Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1860-03-08
A popoiar writer, more famous for kedn

s-%-p'aer ON the Mountain Top.
A poputar writer. more famous for ke"u
wi, than sound theology, says that the
people Of every villege seem to think thai
one oi the poles OF the earth sticks out
through their town. This remark nav,
perhaps, need some qua i'll iatiUn, but at the
same time IL must be admitted that such
Wholesale sarcasm lie justly merited by some
classes Of community, aud by nuDe more
richly than the legion OF local newspaper
correspondents, VINO seem to think that
their especial mission on earth Is TO prove
that the town to which they belong is the
most favored spot on the globe; that rivers,
railroads, canals, climate, and all kinds OF
natural an acquired advantages, have Con.
spired together to make it the first city in
the world. and il all import ank respects il
Is already first. !. re wish to enter my
formal protest sgains being classd win
thi. citybu ding fraternity because | trouble
the readers OF the Advocate with a letter
about my ar-of mousiain home. Nynee
Tai is a place of p%eculles interest TO Meth
odist readers, from the fact that our mission.
aries took refuge here from the mutiny; aud
Il also had gained an almost worldwide
repu alton for its remarkably singular but
beautiful situation before | ever saw it,
Hence l hope for q little indulgence while
writing briefly Of my home.
The name .Nynee Tai in the Pahafee or
hill mems dialect, signifies lille lake, and
hence was very naturally given to a beauti.
ful little lake, about a mile in length aud
half q mile 10 width, embosomed among the
mountains. On either side the hills rise
abruptly from the waters edge, SO that the
road around the luke is in many places a
mere narrow pathway. AT the upper end
Of the lake there are II few acres Of com
paretively level ground, behind hich the
mountains rise almost perpendicularly. At
it. lower end there Is a narrow outlet dc.
scending into a deep r%ayinn, which opens d
fne view Of the pleiGs, fifteen miles distant.
The reader vii no doubt be curious to know
how a .own con be built in a place SO diff
cult Of access aud confirming 50 little grOund
suitable for building purposes. To meet tue
latter difficulty, the people have built their
town in their W way, Dispensing with
streets, squares, 'ot. and every thing else
WUiCU ElNfs rllipt " ~ OIultldEy 'bNN,
every man doing TINT hich seemed good in
his OWN eye. The nltive Duzaar stands on
the level spnt mentioned above, while the
European hnls s, sixty in number, are near.
Iy oil bui't On 'ho terraces cut out OF the
steep bin sides, nm! are reached by narrow
zig, g rptI,-. Al The outlet stands the mil.
itaty nospiti AID extensive barracks for
soldiers. The maj We huts are built among
the trees al arouni tho hills, and lew Of
them car b, seen. As TO the unnecessarily
Of the place, tn is o d ficuliy which car
not be overcome, and so IL il patiently en-.
dured. The roads iuading up IRON the plains
are go narrow ard steep that any kiud OF
vehicle on wheels is out Vi the question:
Even large horses and paIkis cannot be used
with safety. Thu place of the former il well
Supplied by a small, hardy hiil-pony. while
instead of the latter the "dandy" is used
which consists of a small boat. like sack fas-
toned under a pole, which is carried by a
couple OF coolies. Baggage Of all kinds Is
carried up on ponies or coolies heads, ind
usually In the latter way. We frequently
see a hundred coolies carrying u single load.
What the population Of the place ia |
cannot try. There IRE but few permanent:
Enslish residents. During the months OF
April, May and June there nre perhaps 500
European and D 900 natives here. bat the
number is constantly hucluating. Cold
weather drives both, races 10 the sunny
piains. where they say until the hot winds
Of sp,ing live them back again.
The lake is u out 5000 feet above the
level OF The seu. and hence we live IN the
region Of the clouds. In The ruiny season
We are sometimes epveluped 10 clouds for
whole days tog lher, during which time the
rain pours down incessnntiy. At such time
We do not very highly appreciate our eleva-
ton above the rest Of mankind; but al other
times, when light, scattered clouds IRE
floating around, our situation Is most en-
chanting. From our elevated bungalows
we can watch the clouds l%oGting over the
surface Of the lake, ,r shrouding the oppu.
lite hillside 10 robe of white, ur rising up
and ing their snowy mantle around
the mountain summit. And at evening,
when the sun premt;urely goes down be.
hind the overlapping mountain, the beauty
Of the scene 10 sill more enchanting, us tue
IOty euuiiu's ipi VII HNH oHONy miH'lcs
and robe themselves Ia most gorgeous colOrs
OF ,iiyer and gold. When We ride out around
The lake or along tho nlsuniain side. we are
often reminded OF that ''pillar OF cloud" by
which the God Of Israel guided his chosen
psople through the Wilderness as the clouds
IN geeat rolling yolumi 8 sweep along our
pathway. la the dry season the climate is
40 near perfection rs could be desired In this
imperfect world Tho clouds are not seen
for whole months together, aud the weather
10 precisely live on Ohio indian SUMNER
without It's smoke and occasional rains
The bright sun makes the days just warm
enough to DO pleasant, while the nights ale
cool and b%rac'ug without being disagreeaSly
cold. The unehsn ing bright.blue sky at
this season rivals any tropical sky ! have
ever seen in either hemisphere. aa
From The summit OF Nit. Cheenar, one of
the hills enclosing the lake, we have . fine
view Utthe S~nnwy-Ranre o -the tiimmsla.
ya.. 1'his bill r'ses $500, feet above the
level Of the sra. and is said to afford ions Of
H -. =. Gaa., u..na ..Hl. - - |