugged and magnificent ' scenerY. From either Gf these po1nts You m·ay hike to the Bald l\lountain and Stone )lountain rar,ges. A most attractive bike i" on e to Little Swit­zerland. where you may remain for the night. There, perhap~. you will want io take the trail t" Linville Falls. If you car e to take the bu~ a t Ashe­, ·iJic to Waynes,·iiie ($1.50 round trip) you wiJJ be near thP Great Smoky i'vlountalns, ·where th ere a.re rnany wild mountains and mountains wit h­out t rails, but these I ha\·e not ex• plored. Fur bearing, with web feet and able to fly by distending their stomacl'ls members a new t y p e o! bird or animal are puzzlin g soo­logists ln I<'rcnch Cochiu, China. Xat!Ye . villages of Africa have been visited and torn .to pieces by elephants. Ce ;uNDAY, APRIL 20, 1924 The Appalachian Trail By PAUL M. FINK , I forest to forest, cannot do other When the Appalachian 'l'ra il, a pro- than help develop the recreational Jeot fathered by Benton MacKaye, ot uses for which the :National l!'orests the American Inst itute of Archtects 'are open to the people. 1 reaches completion it will afford fo~ I Passing along the crest of th the hiker, tramper and other· lovers Great Smoky range on its wa-y south· of the mountains an almost into>r - ward, the Appalachian 'l'rail will lea l rupted thoroughfa re, extending from through the center of a territor ' Mt. Washington, in the White Mo•tn- where it is hoped to "etabl!sh a: Na tains of New Hamp.hire, the highest tiona! park. Here, in a section far peak !n ·the New England states, less well known than many spot down the sk.yline along the crest or whose beauty does not begin to equ the Appalachian mountain system, to it, is the grandest and most majes I its I!OUthern terminus at Loolwut tic scenery in the southern moun­Mountain. In the foothills of no.rth· tains-a land ?f towcing peaks and ern Georgia . high, sharp n dges, deap ravines, I A goodly portion of the northern veritable canyons, in whose depths end of the trail has alrea 1y been con- are countless crystal streams, . and structed, is marked by directing over it all a mantle of virgin forest, signl;loards, and is now In dally use hardwood and conifer, where one by trampers. In the ce'ltral and may travel for miles without en­southem sectors, where the idea is counte1·ing any signs of humanity. more novel and where th<' mountains Vi'ith this magnificent specimen o! are not so widely used for purposes the grandeur or the ~>Outhern moun­of recreation the· greater part of the tams enclosed with the boundaries work done h~s conshjted of scou ting of a National Park, it would !1e made and locating the route which the accessible 1:o the travel!ng publ!c, completed trail will follow. now unaware of the rare scenic South ot Virginia through which treat concealed· among the hllls. state it mainly follo'ws the divide of. 'l'he interest displayed ln New the Blue Ridge 1 tho Appalachian England and the eastern states in Trail continues with the same range the use of the mountains for pur­until It reaches- the highest peak or poses of camping, ·outing and reore­the Blue Ridge, Grandfather moun- ation has not• yet been fully awak­taln, near Linville, N . C. Here it ened in East 'l'enne~see, due not so crosses over the valley lying between much to a lack of appreciation o! and climbs to the summit of the the beauties of nature and tile ad ~ wider, higher and more majestic vantages of life In the a.ut-of-doors, Unakas, rern.alning with this range, as to the inaccessibility of the over its various segments, the north- mountains. The . construction of ·the ern Unakas, the Balds, Great Smol;:ies Appalachian Trail down the unaka<• and Southern Unakas, foilowing the should do much to develope the use divide Jyihg along the Tennessee- of our hill country, for the main •.rrail North Carolina: state ine until Geor- with its tributary paths boy which it gla is reached, where It swings west. could be easily reached from the cen­ward to Lookout. mountain, overloo)L. ters of population, will enable any I ing Chattanooga, I tramper to pene~rate the heights with 1 A large portion of th::. southern a minimum o! diffic ulty, and the park of the trail lies within tha presence of signs plainly marking the boundaries or the various National various trails would g1·eatly lessen forests. Here excellent trails and the present danget·, often serious ot paths have been cut by the U. S. straying from one's path and bec~m­Forest Service, and these, joined by lng lost in some unfrequented local­the m a1n pathway that will lead from ity. .::10 NMO~ S N!lV3~5 ")I ·1 ;,u:~3,0 'A3,NO:> · ~ "M NY~~:YH:::> '.U::IVHd3)4 3::)'Vti0H N3WU301\f .:10 OH\108 S~"i ..... IIIIM "cl ·o LANDLORDISM . MAYOR 0 . ~WILLIAMS BOARD OF ALDERMEN HORACE KEPHART, CHAIRMAN w . T .. CONLEY. CLE RK I. K . STEARNS -..__ TOWN OF BRYSON CITY, NORTH CAROLINA \ IMPEDIMENTS TO TRAVEL. (h-i/-19 b !1../ 0 ~ J ~ .. l({,kr'f .2¢3 See ROADS . -- TRAILS . ( 1 ~ The back country is rough indeed_. No bicycle nor autom~~ile can enter it . No boat nor canoe can stern its brawling waters. :No coach nor hack can endure its roads . You may penetrate some distance into.~.;t]lis region by lumber wagon ; thence your trunlt can be dragged ~e further by a steer l1i tcl1ed to th.e settler ' s little sled. This finds you in t11.e backwoods. The wilderness is yet beyond. The greater part of i t can be reached on horse or mul e- ba ck, by f ollowing the herd.srnen1 s trails ; but to explo1,e it thoroughly, or to hunt or fish in i , ~1y.s t de:9endrof caurs.~ u:oo.n ,y:_our_.or :tJ.'iQ legs.._ ~ ~ :.; v ~ J ~(., .;A.. lC Jl.z> O'W'>"o' ~ ~ ,.,... 1'V\,.(,. :' "The difficulty ~f getting feed for the horses ~as chronic all through tlJ.e journey." ( w.a..rn§..r_. On HorsebacK. ) The cb.ief' reaRon why tb.e more isolated. parts of the south, where tlJ.ere is fine scenery, unspoiled forest , e.nd :fair hunting and fishing, remain unknown to tour·ists is that the a:rrproaches are so unattractive. The bre.nch railroads 2.re of the "jerkwater" type , slow, unreliable, with dangerous roadbeds , ramsb.acl~le Gngines , and filthy co8.Cb.es:-' Th.e hotel s , outside of a f'e-0r chief toiv:ns or popular rGsorts , are almost unLformly bad-- many of them are sirn-oly vile. It is not once in a blue moon that one can get a decent meal or clean sheets . Often the dusty wayfarer must stir up 2. most unwelcome bustle before 11.e can get so much as soap, water , and tovv-els . To demand a fire in one• s ro om on a cold evening is almost an impertinence . A..nd dirt- el:il~" ·is· ~·t.:!f:. ~~®-1.