Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1857-07-25


Judging its results to be too small. He visited the
mountain again in 1884, and after surveying its line
of peaks from Yates Knob, which lies on the south
west Of the Black Mountain, and towards the centre
of the arc on which those peaks are distributed -
Here he selected the highest peak, and after obtain
ing the assistance of mountaineer as guide, he
attempted to climb it. He. succeeded in getting on
the mountain and on the peak, as he thought. In
this latter point he had to trust to the guide for 1t
Vas late in the afternoon when he reached the top
and the obscurity of summer mist prevented nun
from determining whether or no he was on the peah
he sought. 1t has been suggested lately that III;
| Mitchell was mistaken, and that he never measu,eu
the highest peak. If he was mistaken, It Was oI-
cause he was misled by his guide for ne e, certallny
knew which was the highest peak and trled u iea'u
| II One object of the late unfortunate expedition,
was to examine the truth of the suggestion. Inc
position and connections of the mountain gorge,
| down which he cropping his way VINE" ne per
ished were of Importance to this eno. Anotner W.
with the survey made by the Western Extension OF
the n c. Railroad. by a series oil levels. Inc result
| of this work would have been true determination
| of the height in question, and also an additional
solution of the problem as to the proper value
of the barometrc coeficient heretofore used in as
certaining elevations. 10 this last investigation he
| was melted by the labors Of Capt Cram, of the U.
| S. coast survey, the sides of Mt Washington
Capt Grams conclusions throw great doubt on the
reliability of all numbers hitherto representing alti
Mitchell wanted to correct or confirm them The
line of levels left about half done; and the
doubts about the peak that Dr. Mitchell measured
in 1874 are still somewhat unsettled.
On Saturday, June 9th, 1857, DR.. NJ departed
from his son Charles, about half mile from the
Mountain House, what is now known as Mitch
els peak. He started to go alone to Wilson's, on
Caney river in Yancey county, and told his son to
meet him where they then were on Monday morn
ing, The son was at his post on Monday morning,
but the father came not On Thursday it was found
that he had not been on Caney river. On Friday
search for him was instituted, which was continued
with increasing excitement day after day. AT one
time some 200 persons must have been engaged in
this arduous work. All exertons were fruitless, I'M
til a mountaineer named Wilson, who was with Dr.
Mitchell on the mountain in 1885. on Tuesday, July
eth, found his body in gorge through which they
two had passed on their return from that visit 1t
was lying at the bottom ola pool in the Sugar Camp
branch of the Cat Tail fork of Caney river, at the
base of cliff about 40 feet high, down which he
had evidently fallen. He held in his hand branch
oflaurel, which he had grasped and broken off when
he began to fall so he could not have struggled at
ter he reached the water. which about fourteen
feet deep and ten feet wide His watch stopped at
90 minutes before s; hence it is supposed that he
persisted not far from P on the evening of the
Saturday on which he parted with his son, eleven
days before he was found That afternoon very
stormy and the mountains We're enveoped in thick
mist. The unusual darkness of the evening would,
doubtless have rendered the way dangerous to even
a more experienced az hardy mountaneer than it
| possible for DIR. VI. to be-
Tt will be easy matter for the most gifted,
when intimately acquainted with him, to sketch the
| character of Dr. Mitchell. There was hardly any
thing which he nigh feel called upon to do. which
he would not try to do and be ambitious to do well
widowed mother at the age Of 90, weeps over her
favorte con-her oldest child. As husband faith
! err, and master-as preacher of the Word of God
| AS a citizen of this Commonwealth-as Justice
of the Peace and Commissioner of the village of
Chapel HILL he fulfilled his duties cheerully, intcli-
| gently, laborously, and conscienouSy. As neigh
Dor he was kind generous and charitable Favors
he always repaid with large interest, and his friend
ship was sincere and lasting. He feared the
| face of man.
He had the singular talent of applying himself
to variety of employments-to Divinity. and to
various branches of literature without disorder and
though his acquisitions in nothing were as great as
they probably would have been if his attention had
not been thus divided, yet they very respeca-
BILE, and in some things eminent" He was favored
with an excellent bodily constitution, capable of en-
during all the fatigues of hunger and thirst, heat
aid cold, without sensible relaxation or WEAKNESS
This he faithfully improved in activity and incessan
Application in great variety of the of life
Idleness was his adherence but every portion of
time was filled with action by him. Perhaps man
in his day has slept SO little and done so much IN so
great variety; and if the rule of judging of the
length of life be the measure of doing perhaps he
lived as long as the arted luvian patrarchs, who
numbered so many hundred years in the course of
their pilgrimage"
His cndowments Of mind were no less superior
| than his bodily visor. Hens sana in sano c0raore
WAS what he blessed with, and his great soul
shined like the sun in the armament with radiant
lustre. Always active, always bright and pleasant;
what were seldom in one mind, yet in him were hap
PLY unlted-a large understanding solid and true
i,,,rr 4,
invention and fancy. All these he improved for the
nobiest purposes-the service and honor of God and
the real good or entertainment of his fellow.men-
Perhaps no man has in his day spent a life so long
and so active in dsintercsted and perpetual en-.
deavor for promoting the welfare of the world around
| him." The wise man observes, Through desire
man having separated himself sveketh and informed
deth with all wisdom As this was the reiguing
principle of his great mind so he happily succeeded
and improved in almost every branch of useful
knowledge, from the plough in the tiing of the field
to the more refined parts of literature" Gle was
great friend to his country in its civil and religious
interests The great doctrines of gospel grace in
the salvation of perishng sinners, were peculiarly
delightful to him. Difference of opinion as to rel-
gous principles, no obstruction to hearty prac-
tlce OF the great law of love, benevocnce and true
goodness to man-to every man ]; nor of Christian
charity to the whole household of faith He was an
enemy to all imposition and arbitrary dominion over
other mems faith howsoever the pretence was paint
I gu WIFI TIE lalr SHOW OF the name OF orthodoxy
or contending for the faith once delivered to the
saints" Besides the improvements in the world of
nature, he was also well acquainted with the nhab
itans of the world 4; for he great able and ju-
,dicious historian: He had particular thirst for
and took peculiar pleasure in knowing the natural
history of the various countries in which the earth
is divided. Herewith, Also he we'll understood the
customs, manners, government and revolutions of
the several kingdoms of the world, both ancient and
modern" He was exceedingly charitable as dis.
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