The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1874-04-17
The RumbIing Mountain.

fuckers BARN, n, C.,
March 81, 1874.
Little Artist BE not alarmed con-
corning our volcano. HAMILTON reasons
thus: North Carolina has every thing
else taken in the census, and why not
have a volcano? have not yet had any
personal intercourse with volcanoes, and
regret that cannot give you reliable
information about their habits. The Press
thinks it will be heavy job to scratch
the mountain when the eruption comes
out. Until we know more about the
prognosis of volcanic pathology, l opine
that the three hundred, or three hundred
and sixty odd, or three hundred and sixty
odd thousand newspaper correspondents
and scientific men who are cOngregating
in the southwestern corner of Mcdowell
county, to interview the Bald Mountain
and witness the eruption, are in pursuit
of knowledge under difficulties. Their
zeal surpasses their knowledge, and will
receive more applause. believe, howev-
er, that we may consider this much as re-
liable, that the habits of volcanoes are
strictly analogous to those OF lightning
and mad dogs, and that we have only to
learn how to determine with precision
when and where the next thunderbolt will
fall, and where and when the next mad
dog will break out, and then to run a par
allel, and we have the volcano spotted to
dot We may then proceed with conf
dence to erect our platform and mount it,
and open our eyes and witness the per-
Torrance.
The particular Bald Mountain in ques-
ton has certainly been cutting up some
what for few weeks past. There are
internal rumblings and external quakings
heard and felt on that mountain, and for
fifteen or twenty miles around it. And
the natives of the mountain, who have the
reputation o! being very ungodly, became
alarmed, and held extraordinary religious
meetings. 1t is said that they still urge
upon some iIlici; distilIers around, the du-
ty of pouring out upon the earth the con-
tents of their whisky barrels, and that the
distillers cannot see their way so far, and
are waiting to hear more from the noun
tain.
But do not let your constant mind be
shaken Old Ben bergen, a reliable
antiquity, who is confirmed by other an
clients, says that the mountain cut up more
in 1912 than it is doing now; and we know
that it didn't cave in nor blow out then.
But, let me tell you that We have co..
icky mountain out in Haywood that has
been colicky at times ever since the first
settlement of the county, and that we
have long ago got use to it, and don't take
on about it at all. 1t is near the Madison
line, and not very far from the Warm
Springs. At uncertain intervals, general
~ of some years, it shakes and rumbles
and even rends assures in the cliffs and
tumbles down detached pieces of rock
from them There is limestone in the Vi
cinity, and we think, perhaps it has taken
little too much limestone on its stomach.
and that the lime is shaking AMI makes it
little feverish. But we have not given it
chloroform nor quinine, and have made
no attempt whatever to keep it from
shaking. When it shakes we let it shake
l enclose you photograph of Hickory
Tavern in March, 1871, in order that
you may have an ocular demonstration
of what have been telling you of thatris
ing young city. The ediiice in the fore
grounds The Hickory Tavern. The young
city Is expanding in all directions around
It, All as usual here, and in the valley.
Your equanimical fond uncle
w. w. LENOIR.