The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1878-10-10

"lId gnu over his gorgeous mantle
OF towers and foliage. If | could
be granted the privilege Of naming
this splendidly proportional noun
tam, which wore Erin's c0lors 40
royalty on hat summer morning.
he should be known hereafter as
~.Corcoran's Peak" in honor Of ".
W. Corcoran. a philanthropist of
Irish descent, whose symmetrical
life Is made up Cf deeds that lead
the thoughts beyond the hills of
earth, beyond the highest clou 5
that float heavenward
A warning signal. just as we APP
preached a classic locality known
as ''Mud Gut" brought the Swan
nanoa to a sudden halt. We found
that q short trestle over which we
were about to pass was out Of order,
and that it would be impossible to
enter the unfinished tunnel unless
we walked a considerable distance
over rocks and hills. Several of
our party left the train, desired the
Captain of the train to stop for us
at another point on the route, and
began to follow, for a mile or two,
the course Of Mill Greek, the head
waters of which the injured ~trestle
spanned. This furious stream is
the chief tributary Of the crystal
Catawba, known far beyond the
limits of the mountains for its
clear, sparkling waters, its swarms
of speckled trout, and the fertile
grain lands that stretch along its
banks.
Our guide was Major Kalmbach.
Our destination was a small build
inc, which contained a quantity of
nitro-glycerine. Major kalmbach's
duties pertain to preparing tins m
flammable material and directing
the blasting Of the rocks that i'm
pede the progress of the Road. A
convict, whose term of confinement
had expired, and whose predilec-
ton for the lovely country around
him had induced him to frequent
the mountain solituGes, instead of
returning home, mad entered this
building night or two previous,
by stealth, and appropriated a
quantity Of soap and meal. Major
Kalmbach wished to see if this was
the extent of the damage done. and
promised US, as one Of the induce
ments to accompany him, a special
nitro-glycerine explosion. The
shadowy path along the musical
waters of this mountain stream,
which was lined with dropping
ferns, brilliant Cardinal flowers and
wild blossoms of every hue and
shape, and spanned here and there
by rustic bridges made Of 4 huge
log or unplaned plank, would have
tempted a drone to follow it. As
we proceeded Major kalmbach
pointed out the spot on which the
only grist mill in that section once
stood. He is responsible for the
following story about that solitary
mill. 1t serves to illustrate certain
characteristics of the average noun
tainecr Of Western North Carolina.
This mill, with many acres of sur
rounding land, was owned by Alex
ander Kelley. 1t was capable OF
grinding a bushel of meal a day. 1t
was made of rough, unhewn logs,
and the wheel, hopper, dam and
general arrangements were antique
curiosities. When Mr.. Kelley
would 90 to his farm every morn
ing, he would fill the hopper with
corn and take home a bushel OF
meal every night. This performance
was repeated every day without IN
terruption or accident, except when
a favorite hound of Mr.. Kclley's
would escape from his kennel and
find his way to the trough of the
mill. When this happened, the
hound would lick up the meal as it
came out by the spoonful and howl
for more before the tardy machinery
could furnish it! When the survey
ors and engineers began work IL
this vicinity, Mr.. Kelley's mill was
of course not equal to the emergen-
CIV. A large mill was erected on
the banks of Mill Greek and fur
nished in modern style. Mr.. kel-
ley was present when the new mill
was finished. He stood silently by
and saw it grind thirty bushels OF
corn in one hour! Then, with a
stolid countenance, he babe the
people who owned the mill Good
morning." An hour later 4 party
of engineers had occasion to pass
by Mr.. Kelley's mill, and the last
vestige of it had disappeared Won
III