- 'Pe .s~~~ ~- A- ~ ,.... ~"6! -- , A Professor in the University of North Carolina stopped a t a 11hotel" in the Piedmont . At dinner he faced a wretched mess , and had to contend for it with an army of sticky and insistent f lies. Beh.ind him s tood a bare-legged s lattern l anguidly \"'iielding a "fly- flaJ)per" without sensible effect . The door to the kitchen onened and revaaled a frm-,rzy head , while ~shar. ... 9 voice threatened, "You- Sall stop :pickin• 'YO' nose. ]:anc;i the gent..; eman some bJead. I' 11 ,k.nQck yo • under the tabl)! " {4u-~.~tJ JQ, .a~ {( 1f..L ~~ ~ ~ ~ --F!J ~ t_--r-:r $...;..... "" tcw- ~ ~ """ --4&. ~ +--- ~ ~ ~ :a;- to~." ;) r )vM1o' ;.t:;:> P~ Jh,t«> 4~ (I ._ ~ W. ..... ~-·o{o.._~ ~ "Jko -t~-~c4c ..." '... tic:::> 1v-v.li ~ ,....v(,-,_.d; ..., .J..­~~ c:r.:_:::.; ;;_...._ ~ )k;.) /6---..._r--l~" (k}~$,~J'- ~~<:) /24r t-+.:J'/_ r.~f~~ 4 4W ~..a.~;.....~,)"~~~ lt;:'-.,L-~ o.L~ ~ ~ __;, ./t'fr .......... ~ ~ , {.~~, w.J. ~ ~.1.. ~-1.-L:J !J'(.... .£;j;:) P,..-J-4..£.~ IJ Jl_.-,,..,.,,(> ,aJ-t:-:::1 .J.u~J':J . .,;:;£{;:,:.. ..,.;:-....,. 1- j;f;;:, 1JIA1:(;.../"'?'"""-; .R-;>Gd~ "of..,, j ......J .t :J..f.. _t~-.,.,.A£t. ..... +: ~a"' 11 .-t.:tt;,.:;....tl<... -..~. *" 1. ...... 1 ')H.~'1~--...t-~ ·- ./....,.,( · {k~t.-~,1t,..r. o.. .. .~<<,.;Y~' 2.a4) .su.p.43/. SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS. "The vastness of the mountai n region which has enveloped t1lis portion of our fellmv countrymen has been concealed by the fact that it was parce.led out among so many different commonweal tb.s. The mountainous back yards of nine states abut upon the lofty r i dges wh.ich separate the Virginias, beund. Kentucky on the east, divide Tennessee f'rom North Carolina, and end in Georgia and Alabama. There are some t wo hundred mountain counties , covering a territory much l arger than New Engl and. This is one of God•s grand divisions, " and in default ef any other name we shall c all it Appalachian America. (Frost,w,a, in Atlantic Monthly, 83 :311.) The greater part of t he region now_ occupied by the southern mountaineers was :formerly held by the Cl1.erokee Indians, the nucleus of whose settlements see~ to have h een on t he Tuckaseegee River in western Nort11. Carolina. About t housand o:t' these Cherokee still live on the Qualla boundary in STiain and Jackson c ounties , North carolina, which ~vas t heir final strong11old against the \'!hites and is the only :9art of their domain t l1.at has been continuously occupi ed by t11e Cherokee since prehistoric times. I t was in this region, or ~ near it, that tl1ey enterta i ned tl1e f irst white men, Hernando De soto and hi s fellow gold-seekers, in 1540. {~~·~J) Two maps of t~1e ancient country of the Cherokee are pub lishecl in Mooney• s 11 J,fyt11s of the Cherokee. If KentuCkjL Mnunta_ins._. - - "The permanent settlernenJG o:f t his terri tpry really dates from the year 1800, for a.t that date t11e moun€1t)in region was reported under the f'our names , Fleming, Floyd, Knox and Pulaski, witb. a 'POPUlation of 9 ,764 ; the population of the state at that time was 220 , 995." (Haney. Mountain Peo __ le of Ky. , 16. ) (.~) : 3 o 0 2.'f . 2.] 3 i'3,37(. "3 , 03'J ,t3S" ew. ?.t r.. ~·-· 3s­U' 4b 2.!( lt 2.6 - 17 ~~ € ~~~- ... 1A}, y •. ..._t;;:_ 1<:1 • ~ ~~ v- _q......k;;;._ ~ 1 ,...:.J.JL_ ~. ~...t;;;... 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'hvl-- ~- " . 6,.!'99-.. ~~. lO ,, () 13 ~-~f~. .. 6,61/..- ~~ ~~~. f4f~~ (1. G, I.! .I'- - (( 6,.2.?~ « 6 •. 2.1~ .#A- lh'I-Y- 4 G,J.o3J {is>( ale "t. 1\W;~~. 6,.!'-9/.-..J 6,.2AJO ~~~· (t ~~ (( "'-·"'· 6 • .2 2.6 If¥~ - 6,3/3 _, N-Wa~ ~- 6,61'1-.. ~~,(. tt ~ .. G, #03..., I< (o,!> JS: ''hlk: ~ e. 6,/DQ ~~ l\ 6,t,S.'} 'IM--,9-~ ~- ,,U-J ~~ .. / 6,/l;.t ~/ol.;t..~ ~ {t..Grr~ • \)< ti . ~ 6.711~ f-~ -s. 6,3'13~ ~ e. - 6,370-.J ~It/:¥-~ 'h. 6,2.1'7 ~~ " G,~:J. ~qr~ « 6,o:u ~~e.../.. (t - 6.44" .. -J ~~rr.,. (o t;,,o'J6 - · ~. : -~cr ... n.nct tnri[HJJ.>ed, ~1r; dn~cribncl Rr)ove ; but I rtrw.lly found a mm1 i .n n. li ttl mounta:Ln tm·:n · i n Fonns.ylv~nin r:ho un,l~;rntoocl what I wan Leci and know Y:o':l t o rr~}~c: it . ""~ .,, !"ld- .:-1\.- .1,. () .;,..J t-" "' ;•..) Q· \!,.,... :l l"'n0 1 "°' ..L ..., '"-'«t" lt'•-l- ·r: -d. 1 1' V Qc,•, , rou(~n looking n~>+~"J l·r~ "" 'out -rort• , !10"'8 tl1 ·:'\n '111 t')n o+'r·-·r· ~-untl. llr' · .. 'll·H,"'I ..... 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It ~r.c..:.. .l l ci 1~·we .one r,c;o.vy ~~ ~aclc 2 Y'f or :-s inchen J.onc , tom1xn·od for cutting 1 'a·· l -:'r' .... ' n.•'t ·r'' 1t tl- , •'t cl· ·'nou<;'• . ··t t . ,..,l · ck . .... 1,~ .;. ,-.v ''11 ···}~ J· \.;-....,1 lo< l (1, t• ,_,l.,., ~ ','--- ,.,_ ~n. \:, 0 L !J.O , 0 ·" ,_, "- .~0 u .,_,J.{lo. ' ·' •. !=J. I.:J 'J.<AC. 0 thnt w:ilJ. ta}:e a .keen ecl.:.;o ahd t<.cop · it:. bo · nor..u id- ~,-.•nb 1·r .... ~ ,., ...... ; ,.,1-' t,... ...,.,.1 ' t•~ ...,t of' t·n· ·· _.·~.-,.., t '11 ;{'r·l; .("..-. '~-)"-'- t'' (_, 1 '1 l'a"' ·o lr> 'l' e I ~ .. ,J..t_ .•. :. .;. ,A.«.;.Ir..J ,.._ l _\. # .0.!.(41-J.. J...,f.l _' t~, I).£J.\"'\"' I 7_. - -1.....1.\:i ' l~(.l ... ~ ... -C. Q\ .~. j ''·\. .J J ~·evco. t , sno·iJ.ld bo ti::.ic:i<., so that it can be Uf>eci on neasonecl onk or .~·.l.· c-,..-,· ,"._.._,.,. 'Y ,..;,..·ll.~,.. l ..·. o. ut t",'.l' t''~'-··f-'· X' t'r1.·;.· ·1..1. '·I·l(_·:-,r t-_--l\-; C,O·,..t., . .f•~ 0""· ·0",.0',- -.-.:.~',tl·.·i.·fp:: ., .·' Li·, • rJn •Ic-• C.., b1•--- H· t :;at teJ::•:J. i s d.n 1:casy opcne1~ 11 , .. .. yndoh ims part o:f' the 1l<'..ndlc cut crfay rw t l:nt o~w cn.n orxm tl1e la~: go blade w:Lt'ilout W';ing h h~ J'insor J.ails, • _, .; (>h ~1"''" 'oe '·'l""t r .,,- oo+'t )-• 'r))''-{ ttlc. -+'-·>o't'· CC)] d T1'('l'"" c•'·r-1: 1 (1 b""' ·, . ~l ~;.:. ! 1 (4.:/. ~, I, \., ,-~.L L\.t •) .;... f ( J.. .. L '" .l . .L .1~! . .. • J . _, 1.._; d-! n..Jt ... ( l... \~; ·nt·) ".. J'l 1C·-l ..·i .· r·) "... -':'"1-~{c'3\"'-";;'c"-t" on.o. t'1l nl-;; 'Jh..-U...J,..!.{..·t' 1'"\j' 1I·o_; "\~'~-o;<;a, r•· on,l..\...• , ,•",) "IJOc'i-\1·-,_-, ,tc~,} tn,A.. rld _1._ )J.-l~·' r0· ·tJi "1 'l' ·..;,,,.. 1·,.i.l. hand 17·rnry ''·'.-.C>Cl'~l'1'..,11 ,.,nOtJlCl C"1J•r·~r .... ;1ntC"'<·'t ~·-'lrl' 1 ,..., ,,,,C.ll]t·' ' )e "'' cr·'l t ... j v,\.- "l.' .