Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-06-19

Through Floods-A Curious
Mountain TOWn-lnterestimG Descrtp.
tton-Mica Mining-A Profitable Pur-
suit.
Correspondence OF TIE EVENING Stan.

ss~u--HiCn Mi0t0X-A fhVlsoOse Eur-
salt.
Correspondence OF THE EVENING stan.
BAKERsvILLE, MITCHELL Co., NC,
June 18th, 1888.
Away Off here amidst the wilds OF western
North Carolina, at last I find myself. hemmed
In by mountains thousands of feet high, but
with delicious breeze coming down from their
tops, cooling the hot air generated through the
day. am sitting In q room about twelve feet
square, furnished in the most primitive manner.
There are two windows one facing the street
and the other the rear Of the building. An old
fashioned fireplace occupies nearly third OF one
side Of the room; the bedstead is one Of those
old-fashioned structures built q half century
ago. with tall posts, but 1t is well furnished and
very comfortable. A pine washstand painted
blue stands In one corner, and the center Of the
room is occupied by q large table. upon which
am writing by the light Of an unhappy looking
kerosene lamp. A 7by9 looking-glass hangs
on the western wall, and opposite, in glowing
colors Of green and red, is q large, unframed
picture, representing the Baptism of Christ"
The wall paper is torn and begrimed in places,
and rag carpet covers about twothirds Of the
floor. The house is in the center Of the village
and has prOfusiOn OF flowers In bloom In front.
AwET TRIP.
The journey here was q long and tedious one
left Washington on Saturday at half-past six
a. m. We were detained at Salisbury, n. c.,
| from 10 o'clock Saturday night until Monday
morning at nine. The cause Of our detention
was the washing away Of long strip OF the
railroad track near Salisbury. Our train had
| narrow escape from being wrecked. terrific
storm came on Saturday evening, and for more
| than four hours the rain poured down in sheets.
The water rose SO suddenly that women and
ol,sl
depot in water up to their waists. The water
| for fifty yards about the depot at Salisbury was
| fifteen feet deep. The superintendent OF the
| road came to the depot Just before our train
| arrived, and with cOmmendabe forethought or
dered it to stop at Salisbury. We waited pa
tiently until daybreak, when word came that
| two trains had been wrecked only six miles
above, and over the track we should have at
| tempted to pass had we not been interrupted by
| the superintendent. One locomotive was turned
completely upside down, and the trucks were
In the air. The other train following was more
| fortunate, and escaped with a derailed locomo-
tive. But no lives were lost, the engineers and
fremen escaping by jumping from the locomo-
tives.
Monday morning at nine o'clock we started.
and at one the train reached Marion where
left it. On the train met DR.. Wright and son,
| of Washington, who also stopped at Marion
and we all went to hotel and dined. There
| we discovered that we were all bound over the
same route for part of the way The doctor
Is interested In mica mining. and is doing quite
| an extensive business In that line up in the
mountains. At two o'clock we started on our
journey over the mountains. with negro
guide, and reached Spruce Pine at nine in the
evening. 1t was ride I shall never forget.
The weather was simply perfect. There was
not cloud in the sky, and the mountain air
was cool and bracing. We crossed over more
than thirty streams Of water, which came up
to the body Of the carriage. At the foot of the
mountain we stopped at farm house and re-
freshed with rest of half an hour and couple
OF quarts of milk. Then We began to climb
the mountain Sleeps, and for more than four
hours wound around the hills. The scenery
was grand and battles description, so will not
attempt one.
Reaching our first hating place, we had sup
per. consisting Of bacon. coffee and bread. 1t
was royal meal, and we all enjoyed it to the
| lullest extent. for our mountain ride had whet-
ted our appetites, and we could have relished
| almost anything In the shape of food
In the morning, after a hearty breakfast.
started for Bakersvlle, thirteen miles away.
| The roads were simply abOminable, Astounding
| in gulches and streams, huge rocks and under
brush, swept down from the mountains by the
storm. But we Overcame all difficulties and
reached Bakersyille at noon.
| TEMPERANCE MOUNTAIN TOWN.
The town is located Just at the base Of the
mountains. 1t has population Of about nine
hundred. There are nine stores two schools
three churches BARRIERS shop and a shoe.
making establishment. 1t is q comparatively
new place, and is In striking contrast with most
southern villages, where poverty is stamped
upon everything. The people are far more in
telligent than in the Tennessee and Kentucky
towns have visited, and there are compare
lively few negroes. 1t is the only town in the
county, and consequently the people flock in
from oil quarters of the country and purchase
all their supplies here. Saturday is a sort of
L hnli for all
crowded with country lads and lassies. There is
not liquor shop In the place, and liquor cannot
be had at any price. The consequence is that
there are few disturbances Of the peace, and
crime is almost unknown, The principal indus
try in the county is
MICA MINING
and many rich veins run through the noun.
tains, and large fortunes have been realized
from this industry alone. The mica needs nc
working Of any description, and when 1t if
gathered it is sent to market just as it is taken
from the mine. A countryman will come to the
village with package of it under his arm worth
$50 or 500.
The people nearly all ride to town on horse
back, but some of them ride on cows and oxen.
| A rope is attached to the horns of the animal,
and the rider goes jogging along very comfort
able-apparently. The animals seem thoroughly
| trained, and stand "chewing their cuds " in the
village street while their owners are making
purchases In the stores. We have but one mail
day, which arrives at seven o'clock in the
evening. The little country store is crowded
| with people, and when the mail is opened the
postmaster reads off the names of those who
have letters andpapers.
| EARLY TO BED.
The town through the day Is very quiet; but
in the evening it presents an animated and busy
appearance. At nine o'clock, however, all lights
are extinguished and everybody in bed. There
are three hotels, and a great many people come
here from all parts Of the country, because Of
the fine scenery and pure air. party of six is
expected here next week from Boston.
The editor Of the local paper called on me this
morning. found him q man Of intelligence
He came here from Massachusetts, ten years ago
with acuriOus affection Of the lungs. The climate
has restored him to perfect health, and he is
very enthusiastic over the place, as well he may
be. He considers 1t 1rst-clase sanitarium for
| all sufferers from lung complaints @.
why the Play was Interrupted.
From the Boston Globe.