142 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[Sept. 30, 18 



A DISAPPOINTMENT AND A JOY. 



"But plcosi 



s spreud, 

 u is slice!. 



struggle between Tied 

 contribute the more- gi n< i 

 palates and those of our J' 

 be when we reached our 

 well-filled pockets in the j 

 And then, With a diffec 

 our philosophic and deli) 



c like poppii 

 Ifou seize the Dower, the liloo 

 Or, like tin- snow-falls Bn the elver, 

 A moment while— then gone tuic\ i-.r." 



—Turn O'.Sltcmter. 



DID you never realize the truth of the above lines? Did 

 you never feel llie ili lien in i- between the visions of » 

 -vivid imagination and the solid facts! 1 > J 1 1 you never in- 

 dulge in glorious anticipations of the joys of ti hunt, and 

 find, alas! that you had spent your energies in the -wrong 

 locality? 1 have felt it all, ou more occasions than one 

 — tlie last time, not very long ago. 



About flic. 20th of August, in I he year Domini 188S, and 

 of Independence— dating from 1776—107, Teceel, Mud. 

 Pick, Rory of Arkansaw and I, with our dogsSJip and Jack, 

 visited the mountains of this State, just wesl of ibe bead of 

 the Yadkin River, hoping to get, in addition to pure and 

 cool air and refreshing water, an abundance of line spoil 

 with gun and rod. Each was well equipped, I had a 14- 

 bore T alley bammerkss, fresh from Biinjingharn, promised 

 Within eight weeks from last Christmas, but failing to reach 

 me uulil the 10th of August. The promise should not have 

 been made unlets Ihe manufacture! knew be could fulfil it. 

 Rory had.a paragon Tollej LB-bore; his patience tried just 

 as mini- was;-T-eceel 9 lu-horc Scott; Mud, a Premier Scott, 

 16-bore. and Pick a 12 bote Coll club gun. We took with 

 us not less than 7".o leaded shells, and wen-, fairly supplied 

 with fishing tackle. "When we reached the crestof ths Blue 

 Ridge, near Blowing Hock, and cast our eyes westward on 

 "the happy hunting grounds," we indulged to glorious hopes 

 of satislying our appetites witb tlie tend weal and most 

 luscious broiled grouse, and speckled trout, three limes a day 

 during our sojourn in thai delightful summer climate, "I 

 could almost lealizc the kindlings of ecstasy as my fancy 

 pictured Is ip on a de«d stand, in a covert of low fcrus, luard 

 ihe whir of the birds as they sought a safe retreat in a 

 rhododendron brake, and saw the tumbling game as ii fell 

 before our trusty guns. 1 thought in raptures of the haul 

 ' id me, as to which of us should 

 ou.-lyto ihe delectation, ot pui ..wn 

 lends, and how proud wo should 

 esting place at night, to empty our 

 irescuce of Alud and Rory. 

 eat pleasure, as 1 saw, in fancy, 

 /rale friend .Mud— 1 will not call 

 him stow— as he let off .both bfirrelsof bis little Scott with 

 astonishing rapidity, but failed to get a quid pro qiw; the 

 excuses which he would readily invent for his mi.-loilune, 

 the unsurpassable zeal and capacity he would exhibit in ap- 

 preciating our skill, when the cooked game was set before 

 him, and how fat he would gel from an unwonted assimila- 

 tion of his food, creating a necessity for enlarging his panta- 

 loons. I thought, too, that ii was possible lor Rory to sup- 

 pose that there were "hills beyond Peatlanel and fields beyond 

 Forth," that there was game outside of the Rocky Moun- 

 tains, near Wagonwheel Gap, where he has activated foi 

 several years past — there is no such word, in my Webster, as 

 astictitc, but I exercise my prerogative and make il— ami 

 perhaps some fish of the kind known as Satmo fottUnaUs, lit 

 to eat, in other waters besides those of the Rio Grande. 1 

 imagine, too, how he would make his Paragon Tolley do 

 full compensation for all of Mini's misses, anil thus e:ause 

 him to console himself with the reflection that he was the 

 owner of the very best guu which ever detonated in the Ar 

 kausaw bottom, or on Prairie Grand. Besides all this. I 

 could see Pick's suggestive smile at our triumphs, and at his 

 own, when he laid down his trophies in the shape of gray- 

 squirrels and moi::.tain boomers. 