~ . <.' _ .s_l. . t.. • ;: <.(. ... t..J.. J J.J. 1. J ' c ... .t. \. j,. ,,:-;; • ,; .. ) . .. t L ( .. l.•.) - - • in ~elect ing it · teal (1!.1-:}m.:;:.~"''7:i-~. as !w j_s :Ln ;;uytng Q sun. You ::my ;,cw nllJ. then 11c~u· HO:-r/;bod.;r J.ecla:ce t l".c:.t a r:r-~~vy hunting imi:f.'c will llo ~~ll t11e worK ti:.<lt n. " rccl~et f.tXe 11 can u ... , ·mci mt:.n:r t:t~inf')s tl:at tLe ::r:,tel:nt can not tlo ~. 't'J1i ~~. :t~·) (~(;).uP ir:r:. . · • Jte£1 it e·o!I.e:n to <!J. c~lv in e t!flJ."'o;:.~"'~1G , uhop-~. s i~·~"L•(C,' l.1. -~- ..i..• ~1 •( 1... ]. . .·.i.T..... •l.rQt ' 1)] ...,.,.]- 'lr.• "'1.'"(" 0 .• •. , .·Lv;na i·on·~ . f...A.J ... .... .&. ;.::;;_1 U \, · .. ;~ ' U . .J..- ....!.- 0 n ... ; ,.tJ P~ZR or trnp stnkoA , nnd ,_ .. ·~ r.lo {\ • . ,.., .-.... 1 . 6.;, b . ,. -ot .. f~ f' . -,) (). r-.L~--~,lu,J .~1_) · ••• ].JO:..t<:.O ._l .... , , tL~; 1-:ni:.fc ncvn::.· ·::;.:.s r'l:-vle · thn.t cG .... l J. compare r.'j_'tll 0 1.·:ell- nad.o t.omahn.vrl:. . T:l''1 coc.r::.on :natchetB oi' t:"e ::-:nr.:l:"ETO stores n.1·o U.i.1i:'i t · fo~c vJoocls:.len ' :: use . 'I'11ey n:..:·e 1aci.e fo.L' d_rj_vir!g na1. lt~ arid ~.-: t SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS- - Exploration-- Early Botanists. William Bartram, the botanist , was the first scientist who visited t lle so . Appal. Visited the Cherokee cou.."ltry in the spring of 1776 . Followed the Tennessee River to the borders of present Tenn. , and explored some of the higb.er mountains in the neighborhood . "He also notices -the remarkable intermixture of the vegetation of the north and south. which occurs in th.is portion of the rnou.iltains , where Halesia, styrax, st.uartia, and Gelsemium ( althougl1 the latter~is l\:illed by a very slight fros t in t11e o-:oen air in Pa. • ) are seen f lourishing by tl1.e side of Bircb.es , Ma-ples, and Firs of canao.a." Andr~ Michaux visited the same region in April, 1787, ancl again in the autumn and winter of 1788, and in 1789, 1790 , and 1794-6 , explored the high mountains of N.c . In 1794 he ascended the Grand­father Mountain, of which he writes , "Monte au sorrnnet de la -plus h.aut montagne de toute l•Am~rique se-pten~rionale , chante avec mon compagnon~ guide l •lwrnne de Marsellois, et erie, • Vive la Liberte et la R~pub­lique Franraise.•" He traveled under the auspices of the French government and at its expense. Jol1n Fraser explored the mountains in 17891 and again, under the -patronage of the Russian goverrunent, in 1799; also in later years. He was an English botanist. The younger Michaux (Fran~ois Andre) acconrpanied his father on some of his earlier journeys; visited the mountains alone in 1802 . John Lyon ex-plored them in the first decade of the 19th century. He died at Asheville sometime between 1814 and 1818 . Th.omas nuttall crossed the mountains of Nortll Carolina from the west in 1816 . · (Gray , Asa. scientific ~apers,II,22-34 . ) Gray himself made a botanical tri-p to the mts . in the suw~er Of 1848. de So to arrived at"' Qua:lia Town( " ~ove th~' 1u.:ftee and Tucl:;:ase.egee rivers,\ "'al}d· remaine'd ' ~ r tive 6f t'e Gentleman chap . xv. ) NORTH CAROLINA MOUNT AlliS. North. carolina i s a ~~ state. Fr om Hatteras wes t ward i t is more t han five hundred miles to where the Hi wassee cuts t hrough the Unaka Mountains into Tennessee . · Thus the Old North state spans almost f rom the longitude of Phi ladel phia t o that o:f Cincinnati. (Cf. Di ary , I , 42 ; II , 77 . ) The ar ea of t he Nortl1. Carolina mountains is approximately 6 1 000 s quar e miles , or nearly f i ve t i mes the space cover ed. by the Wb.i te Mount ai ns . o:f New HaJTIP shire. The ave.ra_ge. elevation is 2, 700 feet, ~·~~c;'f 1 ;jl; Jt:v ~ 1)-Jtv~~~ tf~.-...4. ~...,.,.JJ;r SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS-- General Configuration. In southwestern Virginia the Blue Ridge and t11e Alleghanies coales ce; but from this point southerly they again spread a:part, the Blue Ridge retaining its name, but the northwestern :t•ange , corres:ponciing to the Alle~nies of Pennsylvania, is 11 cut apart into segments " by various rivers flowing through it, aJ.1d these seg,.ments have individual nrunes, the I rort,~~naka, Bal d , Great Smoky, and (southern) unaka Mountains. · Wh e~ speaking of the north-.,Jestern chain in general , th.e Carolina mountaineers call it ''the Alle&11.anies'; but the topographers of the u . s.Geological survey prefer "the unakas." The southwest front of the Blue Ridge is steep, rising abrupt ly from t he Piedmont pl ateau. Similarly the northwest fa ce of the Unakas i s a s t eep escarpment. The Blue Ridge has only seven peaks that rise above 5 , 000 feet, whereas the Unakas have 125 summits exceeding 5, 000 feet, and 10 t hat are over 6 , 000 feet. Connecting the Unaka chain with the Blue Ridge are several transverse ranges , t11e stone, Beecb., Roan, Yellow, Black, lifew Found , Pisgah, Balsa111, Cowee , Nantal1a1a, Tusqui tee , and a few mi nor mountains, which 11as a whole are much higher than the Blue Ridge," 156 sammits rising over 5, ooo feet , and 36 over s , ooo feet above sea level. ~ - Now here is a curious thing. Al t 110ugh the Blue Ridge is lower and less massive than tb.e Unakas , llbwer, even, than the connect-ing chains, it still is the watershed of tl1is whole mountain re gion. Not one river cuts through the Blue Ridge. The streams rising on its northwestern front flow down into the central plateaus, and :ta ao thence cut their way through the unakas in deep and precipitous gorges, draining finally into tb.e Gulf' of Mexico through the Ohio and Mi ssissippi rivers . ;v:~rse walJ.ed in "Certain types of surface •prevail throughout tb.e mountain dis­trict. The mountai ns rest upon a low base, which varies from 1,500 to 2, 500 feet in el evation. The rise of 2, 000 to 5, 000 feet up to the surn.TUi ts is made between narrow limits, so tb.at the slopes are s teep for . th.e most part·. Narrow valleys follow the r ivers, in places from two to five miles in width, and with moderate eminences. From their borders rise t11e mountains J with slopes abruptly changing 20° or more." {Keith in 1901 Rep •t.) (Of. CAROLINA MTS .