Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1857-08-26
Correspondence of the Spirit of the Age,
AsHEvILLE, N. G.

morning Of the 9th instant. The moonlight
was struggling with a dense fog which over
spread the fields and hung drearily along the
banks Of the streams. l soon found that l
was favored with the company of three en-
tertaining and agreeable gentlemen. 1t was
truly amusing to mark the efforts made to
drive away drowsiness and keep up CONVEX
sation. At one moment the forced anecdote
would have a listener and excite laughter
and response, at another we would sit silent
and half dreaming, listening to the playful
ripping of the waters and the grating and
Gathering of the wheels. Soon the twilight
began to dawn the hill sides echoed with
joyous bird songs the fog gradually lifted
its subtle wings, and the mountains and the
waters gently cleared of their shadows and
greeted us with their charms. | was then
for the distance of thirty miles down the
French Broad River blessed with the view of
the subllmest and widest scenery that is to
be found perhaps in the eastern part of the
Union. The Turnpike runs along the cas-
tern bank. The stream runs through a deep
gorge in the mountaineering rising aloft on
either side in every diversity Of form. There
Is a constant change and novelty in their ap-
pearance which relieve the eye and prevent
the picture from growing familiar and weary.
Sometimes the vision climbs a lofty conical
peak completely buriedin many-hued foliage;
at another is checked in it's ascent by massive
projecting rocks at another chambers up an
almost perpendicular wall of stone with here
and there a rock grown ivy or pine clinging
closely to its sides and then descends to en-
JOY a sweet relaxation upon the surface of
the living, gladstone waters below. At one
point l observed a pyramidal knob looming
away towards the heavens, clothed principal
ly in the pine-and having upon its summit
a number of dead and leafess trees, which
stood far higher than all the rest around
them. AS L gazed upon them, my mind nat
urally applied the scene to our COuntry's
great, and the thought flashed upon me-
tie tottiest are the dead. | remember anoth-
er that | will call the Rocky Mountain. 1t
rises to an immense height, is sparsely cloth
ed with n variety of trees, and seems COM
posed entirely, from base to summit, ofsmall
loose, light-colored stones. There is a noun
tain island growing up from the bosom of the
River not very far from the Springs. The
bright waters sport proudly around it, as
) though they boosted in the capture of their
! green clad victim.
There are some places amid the rocks and
crags and cliffs and deep %ravines, where ma
ture, in her widest and most terrific power,
. seems panoplied and marshaled for a direful
S conflict with her own tremendous element
o They look like the birthplace q thunder
n bolts-the fearful school of the hirlwini
and the tempest.
e All along, the River alone presents eleva
p ting and enchanting scenery. The eye il
o wooed constantly by it's rocks and island
and eddies and rapids and falls and spray
There is a remarkable swiftness and energy
in it's busy, joyous current, which infuse life
and pleasantly into the bosom of the behol
der. On the mountain side, the attention i
frequently attr acted by lovely little stream
e let's. They come gaily leaping over the rock
or dancing down the rough ~ravines, singin
L a sweet %silvery song to the answering mur
murs of the mother stream. They gladl,
D. run tomeet her and nestle in her noble breast
ur Here and there a wild flower bushes, i
innocence and purity, in its rude, unculture
home. / love-I dearly love those wild flow
We ers. 1t seems that all their rugged compar
ions love them. The rocks stand like
RI friendly breastwork around them. The oal
49, with a parents care, spreads it's broad, CO..
-" branches, to shelter and nurture them. III
purling streamlet ripples a sonnet of love ar
praise to them and the zephyr fans and tt
ba sunbeam kisses them. l thank kind Heave
- for them. They TEEN with eloquence abol
10 the mercy of cur Father. l love them Il
more, because, like many a child of power
he and neglect, they have beauty and merit, b.
,rs are sadly doomed TO blush unseen and d
. uncherished and unloved.
The 9th being Election day, l found qui
a. crowd of m~ountaineers at several precinc
"a. One popularity was observable-the lar
rs number of women who attend the pub
2 gatherings. At some points l am informe
thew outnumber the males. This is a la
= of woman's rights. They go not simply
= spectators, but absolutely to revel in the {
citement-to drink till they are drunken
and then, sometimes, even to complete :
III ~. scene by quarrelling and fighting. Of coul
w l do not reflect by this upon the better a
ueu refined daughters of the hills-whose name
the legion.
e ene I reached the Warm Springs about
10 O'Clock P. M. ] think the Springs one
w the handsomest places hat l have seen In
Western part of the State. The Prophet
are gentlemanly-and the accommodate
tbs are very fair. The number OF visitors tt
ms far is rather small. The place is a pleas
resort-worthy Of %sojourn by the pleas
'SSHu seeker-and deserving of more patronage
So There are two things attached to Water
u Places which l cannot endorse. They
~ N the bar room and the ballroom. All Y
n have them should likewise build hospil
: Is for Uirtue and true excellence; for very oft
y if not always-when they enter these salo
- they need a restorative.
49, On the 9Th | mounted a fine trotter of
ouI McDewelPs and visited the Paint rock. I
a. stands on the line between N. G. and TIE
, IL ~ 1t is a rock or wall of rock rising perpen'
ula1ly from the road to the height Of perh
300 feet. The strata are clearly defined
&c present a varied surface, which gives
In name, l suppose. But really there is
,ofnL much resemblance of paint. On a small
,onad in the side of the rock there was a beaut
Ion- althea, in full bloom, and just beneath
r a large yellow Cactus, opening it's W
folds.
w. About half a mile over the line are
icient Chimney Rocks. These seemed perh
taller, and one of them has a better clair
the epithet of Paint Rock than the one
up " stands on the line; they rise to a frightful
pei so titude and towards the top they assume
al in appearance of a rough Chimney. The
ey Ia ~ OF 90 lees On one OF Two are MADE u
I'm a rough Mason. l gazed upon then
est no deep wonder for some time-gathered SO
ey not and pebbles, and then returned much
,f nm fled to the springs. | discovered tina
-, was much warmer there than in Ashe
Ap"S though very pleasant at evening and
OF ming.
ille.- l came back to Asheville on the 10th
/ once was highly gratifed to meet the Editor o
Age and his Excellent lady. To these l
.'a' yield the p~rigilege of sketching the renal
Have of nv routeoas we shall return by the
cd p roads. However you may hear from me
would more. Truly and always yours
- "A. w.