Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1875-04-28
LE~rURING UNDER DIFFICULTIES
That BaIky Horse ''-CareyVille-
JacksborO' Etc.

To the Editors Of the Chronicle:
All innocent of the time the train
reached CareyviIle, started up the
road. When near Coal Greek, where
[ designed stopping, the conductor
kindly informed me that the train
would not reach Careyville in time for
me to reach Jacksboro' and lecture
the next night. Visions of long walks
and blistered feet arose before my
tired anticipation. Reached Coal
was more than my app
pointment had done. Near the hour
of II O'Clock the next day might have
been seen a temperance pilgrim, on
foot, with a heavy valise, through the
handles of which was thrust an un-
brella, said umbrella resting on the
right shoulder, with a roll in the left
hand, similar no doubt to the one
Bunyan's Pilgrim carried. Through
the lonely defiles between the Cum
beTland Mountains ON the LETT ana
WaIdren's Ridge on the right he passes
in silence on. The forest twilight grows
deeper, as human habitatiOns grow
scarcer. until the last house Is reached,
where four-footed beasts" are kept.
Here the much sweating pilgrim stops
to negotiate with lank mOuntaineer
for mule ride over Waldren's Ridge.
1t was now noon. The mule must
eat. Pilgrim would be gtod to. III
the other department. OF the cabin
mingled sound of kitchen activities
arose upon the din of many feet anG
voices of the rather numerous house
hold, consisting of ten children and
two dogs. We THAT is to say, the pill
grim) being invited out to dinner, dld
ample Justice to the frugal fare, at the
conclusion of which the rather young
and buxom wife brought out her
white-headed twins to regale the pill
grim's eyes with their budding beauty.
She proudly informed him that this
was the second pair out of her ten
children. Could but think that if the
future is as the past the "Olive branch
es around that table will be as nu4
merous as willows by the water
brooks"
Scene II in the grand charade-Pil-
grim mounted on mule back with va
Use in front, umbrella in the right
hand, and the mule boy walking be-
hind. Slowly up the deep gorges, over
the rocky spurs" and through de-
vious windings, first the summit, and
then the other side of the ridge, is
reached. Then we come to a place
where the road crept under the fence.
The mule not being able to do likewise,
pilgrim dismounts, and discharges
mule, and mule boy, and wends his
way to the tunnel hard by. He dis
appears in the shadows-then darkness
swallows him up, as the mud threat
ems to do. Trickling waters, lurking
shadows, and startled echoes, seem to
come about him. The distance to the
arched opening at the other end is
surprisingly prolonged, but is finally
reached, as is the resolution, never to
repeat that pilgrimage on foot, and
alone. Reach Careyville, and are
kindly sent for" with horse and bug
gy from Jacksboro'. To say it rained
and was dark, is an exceeding tame way
of putting it. Yet we had large audi
ence, and our temperance lecture was
well received. The lodge at that
place will receive a new lease of life,
as we hope. Met Col. Gibson, of the
General Assembly, who is temper.
ance man, and spent the night at Mr..
VIM. Aliens, where he and his good
lady exerted themselves to make us
comfortable, and succeeded.
Next morning early flor the creek
was rapidly rising), we set out in a
hrggv, drawn by q horse somewhat
eccentric III his notions of movement,
for he often stopped and then began to
"back." The second effort in back
ward travel, not being careful how he
pushed the buggy or where, resulted
in our going over high embankment,
and Just didn't upset. For which [
hope we were duly thankful, though
our thanks did sound little like en-
phasized abuse of the "balky" horse.
Driver landed out in the mud, took
the horse by the "bit," and led him
into the road, and while he was lung
ing furiously forward, driver climbed
in behind for after the horse got to
going, we had to keep him going, for as
sure as we let him stop he reversed the
engine and started backwa
On reaching the creek, we found it
many rods wide, apprehensively deep,
and startlingly swift. We began to
feel awful sorry it had rained so much.
Concluded to venture. Water threat
ened US where we sat in the buggy.
But all of this was as nothing, COM
pared with what followed. Reader,
did you ever have anything to do with
balky" horsec And was your
peace as river, your temper placid as
a dreaming sea? For horse to bAlk
at hill is bad enOugh-to balk on the
level road is worse; but to take an in
nOcent temperance lecturer far out into
deep water, where it is rods to where
you can even reach mud knee deep,
and then with "malice aforethought"
to stop, refusing to go another step,
and even threaten to back into
water deep enough to drown the tall
est man living, is about as villainous a
thing as a malicious horse could do.
This did our horse. Talk of the ago
nies:of Promethius on Mt. Caucasus
What are the soft twinges of
having your liver torn by vultures,
compared with the momentary expec-
fancy of being submerged on cold
morning, in the muddy waters of an
angry creek ?
Then our temperance head swami
The buggy occasionally flew sidewise,
up the creek, at two-forty rate and
we came to ourself, clinging to the
buggy seat, mortified to find it had not
moved an inch. We were just prepar-
ing for the worst, when our horse re-
considered his first resolution and
walked straight out of the water, ia
king US with him.
Reader, [ am "cold water man ~
but am now convinced that one can
have too much of a good thing. In
due time we reached the kind hospi-
talities of Mr.. Ben. Wheeler Lectured
at Careyville, and was away again to
other fields. What a blessing, if all
balky horses would die in their colt
hood. J. +. GOLDMAN. d