Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-04-02
BALDY.
Indian Legends and "Reminiscences
Of the Laboring MOuntafn-A Love-
LOru Hermit.

the bSlcSrdpu Is Circulating SUM- WI
derful earthquake stories about Bald
Mountain, of North Carolina, l am
tempted to give you a few notes which
/ took there in 1913.
From the summit of the pass, as you
descend Ean-it-ha-law Mountain to the
eastward, a number of very imposing
scenes present themselves, but chief
among all the hills rises the rugged
peak of Bald Mountain. 1t is said to
have been formerly covered with for
ests, and its present badness is ac-
counted for by the Cherokees after the
following manner:
AN INDIAN LEGEND.
There once existed among these
mountains a very large bird, which re-
sembled the green-winged hornet, and
this creature was in the habit of carry
ing off the younger children who hap
pened to wander into the woods. Very
many children had disappeared in this
manner, and the entire people declared
a warfare against the monster. A va
riety of mean were employed for his
destruction, but without SUCCESS.
In process of time it was determin-
ed that the wise men of the nation
should try their skill in the business.
They met in council and agreed that
each should station himself ON the sum-
NIT Of a mountain, aud that when the
creature was seen, the man who made
the discovery should utter a loud hal
loo, which should be taken up by his
on the next mountain, and
continued to the end of the line,
that all the men might have. a shot at
the bird. The experiment was tried,
and resulted in finding the hiding
place of the monster, which was a deep
cavern on the eastern side of the Blue
Ridge, and at the fountain head of the
river Too gelah. On arriving at this
point, they found the entrance to the
cave entirely inaccessible to mortals,
and they therefore prayed to the Great
Spirit that he would bring out the bird
from his den and place him within
reach of their arms. The petition was
granted, for a terrible thunder storm
Immediately arose, and a stroke of
lightning tore away one-half of a large
mountain and the Indians were sue
cessful in staying their enemy. The
Great Spirit was pleased with the
courage manifested by the Cherokees
during their dangerous fight, and, with
a view of rewarding it, he willed that
all the highest mountains in their land
should thereafter be destitute of trees,
so that they might always have an op-
p~ortunity of watching the movements
of their enemies.
Such are some of the earthquake
ideas which formerly prevailed among
the scientists" of the wilderness, and
we must wait patiently for what is sure
to be promulgated before long by the
wise men of our scientific institutions.
In the meantime, 1 give you a few
facts, which l obtained among the
mountains of Carolina. bearing some
what upon the great commotion now
going on.
"REMINISCENCES.
was once piloted by a ~mountaineer
to a spot in Haywood county, on the
side of a mountain where, it was stated,
a waterspout had occurred many years
ago, the bursting of which caused a
very great noise and the shaking of the
earth, What seemed the pathway of
an avalanche was said to be the effect
of the water deluge. Within the rec
election of persons now living, this
mountain, which is q brother of Bald
Mountain, has been violently agitated
and broken TO pieces. The first shock
occurred In 1911 or 1872, and the last
in 1885,; and it is asserted that another
mountain, about forty miles distant,
was also convulsed in like manne in
1881. Solid granite rocks were rent
asundet. and the fsst:fes getefally took
a ncrtherly direction, and as seen with
the eye of the geologist the entire re-
gion here alluded toseems to constitute
a hyp5gehe formation.
MOUNTAIN HERMIT.
But the novel associations of this
Bald Mountain region are not all of a
legendary or "earthquakish' character;
it formerly had at least one human in
habitant, who lives in its local history.
On the extreme summit of this noun
tain is a very large and cold spring of
water and in its neighborhood a small
ave and the runs of a log cabin, con-
nected with a singular being named
DAVID Greer, who once made that up
per world his home. He first appeared
In Western Carolina about fifty years
ago. His native land, the story Of his
birth and previous history were alike
unknown. Soon after his arrival
among the mountains he fell In love
with the daughter of a farmer, but the
suit was rejected by the maiden andop.
posed by all her friends: Soon after
this disappointment the lover suddenly
disappeared, and was subsequently
found living on Bald Mountain. in the
cabin already mentioned. Here he
spent the life of a literary r~eeluse, and
is said TO have written a singular work
upon religion and another upon human
government. In the latter pro.
duction he proclaimed himself the
proprietor of Bald Mountain, and
made it known to the world that al
who should become his neigbbors musi
submit to the laws he had himself en-.
acted. a few years afterward, when il
was ascertained that he had thus taker
possession of this mountain, the au.
thorities of the county sent a messen
gen to Greer and demanded a poll tar
of seventy-fve cents. He saidhe would
attend to it on the next court day, anC
his word was accepted. He duly made
his appearance on the day in question
but instead of paying over the money
| he pelted the windows of the courthous,
with stones, and drove the judges, law
yers and clients all out of the village
and then, with rifle in hand, returned
to his mountain dwelling. For som
months after this event he amused
himself by mutilating all the cattle tina
entered on what he called his domain
and, it is said, was in the habit of try
ing the power of his rife by shooting
bullets down the farms of his neigh
bors in b evalleys. He even wentsofai
In his hostility as to shoot to the ground
in cold blood and in broad daylight,
man named Higgins, whom he ha(
caught hunting deer on the land which
he claimed Is his own. For this of
Tense he was brought TO trial, but wa
acquitted on the ground of insanity
When this decision was made known
he was greatly enraged, and, when re