--scenery.) '7 - 1 - SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS-- Comparisons • .4w #· 3, 7, 2$: "The surface of Roan is uneven, and has no one culminating peak that commands t he country, like the peak of Mount Washington ••• The surface of the mountain is pebbly, but few rocks cr op out; no ledges of any s i ze are seen except at a distance from the b.otel.on the north side, and the mountain consequently lacks that savage, unsubduab.le aspect . i'Thich the White Hills of New Hampshire b.ave. It vmuld, in fact , have been di fficult to realize that we wer e over s , ooo feet 19 above the sea, except for that pallor in the sunlight, that atmospheric-. thinness and want of color which is an unpleasant characteristic of' )( I b.igl1 altitudes . To be sure, there is a certaj_n brilliancy in the high air-- it is apt to be f oggy on Roan-- and objects appear in sharg outline, but I have often experi enced on such places that feeling of melancholy , whicl1 would, of course, deepen upon us all if we were sensible that the sun was gradually vrithdrawing its power of warmth and light. The black balsar .is neither a cheerful nor a picturesque tree ; the frequent rains and mists on Roan keep the grass and mosses green, but the ground damp . Doubtless a high mountain covered wi tb. vegetation bas its compensation, but for me the naked granite rocks in sun and sh.ower are more cheerful . The advantage of Roan is that one can live there and be occupied f or a long time in mineral and botanical study . Its mild climate, moisture, and great elevation make it 11nique in this country for· tb.e botanist . The variety of plants assembled there is very large, and there are many , vve were told, never or rarely found el sewhere in the United states . At any rate the botanists rave about Ploan Mountain and spend weeks on it at a time .tt (Warner . on Horseback,50, 51. ) "The sw:uner weather is exceedingly uncertain on all these North carolina mountains; they are apt at any moment to be enve1o:0ed in mist ; and it woul ':i rather rain on them th.an not •••• [ From tb.e sumrni t of Roan] "We could see White Top, in Vi rginia ; Grandfather Mountain, a long serrated r b.nge; t11e twin towers of Lin­ville; and the entire range of tl1e Black ,J01mtains ••• Towards night the wind hauled round t'rom t11e south t o the north­west, and. we 1J'.rent to High Bluff, a point on the north edge , where some roclc.s are piled up .above the evergreens, to get a view of th.e sunset. In every direction the mountai ns were clear, and a view was obtained of the vast horizon and the hills and lovrlands of several States-- a continental prospect , scarcely anywb.ere else equalled f or variety or distance. The gr andeur of mountains depends mostly upon the state of the atrnospb.ere. Grandfather loomed up much more loftily than the day before , tl1e gi ant range o:f the Bl acks asserted itself in grim inaccessibili t.y, and we could see , a s1nall pyramid on the southwest horizon, King •s Mountain in south carolina, estimated to be distant one hundred and fifty miles •••• ve had, like a map below us, the low country all tb.e vvay into Virginia. The clouds ·lay lil~e lakes in th.e valleys of the lower hills, and in every direction were ranges of mountains wood.ed to the sur;llili ts . Off to the west by south lay the Great smoky Mountains , disputing eminenc€ with the Blacks. Magnifj_cent and impressive as t11.e spectacle i"Tas , we were obliged to contrast it unfavorably with that of the White Fills . The ro ck · 2 here is a sort of sand or pu~ding stone ; there is no limestone or granite. And all the hills are tree-covered. To many this clotb.ing of verdure is most restful and pleasing. I missed the sharp outlines, the delicate artistic sky lines, shar~ ly defined in uplifted bare gr anite peaks and riclges , with th.e purpl e and violet color of the northern mountains , and which it seems to me that limestone and gran­ite formations give . , There are none of the great gorges and awful .2/J SOUTIHGRN APPALACHIANS-- Boundaries , Area, Mass, Height. "The Soutb.ern Appalachian Mountains extend from Virginia south­westward into Alabama, and l ie between t11e Piedmont Plateau on the southeast and the lowlands of East Tennessee on the northwest . That this is pre- eminently a region of mountains is illustrated by the faet that t,he mountain slopes occupy 90% of the total area . 11 ~1f .'3·u; :u;,_ (Ayres &.. Ashe, 1901 Rep·· t . ) The boundary between the northern and th.e southern Appal achians is a line drawn from tb.e easternmost point of KentucKy southeastvvard t o Cape Fear . (Hayes in Nat . Geogr. soc . Physiography of u . s.) "It cthe so . Appal. region:~ has 46 p eaks , a mile or more apart, and 41 miles of dividing ridges , which rise above 6 , 000 feet; 288 additional peaks and 300 miles of divide rise more tb.an 5 , ooo f'eet above the sea . These are not only the greatest masses of mountains east of the Rockies; they are the highest mountains covered ·V'ti th hardwood forests in America." (~. Wilson in 1901 Rep• t . ) The summit of Mt . Mitchell is the h.i ghest point of land between the Bl ack Hills of Dakota and the Azores, a span of about 3,500 miles. Com;oarisons .-- ~f~,~. ....~ (6,293 feet ) It was formerly thought that! Mount Washington;.\ in New Hampshire, was the b.igl1est peak east of the 1 ~ss.:besipp.i ; but in tn.e unalc.a range and tb.e cross chains running from th.e Unakas to the Blue Ridge , in western North Carolina, there are 21 peaks b.igher th.an Mount Washing­ton, 7 of' wh.i cb. exceed 6 , 600 feet, culminating in Mount Mitchell, 6,711 feet. The Wb.i te Mountains of New Ha.nr_pshire cover only 1 , 300 square miles, and h~,ve only S~:peaks tb.at exceed 5 ,ooo feet a ltitude. Mount Marcy , high ,st of the Adirondac1<.s , rises to 5 , 344 ft., · and Ktaadn, th.e h.igl1est mountain in Maine, t o 5 , 300 ft . 'Nl-e.-11-i.gll.es..t -:vo i-nt i ~:osy Lv.ani a -~~O'o'rr'o-,: --"";·)-)L~2,~ OA-ft8~4_;ji!-:f+.t".:·" \ if ~~ JV-1:7 J l ,l 3!:>Jr" Ben Nevis, tb.e higb.es mountain i:l1 Great Bri tai.n, is 4 , 406 ft. The Erocken, h i ghest o the Hartz Mountains, is 3,747 ft . Mount Sinai is 6 , 540 ft. In all the states north o Virginia and east of th.e ~~ there is but one peak that~ re ches 6, ooo ft ., and there are only 1'- B others t hat exceed 5, ooo ft . ( in N.H., 3 in N.Y., 1 in Me.). - 2 abysses of th@ White Mountains, botl1 valleys and mountains here being more uniform in /outline. There are few precipices and jutting crags, and l ess i s visible of the giant ribs and bones of the p lanet. Yet Roan is a noble mo·Lmt ain. • • • It i s certainly one of the mo s t habitable o:f l; i g mountains. It is roonw on top , tl1ere is space ·to move about wit hout too great fatigue, and one might p leasantly spend a season tb.ere , if he had agreeab l e company and natural tastes." (:QQ....' 52-.qt.,_,... 