All these anticipated pleasures were passing through my 

 mind as we drove along the crest of the ridge lorover a mile, 

 and 1 almost failed to enjoy the raptures of as lovely a land- 

 scape as mortal eye ever beheld. Standing at Blowing Rock 

 or Fairview, nature in its graudness and sublimity is spread 

 out before you. You sec, as you look to the east and south- 

 east, the rolling lands of several counties, which appear as 

 mountains as tar above tide-water as the one on which you 

 stand. When you turn your i-yi^ toward the soulhwesi 

 you behold the Table Rock, and the Grandfather and Mount 

 Mitchell, the highest of all the peaks of the Appalachian 

 chain, and the highest one east of the Mississippi. (For 

 North Carolina has more than ten mountains of greater alti- 

 tude than Mount Washinghlou.) Within less than a half 

 mile of Blowing Rock, are the headsprings of the Yadkin and 

 New rivers, the one discharging its waters into the Atlantic al 

 Georgetown, S. C, and the oiher, through the Ohio and 

 Mississippi into the Gulf of Mexico, below New Orleans. 

 A few miles to the southwest and at the base of the. Grand- 

 father, .the Watauga bursts forth, which flows into 

 the Ohio through the Tennessee, at Padueah, Ky. 

 But, I had no time then nor inclination to feast my eyes 

 with the lovely views. 1 was hungry and wanted lo 'gel to 

 Silver Lake Hotel, in the valley of (he New, whore L, W. 

 Estcs is prepared to give food and shelter to those who ask 

 it, provided the number of applicants does not exceed 

 twenty, and where good bread, good butter, good milk, good 

 chicken, good mutton, good buckwheat cakes, good coffee 

 and good honey, to say nothing of good water, can always 

 be had. To all this must be added green corn, tomatoes, 

 and "corn-field beans," the last, cooked with bacon flitch, 

 being one of the fines! vegetable dishes 1 ever enjoyed. 



We reached the hotel, crossing the millpond called a lake, 

 in which the proprietor says iie has, this season, placed 

 4,500 trout for the amusement of his guests during the com- 

 ing years, and soon were seated at the table, doing full jus- 

 tice to the culinary skill of the landlady. That afternoon 

 one of our party endeavored to entice from their crystal 

 beds some of that well known game fish, which I do not 

 mean to call "speckled beauties," but like Hotspur's — no, 

 Glendower's, "spirits from the vasty deep," they would not 

 "come." So we had no fish Forsupper, nor did we have them 

 at all. The next day Teceel and 1 took Nip and went in 

 search of grouse, which we were told we might find in a 

 strip of woods lying about a half mile off, where several 

 packs had been recently seen. We hunted it thoroughly 

 but found nothing', and returned to the hotel, greatly bene 

 filed, doubtless, by the exercise, but with all our shells un- 

 used. Rory and Mud took a diffeieni direction with the 

 pointer Jack, and when they came back they had three 

 squirrels and two boomers, In the afternoon we made an 

 effort to meet with better luck than Die morning afforded, 

 but were rewarded with only one squirrel and two boomers, 



no grouse having been seen. A hoy on his way to mill told 

 us that beyond Flat Top Ridge there were plenty of Hum, 

 but we had heard that sort of a story so often licit we chose 

 not to make the search, Next day we were on ihe move for 

 the Watauga River, 



The load from Blowing Rock lo the Watauga is an excel- 

 lent one, unci affords many Dm mountain views. WeDopcd 

 that when we reached the vi< inily of Skull's Mills, game 

 and fish would he more abundant, and that wc could spend 

 several days there, feasting upon ihe products of our skill. 

 That delightful vjfion was, however, soon dispelled, when 

 wemel our old college liiend. W. V\ . I... who Ifvcs ncjirj 

 devoting his time lo" the development ol property, This 

 gentleman is, in all v. specie, • Of the very befsl men in t In- 

 State, and oould be of much service to ihe public, ii be 

 would allow bis talents lo heulili/.id for Ihegeneral welfare. 

 But, with him, Ihe "post of honor is Ihe private station." 

 lie informed us to our regret, (hat though then were some 

 grouse, tin y were in piaces so inacei ssil.lc, that the labor of 

 hunting would be Ico great for us lo encounter. As to lish. 

 they had gotten to be historical only. lie ihoughl it pes 



sibic, front M bat he had heard, that' we could do far bitter, 

 both for lish and game, if we would go lo the headwaters of 

 ihe Linville, where he had a stock farm. So next niorniDg, 

 after breakfast, we started for Calloway's, the point fiom 

 which visitors to the top of the Grandfather Mountain 

 usually begin their upward journey. Arriving and getting 

 dinner, and availing ourselves of his services as guide, several 

 of us ascended the side of ihe mountain for probably three- 

 louilhsof a mile, and then turned southward, hunting as 

 siuuously, as well as laboriously, only to wind up the spoil- 

 ing (V) lour wi(h one boomer, and the Sight of one -rouse. 

