Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1879-10-13

oNRPSAi yam oNyAOi INV We slOpb : II
was very cool for us, but we slept like
the wolves in the wood" Potter
Davis says that snow falls here to a
great depth. Once he was up here to
look for some stock, and when he
awoke in the cabin next morning,
found snow nearly four feet deep.
After remaining a prisoner three or
four days he ventured out, and soon
found that the deep snow was confined |
to the top of the mountain. He has
hunted, trapped and herded in this
region for many years, and would not
enjoy himself at anything else.
ON THE THUNDER HEADS.
The third morning we saddled early
and made dash for the point known
locally as Thunder Head, leaving our
trapper to get breakfast, and hoping to
reach the highest part of the noun
tain by sunrise. In this we were not
quite successful. The distance proved
to be nearly two miles east and up
ward, and the way very rough, but
every step was full of interest. The
views which burst upon our astonished
visions can never be described in
words or family traced on canvas.
We were far above the world, and
hundred mountains in the solemn
repose Of gray morning lay at our feet.
Far off to the right and to the left the
courses of the rivers were marked by
white sheets Of mist which covered the
valleys and lay as motionless as lakes
of ice. There are three distinct
points within a mile and half, on a
line, classed as Thunder Head. These
are bare of trees, as if nature stood
uncovered in the presence of natures
| God.
As we reached the second one, we
involuntarily paused in silence. The
sun stood lusterless as amethyst, a
globe of incandescent light, just above
the eastern horizon, and its first rays
glared across a world as fresh and un-
broken to the eye as it was thousands
! of years ago-long before man ever
trod these wild solitudes. As the sun
rose and the mists were rolled back
like curtains the range of vision was
extended, and world now dewy anc
: grand, as it might have been just after
the food, or when the six days work
of the Creator was finished, lay be
' meath us. The cultivated coves OF
the north, many miles distant, looked
like bits of garden. The town o
Maryville, thirty miles distant, will
|, its college buildings and churches il
: distinctly outlined to the naked eye
! A few of the buildings of Knoxvill,
L may also be seen. The space beyond
" is as blue as the sky with here aut
- there a form which looks like geo
metrical figure viewed through a tele
scope reversed.
Reaching the eastern and highest o
g these points, we looked down OF
mountains in three directions-north
east and south. To the south is al
. unbroken solitude; not a field, curl
ing smoke, nor sign of mans worl
can be seen. The farthest mountain
to be distinguished is said to be nea
the North Carolina coast, $50 milel
distant. In that direction over TWEEN
ty-6ve distinct mountain ridges, OF
/ a given line, can be made out will
= the naked eye; all around is grandeu
and solemn silence. This is the sum
mer home of the snow birds, and tn
- arsenal of the sky, where lightning
are gathered and thunderbolts hurled
! Here nature gathers her forces an,
drives them on the wings of the wind
During storm the lightning oftel
= plays upon these high points, an
great balls Of fire are seen to roll alon
. the ground. The herdsman or hunte
overtaken at such times always flee
for safety to lower ground. Many cat
i tie have been killed here by lightning
and the ground has been plowe
with thunderbolts. 1t is thought b,
some that the mountain has peculia
internal attraction to draw the elec
,s tricity from the surrounding clouds.
g BELOW
.e on both sides are the smooth lookin
Ie but deceptive mountain ridges joinin
'e the main backbone of the range. 0
ID top of these but under the laurel an
g ivy the bears bore their trails whic
lg have been worn by long use three q
re four feet deep. There is a great abuu
a. dance of bear in these mountains bu
le they are shy and hard to take excer
n by means of heavy traps. One {
b, these ridges on the North Carolin
side, apparently within a stones thro'
of the eastern point and not more tha
ly few hundred yards long, bears tn
is euphouious Indian name of Kilpickc
ut or Kildeer. 1t is really nearly thre
1fl miloq long and tbo onIv burtor ~