174 CHATTOOGA COUNTY. 



Mineral Springs. — There are several fine mineral springs 

 in the county, but none particularly celebrated. 



Climate, Diseases, Longevity. — The climate is healthy, 

 and the diseases are similar in character to those which prevail 

 in Upper Georgia. Joseph Pollard and Henry Laurence are 

 over 80 years of age ; Mrs. Margaret Middleton is 90 years 

 of age. , 



Minerals. — Limestone, iron, pyrites, marble, and various 

 petrifactions of shells, encrenites, &c. 



Roads and Bridges. — The roads are good, but the bridges 

 are in bad order. 



Market, Cotton. — Rome is the market. Between 2,000 

 and 3,000 bags of cotton are annually produced. 



Remarkable Places. — Alpine, a beautiful seat, now the 

 property of Mr. Force, a merchant of Augusta, was formerly 

 the residence of Mr. Guess, the inventor of the Cherokee 

 alphabet. Mr. Guess was once asked what induced him to 

 form an alphabet, and how he proceeded in doing it. His re- 

 ply was as follows : — " He had observed that many things were 

 found out hymen, and known in the world, but that this know- 

 ledge escaped and was lost for want of some way to preserve 

 it. He had also observed white people write things on paper, 

 and he had seen books ; and he knew that what was written 

 down remained and was not forgotten. He had attempted, 

 therefore, to fix certain marks for sounds, and thought that if 

 he could make things fast on paper, it would be like catching 

 a wild animal and taming it. He had found great difliculty in 

 proceeding with this alphabet, as he forgot the sounds which 

 he had assigned to marks, and he was much puzzled about a 

 character of the hissing sound ; but when this point was set- 

 tled, he proceeded easily and rapidly. This alphabet cost him 

 a month's study. He afterwards made an alphabet for the 

 pen (that is, for speedy writing), the characters of which he 

 wrote under the corresponding characters of the other." 



The following interesting particulars are taken from the 

 Missionary Herald, October 1828: — Mr. Guess is, in appear- 

 ance and habits, a full Cherokee, though his grandfather on his 

 father's side was a white man. He has no knowledge of any 

 language but the Cherokee, consequently, in his invention of 