1t<5>6 • ) '- . J 1 . ,-f-:-. p ..._. ~~ ~....P. ,dA.l. • ~ ...: .!f, ~ALL ?Tvwr- yt,..U ,,_. v .0- t "From the peak C Mi tchellJ to tl1e Widow Pa tt en• s , where we proposed t o pass the night, is t welve miles, a distance we rode or ·scr ambled dovm, every step of t he road bad, in five and a half hours . Half way . d.ov..rn we carne out upon a cleared place, a farm, with fruit-trees and a house in ruins . He r e had been a smnrner hotel, much r esorted t o b efore the war, but now ab andoned. Above it we turned aside for the view from Elizabeth rock, ••• It is a bold roc1~y ledge, and t he view from it lool\.ing south, i s unques tiona1)ly the f inest, the mos t pleasing and .picture-like, we found i n these mounta.ins. In the foreground is the deep gorge of a branch of t he swannanoa, and opposite is th.e great ;;-vall of the Blue Ridge (the Blue Ridge is ·the most capricious ai1d inexplicable system) making off to the Bl acks. The depth of the gorge, the sweep of the sky l:i,.ne , and the reposeful a s·pect of the s cene t o the sunny s outh made this vieYr both grand and charming . Natul"'e does not a l ways put the needed dash. of poetry into her exten­sive prospects. Leaving thi s clearing and the now neglected spring , -vvhere fashion used to s l ake its thirst, we zigzagged down the mountain s ide through a fores t of trees groviing at every s tep l arger and noble1."', and at length s truck a small stream, the north. fork of the swannanoa, which led u s to the first settlement. Just at night ••• we entered one of' the most s tately forests I have ever seen, and ro de for s ome distance in an a lley of rhododendrons that arched overhead and made a bower. It was like an aisle in a temple; high overhead vvas the s ombre, leafy roof, support ed by gigantic columns . 11 (lli.l..,l02, 103.) "The s UJr.mit cof Mt. }lfitchellJ is a nearly l evel spot of some thirty or forty feet in extent ei tb.er way , wi tb. a f loor of' rock and loose stones . The stunted balsams have been cut 8.way so as to give a view. The sweep of prospect is vast, and we could see the whole horizon ex c e~t in the di re~ti on of Roan, whose long bulk was enveloped in cloud. Portions of' six s tates were in sight, we vrere told, but that is merely a geographical expr ession. What we saw, ·~vherever we looked, -~vas an inext r·i cable tu.mble of' mountains, without order or leading line of direction,-- domes , ~9eaks , r i dges, endless and count­less , e verywhere, some in shadow , some tip:ped witl1 shafts of sunlight , all wooded or green e,nd b l c.clc, and all in more softened. contours than our Northern hi lls, but still wild, lonesome , terribl e . Away in the s outhwest, lifting thernsel ves up in a glemn of t he ·western sky, t11e Great smoky ~.Jountain s loomed like a frowning continental fortress, sullen and r emote. With o lingrnan and Gi bbs and Holdback r.Hallbacl\.J pealcs near at h<:md and apparently of' equ a l height, Mitchell seemed only a part and not s eparate from the mi ghty congregation of giants ." ( DQ. ' 97 ' 98 . ) ·~ ~ t~ ~ ~·" ~·(/lt-'.1 f..kJ~ {!,17tJ!)• .2/ CAROLINA MOUNTAI NS-- Scenery. ~I+· 3, 7) 19-:1./. 11Frorn any commanding poi nt along the UnaKa Range t here may be seen stretching to the east and south a great sea of peaks , r i dges , and domes . There is no d.ominating range , but most of tb.e peaks reach nearly the srune altitude t and appear like the waves on a choppy sea, range after range growing less and less distinct , until their out­lines are barely distinguishe.ble from the blue sky at the horizon. The cultivated valleys are generally hidden frem vi ew, and exceyt for an occasional clearing on tb.e mount ai n sides, and the grassy • balds • on a few of the 11igb.er domes, the whole region appears to be covered with a fores t mantle. Only rare ly does a ledge of naked ro cl<:. appear tb.rough tb.e vegetation; so tb.at the slopes are smoothed and softened, and the landscape lacks the rugged charact er of unfores t ed mountain regions . The atmospheric effects also tend to produce the same r-esult. The blue haze which is almost never absent from tb.is region, and which is recognized in the names of both the Blue Ridge and the Great smoky Mountains , soft ens the details of objects conrpar­ati vely near at hand, and gives tb.e effect of great eli stance to pea1cs but a few miles away . By reaso11 of this atmospheric effect these mountains of only moderate altitude often afford more inrpressive views than heights and distances two or three times as great in the clear air of the West . " (Hayes , c. w. in National Geograpllic society . Physiography of t he U. S. N. Y., l896 . p . 324. ) (C f . style of stevenson, Ruskin, Muir, van Dyke , etce Effects of Isolation , Mystery , gentle and luring Soli tucte , Expansiveness , Profound) Depths , nearness to Sky and stars • ..._.s.-.-(J. 81. 'A~-':$ "-...A-...t.. rt.. ..... .,,_ . (Contrast of White Mts . - - ) "The soil is poor and gravelly, but the slopes and lower peaks are forest - covered, only the higher peaks ris ing their bare, rocky summits above tb.e timber line. 11 (~ r.n:t.... Q.]:tl. ) "The 11aziness of t11e atmosphere ••• often limits the distance of' distinct v:Lsion, but it combines with the forest cover to soften the d.etails and to render this souther n Appalach.ian landscape attractive beyond comparison. This succession of ridges and peaks, seen tb.rough it from an eminence, rising one above and beyond another for 50 or 100 miles or more , ir:rrpresses upon the observer in a manner not to be f orgotten the vastness of this region of mountains . " (secretary of Agric . Wilson, in 1901 Rep r t . ) 11These (mt . slopes) have a rnar1<:ed s irnilari ty throughout t11e moun­tains, whether high or low . The summits are usually rounded, and cliffs only .here and there mar the smoothness of the slopes . The general aspect of these ~1ountains is one of flo;ging curves, and tl1eir grandeur is impressed on the observer by their mass rather than by outline . " (Jreith in same . ) "Certain types of surface prevail throughout tb.e mountain dis­trict . The mountains rest upon a low base, which varies from 1,500 to 2,500 ft . in elevation. The rise of 2 , 000 to 5,000 ft . up to the surmni ts is made between narrow liEi ts , so tb.at the slopes are steep for the most pc,rt. Narrow valleys follow the rivers, in pl aces from two to five miles in width, and with moderate enunences . F~om their borders rise the mountains , with slopes abruptly changing 20° or more. 11 \lG • . ..:.1 • 10 ... 