New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-05-15

m, letter Of Hr,o, Rowan Helper ESQ., dated the 2h instant and re
Norh Cardinals 80 10 square miles am Sir very TPeeJs YOU
obeiirnt servant jas D. "''~
Tho extraordinary length Of North Carolina from east
10 west may be here rOtired. Bctwccu ude-WaItf' ~
Cane Hatteras and the furthest peaks OF the Uhaka
Mountains bordering on IenneiSee' Irt nccV Iop beT
average degree Of latirude 10 81 miles IL correc nal
Of the United States be spread before any one VI
point OF the same on me mosJ etsIerm ,ben
Cnrrituck County, in North carolina, anu ' t5n
most western part Of Cherokee County, in me
Same state, and then, with the latter point point
you Will perceive that the line, beside passing thI4ns
the eight states known as Tennessee kGnuehg, liz
New-YOrk Vermont, New.Hampshire. Massacnuse.iT -,
and Georgia, completely crcumscrbes and lnciudeS tn
whole Of the eight States recognized rs Rhode l,anT,
land, Virginia, and South Carolina. .,..,.
Nor only in The remarkable length OF hcr try
ger in this regard than any other state THIS side o ~
Mlsss'ipp-that North Carolina is distinguished. snft
boasts Of tho highest IN the United States east
Of the Rocky Mountains This is Mount Mitchell namrl
i'm honor of DR. Elisha Mitchell martyr 10 science who
fell down precpce aud lost his life IN June, 1851 while
reassurng himself for the third time OF the exact anu
tude OF the great mountain that now bears ms nant
Dr. Mitchell, who for many years. was one OF the HD's
and most honored Of the professors OF our UnNGsy AZ
Chapel Hill, was native Of Connecticut 10 thus ap.
pears and Is well that while the South is honorcd IN c
name OF the loest peak Of the White Mountains ~ the
Norh-MOunt Washington In llampshire-the N3flh
is honOred in the oi the lOcs peak Of the Black
Mountains In the South, Mount Mitchell In North caro-,
lima One word, however before proceeding inIIner III
reference TO this Carolina range Of towering hlgts-
spur OF the Blue Ridge-miscalledt the Black Mouans
here protest that the name Is both misnomer ana q
libel, and that 10 ought to be changed without delay
Properly and fortunately there is about these FOUNTAINS
Dohingthats black All They are most Of the time dur
ing Winter covered with snow, and therefore white
like the White Mountains o NewHampshre; but during
the Spring, summer and Fall they show the dense ever
foliage OF the balsam, tree OF the pine FANNY
that grows there with great uXuiance and Tor ts S-
SON. and this alODethe deep green foliage or inc
balsam trees-tne mountains are misuHmed Black ~
seemed to me- last year, when had the pleasure OF
visiting these salutug emineuces OF earh ana
rock and found them entirely innocent OF the ugllness
and dcmert implied in their name, that the size ana the
particular species Of the trees which densey cover
both the sides and the SUBMITS Of the elevations, might
have very properly suggested for them an appropriate
appeatiOn not Black Mountains, but Big Balsam Moun-
taius.
Speaking Of Mount Mitchell and other mountains Of
North Carolina Prof GuyOt Of Princeton College, IN MS
paper On the Appalachian system" says: . -,
"ThrOugh extent OF more than $50 miles, the
mean hight Of tho valley from which the noun
taus rise is more than 1900 feet tho mountains
which reach COCO feet are counted by scores, and inc
Hottest peaks rise Zoo feet while at the north, In the
group " tho White Mountains the base is scarcely 1000
feet the gaps 1900 feet aud Mount Washington IN New
Hampshire, the only which rises above G0OO feet is
stl 400 feet below the hight Of Mount Mitchell, which Is
the elevated point Of the Black Mountains IN North
Carolina Here them in all respects, Is the eliminating
region Of the vast Appalachian Systematic highest land
IN the United States east ~ the Rocky Mountains"
According 20 careful and exact measurements by Prof.
GuyOt whose scientific lab0r In this regard our State
much indebted there are I'm North Carolina at least 25
mountains that have been asccraucd 10 be higher than
Mount Washington, Ncw-llampshirc the summit OF
which has an elevation OF 6sj feet The principal noun
aius in North Carolina which are known TO he higher
than Mount Washington these the names OF some OF
which would doubtless bear changing without causing
any material dimnutou or dslocaon OF the huge heaps
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