Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1879-09-30

by the " Tar Heels" withsa view to
enrapture the traveller with the
beauty and grandeur of their land, it
could not have been more successful.
The spell was no sooner broken than
we proposed three cheers for the
"Old North State" which all Joined
in right heartily, including the gal
liant driver, until the mountains rang
and rang again. The descent was
soon accomplished, and by pm. we
were in sight of " the forge" at the
foot of the Roam. General Wilder,
the Federal brigadier, now of Chat
tanooga, while scouting through these
mountains during the late war, dis
covered their latent wealth, and now
owns thousands of acres and has
forge in full blast producing iron of
the finest quality, but in limited
quantities. Some of the strongest
magnetic ore we ever saw was taken
from one of these veins.
Seven miles to the top of the Roam
and from three and half to four
hours required to make the ascent,
was the cheering piece of intelligence
which greeted us at this point in our
journey Until this summer, how
ever, when the road from this point
was built, the usual way to the top Of
the mountain, and Indeed, the only
way for vehicles was around by this
place, eleven miles further on, where
visitors remained over night, before
venturing the remaining seven miles
skyward 1t was "a long pull, a
strong pull and pull altogether" of
those noble horses that brought us to
the summit few minutes after eight
o'clock. We were then, as every one
who has ever accomplished the feat
would tell you 1857 feet above the
sea" or more than a mile nearer the
heavens than your fair city on the
| Chickasaw Bluffs.
The mountain is almost semi-circu-
lar in form, nine miles from point to
point, its top being covered with
beautiful light green grass, excep.
here and there forests of balsam fiji
land vast jungles of rhododendrons
1.-THE dark, rich green of the former
growth giving BLACK mountains ,
their name, and here concurring witt
the grassy prairies to form the spot,
(which have been cognomened the
Roam.
The unique circular of the ClouC
Land Hotel, situated on top of tn,
mountain, announces "a most ex
tended prospect of $4,000 square mile,
in seven different States One hun
dred mountain tops over 1000 feet
high in sight Il" Here" continue,
the same authority, are deep woods
tangled thickets, beds of most luxu
RANT MOSES and ferns, wild gleDs anC
great cliffs of naked granite hundred,
of feet high, with deep, dense gorge,
beneath them, whose stiffness human
football has rarely broken. Thunder
storms often fill the valleys, while
sunshine bathes the mountain top.
1T is, says Professor Asa Gray, Of
Harvard, the most beautiful noun
tain in the world. " We have never
doubted this statement of the prOfes-
sor, but as we have not seen them all,
we will not vouch for its truth.
We had the pleasure of hearing the
mountain music" one of the great
wonders of the Roam, and as to
the origin of which there are sew
eral theories. 1t is exactly the sound
made by bees when swarming, except
that it is at least a hundred per cent.
louder. The theory of Prof. Kerr,
the North Carolina State geologist, is
the one, we believe, most generally re-
ceived. AS we understand it, he
thinks that the peculiar shape Of the
mountain at this point creates two
currents of air on opposite sides,
which, being charged with electricity
in different degrees and rushing to-
gether on top, the electric currents in
restoring the equilibrium create the
sound. The natives, however, don't
believe in being blown about with
every wind of doctrine" and still
cling to the faith of their fathers in
this matter, as in everything else. As
one Of them expressed it to us, IF you
will only throw a stone high enough,
the bees will follow it to the ground.
This reminds us of the myth that
used to charm our childish imagina-
tions of the bag of gold that we would
secure when we grew strong and
walked to the end of the rainbow.
The hotel is a novel looking struc-
ture of fifteen or twenty rooms, being
built of balsam logs, and shingled all
over from the comb of the roof to the
foundation. Peeled logs of tie same
description, with their knots jutting
out at regular intervals, serve as col.
umns for the veranda, The furniture