0 ' ..-.. " - ) ~'W\. ...... - .... --~~~~· (~· • ' CAROLINA HOUNTAINS -- scenery -- Winter. -------- Cf. Diary, p . 52 . Comp . Winter ways in t he mountains. {V. Garland) . Overland, n. s . , 47 : 209-(Mr .06. ) (/16-t- ~&_~ ~ )( 0 7f..,(;:;;J.t 31 a. . ~ad:i;. qb H.,~' 37h· ~· ..MAa:. ~e~. ~· ~~ ..;;_~~. ?f-lu;.,., I ~' ~' MOUNTAllfNS-- Origin. : . . < i: .... ~he central mass of the earth is slowly cooling and consequently contracts; but the crust remains of the same temperature and 11ence of the same dimensions. 11This being so, under the overwhelming force of' gravity one of two things must happen: either ( 1), parts of tb.e crust must break off and sinl\. below the rest ; or ( 2) , the surface must tb.row itself into folds. 11 In the first ca se 11 t he parts which have not sunk, or which hE.ve sunt. less than the rest , remain as tabular mountain masses , more or less carved into secondary b.ills and valleys by the action of rain and rivers •••• The relative differences of' level of' land and sea are , in the main, due not to elevation but t o lovvering. " .•• "It used to be supposed that mountai ns were upb.eaved by volcanic action," but , as a general proposition, this is not true . "Volcanoes are due to the folding and crushing, not the folding to the volcanoes. ·As the crust of the earth cooled and solidified, certain portions • set• , so to say , sooner than others ; these form buttresses , as it were, against whicb. the surrounding areas have been pressed by lat er movements . " ••• •The great mountain ranges ,• says Sir A. Geikie , •may be lool\.ed upon as the crests of the great waves into which the crust of' tl1e earth 11as been thrown. • • • • • Tl1e true mountain ranges. . . are the continents, on which most of the so- call ed mountain ranges are mere wrinltles." •• • "When an app l e dries and shrivels in winter, tl1.e surface becomes covered with r idges ;" and so with the earth. (~ Avebury , scenery of F"..o.gland . ) "While the primary configuration of the country •s surface is no doubt due to tectonic causes , tb.e present surface is mainly the result of denudation. our mountains, even tb.e lofties t , are not parts of the earth• s surf·ace which have been raised highest but those which have been lovered least ." (same . ) / MOUNTAI NS-- Age . "When we regard the surface of' the eart h we are impressed by a feeling of' :permanence and antiquity . If we i!7isb. to give an idea of' strength and df' age ·ve say as • firm as a rock, • or • as old as the hills. • In fact, however, no roclc is firm, no hills are old. Granite cru..rnbles away, 8.1'1d tb.e b.ills are carried. into the s ea. Tl1e ocean; on the ot b.er h.and , is out side time . If we were to look baclc even but lo o, oo o y ears , the l and would show strange changes ; changes in the anirna ln , in the plants , in the mountains, and the rivers . But if' we were to go back l , ooo , ooo years , tl1e ocean would loolc just aS it ciOeS tO- d&y • II ( !&I1i. Ayebury, s cenery of' li~n g land . ) OAROJ.J I HA MOUNTAI NS-- Age . ttThe oldest series of mountains dat e back to the first beginning of' the J<;:nm•:n h i s tory of the Nor t h .American continent ••• (a. ~ - eastern base of' Appalachians in N. c. ) I n , m~Jny :p l aces 5. . they b.a.ve been worn down to t heir very r oots , and nothing but hills are l eft uhere once existed very lof ty chains . The higb.est remnants of these mountai ns are f ound in New Engl ano_ and North. Carolina. Tb.e true Appal a ch i ans were much more recent l y f ormed; but yet they are among the ancient mountains of the continent . For a long period of time t11ey alco have been exposed t o the destructive act i on of' denudation, s o t hat their or i ginal f orm i s very muc11 a l te1.. ed . They are no l onger hi gh chains, and in point of size and gr andeur bear no compari s on with such recent mounta i ns as the Rockie s , t lle Andes , or the Alps . Formerl y th.ey were mucb. b.i gl1er t11.an now, and :probably their f eatures were 1wch more like those of t lJ.e grander mountains of the gl obe . 11 ( T..ar.r.._. Elern. Phys . Geogr. ) The Appalach i ans were old, very ol d , bef ore 4llllll!e!CM~-~~--;~~<•-~ •• ,.._. • • • •~!iJnii1JJ•• U aiii tb.e Andes and the the Al ps and the Himalayas , had been squeez:ed and moul ded into :pr imal forms . (Cf. MOUNTAINS-- Or i gin.) FORESTS ( Shaler , Roosevel t . ) Analo ~m e s . -- Rock"i es, their + 11 The antiquity of th~ Al ps and the_Himala~as ~s little compared t o .. 11.at of' our scotch ana:. We l sb. mounta~ns , wh ~ ch ~ ndeed are so low because t11.ey are so old. " They have been worn to "s t u.rnps . 11 ( Lord Ayebln'V , scenery o:e Engl and.) · CHARM OF THE iYILDERNESS . Far, far away from the broken bottles and old tin cans that herald civilization. ~tJ )('~~+~~~~b~.J.-.... ~~# ~' ~. ~1w-~· ~.- ~ ~ . ~;.t. )!;..~ ~ A~ k -t. 1 v- --v.p- ...- . ~~ ~ lA~ ) &¥ "'"1-- ~~ ,{4 ........ ~...)., '1\hv<~ 1~ ~ ~ - ~ ,W...~.l-.u .. SO U T HEID~ APPALACHIANS- - Cl i mate. As compared with surrounding regions the c l i ma.te of the soutl1.ern Ap-pa.l a cb.i ans is di sti ng;uis lled by lo -~v er tenrpei·a ture bot h in summer and i n ·vvi nt er , a drier a tmos:Qh.er e ( l e ss r e l ative h.umi di t y )~ r,43) and yet a gr eat er rainfall and s nowfall, and by higb.er wind velocity . Thi s region i s out of ran ge of cy cloni c and anticyclonic s torms , which move across count ry t o the nortlTvYar d . Violent vii nd s torms ~ancl l:Jlizzar ds are uncommon. The -p r evailing winds are s outhvmst erly , /heavily l aden wi tb. mois t u r e ·from the Gulf of Mexi co . The mornings are gener ally l owery , >.-vi t.h fo gs hanging · · lo-·N, and ther e is heavy dew wh.icb. , even in compa r atively dry ·vvea t her , does not dry f'r om '·he bushes until af ter 9 a . m. On the s outhes ter n s l opes of t l1.e Blue Ri dge descends t he heavies t r ainfall of the u . s ., exceJ:>ting that of the north Pacific coast . I t is oft en of extr eme violence , as rrruch as 8 inches of rain having fal l en i n 11 11ours , 31 i nches in one mon tb.