The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1880-08-22
rcorrespordence Of the Phrsdelphis Times.l

FAR BELOW.
fCorrespor dence OF the Pbisdelphis Timcs.l
AsHEvILLs, August IL, 1880.
Though the school.boy has known for
generations that in Western North Caro-
lima The Appalachian chain OF mountains at'
tain their highest elevations and by conse-
ouence that there are the highest submits
in North America east Of The Mississippi
river, vet few are acquainted with the local
pecuIiariti,s Of this region. To supply TO
some extent this deficiency l propose to
prepare for your paper this article.
nave already stated In a letter pub
Iisbcd in the Germantown Telegraph that
tie Appalachian chain, 1t Is well
known, Crosses the entire western por-
tiou az North Carolina In q southwestern
direction, extending in width over num-
Der OF counties. but attaining within twenty
miles OF Asheville the greatest elevations, as
within that range are twenty-oDe peaks,
ysryjng from 80 feet 10 500 feet higher than
Mount Washington, reaching in Mount
Mitchell height Of 6 707 feet. the culmi-
mating point not only OF The Allegheny
Mountains, but o. eastern North America.
There are In Western North Carolina hfiy-
one peaks OF over 5000 feet In elev alton and
more than one hundred and fifty OF above
5000 feet. am indebted for these figures
10 the theological Survey OF North Caro-
lipa.v The attitudes were mostly de-
termiped by Professor Guyof, OF Prince
ton College, New Jersey. have
hourly before me, for my temporary
home In this village, range OF mountains,
with one peak Mount Pisgab) 5,757 feet
high. so distinctly and clearly cut as TO APP
near only two miles distant, though in
reality eighteen miles. Asheyille is the
ral,ying point from which most excursions
are made--iD fact, IL Is q sort OF Saratoga or
Newport on q small scale, whittier resort
for summer recreation large numbers from
The cities and towns south OF this land
some. too, from the North, for i attended Il
lecture here on the 7th instant, on the
moun,aios OF Norway, by a New York cler'
Cyman. who, after having extensively
travelled over the mountains OF Europe
and the more celebrated parts OF our own
country, has found this region to possess
charms enough 10 detain him over a
month. lie and another widely-tray-
elIed New Yorker, unknown TO each
other. remarked 10 me that the charm OF
the mountains of North Carolina and the
ueighboring States was their beauty, being
wooded and cultIvable to their very sum-
mits. This is long parenthesis, but not
witbstanding DR.. JohDson's dicfum that no
one who knew what he was writing about
used parenibesis. will sustain myself by
ibe example OF DE Quincy. l resume ::
Asheville. then, is the great point from
which excursions are made-e. g., to Mount
Mitchell, in the Black Mountain range Us
miles distant 10 the foot, 2S to the spmuit),
10 HickOry.Nut Gap IA miles 10 the en-
trance and 10 more through iO, to the
VAIN Springs GA miles Uia the grand
scenery Of the French Broad. illustrated in
iScribner some TWO or three years ago., to
Roam Mountain, 0,306 feet ION the Ten0es-
see border, II miles distant, and, il that
alone Is the object, more easily approached
by the East Tennessee railroad), and Cesar
Head. 8, 233 feet high Dust across the South
Carolina border and 4S miles distant by way
of Hendersonville).
TOURS IN EVERY DIRECTION.
In various other directions excursions
can be made which it were tedious TO emu
merale. Suffice II 10 say that this Is the
point from whence you can either take
stages 10 the different points above named OF
hire horses and vehicles (which l have
done several times to my own satisiacti0nl.
am now about TO take you on one OF these
excursions. e., to C1sar's Head. We
(my two nieces aud SELF set out on a Mon
day at 2:30 L. NJ. they 10 buggy and in
stage (they keeping near us for protec'
toni for Hendersonyille, twenty-five miles
distant in southwestern direction from
Asheville, which IT took us five hours to &C.
complish, rs the roads are necessarily very
billy. and not in the best state oil
repair, though by 10 means in the
worst, especially remembering that it i,
a mountain region and very sparsely set
tied. II is something to have even tolerabsf
road under such circumstances. Though
there is no turnplking, they take toll at very
primitive gates, mostly only bar Seventy
five cents for one-horse buggy 10 Hepder'
sonville), toll being collected at one place
only. On our course To Hendersonvill'
mountains, more or less distant, were con
stouily i'm view. At five miles from Asbe
willie we had remote but clear view OF til
Black Mountain range, from which rise tn
highest peaks on the Appalachian chain
There Is no view, believe, OF this chain Il
be mad nearer to Ashevile than the on
named. Reaching Hendersonville, the coun
ty town OF Henderson, about dusk, W.
found very comfortable quarters for 81
small a place (which has five hotels In
p0pulation OF perhaps five hundred), ant
were ready 10 Join other members OF OH
party (all Philadelphians), at A. NJ. Tues
day, which increased our party 10 eight
conveyed by two.horse carriage, buggy
one youth on horseback and another on
very small donkey, which afforded us mucl
amusement by bis odd appearance and pc
Guitar gait. Out OF the twenty-six miles w
had to make this day twenty, at least, wer
through nearly primitive forest, the dwell
Jugs occurring at distant intervals and Of
very humble character, so that had any &C
cldtnt happened We could with difficult
have procured comfortable quarters or tb
means OF repair had the vehicles broke
down; but there was kindness and ciyiii
everywhere. Though our progress wa
slow, over so billy country, 1t was nc
tedious, as there was always something G
mountain, wood or stream to interest-nay
20 charm us.
IN TUE FORESTS.
Besides the pleasure the forests themselyt
gave us. both by their extent and majesti
old trees-oaks, bemloeks, chestnuis. hn
other trees similar In kind Except size)
those we have In our own latitude, for til
elevation about equals them in climate wa
the delightful GOODNESS they afforded by thei
shade. During the whole day was con
tinuaIly reminded Of Walter Scouts decls
ration 10 Irving, .sthat he would rattle
be In virgin forest in America and iee
that be was one hundred miles from civil
zation than 10 witness any other sigh
our country could aford.' The las
nine miles OF our days journey, as we Al
cepded through the forests OF TRANSPLANT
c9p1ty well named) along The headwater
OF The Little river, on our approach to th
South Carolina boundary tmarked by
large stone three miles from Cesar's Head
Tho fTees were greatly increased in grit