 In;, .-much as Ibis indicated very clearly that we had not yet 

 found the place which we were seeking, we concluded that 

 ou the following morning we would change our quarters. 

 The absence of game was- not the only moving cause: aud if 

 we had not fully determined what we should do, various 

 unpleasant suggestions during the night while we ray ou our 

 beds vainly wishing for repose, would have settled our pur- 

 pose. The beds h;,d too many occupants. 



After breakfast, Rory and 1 look our guns and started up 

 the highway lo Ihe lop of the ridge which "divides the 

 waters fiomthe waters," with a view of shooting whatever 

 we might find ■worthy of our ambition, and fishing in ihe 

 waters XJf ths- Linville, which Mow, i or several miles along 

 ihe rosd. Our two dnrki.s who bad clout.- of the wagons 

 had not made their appears i ce, having gone off, themevious 

 night, to bask in the smiles of some dusky damsels, who 

 Jived oj the side of the mountain, about three miles off. 

 The attractions of that little African settlement — ihe only 

 one lor many miles in that region— were loo great to allow 

 them "to come to time." Inst ructions were left that so soon 

 as thev arrived they should follow wilh ihe wagon, Iheolher, 

 which was hit for the accommodation of Teceel. Mud and 

 Pick, who had resolved lo go lo the top of the Grandfather, 

 null enjoy one of the fine-t'views which the mountains of 

 our State afford, Wc s;iw no game, and culling some 

 switches of elms for reals wc took to the stream. The lish 

 did not rise well to Ihe Oy, but we succeeded in gcllingabout 

 eighteen, weighing liom four lo six ounces. The wagon 

 overtook us allci we laid walkeel several miles, anel thinking 

 Ihe sport was over we: availed our.-eh <•■ of the opportunity 

 aud pushed forward lo Franklins, within a half mile of 

 Linville Falls. On the way we louud nothing to shoot ex- 

 cept one nitl lesnnke. which 'we saw lying in the road. Thesi 

 reptiles are said not to exist wcsl of the Blue Kidge. 



Just before night the- spring wagon overlook us, and wi 

 learned from our fell"W sportsmen that Ihey had saftb 

 ascended lo the top gf the mountain, and "loosed from if 

 throneof clouds o'er half the world." Within a haif mil. 

 of the top ihey partook of the waters of a cold spring, which 

 their guide alleged had been shown by tbeiniomelrical incus- 

 urement to be 30 above zero. Whether so cold or net. lb. 

 water was cold enough for any taste, and loocold really t( 

 be healthful. Inele.ei when the mercury sinks lo 58 mosi 

 sensible men will be satisfied with the temperature of di ink- 

 ing water. They Were delighted with their Visit, and thought 

 themselves at.iph paid for the toilsome journe-y which they 

 took. Not more than twenty minutes passed alter they 

 caught up with us before we were at Franklin's, where we 

 found comfortable quarters during the time we stayed. 



The next morning after our arrival, we went elown to see 

 tin- Falls of the Linville. The Spot is a wild and tugged one, 

 and Ihe waters, hitherto unable to cm out Ihe impediments 

 to their gentle flow, fall over preventive rocks, thirty or forty 

 feet, into a boiling abyss, anel them over a succession of e-as- 

 cades, lo lind lluir way. at hist, in the more placid bosom of 

 Ihe Catawba. Some of our party went down lo the foot of 

 the main falls— but vour correspondent, who is not always 

 level-headed, contenting Himself with tin- reflection that 

 •distance lends enchainment to the view," forlilieel himself 

 against all danger of a topple by seizing (irmly a convenient 

 rhododendron. I liuel no difficulty in standing erect ou 

 smooth ground, but am not foolhardy enough lo poise myself 

 upou the brink of a beetling cliff, just to exhibit my courage, 

 or the steadiness of my nerves, A mountain goat is welcome 

 to ail the glories of such an achicVuient. -'Fools rush on 

 where angels fear to tread," as [he rapids of Niagara River 

 gave full testimony on a recent occasion. 1 am not right 

 sure that the world woulel suffer greatly if several thousand 

 fools should make the same experiment annually for the 

 next ten centuries 



After We had satisfied ourselves at the Falls, Teceel and 

 I rook Nip ami scoured the woods for an hour, lo Bee if we 

 could not find a grouse. None were found. Mud look 

 Jack and went a different elircction, started one or two, got 

 in both barrels atone, but Ihe bird went on without the loss of 

 a feather. And this practically ended our hunt. 



