FOREST AND STREAM 
790 
is nestled in the valley of the Linville River and 
is surrounded on all sides by rugged mountain 
peaks. As the eye scans the horizon, some of the 
tallest peaks east of the Rockies come into view. 
Toward the west, the Black Mountains are clear¬ 
ly seen, among the most prominent being Mt. 
Mitchell, which sets the record in the East by 
rising to the height of 6,711 feet. Turning to 
the North, the Great Mountains are faintly 
discernible, which seem to join in a chain with 
the Great Smokies. Next come the Yellow and 
Doe Hill Mountains in the foreground, with the 
Beach and Roan in the distance. The majestic 
Grandfather is distinctly silhouetted against the 
Eastern sky, together with Hawksbill and Table 
Rock, which is supposed to be the mystic altar 
of the Cherokee Indians and the scenes of many 
human sacrifices. 
Besides the numerous mountain scenery, the 
■canyon of the Linville River is unsurpassed in 
ruggedness and beauty. “No gorge in Eastern 
America can equal those carved across the Blue 
Ridge by the Linville River,” says a report sub¬ 
mitted to Congress and enthusiastically endorsed 
by Col. Roosevelt. The following account is 
also given. The falls proper, which are located 
near the Mitchell-Burke county line, have a per¬ 
pendicular plunge of forty feet and the Cascades 
above fifty feet, thus giving a fall of ninety feet 
occuring in a linear distance of about one hun¬ 
dred feet. For a distance of about ten miles 
below the falls the river flows in a series of cas¬ 
cades through a narrow gorge, the sides of which 
vary five hundred to two thousand feet, the walls 
being cut through the eroded quartzites into the 
granite 'below. In the first six miles below the 
falls the descent averages two hundred and eight 
feet to the mile, and the total descent from the 
head of the falls to the lower end of the canyon, 
a distance of about ten miles, is eighteen hun¬ 
dred feet. Along the upper six and seven miles 
of their distance the bottom of the gorge is 
scarcely wider than the stream. The total fall 
of the stream from its source in Linville Gap 
to its mouth is about three thousand feet in a 
distance of about thirty miles, the average fall 
per mile being about eighty feet. 
To many, the scenery around Linville Falls is 
the chief attraction—but to others—the writer 
included—the sporting facilities are the greatest 
charm. Before being recently opened, this region 
has been shut in by impassable mountain ranges, 
thereby making its virgin forests and wild canyon 
the breeding place of the choicest of fish and 
game. The river affords thirty-five miles of 
the finest trout fishing in the state—“Rainbow” 
in the main river and speckled beauties in almost 
all of its tributaries. The swift current has 
washed out many large deep pools, which teem 
with the fighting “big ’uns.” Bass fishing can 
also be found in the Toe River, which is several 
miles from the village, and for those who “toss 
the minnow,” great sport can be had with “the 
gamest fish in the world.” 
(Continued on page 807.) 
The “Head 
of the Firm” Takes 
a Vacation 
When He Returns He Finds That He Has Not Left His Office Chair, But Has Had a Good Time, Nevertheless 
The Head of the Firm leaned back in his 
office chair with a tired look in his eyes. Times 
had been strenuous with him for several months. 
The war in Europe had added to his financial 
burdens, and a few additional streaks of gray 
were to be noted in his hair. 
His secretary stepped in and laid a letter on 
the desk. The tired man looked at it idly and 
then took it up with sudden interest. The en¬ 
velope bore the address of his own firm, one of 
the proudest in Wall Street, but the superscrip¬ 
tion was in an oddly cramped fist and written 
evidently with the stub of a lead pencil. Also 
the envelope bore visual and olfactory evidence 
of close contact with plug tobacco, an old pipe 
and other indeterminate things, and looked as 
though it had come on a long hard journey. 
“From good old Dave,” the Head of the Firm 
commented, as he opened the letter. 
This is what he read, although it was not 
without effort that the information was de¬ 
ciphered : 
Dear Friend: Well I just got in from a trip 
thru - Lake, - Lake and - Lake, 
and everything is O. K. No sines of any poach¬ 
ing at all. Saw lots of game sines of all kinds, 
thoir is lots of wolves this winter. Am going 
to get some poison and put out about the First 
of January, have not killed any deer or moose. 
