The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1874-10-14
TOUR THROUGH THE NOUN.
TAINS.
CoNTINUA TTON OF TIE TRIP.
BY E. SLICK.

:. far from blackjack thicket, IN Laurie
s county, and has about two thousand in
y haBitants, mostly Lawyers, Doctors, Col
s Onels, HOte[keepers and hound dogs
:. From London had a lonesome nigh
t ride of eighteen miles across the Wild
Y / cat hills to the Rockcastle river, where
: struck the terminus of the Louisville and
f Knoxville Railroad, at Livingston sta
f ton
t Three years ago I made the tour OF
e these mountains, and among these same
] Wildcat hills came near losing my life
{ in a very unnecessary, if not a foolish
= manner. 1 had travelled all night and at
: three o'clock in the morning arrived
, within three or four miles of the station.
I was very tired, my mule rather inclin-
, ed to be sleepy, and l concluded to rest
awhile beneath the sheltering branches
of large oak that stood in the road. A
dense fog had spread over all the valley,
and the uGivering stars gave only dim,
ghostly light; with the reins over one
arm and my sleeping mule standing sen
tinel, I wandered off to the land of nod.
| Presently heard a rustling among the
brush, and looking in that direction, saw
that it was man, trying TO make his
way around us, keeping as near the edge
of the cliff as possible, and holding a
navy revolver, pointed directly at me.
Without moving, asked him to please
elevate his artillery while he advanced
and gave his reasons for declaring war.
There is no doubt in my mind but
what he was nearly as badly scared as
myself, for he seemed to draw a breath
| of relief, and advanced, saying: Mis-
| ter, thar's bars in these mountains; and
when seen your little mule standin'
thar in this fog, took him for bar,
but when got closer, and seen you ly-
in thar ag'inst that thar tree, I though |
how it was somebody waitin' to rob me; !
so 1 jis' kept this old feller leveled, and |
ready to fire if you jumped at me-
remarked to him that I had been |
riding a long time and was very tired, !
and had halted there a short time to rest. |
Yes" he continued, q have been |
little tight too, but I'm gitten sorter over
it now. l was out here in this range to
a dance party, and have been dom the
fiddlin' for EN-" Says |, since you had
fears of being robbed, what did you
have with you besides your character, to
be robbed of? 80, haint got nothin'
with me 'cept this pistol, fiddle, and
this bottle of corn juice, and stranger, if
you will take drink of it, you're morn
welcome" Not any, | thanked him, and
after few scattering remarks in regard
to the care that should be used in the ell
ovation of artillery, infantry and caval-
~, mounted my bar" and moved on.
To proceed with this trip: After an
hours sleep at Livingston station, was
hustled up to get what they called break
fast, and at six o'clock stepped aboard
of the train, and glided away toward
Danville.
All was excitement throughout this
section, and everybody insisted on talk
ing about the recent troubles at Lancas-
ter between the whites and blacks; the
air was full of It, and the very winds
seemed to be whispering it as they sway
ed the forests.
At Crab Orchard, the first depot we
came to after leaving the terminus, a
great many persons that had been spend
ing the summer at the various springs in
that neighborhoOd, got aboard of our
train. They too, were excited over the
battle, and contributed to the general
hub-bub. Judging from their lingo"
their eyeglasses, and their entire git-up,
took great many of these visitors to
be from the East and North. The news
agent had distributed his circulars, leav-
ing one in every seat, and it was headed
g Notable New Books" One of these
ladies secured q circular,
adjusted her eyeglasses, and read in a
loud nasal twang notice New
Workers." Her companions in all the adj
joining seats gave instant attention, and
with abated breath waited for her to go
ahead and read some dreadful ku-klux
threatening instant death, to
all persons from the North who failed to
get up Immediately and dust. How
ever, a second glance at the paper con-
Einced her of the mistake, and as she
took down her window blinds,
a broad smile and sense of disappoint-
ment settled down over all New England.
They wanted to be made martyrs and
we're disappointed. {
Oh, Kentucky, why don't you take the
bigger to your bosom and let the sim
nering North have peace? Why don't
7ou give him the civil rights he so much
ongs for, and to the exclusion of your
)wn children, educate the little niggers
while the old ones rob hen roosts and
yOte all the money from your pocket?
Why don't you console, educate and :
lumOr the niger, and allow him the
privilege of electing and filing all the
'ff1ces, State, county and national?
Why do you murmur at paying the tax :
IS they see fit to vote upon you, and :.
aise this cry all over the North about =
'istols, bowe-knives and terror ION the
lark and bloody ground of Kentucky?
tOme to your milk, oh, kentucky then :,
Northern capital will take hold of all =
our fat cattle and offices. Then flop
ared emigration from the prison houses =
f Europe and New England will flock :
o your hills and settle along your blue
rass valleys, and the chariot wheels of r
UGH men as Kellogg, Butler, Longstreet =
nd Moses will resound along your mag
ifcent pixies, and the spirit of John :,
'rowu will rest in peace beneath the :,
hade of your mighty oaks. =
At Mt. Vernon we were reinforced by II
ne grand division of the Kentucky u
tate guard, on their return from the
fracas. They were enveloped II