New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-07-26
SCENERY IN THE SOUTH.
THE MOUNTAINS OF NORTH CAROLINA.

| DERFUL On lhh t'H-
TIvEs-THE CLIMATE, FLORA AND FAUNA
| fFRoM AN OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT or THE rRIBuNE
| CLoUDLAND, n. C., July 13.-Fifteen years
have now rolled rapidly away since the close Of the
war Shortly after the capture OF Richmond the Mill
tary superintendent The railroads OF Virginia entered
| the Washington office OF THE TRIBUNE and announced
that an exploration train would start for Richmond the
morning. the fist train over the road Tor -FOUR
| years and that any representative OF THE TRIBUNE
would be welcome. At the appointed hour Of d A. m.
was at the depot Our train consisted Of passenger
without passengers, and baggage car without oa9
gage Instead of baggage we carried four-oared boat
scythes large gangs OF ropes and number OF stout
workmen. Why boats, and scythes, and ropes, and
navves needed on a railroad trip was mystery
to me at first. But that railroadbed over
which no tram had rolled for f0ur years OF war would
develop crop Of weeds 80 tall that no engine could
crash through them; the scythe must cut them down
When We came to TnpOt Creek the tTestles were
down, and the tmbers were floating in the water
Ropes into requistion. and after another the
mbers shed out and put into their place again
Rails laid. aud we sped on.
After many hours OF slow progress We came 70
the Rappahannock, where the train stopped for lack
OF bridge. Now saw the Of boats in railway ex
petition We qui kly ferried across the river ana
reached Richmond after a twenty-three hours trip
There I what hope 10 again In an Amer
lean cty-grass growing in the principal business
streets
Now, the peculiarly Of the trip was this For some
sixty miles after leaving Alexandria passing
through Fairfax. Manassas, Culpeppcr, Brandy and
other batteground OF the rebellion where successive
OF warfare had surged the land, leaving only
desOatOn IN their track Now one army advanced and
the other rereated aud then the other would attack
aud force its antagonist back its original camping
ground. At least times did both armies march over
this territory and between them both most traces
civilization and all rewards OF industry had disap-
Deared Houses and barns had been burnt fences con-
yerted into frewood forest. down and fruit trees
chopped up. For nearly Atty miles l saw not one
fence hardly any cattle and but few houses and most
OF these hanties just erected at the depOts Block
houses every point. War had made all that
country one scene OF desOlation.
On the Fourth of July, 1880 travelled over the
! historic ground. We passed through smiling vii
age after another and it the National anniyer
sary and therefore day or leisure large crowds Of
we-dressed people came to greet us at every depot
Young forests growing IN every direction, and
fences in the herds OF cattle. But chiefly
wheat in the stack abounded 1t seemed If Virginia
! was vast wheataeld. Not a Of war re-
NAMED.
II avoid the heats OF Northern Summer that
travelling Southwark to get a cooler cline
Four hundred miles brought at midnight TO Johnson
! City, Tenn, where TO leave the railroad to
ascend the mountains. Thrty-two miles from Johnson
City the lofty peak OF Roam Mountain lifts Itself Into
air 6367 feet above tue 200 feet higher than Mount
Washington 60 steadily is the upward climb that It
takes twelve hours OF riding for go the inter-
venng thirty-two miles that bring one to Roam. But
the ride OF great interest Crossing spur Of the
Uuaka Mountains, threading brook whose bed often
forms road, looking down steep preci pice
and then up the lofty trunks OF trees whose bOes are
100 feet hgh turning sharp the danger Of
overturn gives wonderful zes TO the beauty Of the
landscape, with mountains and valleys con-
nually coming into sight, with clouds now below and
now above US, riding IN an open wagon through two
showers, we at last arrived at the top OF Roam.
The prospect magnihcentI the grandest scenery in
the United States east Of the Yosemite. over 100
mountain tops, OF them less than 1000 feet in
height, in full sight This uplft In the heart OF the
Aeghanes the Unaka TO the NORTH the Blue Ridge
TO south declared Professor Gray of Harvard
"the beautiful mountain east OF the Rockies"
The fora its sides changes with Its increasing alt
Chestnuts aud naples clothe the base
OF the mountains, yellow bircbes and magnificent wild
cherries line its sides and beeches alders fir basams
and immense groups Of rbododendrons crown al but
very On the top 1000 Of the richest
mould the winds sweep the hercely for
Here bOtansts love to to study mountain fora.
Professors Gibbs and GoOdae Of Harvard have left U.s.
but other scientists remain to seek health and TO
study Here they find mountain heather, superb
groups Of rhododendrons azaas and other shrubs and
grasses that can be found nowhere else IN America.
height in other places.
Everything here q grand scale, corresponding to
the these mountain tops This tract of land
Is owned by General Wilder, OF Chattanooga. and is
eight miles long by thirtytwo wide 1t Is packed with
mountains close it ia possible for mountains TO
stand and interfere with each other. Why land
lord, that he may have enough for his guests,
leases 800 with his hotel The fence that
round the mountain keep the cattle IS twenty miles
long only three gates in those twenty miles Here
Is timber enough for rhe fires or continent and all run
ming Tens Of thousands Of trees lie at full
length slowly rottiug into neglected mould The
temperature Of the surface of the mountain makes 1t
sanitarum whicA healthy persons we'll in
valds enjoy. Tue thermometer rarely sinks below
500 and rarely $50 Through all this month
OF July great fires day and night In the parOrs and
in many OF the chambers.
The fauna OF these mountains ia that OF much colder
regions Little birds abound. They find the tenn
perature their thousand miles this
side OF Canada An occasional eagle, numerous buzz
yards and many robins fly around Great clouds OF fog
Ill the valleys and at times s"eep the mountain top.
But the Dhere is OF such slight density that
moisture is felt in the midst of a cloud.
Waves Of fog roll vsby by and fold one in their white
embrace, but everything dry dampness Is q thing
unknown. The hygrophant morning and evening
cords $50 to $50 OF moisture very large percent
age yet no dampness is felt dress skin. The
springs delightfully."- coO The the hotel
is only l3o above freezing. Ice Is unneeded here.
In writing however OF the various attractions OF the
mountains, should not forget the moungaineer He
was loyal through the war; he Is a Republican
The mountaineers generally driven from their
homes by rebel neghbors Often they meandered
through the Caroinas and Vr na until they Joined the
Union army: bus amid ali their difficulties ana perseeu
tons they remained loyal 10 their country They arc
true TO their party now. Oyerborne by Democratic
maiorities or counted out by Democratic fraud
I'm the lower counties, they look forward to the time
when right snail prevail. and when both the
Carolinas and Tennessee shall send Republican members
TO Congress- They very poor, money is difficult
be had and labor underpalc. Fifty cents day Will
secure all the help wants. Our macarrier travels
his weary fourteen miles daV for quarter OF u dollar
The trI ny produce their farms which they dis
pose of for cash brings but little return They fat cat
L - L.--.--