~ and 105 i nches in a year. The rai nfall on the ·vvestern s lO})e of th.e Appalachi ans is cons i derably les s , general ly averaging 40 t o 50 i nches on tle l ower l evels . The a verage rainfall of the region is 73 inches a y e a r . I t i s heaviest i tl the thr ee summer months , l east i n autumn , the amount s i n ·vvinter and spring b eing about tb.e s ame . Ashevi lle i s abnormally dry f or thi s r e gi on, tb.e a verage annua l 11recipitation b eing 42 i nches . In many of t he c entral valleys the rainfall is as ligb.t and the c limate a.s mi l d as at many points east of the Blue Ridge . The e nt i r e system i s char acterized by extremely :i:le a vy r ai nf all i n v ery sh.ort p e r iods of' t i me. ( 1901 Rep •t . ) ~ Rainf'a lls exceedi ng 10 i ncl1.es i n a month , or 2 1/2 i nches i n a day , may be called excessive . " Greely, Amer. Weat her , l 44 . ) The avera ge annual r ainfal l of New Yorlc Ci t y is 44 inches . Summit of Mt . Mi tchell , 4 months , May t o Auf,~s t,l87 3 .­Hi grws t temp., 729in July ; lmvest , 41() in J u n e . Rainfall very h eavy . Rai n f e l l on 21 days in May, 22 in June , 15 in July , 21 in August . Great abundance of' f oggy and cloudy weather; f r e tDtent l y f og and c louds be lo-..r.r sum....T!Ji t . Prevailing winds , we s terly . Average teln:per­at m:·e , 49 . 3<) May , 54 . 1" June , 56 . 4° Ju ly, 55 . 3° Augu st . (~901 Re:p • t . ) Dif f erences in temperature ar e gr eater i n surn.rner t llan i n wi nt er, so that the c l imat e of the mou..nta i ns i s more e qual:J l e t han t ha t of' t he valley s . Snow s ometi me$ f all B on the hi gher mo•J.nt a.i ns by t.ll.e 1s t of october, e.nd t he l ast Dnow may r emain until t he mi ddle of March . ):},. • ;~....:,. ;.,......,...._ t-r~;...t( r,..,. ~ '"I· The Carolina mount ains are a na t ur a l sanator iu.1·n f or inva lids who do not r equi re a dry climat e . Mal a r ia a nd mosquitoes are unknown , there b eing l ittle i f any standing 17ater. On Apr i l 19, 1900, a blizzard from t he N.W. s t ruck the Great Smokies . The wind blew a hurricane.. In 20 mi nutes everyt h i ng ·was f r<;> z en . At Siler • s meadow 17 c a t t l e f r oze to deat h i n a heap-- they cl~mbe d up on t op of one anot11er f or v.rarmt h , and thus f roze i n a J:+..e.a:p, It snowed on the 19tlJ., 20t h. , and 21s t . -ltv:.~. ,, 'fC....L-....-. &t;i. ~ -----~ Jt;i;t;;-..-A- J ~': Warner compl ains of ~1.e a t . At Boone ( 3250 ft . ) 35° to 89° on July af ternoon . "The hi gher we go, the ho tt er it is " ( Banner • s ~lk , 3500f t . ) "The sun beat down unmercifu.lly . " (Warner. on Horseba ck , ) \ ~.- rt/w k.., """ .-~c -~'.tv-::1 1fP:: Ji" +,_tf;;... ·f.--- "/t;;; .:tv ~ .,{,.'/. !fit- -,,~..._~-"'::] > ,._~...f._, I ..< '€• .« ~~ t. -,.,-c,..ttt. I A• ..&~ ilt (£ _;:;:_· ......::.U ..-...!"11.1<• M~ ){~,{._ -1.,......-.. Jim. 'h< • ~ : 1, lt-.4,;1t:;: .... 'h_.u.. ,._.). .:;, ./' .... < r, ~ .. , .. ..t .. ..J., .l "-1•1·.(_(. T.-7, lK. o . ~t;;> ~w,... .M.~-- ~-"'::! .,.... w.- ;.._'r......<t:> d ' ~ ~ r .... """·C~:*Irek,) "'1'\-o ...l.w- ~. ~ • .ajn';.y- It a{.&.~~ ... ""'~ ~ ~~- ~ ~ ~ li:;;M.. "'--1--~·" C'--: ,1,-.---; II J >fZ'-P-.d_-~· ~I "-~~ r ~ c:.o#.L :• "J~ Jl;i:u..,..;...;_ '.eJ. ~ ~ uf.~L:I . ..J I J-.. II " 11"-DL-~-~· '' q/......d-.1! -~~ ... ~ k-n ; J ~..(..d-(r ~~ liA-~ ." 1 ' 1-M- ~~ wfo ~.}..... 11'-~~1 ~,_./c.:• .• J..t-.~ ~ ... "*~ p.RJ_ e -+·" \< ~~~~~-~4. ,._~ ..._.,dr~,H ••A -4lp- o '~. " '',4 ~ ~o 'c4..A': " ~~ .... ~·, .,.;.,..,L;...· ~-" " !#- ~.,..... !:o .......;.......: c~-11 - J '' ~0. I :.t- ~ ~·;:.,. • jr ,., jf,,_ • - • ..... ;.W ... · -....:.;tJ..-~ (,-~ .... ~ ~ ~ ~-M-~. .. s~ . - t • ,. }14:- 'W'AA- ~ ..J2aJr ...:v ~ J Jt;;: • ~ .k:ir, '~ ~ 4 , _..).. JtL ~ ~ +J.. ~ ~ ~~· ~ - ~~ ~ ~ ... e.,~ !. c L -- J.«."~~ . SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS -- seasonal Cll.a.nges . 4,t. ,....!:::!!. -1~- 69'-7o. Q.m Qll_ TUckaseegee. Sep. 22 , 1904. First autu..rnn wi nd ( N. W. ) , cool and bracing . Sourwood t u rning scarlet . Persim~on l eaves falling . Ni ght cold. 5oo at daylight ; coul d see brea t b .• Light enough to see , and fi:cst bi rd chin; , 6 . 00 a .m. Davm at 5. 45 . sunrise 6 . 45 . oct . l5 . First frost . (Killing fros t at Falls of Tuckaseegee, Sep. l5 . ) Usually frost at night from this on. Had been a dro~th for two months ; many springs gone dry . oct . 23 . Leaves falling fast . Quite co l d (unco:rrlJnonl y so). · 24°at 7•a.m. Oct . 30 . A perfect Indian smnmer d ay , effect intens ified by cb.e.racteristic hazy atmospb.ere of mts . Air just cool enough to invigorate . Bright sunl ight a.no. shar:9ly cut shadows in f oreground. ; mts . not half a mile away enveloped in blue haze ; farthe r peak.s blending with. a faul tless turquoise. sh7. Medlin. Nov. l3 . Five inches snow fell during night . 27°at 7 a . m. ; 29 .. at noon; Sun enters b.ollow 9 a .m., leave s 3 :p .m. Nov. l9 . Beautiful -~'{e ather . 626 at 1 p . m., 44• at 8 . 30 p . m. Farmers busy gatb.ering corn. Christmas . 60° a t 3 p .m. Dee . 27 . Rained hard until lat e afternoon. Very warm. Dec. 2S . Coldest night so far . l6° and snowing a t 8 a .m. Jan. 3 . A foot of snow. 14oat 8 p.m. Jan. 7 . l54 at 8 . 30 a . m., 17 ~ at 1 p.m., 16 ~ at 6 p.m. , l7° at 10 . 15 p.m., l6° at midnight , l54 at 3 a . m. Jan. s . 2Pat 8 a .m., 24• at 4 p.m., l5° at 11 p.m., 15• at 1 . 30 am. Jan. 9 . snow knee- deep on ridges . Sky ashy but clear. 28° at 2 . 30 p . m. (snowing ). 26° at 9 p . m. Jan. lO . warm and f oggy all day . Light rain. Temp. near freezing. Jan. ll. 36°at daybreak. Thawed all day . Jan. l2 . snow all gone . Rained during night. Creeks booming . 49c . Sky lowering. Jan. l3 . Warm, leaden-skied, cb.anging to colder. 24" ancl snowi ng at 10 p . m. Jan. l4. 20° at 10 a . m. l7° at 8 . 30 p .m., 16 at ll p . m. Jan. l5 . 8° at 7 a .m. Climbed to Siler ' s Meadow. At summit , 4° at 5 . 30 p . m. At cabin 8" at 6 . 00 p·. m., 4° at 7 'l':J . m. Jan. l6 . At cabin, 12• at 7 •. 30 a .m. Fine, clear morning. Trees po·Qping t•rom fro st. Ice on bucKet froze l inch a COUT'le f~et in front of fire . At home, 22° at 8 . 30 p .m. (Jt. . •. ... ~?t- t:l,,.._ ! -1 -· ,,..-. (•1..':) .. ~._ .:>r.