Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1857-12-30

Mt. Mitchell was apsliAd aeSSrd7ly to the highest
peak BY the citizens p ancey. or ofAny other conn-
ydn shs stas 10 hseF asessessses Up TO me sns
tillwithin Nv qont6 PEA fnever heard it sugges-
ten thstit Ina bsen a applied sby p single human
being. - hope quickly to fxbricate an unanswera-
bic reply this and to show that in his ignorance
Mr.. Clingman was as unfortunate as perhaps ne
In 1889 President Swain wrote to Roswell T.
Smith, then preparing an edition of his school geo.
graphy, and requested him TO mention that Mt
Mitchell was the highest land east Of the Rocky
Mountains, intending BY Mt. Mitchell the peak visit.
ed in 1885 The request complied with, and 1915
has been widely knownasthe height of Mt. Mitchell
in n =. in School Biographies and Gazetteers, and
on Maps and Aliases ever since Smiths Geogra-.
ply was reviewed in the Raleigh Register in June
lS4C and the fact about Mt Mitchell brought to the
notice Of it's readers This review noticed in
the Highland Messenger, published in Ashevle, Mr..
Clingman's town, aud the name at first protest
ed against, it being understood given to the whole
mass of the Black Mountain But in subsequent
NUMBER the editor Withdrew his protest. and hearth
~ endorsed the suggestion, IN being informed that
the suggestion concerned the highest peak of the
Black only. Here then is story that was not " SO
carefully whispered among few" but that others
might have heard it. Again in his letter of Sept.
H. Mr.. Clingman writes, Is it not wonderfully
strange that Prof Mitchell, when in the neighbor-
hood Cany River in 1914, for the purpose of try
is pretended had been in for nine years? "Won-
dcrfuly strange" things do sometimes happen, but
this one did not ap, by the following extract
from letter written By DIR. Mitchell to his wife, and
dated huntsville, July 7th. is44"-" Tomorrow
am expecting to ascend the Black Mountain, hope
for the last time. shall probably now reach the
highest summit. did not think that the name Of
Mitchell, which some had affixed to it would adhere;
but now begin to think it will When stopped
at Solomon Carriers on Friday night, ] asked
young fellow il the Black Mountain was visible from
a ne;ghboring hill. He replied that he could show me
Mt. Mitchell from thence" So then Mr. Clingman's
own test is fully satisfied But fa, Their, VIM. Wilson
testies that the peak visited in 1885, was gen
orally called by the whole country, Mount Mitchell
until Dr. Mitchers second visit when some persons
transferred his nante to another peak" Now VIM
Wilson is reported to me q man who does not Of
ten Indulge in a" sheer fabrication" Thomas
Wilson says that ever since he can remember. this
peak has been universally called Mount Mitchell by
the Ca, ey River people. Samue! Austin says that
he is an old mau and has always heard the point Wis
tied BY DR. Mitchell, VIM. Wilson and Adoniram
Allen. called Mt Mitchell by Cany people, until the
always took strangers to that point rs Mt Mitchell
That guides have done SO. We have strong proof in
Harper's Magazine for last Observation-Disclosures,
Big Tom Wilson" is described as guiding Porte
Crayon there in d, CO mber, 1885, But to render
long story short-"n the 2Sth Of last October-Gray
els Il am told that sixty others might have
been ob,ained-or six neutrality-suspicious. Of
Yancey County, residing South Tow, and
on Caney Rivers. i. both sides of the Black
Mountain, certified that for many years VIC have al
ways regarded what is now known as the highest
peak of the Black Mt to be Mt Mitchell Mitchelfs
Knob--that with us it has always gone by that
name-that strangers coming to this county to visit
Mt Mitchell. have heen guided to that peak by our
citizens and until lately heard it called any
thing else" Again, can only make q selection
from the mass of testimony before me. which when
published. will set all doubts to rest forever.
Messrs. Editors my task is done. regret that
could not do it in less space. But wanted to set
before the public enough to satisfy them, that in
this matter, they have not followed cunningly de-
vised fabe-that the people Of Yancey in contend
ing for the body Of DR.. Mitchell last summer, were
right in exclaiming, HE ought to be buried here
there he hung his Baromcter-this is his peak
he lost his life for il" 1t is not right that Prof
Henry or Mr. Lanman a. friends Of Mr.. Cngman,
nor Prof Guyot, although reluctantly at the sugges
ton Of Mr.. Cooke, nor Lippincott, nor any other
man, or set of men should reverse what the good
people of Yancy county had right to decide, and
what they have decided for the last twenty two years.
Yours respectfully,
CHARLES PHILLIPS.
University Of N. C. Deer. 1s, 1857.