The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1879-02-20
In the Tarheel State.

D The warm springs are situated in Mad
on county, North Carolina, in the west
lrn part Of the State, and are surrounded
by various spurs Of mountains, known my
jihe immediate section as the Warm
Spring mountains. On every side of the
springs rise activities Of various shapes
and beauty - wonderful peaks, cut On
either side by deep ravines, from which
in early morning large squadrons of
clouds float off to the adjoining peaks
and gradually vanish in the infinite be.
yond.
The springs themselves are center of
trade for the mountaineers OF the sur
rounding country, where they come TO
exchange their produce in the wy of
corn meal corn on the cob aid shelled,
raw hides, skins OF bear, sheep and deer,
together with chickens, pheasants, sQuir-
rels and other game for the luxuries of
coffee, sugar, salt, calico, cloth, powder
and shot, and other things that they can
not obtain at home.
| The stores hereof which there are
Itwo-deal only for trade or cash pay
III cnts, making a discount Of twelve to
fifteen per cent. Tor cash. The parties
dealing here come from ten 10 twenty
miles, or more, and make their trades
only after great deal OF cautious bar
gaining, but all seems satisfactor, in the
end. Chickens-and tender, young ones
at that-sell for from five to ten cents
apiece; eggs, warranted sound, bring
from eight 10 twelsc cents per dozen;
butter, with good fair complexion, from
ten to fifteen cents per pound; pheasants
nominally ten cents each, but raised to
twenty. FIVE by the aggressveness OF he
boarders' appetites; squirrels are dropped
from the lofty trees at five cents apiece,
and chestnuts, or "chidren's fruit" as
some people call them, are dta out for
from iour TO five cents per quart. Every.
thing else here is IN proportion. but the
parties bringing this produce in are much
more uniqle than the prices charged tor
them. They are truly st"dv. They
t generally come in pairs, thr,es. tours or
t fves, and carry their goods on their
shoulders, on horseback, in wagons drawn
D BY horses, or, as is more usually the case,
o by that primitive and scrip,ural vehicle,
0 the OK team. There can often be seen
4 here single OK harnessed to a cart or
o wagon with regular horse harness and
: straw collar or under saddle.
:. The women and men come together,
v each having their packages. which they
e trade separately. This is a peculiarly,
If too, about the mountain girls; they are
" not at ali talkative, but come down to the
u two plain facts of yes or no. They are
70 moro hardy than the men. and when your
correspondent attempted to express sym
t pathy for a couple Of them that had
Il trudged bare'ooted fifteen miles over the
.e rocky mountain paths to reach this place
ID a venerable moun;aineer remarked
II Them gals don't mind them rocks Al
all. but they make the sparks fly outer
IF the flints, yoo bet" The gals here
IS as elsewhere. are fond Of candy, but the,
re only look at it with LONGING, and bu!
,e coffee. OF the men, ''Old Uncle Joe,
W a regular in the mountains, and calling
himself IS years o: age. walked here,
,welve-mile stretch. with two bushels o
potatoes on his shoulders, and bargaincd
for q pair Of boots to hunt bears in
when you tack BEAR" Joe says. "vo'
u must 60 for him. and never let up till yos
III have him; il you do. be got you, les
u | yOur legs is bettern hiS'O -