r>6 JOURNAL OF THE 



of Miss M. E. Mitchell, of Statesville, N. C, the University 

 assumed control over the undertaking. The deed to the site of 

 the grave was vested in the University, and a committee of the 

 Faculty was appointed to see to the work. This committee con- 

 sisted of President Kemp P. Battle, Prof. J. W. Gore and Dr. 

 Wm. B. Phillips. 



The most suitable structure, perhaps, would have been a monu- 

 ment of rough hewn stone, but owing to the great difficulty and 

 expense of such work at such a place, after mature deliberation 

 and consultation with the surviving members of Dr. Mitchell's 

 family, it was decided to erect a monument of white bronze. 



The plans, drawings and estimates were submitted to his family 

 and accepted by them. In May, 1888, the contract was let to 

 the Monumental Bronze Company, of Bridgeport, Conn. It 

 called for a structure of white bronze, of pyramidal shape, 3 

 feet square at the base, 12 feet high, cast in sections with interior 

 bolts of copper or brass, the heaviest piece not to exceed 140 

 pounds in weight, the whole to be delivered at Black Mountain 

 Station, on the W. N. C. Railway, by the middle of July, for 

 $400. 



The other members of the committee not being able to attend, 

 Dr. Phillips was requested to undertake the work. From Mitch- 

 ell's High Peak to Black Mountain Station, the nearest availa- 

 ble point on the railway, is 19 miles. For the first seven miles 

 from the station the road is fairly good, but from Patton's, at 

 the foot of the cedar cliff on the North Fork of the Swannanoa 

 River, the road for the last 12 miles is a bridle trail. The dif- 

 ference in elevation between Patton's and Mitchell's High Peak 

 is about 3,600 feet, the former being about 3,000, and the latter 

 6,688 feet high. The average grade is, therefore, about 300 feet 

 to the mile, although for the first 7 miles it greatly exceeds this, 

 being nearly 500 feet to the mile for the first 5 miles. For the 

 first 3 miles above Patton's a tolerable wagon road was prepared, 

 leaving thus 9 miles for the "carry." Three weeks were spent 

 in repairing the trail, which in places had been blocked by fallen 

 timber and badly washed by the torrents of water that rush 