Don’t think I will as I could not eat enough 
to pay. Saw a spike horn bull this morning 
between Janet and - lake. He was lying 
down did not see or hear me until I was within 
40 feet of him and saw him at a distance crept 
up to him guess I could of got closer but Peet 
(the dog) could not resist the temptation any 
longer. You had ought to seen the snow fly 
when he started. We have had 17 inches of 
snow, but it has turned warm and rained for 
2 days now so thoir is only about 4 now. The 
lakes are frozen so one can walk on them. I 
tell you this is the d—— d lonesome holl about 
now that you ever herd of, don’t see a sole only 
about once in 2 weeks a stray shanty man goes 
down or up, but about the First of January they 
will be hauling supplies to the shanties, and I 
can get a chance to speak to some one but my¬ 
self in the glass. 
Well I guess this is all. Don’t wory any thing 
about the afairs up hear. Everything is in good 
shape and I am going to keep them that way. 
Regards to all. 
Respy yrs. 
The Head of the Firm laid the letter down 
and looked out of the window. The tall sky¬ 
scrapers of Wall Street disappeared, the East 
River and its bridges faded from view. In their 
accustomed places rose the picture of winter’s 
white landscape. On a knoll overlooking a long 
stretch of icebound and snow-covered lake stood 
a comfortable cabin among the trees. Up the 
trail toward the house came a wiry figure, bun¬ 
dled in a various assortment of sweaters and 
blanket coats that betokened the liberality and 
affection of a now far distant employer. The 
man limped slightly, the result of a gunshot ac¬ 
cident a few years before. At his heels trotted 
a black cocker spaniel, thoroughbred in every 
line and motion. 
Lifting the latch, the man stepped inside the 
house. Its comfortable appearance betokened 
care and familiarity with better scenes. The 
snow-shoes were taken off, hung outside, and 
in a minute or two blue smoke was curling from 
the chimney. . It was only four o’clock, but twi¬ 
light was already descending in that high Cana¬ 
dian latitude and the close observer could detect 
overhead the advance indication of the glitter¬ 
ing galaxy of stars that the city man never sees, 
which soon would be moving in a glorious pano¬ 
ply of beauty across the wintry night sky. 
Soon there came from within the cabin the 
gleam of lamplight and the odor of frying pork 
and simmering coffee. The Head of the Firm 
could almost smell it in reality as he sat in his 
chair. 
With a deftness born of long practice, the 
table in the cabin was set, two chairs were drawn 
up and the plain but substantial meal was ready. 
Why two chairs? 
The man’s dog was his companion, and it 
was part of the daily routine that “Pete” should 
sit at table with his master, for his manners 
were irreproachable and he was a gentleman 
from nose to tail. Supper over, the dishes were 
removed and washed, the wood-box replenished 
by a trip or two outside and the man sat down 
to smoke his lonely pipe. He had a habit of 
talking to his dog, a habit which ought to be 
encouraged, for it never leads to quarrels or 
argument. 
“It is going to be cold to-night, Pete,” said 
the man as he piled more blankets on the bed. 
In the very luxury of “wellfedness” and “well- 
caredforness,” Pete performed his favorite trick 
of rolling on his back and waving his four legs 
in air. 
The man grabbed the dog by one or more of 
the legs and rolled him in his own blanket on 
the bed. 
Night passed in that quiet spot without inter¬ 
ruption. Here and there a tree cracked in the 
frost and once or twice the distant echo of a 
wolf howl was heard. The celestial searchlights 
of the aurora shot heavenward in the north, 
to give way later to the rosy tint of dawn on 
the wild landscape. 
The picture changed. The fetters of winter 
had been unlocked and Milady Spring had ap¬ 
peared, clad in a beautiful gray-green mystic 
veil of half-unfurled foliage that covered every¬ 
thing. The blue lake laughed in the sun and 
on the shores grew the wild cherry, the wild 
plum and the ground flowers that made each 
stretch of water a vision of white and violet 
loveliness. 
The Head of the Firm saw the man again; 
he was working around the larger cabin that 
stood near and giving directions to three or four 
stalwart French and Indian guides. On the 
improvised boat platform were laid in order a 
half dozen birch bark canoes, trimmed in their 
natural tan and creamy coloring. Starting the 
motor boat—that had been brought at the ex- 
