Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1857-01-07
ORIGINAL PAPERS.
For the Spirit of the Age.
SKETCHES OF TRAVEL
BY A RANGER.

by RANGER.
Tucsday 29h.-That day some diseus.
sion was had as to whether we should visit
"Threc Top Mountain" on which there !,
cave infested with wild cats, rattlesnakes
and other such yarmcnts. We feared lest
BY potrseting cur stay in this lovely valley
We might become enchanted by beautiful
cnchantrcss living here; we feared also lest
some Of tue fairer ones Of the sable race
might captiyate our cook, and tempt hin,
to desert Us, for he displayed his Jrouqh.
tca up T. advantage here We thought al
visiting the "White Top" in Va, bu twere
deferred by the distance and the monotomy
oithe road 80 We finally fixed our stcersS
Gr the Grandfather, leaving the kind and
hospitable residents Of North Fork, with
mony regrets
Our course lay up the Fork, through a
Wild but beautiful copufry with quiet little
vale, resting amid the hills, and here and
therecomfortable booking little farm-houses,
whose eyteriUrs indicated contentment and
peuty.
In the evening as VIC were toiliug along,
much fatigued, the Lieut., and Jour, halted
at spring near the road, and as there was
no gourd, young lady, reported to be the
belle Of the country, brought glass. Af-
ter drinking, thoy were invited into the
house, and Of course their gallautry and
admiration Of the dark eyed maiden would
not permit them to decline. After chat
ting awhile with the inmates, the old lady.
With the curiosity and inquisitiveness usu-
ally ascrlbed to her sex, inquiries; "who
arc you blng ho,e ?' They told their
uames. ''lFell what's your business
sing mineral?'' "Only travelling about to
see the country and recruit ourselves. -
u don't know; you must have some other
motive, | never seed the like afore,-you
amt gWine to war; 60 no." aI don't
know what you can be after then, then
" il an idea had suddenly struck her, she
exclaimed, "Pvc hearn heap of talk of
The Know Nothins, you must be them ~
"ies we are;" and at this announcement,
her horriiied expression of countenance
may be imagined, but not described.
After enjoying the fun awhile they told
her they were only X. Ms. by birth. At
this she seemed to be much relieved. They
lett the old lady in no cnviablo state Of
nlnd, thinking "they're not what they re
cracked up to be-" The next house at
which we stopped, the old lady, with spec
1ce' on her forehead and eyes opened to
heir fullest dimension, inquired "what
10 the world is the matter, gwinc to WARP
NPPosing, probably, that as VIC carried q
iag, and some wore military coats, we had
Nuigerent intentions. Here we may state,
hai,ome time after we had returned home,
Hlearned that somewhere in that country
'Vtuty-four men armed and organized
hensclves into n company with the ayow-
Cd intention Of taking us, aud were only
deferred from attempting it, by some per
9n who was acquainted with some Of the
Rangers.
Lste in the evening we crossed the line
''ivcen n. G. and Tenn, and not finding
'Nltable place tn camp, had to travel
msll some time after dark, when we reach
q Bowers Mill, in Johnston Co Tenn,
Near our camp was a little pockct store, at
'aich some Of the Rangers purchased some
maple sugar, which is obtained from the
o'sr trees that are quite abundant in that
tson, This is what is termed by the
1@ntaineers short sSectRia, honey being
Ngaccciain.
Wednesday, 30h.-Arter n short drive
hsgaiu found ourselves in tue "Old North
ya,e" The road led US down "Covc
Week." which is as crooked as the rest OF
y mountain streams, and might be al
v illustration Of anything that is remar,
soJ crooked Along this stream VIC
@iad the "Alilk Sick prevailing to Il con.
1gaple extent
Many persons probably would not objcct
a'iug slight attack Of this disease, in
aer that they might use the common
'nedy, for We were told that "0ld Peach
The lest antidote This Is rather pc
."D'r disease, affecting the whole lie yous
'em, aud ia many instances causing the
.'@ Of tho patient, or debilitating his
3'iu for life. IL is caused by drinking
nl!k Of cows that range through the
wis rs tn what affect. The milk every one
yet, iguorsnt; though we we're in
'|el that gentleman in the Western
Y, ,ol the state professed to have discov-
NJ M u but his discovery is not yet made
sol9' This is about the only fatal disease
inhabitants Of the mountains arc subject
!, traveller, noticing the scarcity Of
yards in the mountains, inquired
,3 ~ mad mad become Of all the people that had
n. There; the reply was, "they found
couldn't die up here, so they run off
n. e0 We left Lenoir VIC did not sec a single
gsyard. In the evening we entered The
'!oI the Watauga, and after travelling