The following morning, wc retraced our road for several 

 miles, and turning to the" right, were sooh ascending Jonas's 

 Ridge, one of the Linville Mountains, over a sinuous aud 

 rough road, where we found walking raiher the more pleas- 

 ant mode Of locomotion. Within two hours WO started down 

 grade, aud after traveling Ihe sane- SOJ I of a way i'oi .- om.- 

 miles, found ourselves in ihe immediate vail. -y of Upper 

 Creek, twelve miles from Morgantown. which place we 

 readied before sundown, having traveled about ibirty miles. 

 At this point we took the tram of the Western N. ('. Rail- 

 road for Hickory, directing the vehicles to come on during 

 the following mi. 1 1, ina. It was at Hickory that our travel 

 ing outfit was obtained; and as our hunt was ended, we had 

 no further use foi that mode of transportation. A tew days 

 at the Sulphur Spring, seven miles off, and we took the cars 

 for home. 



Jt will be readily seen, bv all who have read this unlutt-r- 

 esting communication, that as a hunting and fishing tour, 

 our trip across the mountains into Watauga and Mitchell 



counties whs far from being a successful one-. No doul 

 need be entertained, that in the more inaccessible loc-dilii | 

 and near the dense rhododenrli on brakes, which are mnml 

 ous, many grouse could be found by a man who has 13 

 physical power and endurance of a Modoc Indian, aided ll 

 a (Jog of equal capacities, which is thoroughly trained lo til 

 business. 1 '.car l hat these birds an- not uncommon in til 



C ties lying al the eastern base ol" the AUeghauies, all 



that the IahOr necessary for their pursuit is nothing like I 

 arduous. It is probable, therefore , that a sportsman aecj , 

 lorn, d to thai kind of work might find amusement em, net 

 lu either Surry, Yadkin, Wilkes, Caldwell, Burke, McUf 



well, Lulherfoid 



ami Polk counties. The w< 



lodcd hills ue 



lleiideisonviilc a 



,d around Brevard in Trans 



Ivania count 



would ahoalVoie 



pl.i.iN of game to One who 



would lie CO 



l.nled wilb less 



ban o i uggy load. 





All the inform 



ilion which 1 gel lead- m. 



to believe lb 



Lob White was 



icver more abundant in thi 





tin- pnse-nt time; 



and i look forward to a ere 



■ 



of uowilcr and le 



iel alter the middle of Oct 



■! -.-! A Li. 



■ K; l.i-n- L'un. weighing 7 pounds, uilh D Oliarj 

 : to 3drB. gl npoweler anil J lo lo/,. of No. He 

 EUple for this son of name. Tt n bores, of pom 

 laded with -It te. ."idr.-,. gunpowder and ljoz. <■ 

 .-Iter be used tor other purposes. If M,, of Ntalnstdj 



ill visit rnc during the .season. Teceel. .Mud or I will tl 

 is against his 12. AVill he do it? 



This is Ihe longest epistle whie-h I ever w.ole 

 FOKEST AM> Sriii-:.\M, and one Of I lie- very pupil 



am only practicing ray pen to sue how ii will write 

 1 eooie'to dealing with "affairs of Stale,' which, oi nuol 

 arena. 1 expect to discuss before the lapse of iii.hu montffl 



Wi-i.i.s. 

 Rockingham. M\ !_'., September. 1BSS. 



V. 



() 



CRUISE OF THE SA1RY GAMP.- 

 NEol the pu/./lcs that will be apt In fog Ihe Ion. 



MB, ' BN ' 



aud st 



find nine "Clear Ponds 

 Ponds," six "Wolf I'm 

 '■Round Ponds," etc., ete 

 repeated in many loe-alili. 

 catctl on Ihe map. Toll 

 ut-ss, these repetitions are 



disputed me em this ooia 



"Lo 



-■ve! 



ll'-av 



oildar 

 iven "Mud r<-nd-'.", 

 " four "Hoik I J on. is. 

