New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-08-10

n stO R0me
70 tho river and washed quantity OF clothing putting
tho articles upon a bench soapng and wettng them.
and poundIng them with o piece Of board tobacco
wagon drawn by five mules, came In from the south
Tho driver white man. but the business OF selling
the cargo at the stores conducted by mulatto'
The driver said they had travelled 200 miles from
the eastern part OF the State, and had
neatly sold out their load They stopped, no SAID
at all the country stores and ut the houses along tho
road offering their tobacco for SALE and carried tner
provisions and horsefced In the wagon camping out In
tho night.
Small It Ia, Marshall Is incorporated town. as
learned by copy OF the town ordinances posted on inc
courthouse door, and signed by seven trustees 20
strange there are not eleven twelve trusteoS i ~
such case every male inhabitant OF LAWFUL ago "Sn',
should think hold Office. The ordinances "e,o
directed chiefly against llquor-seling anu oapDa'
breaking. One OF the merchants told me that 'no oo'
was Republican in politics. but had returned oonSerVS
tive member OF the Legislature at the last
TO the prevalent dissatisfaction with Gov ho
course. The people were peaceable ana lhu"'''io' ~
uneducated. My informant did not think one por'oa
In five of the mountain people couia iVau -
write He had never heard Of anything Ike the
In the couny except in case that occurred In May
family OF negroes was whipped by disguised men, p"'
notIcs had nothing to with 1t. The colored ~oo"
had been exerting their fascinating Influences o'oi -
tain white men In the neighborhood when arousou ~
afinnn
question the merchant accounted for much Oh e opp
L.. "a tho township system established by the new Con-
etitution nv saving that tho system had undoupteuy
worked badly in many localities, owing TO the inpossi
bility of finding competent men 10 NIL the township
offices As rule the fow who were fit to I'LL THESE
offices were disqualified by their political disabilities
"Tbe truth i" said "the people In most parts OF our
State arc too ignorant to govern themselves as they arc
Obliged to do under tho township system do MT thhK
the system ought to DO given up. though Instead OF
abandoning 1t, ought TO spend money enough Tor
education make the people sufficiently Intelligent Tor
selfgovernment."
called upon the village postmaster, who showed me
with some pride fine crop Of tobacco growing upon
side steep that goat would have trouble TO
scramble up IT, He had Also between the ROAD ana the
river strip of land, few yards wde on which there
was crop Of remarkably tall corn, with two ears on
each stalk The postmaster said there were many peo-
ple in this region who were loyal during the war; ana
who had been, natural consequence, thorousheohK
Republicans ever since. There was q setliemeh. vi
Laurel Creek IL miles from Marshall he said, where
every man was a Republican The Laurel Creek valley
was isolated among tho mountains, ana couid
be reached only by bridle-paths. He told me
the story of the massacre that took place there
during tho war, which intensified the people
in their political convictions 1t appears that the men
who lived con Laurel" devoted to the Union and
refused to go into the Rebel army. For long time they
evaded the cOnscrption out tueF
to submit to 1t they raised company among themselves,
with the intention OF deserving to the Union forces at the
first opportunity. The company melted away rs soon as
1t got to the field Of the members getting through
the Rebel lines and enlistng the Union side. and
others returning home Those who returned remained
unmOlested by the Confederate authorities Tor some
time but force Of cavalry was finally sent 10 capture
them. Thirteen surprised and taken IN ther
houses, and marched into q ravine 'and al shOt
The murder OF these known rs the Laurel mas,
sacre When the postmaster had told me the story or
the dd not need to ask why all the men VINO
live Laurel Creek are Republicans.
1t Is 16 miles from Marshall to the warm springs
road skirts tie river all tho way and passes IN the
whole distance only four houses-l except one benH
wretched huts in which humane Northern farmer
would keep his cattle IN Winter. Tie beauty and
striking In these miles than In any other part OF inc
course of that river The mountains are the highest the
rocks the most rugged aud fantastic and the river seems
to have grown frantic In Its long struggle TO get thruRh
gorge and 1t dases among and over the large stone
INSTRUCTIONS in the maddest way After three days
snent amid the wild OF this wonderful gorge,
! il WAS n pleasant relief to come out at
| last upon broad, sunny plateau, surrounded
by mountains less wild than their savage neighbors tat
threaten each other the ravne to rest for time
upon broad piazza and In the rooms OF the warm
our first haltngplace to enjoy for another day the real
Of good lodging and wholesome food joined us
here having In the stage. where he had Tor rev
| miles the entertaining company or Two young iadies
| from the mountains who astonished him by chewing
tobacco Asking him for whisky which they recK
oned he mOught treat them to- seem as how he was from
Chicago Nhar they had DrOtner III the prison LOT ce5
1ttrit tI.nW fr