Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-03-27
BALD MOUNTAIN.
sssawbones', Elucidates the Cussed-
ness of Newspaper Humanity.

From the Morrist0wn Gazette,
NEAR THE VOLCANIC REGIONS, March
I9.-"H-u afoat in the mountains r'-
"0ld Badly Preparing to Eruct Vol
cano 2-Smoke Fire The Earth
Quaking Things Trotting RI heard all
this, and could not stand it. had never
seen a volcano, so mounted my horse and
put out for sIold Bald" The news got
worse the farther went. As approached
the mountain met the natives a gettin'-
men, women, children and dogs. They
begged me TO turn back, and snug, "Turn,
sinner, turn" and think some of them
prayed for me. 1t beat old Mrs. Wards sa-
loon at Greeneville, To get out of the fuss.
/ pushed on. struck a leading spur Of old
Bald, and rode up, up as far as could ride.
Then dismounted, hitehed my horse and
walked on. Where the spur Joined the
main mountain, my way was obstructed by
perpendicular rocks. / could see smoke
from the top, but could not hear the rum
bling. climbed up and around the noun
tain to avoid the rocks. After proceeding
bling. 1t appeared TO be below me and
farther around the mountain. i got on a
high point, from which there was a COM
view DclUM. 1uC
this point was terrible and unaccountable.
Just here saw sight that astOnished me
more than if the earth had yawned at my
feet. L saw a wagon, with four mules,
driven furiously around the side of
the mountain. 1t had on it an old
fashioned wagon-bed, and from the
noise, there was few loose rocks in it.
How the thing held together, bouncing
al, h =. IL
went few hundred yards, and turned
round. 1t stopped about ten minutes as if
to rest the mules, then, here it came again.
The road Gf it could be called aroad,) was
about four hundred yards long. 1t would
turn and rest the mules at each end. l
saw it make several trips. Then L took a
drink from my flask, and scrambled down
to his Devils turnpike. 1 placed myself
Jy the side of the road, to wait for the
wagon. In few minutes here it came.
The driver did not see Inc until he was
within fifty steps of me. He appeared as
tonished, stood up in his stirups, Che was
riding one of the mules and tried 10 bluff
me by yelling out:
''Get out of the way, you id foolr''
As soon as he spoke knew him. 1t
was George Skies. He used to live over in
Buncombe when Madison was part of Bun
combe. picked up couple of rocks and
placed myself in the middle of the road.
Then he stopped and L went for him.
Said 1, ''George, if you don't want to be
lifted from that mule with one Of these
dornicks, talk fast
Talk WHAT" said he.
eVOlcanor' said L.
Snow look here, Sawbones," Che always
called me Sawbones,) "yOu know that l am
a poor man. 1 am paid by the editors to
do this"
s.But how about the smoke and fire?'
He said one one of his Logs was on top
and with sticks and wet leaves he kept up
smoke. At night they built fire.
'.HOw about the blow out?"
Here George laughed outright. He said
the natives were very skittish when they
heard the rUImbling, but when ''the blow
out" came, they incontinently toddledi He
had buried key of powder about eight
feet deep, inserted tin tube in the key,
tramped in the dirt, lit a slow match and
then she blew out,
'sThey say they hear this rumbling to
Old Folt9'
20, yes, They hear it there! They will
hear it in New York soon, the news is
spreading mighty fast! SawbOnes, for God
sake give me all the tobacco You have
about yoU-go home to your family and
keep your mouth Shut"
did come home to my family. The old
quilt saw me coming and ran to meet me.
The first word was ''volcanow l told her
the volcano was all right, but that the chs
Sedness of human nature was breaking my
heart, and that if she didn't get in the
house and make me strong cup of coffee,
there would be a volcano right there. She
went-nOt being a strong-minded crusader,
she consequently does what l ask her to do.
If YOU are in the 'VOlcano" business you
can suppress this. do not want to injure
any mans business; and this volcano
earthquake news is mighty exciting read
| ing. SAWBoNEs.