 \nd you will lind these narrj, 

 lie.-ie no ponds ot lalci s an- inn 

 an who has studied tb ■ Wild, 

 little account, l'.nl I was 

 enty-five years' standing CjjH 

 -■'nil w. re bardiy convinced 

 encc to the- map. But this was lo be- expected. 

 The Forge House guide is bound to know the waters 

 the Moose River, north and south branches, with Ihe r'ulh 

 chain, side lakes, spring holes, and all places where IrnUtg 

 most abound or deer successfully floated, lie ha 

 I hereon and takes his partus tbeieuiilo. So 

 guide, the Saranac guide, Long Lake, etc., el 

 of Ibem are guides for Ibe whole \\ ild, -mess. 

 be. Life is not long enough to learn I his myst 

 entirety. A few of the oldest have a knowledge 

 ihai is wonderful, and only to be acquired by a 



Sam ininakin. Alvab Dutming, Lon Wood 

 John Ibu.kerhoir and Plinv Rdbins. Mosi ol 

 ing old. Alvah Dunning ia Sixty-eight, Mn 

 guides are on the wromr side of fifty, and the \ 

 cannotfill their places, though willing and si 

 men understand this but teio well, ftecenth; 

 guid s at Line Mountain were waiting in vai 

 Sabattis had thirty applications in om- day fro 

 knew the famous old Indian guide by rapi 

 dozen guides, just as good, wen- Watting un- 

 it is righl thai the older guides have mxi eh< 

 'I li. \ have knowledge of spring holes where I: 

 heiaken by a tyro They know unmapped, 

 where any greenhofD can git a shot al A deer. 

 vards. 1 hey are all good cooks. It is their r 

 i-are of tl.eii'paiiies. Once you employ a guic 

 His platform is simple— to care for his party, as a motl| 

 cares for her child; not tei wet you, and lo 

 leave you ou a long, dismal carry, f hav 

 lo pack a sick lnaii over three hard carries by the ligh 

 lantern; tbe-n go back and double-trip the carries I'ol U 

 duffel of roels', guns, etc,, it.-., with no extra Charge, 

 X. I'..- When you lake a guide, lie to him. 

 The man who finds himself al the camp or I'lmy .. 

 with an intention of going out to Ihe westward, will d 

 lo study Ihe routes by which h.- can "make lb 

 l-'iistlv." there is the route by Smith and Albany Ink. 

 Charley Pond, the stiff carry over to Twitched Lake 

 Big Moose, down the North Branch, through the No*| 

 Branch Lakes, over the carry to Fourth Lake. FoufK 

 miles of carries. Mot so very interesting, and prettvflw 

 as all agreed. Then, there was the route by Rock aiid Hj 



'd better. There was go. 



ic. The route woulel fir 



d Lake, within six miles . 



is within twelve miles of 



Have yau em- thought -ol 



said, • 



lie ponds. 



The scenery w 



the head ol Li' 



Lake Landiup 



Lake. 1 bad 



but Pliny Rob 



Ponds route? Strikes me as the most inter..- 



1 hav,- traveled them all. Suppose you goo 



to-morrow, aud come back. 1 1 you don't lik 



and Bottle pbnd route, 11 I did When 1 ' 



trout and venison, and the weather for once 



description, 1 paddled across Little Tuppi r I 



leaning pine on the left, rounded the sharp pi 



to the head of the bay, aud found Ibe landin 



There I hung up c 

 in stocking feel, lor i 

 no corns or buniona 



iv feet 

 1 made 



wli, 



to the 

 In an 

 wanL to kill h; 



from an i-hmd lortyM 

 •n hill, half a miledW 

 Not a motion. 1 (lid- 

 But 1 thought to get 



want oi Kin nun or .-aw una. me i lucui:iu ... iiei 

 a little racket in the way of fun. lie was loosharpi 1 

 bad probably seen the canoe, lie rounded the point of I 

 island, and although 1 gave him my bi st spruce hrcjUk 

 saw him no more. He might as well have kept on his eOUM 

 1 had nothing with which lo hurt him more dangerous tbl 

 a light pine paeldle. 



Then 1 toeik the carry from Ston\ Pond to L;_ - 

 for a hundred rods on an easy path, then turning sbmfl 

 the right and taking the path down to a slinking 

 narrow, mudely dilch, which they call on the eastern SH 

 "slang." 



This "slang" was a mile long, and so narrow thai I 

 brought in the paddle, laid it alongside 1 , and made try t| 

 by pulling the canoe along by the weeds and water sb ) 