#J. ~1.. (7,) , 1 • { , i -~·/•j. /3.nJ,.... (, £ '' ''J•t , • { ,. •II) . . t<. f ,..J. (. .... -:, d<.d - II!Aui:4: ~" , ,...;-_, --~...._.. .~.-...-.u .4v .dl..~ f..t.., <~ 1.. .... ~ ~;-~ ""' --1.:.1,..,...:;,_ ..,. .. ~t; •• ,4 . I:-·*(. f..-. (:& .~, IJ.-. f.., . "~ "'") r.;:· ... • ' 6 /. r • ,, (J,,...,'_,. F'nt" ('tL.-~<f~~-/r.r45J. tf?n...;p,_ (~A..-- ~<-¥~- 2.."'. J(..-;;.~ • ..t.te._.u..· • --J,~<.~,-.·"..:J- \ ) .. SOUTI-L"ERrJ APPALACHIANS . - - .LJa li,_·ht and .lJarl<:.ness . "On tl1e edge 0 I c..'arl<. n ( Twiligh+ . ) « ~'s ~ J.~ !' (~ ~-) 1; . . \ ' CLIMATE-- Analogies ~:md Contrasts . Ire l and.-- !~uch wetter than that of England. From June 20 to oct. 20 "there vrere in 122 days , 75 of rain, and very many of them incessant and heavy . The worst circumstance of the climate of Ire­land is the constant moisture without rain. Wet a -piece of leather and. lay i t in a room 1 rhere there is neither sun nor fire and it will not, in sunrrner even, be dJ:.'Y i:t;l a month. I have had this ha!)pen myself ·vvi th a pair of wet gloves . The myriads of flies also which buz about one • s ears , and are ready to go in sl;.oals into one • s mouth at every ·,.mrd-- ancl t hose a lmost imperceptible flies called midg$s, which perfectly devour one in a wood , or near a river, prove the same thing . " (Youne;, Arthur . Tour in Ireland, l776-78 . II , 5.) scotch Highland.a,. -- 110ver extensive breao.ths in the west, t11e ·annual rainfall exceeds 100 inches , in Glencoe being nearly 130 inches , and on tb.e top of Ben Nevis 150 inc11es." (Encyclopaedia Britannica. ) • MOUNTAIN CLIMATE-- Physiological Effects . At moderate e l evations (11 500-a, ooo ft.)-- 1. Red blood corpuscles increase in number. 2 . Digestive efficiency increased, especially when surroundings are cold. 3 . Oxidation processes greatly increased, especially during muscular exertion. 4. storage of proteids (ftlndamental nitrogenous substances) effected in adults , which is "a renewal of youth." (Every grov>Jing animal assimilates more nitrogen than it excretes ; adults normally do not . ) 5. The heart • s activity is stimulated, and so is that of tb.e respiratory mechanism. urn consequence of all these changes , and particularly the 4th, altitudes of 4- 7 , 000 ft. must exercise a most beneficial and even rejuvenating influence. In the case of many invalids the effect will be to arm the body for its fight against such insidious foes as t he tubercle bacillus and to i:J.asten recovery in all cases of convalescence from bod.ily or mental prostration. Only those 'rvhose circulation is seriously impaired ••• by organic disease e.. re debarred. ••• t1 (Natu.re, 12 April,l906.) SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS-- Water. Wherever t he mount a i ns are forest - covered the deep and porous soil i s capable of storing l arge quantities of water . The streams carry a l arge vol~~e , even i n t i me of drout h. They are beauti fully clear, ~ wher e v e r t he country has no t been def orested, and even after a heavy rain they clarify themselves very qui ckl y . Tl1e water is excellent and abundant ; well s tored , with steady f low t hro·ugb.out the year . · Des tructive fres11ets are rare . There are t wo flood per i ods , t he spring, and July,August. The available but undeveloped water power on the streams risi ng i n t he so . Appal a cb.i ans is equivalent t o 1,06 7, 000 horse- pow·er ; tl1e developed power is 11 7 , 750 . (\1\J»N-.J.. Tl1er e are noAlakes , ponds, or mar shes in tb.e so. Appa l achians. ~~- ~ ... '-o~. S:prings. Tenrper at ure of Hall Cabin spring in July , 47 ~ on t he su.mrni t ot' t he Wayah Bald ( 5, 400 f't ., Nant ahala Mts. ) i s a col d spring . Only a f e . acres of the tOp are hi gher than i t . ~ .... ..,..;;._~ /f,_,_. Jt:..v ~ • ._.....;):- It -5, _._,.I. f .. Tt;_A ) <~ ,._ ..f...l.l- I ~ 41 > ~ "'- .)~ ~ ~.J! "t ...... fo ... ~t,.,...,_..A-"J -rr;;, 8 ° "'-&.v-<.- f''.J"::._.:;~ A 1--' ~ . ~. Jb.> eM~­~ r;- n·;;- ,-,'J/:J.o_ [~~!dJJ:~~d' ~6.2-:J SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS- - St reams . No l akes nor navigable rivers. ~- tl'>"<t-:. .. ~ ~~~~~ rafting streams . The fal l of the streams is rapi d . On t he l arger r ivers :fevv falls exceed 10 f t. Her e and there on the smaller rivers are f alls of 25 to 30 feet . The cree1(s aEd branches s ometimes have direct plunges as gr eat es 300 f ~. "Pictures of kalei doscopi c variety . " Few, even of t he smallest branches , are a ever entirely dr ied up . · When a cloudbur s t or a prolonged hard r ain swell s the mountain str ea1J1S the power of t lJ.e upper and steeper s treams is a l P.J.ost incred­ible ; bowl ders t ons in weight become mere pl aythings. (Keith i n 1901 Rep • t . ) "Probably no region in the u. s. i s bett er watered or bet ter drained t11an t his; nor i s t b.ere any other region which can boast of being the source of so many streams . 11 (~. \Y ilson dm 1901 Rep • t .) Mountain Lake, i n Giles co., va., i s a mile long and one- third mi l e V!id.e . ··~~ ~+f -';-.-f---6~~:' ~ • NORTH CAROLI NA MOUNTAINS- Mineral s . "A greater variet y t::J.an in any oth.er state save one." Go l d rare ; silver and l ead qui te r are·; many good copper and iron p roperties ; corundu.rn, mica , t a lc, and rnonazi t e unexc e l led in u . s . Gems not infre quent . Mar b l e in some loc a l ities. Bui l ding stone abundant. . 4 The rocks a r e gnei sses .. :t'l and granites , and metamor-phosed mar b l es , quartzites , and slates; JW ~ f ossils:are f ound in any of t hem. Kaolin i s profi tab ly -rmrlted in Jackson and swain co • s . Coins Near · Here Famous C o 1 1 e c t o r ' s Seek Money Made At Mint In Rutherfordton. ATTRACTED by go1d from these rock-ribbed motmtalns, a Ger­man named Chrlstot!lher Bech tier set­- tl~ with lli!-f11mlly at Rutherfordton about a.-century ago and established one of the most unique enterprises in the history ot North Carolina-a private mint. Now, the coins he· made are sought tar and wide by numismatics, both )lecause of their beauty and their b.rlty. , Bechtler left h is ·home In the 1ra11d duchy Of Baden, Germany, and ~arne to the United States In 1829. Not long after landing In this coun­try he heard that gold WM plentiful in the moun'talns of .North and South Carolina. A goldsmith by trade, Bechtler came south and made his home at Rutherfordton. He mined for gold and silver him­aelf and made coins ·rrom his ore. He •lso did a commission