The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1878-11-25

come ch-frequented and pop re-
sort fts climate must be baiIf1 aud nealtn-
mi i'm q high degree. Even ia winter q
i,ns the fsYsse OF, being moderate and CRATE /
sul and beneficial to persons OF q ellcaes
constitution. 81 ~.
q The owners, under the direction: Of pr.
HOwerton, are preparing Tor consaoe ef .,i's
and promise 70 fncreass lily
means Of accommo dating guests Ds eile i 's
season. Z. 81. .,.,l.a
i,examining the place we babe the DecI9Ts
adiet, and crossing By ferry inssesa Oh lug
doubt III bridge, we set oct Tor AsnflIie II?
len,rr,a of the night on the bridge was dis
ei1ss1pd. ard it was unit erstood that the work
of ;repairing it was going on, and that a!ter-
words the mouth OF the bridge wousd pc
Closed, SO that no way iarer would be ihSei-
f,led Into danger again.
60 ouR FGILow-TRArGsLLERs.
( And now it becomes the duty OF the
chronicler to give some account OF our
acknowledgements on the French Broad
{. turnpike, which has foll-gate at MAR
sHAI.Ia the ceunty.sea Of MAnIaoN--a coun-
~ faken froU, Buncombe. AT MARSHALL we
were entertained fery comfortably at
/" 3udger,s Eotel." There we rested our
aching bones and indnlged appettes whet-
ted by5olting.. 1t was impossible to be entire
IL consosed for discomfort; but it was some
qualification, at least, to know where "coil-
solatiouD might be found-FIz., In the arc
tionarv. Sowe were calm. Gudger nau anof-
city that helped to divert our Thoughts iroth
panps in various physical locations. Ihae
novelty was rotating dinins-table OF three
stories. The basement was for the plates
ana knives and forks. On the second story,
or terrace. were placed the dishes OF food
the castors, salt, water, etc. That terrace
reyoiyed, and all that q guest had to DO was
70 turn it till what he wanted came IN
front of him. Thus everybody readily got
what he wanted. The third story was
sort OF roand-tower, on which were piaeeo
the light at night and flowers and ornaments
in the day--a very ingenious affair, made oY
Gudger himself, and it operated dellghtiui-
". Good for the French Broad nave
never seen anything like it anywhere eise.
II certainly will save the cost OF q waiter
upon the table.
Rut ] forget our fellow-travelers. In the
emphatic language of Sellers, They arere
hoqs ',n From Ashyille to Warm Springs
and back hogs were before us and behind
us, and both to the right and the left OF us.
We overlook them and we met them. we
kept up O running fire Of conversation with
them and their drivers. We urged them
out OF our way by word and whip. we
were so constantly with them that we be-
came critics Of hogs. We became acqualnt'
ed with each separate hog. We knew ms
movement, his color, and bis spots-nay, the
very twist OF his tail. Familiarity began TO
inspire respect rather than contempt, and
proposed to my friend that we should
change our course and go along with our
pruptipg friends to their destination. what
luxury in spare-ribs, backbone. and saul
sage we would have there, not to mention
pigs tails broiled on hot rocks! 1t shook
his firmness; but he had been so soreiy
shaken before that. he declared nothing
could tempt him to prolong the journey. SO
there was whipping and shouting aud TWIST
ing and turning for miles, cutting OF hogs
to the left, to the right, and shouting We,
hementIy. "suey!" suey 2 "Get out -
"Suey, hogs!" "D-d-d devil take the
swinei" "Shoo fly !" Shoe eyerythinglo;
To quote parson OF other days OF DiesSed
memory: "Their"name was legion. Lee
zion means ten thousand" We finally
were through with. the hogs and back
to Ashvie, thanks to good horse and a
klnl-hearted, most entertaining. and congo
NAL though somewhat Indifferent driver!
Now the Valley OF the French Board is
the thoroughfare from Kentucky and Ten
pessee, through North Carolina, to South
Carolina, Georgia, and the Gulf. There are
driven along this thoroughfare annually
many thousands of horses, mules, cattle, and
hogs. We must have encountered several
thousands Of hogs. The animals we saw
were as fine as were ever driven.
TENNESSEE LAND OF. FATNEss.
Just abreast OF the western border OF
North Carolina, in Tennessee, is land OF
fatness and of plenty, which is hardly equal
led for productiYeness anywhere else III
the United States. This rich region finds
an outlet through the French Broad Valley
for its vast surplus, and the fine droyes we
encountered were from this abundant land.
Western North Carolina is also land OF
plenty, and we may set down this region as
a point where the quartermaster and COM
missary will hover whenever war prevails.
Ashville is in sight OF the lofty mountains
of which we have often heard; such as Mt.
Mitheil 1912 feet, Black Mountain (6,94l
feet), and others OF less height, including
AsHvILLE AGAIN, AND 'possUM.
Comfortably lodged and boarded in the
Eagle Hotel--Dr. DUMMY, proprietor-and
my time with looking over the beau
tiful surrounding scenes and resting, [
spent several delightful days in the chief
town Of the world-famed county Of Bun
CoMBE. The hotel gave gratifying proof Of
the sumptuous living in the renowned coun-
tv. I need only mention that at Sundays
dinner we had 'PosSUM and turkey, besides
everything else that man would look for
in productive country. Who loves
not 'possum knows nothing about it. I
knew by the grapes and "simmons," by
the woods and dark ravineS, with their
tinklins streams, that 'possums were about,
and DR.. Dummy proved it.
The lands are generous and fruitful, and
upon the tall bills and mountains fine apples
are grown. A fruit-grower in lofty interval
between two spurs raises apples that take
enthusiastically one at the Philadelphia
Centennial saw cart-oad Of big ones SELL
ing in the streets Of Ashville at Thirty cents
q bushel, and thirty apples would almost
have filed q bushel.
TIE DRUMMER.
All, the drummer! This sketch would
seem to be written with eyes shut il the
drummer were left out. He is not only
everywhere, but he is most conspicuous.
He is The independent traveller of the times.
Travelling is become specially, and the
drummer is the specialist. His appearance
is the signal for the Involuntary cry of make
way. In the country hotels /" blue jeans"
recede respectfully as our commercial
traveller" advances. A fashionable suit,
killing neck-tie, and jaunty tile, equip our
notabilty to go forth to triumph. In Shaas-
speare's time the word - town" applied to
q man meant "cloWn." Our hero, amongst