, 1874-05-04
OUR NEW VI )LCAN0.
A Trip to Bald Mountain,
North Carolina.
Perilous Adventures Encountered, bnt No
Volcanic Phenomeu Experienced.
"The State Of; Buncombe."

AHt AuEHtlUA u HlkQkIGT or NOS NGHLqIQ
North Carolina Is about to bocomo tho scono Of
volcano, has hoen lgitatiug tho minds Of a
largo number OF people, not only In tho vicinity
OF tho threatened mountain, but throughout tho
country gencrnl1y. Reportern iayo boon sent
from various ec:tiona to investigate tho mnstor :;
and although tlleY no doubt, discovered much
oxaggorai'bn and nomo composition, thoro have
boon sufficient phenomena to oxolte the ourioBity
Of tho iioat ftlcredutouB.
Wo do NIT like to bo1ieve The frat reports Of
anything extraordinary, and mort particularly
10th are we to submit ourselves without a sttug-
glo to those whtoh originate among suol, An lltt-
crate and wondor-1ovlng roop1o us tho natives Of
this mountatn-rogion.
Bald Mountain, in Rutherford County, is tho
sceno Of tho disturbance which hns given riao to
such varfod spoculationa for tho past tuo
months. The
LuMnERtNa AND nEAy1Nd OF TIE EARTH
havo hoon Going on at intervals over siuco Tho
middle Of February, and, whether really violent
or not, woro sufficiently ominous to oause
stampede among the inhabitants, inducing thom
with one accord to abandon their homes aud scok
shotor In aomo moro quiet locality. This ia =
stronger argument than would at frat aproar,
whon 1t Is remembered that tho natives Of this
A0bsDA HANA%At AZ - ESAo4A4 sAAAh{ AAtAGA pun
With their 1iyos than dollar or Its equivalent In
property Of any description.
On tho 29th OF March no started on trip to
tho Bald, determined to investigate for our
solves, and ascertain IL possible, tho exact
amount OF shaking nacessary to in1uoo thcso
people te, make such sacrifices Of $10-cabins, to
aay nothing Of stock mad furniture.
Tho day waB fine, and cur lttlo party OF three
Ss, %r,& ko tad I.
and rodo away. hayo often wondered that
this country is 30 littlo known At tho North !;
for east Of tho Rocky Mountains, thoro ia
probably no such scenery In Amcrica. Our why
was full Of beautiful mountain~outlooks, but
nothing hllperlatively grand presented itself
until within or nlos OF our destination,
rllon, with short turn Of tho road, NO entered
one Of tile most superb valleys on the Continent.
It waa
THE yosEM1TN ON LESSER SCALE.
Hugo walls Of granite, 1900 to 1000 feet in
hoinht, hen,med us in on eithor aide. This ia
ra1no como tumhlin9 down over tho aouthorn
will on our right hand, nearly LOCO feot In their
thst lenp. Jim, Sam, ard spontaneously re-
riarkca TINT we had mover until now felt our
spectacle 1t was ! The Broad River-broad by
namo not Misunderstanding furiously along be-
silo us, and dcafoning us il its frantic deter
mination to forco iss way through tho gigantic
nsasaeB Of rock which obstruct its course at
every stop. Thon these stupondous, granite
walls, roaching away to honyen, and fringed on
tho top With forcet~traos, which At places aeem
to dwindle into insigulfeance and obscurlty, aud
bring moro viyidly to oEr miud. by comparison,
n hs Saoy i ss Gss e Si t sy sSeon Of
An earthquake came upon us. That is, we All
heard 4 singular, numbering noiao, that seemod
to como out Of tho earth but, as tho river was
laundering liko mad, wa could not be sure that
1t MAS not it VIC hoard.
Ono would SUPPOSE that in this thinlY-scttled
region, there woald be land .oaough for every
man to possesa good arabic farm but even
here are cabins at intervals whore q few rods Of
soil arc to be found.
TINT looks as II he had beou ohipped OF ono Of
thoHe rocks soma thousand years ago; II species
OF fossillzed human being. We salute him In
tho usual manner:
"1'm tullable. How are you?"
"0h. tnllablo. How's all?
"Tullable"
"Family wo1l?"
"..sorter tullable. How's yourn7' a.
'"Yss. up o. that big rock"
"Wal, aorter scratchin' little"
"How to you manage to cultivate such ataep
,laud ?''
"Wal, you SOC, NO just climbs up On a rock on
he other side Of tho valley, and shoots tho corn
"Ohi We drew in our breath. Tho old fe1-
how was getting Interesting. THIS was Kind Of
Farming we had neyer heard Of. Our friend
Il adn't liyod for nothing, and wo were afraid ho
y olld provo too many for us; but Sam came to
"That's all very we'll. you know; but how do
you gather your crop when it's madeI"
"oh! wo can boat loye.land farming all to
tho boys round By the back Of tho mountain, to
tho tor with a block and tackle. Stay bolow
md catch the other end when he lowers u, and
thon wo boat off tho whole aide Of the hill, and
it falls right into the barn." ..-
ing. Wo are told to respect ago, but somehow
I could not got 1t out Of my head TINT that voner-
abla old gentleman
Rio moon MAS we'll up, aud night had closed
In upon us before We roaohou our lalting place.
It was pleasant house. situated directly under
tho Bald Mountains. Hore, wo found the first
leYcl farming land VIC hud seen in tho valley; IN
fact, land which might DO cultivated in the good,
cld-fashioned way,-i. O., With plowB and har-
rows Wo Slid down from onr HORSES, aud folt
right happy at the prospect of supper and rest !;
and our spl1ita roHo still higher whom wo found
there WAS a good supply OF excellent poacl-
DrauQY OH tnG PROMISES. hahCtuIulnHly bA1!pIou
the peacl>, aud made terrblo huyoo at the sup
portable.
This house, as have said, Is directly under
tho threatenod mountain, which towers thou.
aauds OF foot ahova our heads. I bolieve tho
Bald iH something over G,000 foot high. We sat
Oh tito porch and smoked our plpeH. Tho out
look was grand magnificent. might porhaps
l1aye giyoa won't to my too!iuga in figure OF
,;hotoric; but then thought, Of my. host and
companions, and restrained nyaolf. Tho fire
'was playing through tho mountsins for milos
tound, ~ it genorally does at this timo OF yoar;
ind, with slight strotch of imagination, one
@,oud fancy to himself that streams Of laya were
s1roaly flowing down tho sldcs. But We had
oome thoro for busine as; we Ind como to 500 n
real volcano,-uot fire in the mountains. Ray
we but mrnt confoss myself to secret Hatis-
facsion at tho perfect tranquility tho aceno pro-
nontel Jim and Bam however, woge loud in
their protosta.ionR against tho condition Of
tlings. They had travelled long way to feol MI
earthquake, md didn't want to DO cheatod.
About wook previous thoro Lad baon
SEVERAL VIOLENT SHOCKS,
ind, oven tllo day before our arrival. thoro woro