New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-04-29
"a WINTER TALE,

IRON AN OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT rRIBUNE.I
| AsHEvILLE, n. c.. April 1S.-ODe does not
go into the mountains OF Western North CarolnG In mid
winter for pleasure weak-unged persons find it bene
fetal 10 be there all since the air however IN
temperate balsamic and curative Others 90 on bus
under protest and TO this class belonged recently
At the close OF snowy day in February found my
self i'm bg, od-fsshoned farmhouse OF hotel on the
banks Of the French Broad. The Office huge, bare
ROOM running through from side side OF the house,
and family warmed at wall by vast fireplace,
whose powerful shaft drew of the heat mp
the chimney instead OF permitting escape the
room which needed 1t badly enough An old gentle-
| man sat on the hearth and made room for
"This must be pretty old house, remarked as I
| drew up splint-bottomed chair.
YES" he answered; q built fifty years ago."
STOPPING down he lifted oak brand and held its red
coal TO the bowl OF his pipe while be surveyed
| his spectacles.
Before the pike put through the State In 1929,
there only Injun trail along the river The Cher
okees lived all this region then and called river
| Tskeeostah."
Then he went on to give me an interesting lot of rem
niscences Of these wild and lofty mountains which hold
OF the oveles scenery in the United States aud
where an uncouth but honest and industrious people
have been living, almost unchanged, for century Ho
told me also of famous whom now and then these
hills have sent out into the big world Presently young
men began to drop In, until there wasa full semcirce Of
rousy at tho fire. which sputtered back from the green
logs of oak that must dry half hour in the blaze be-
fore the heat win SINCE their slivers.
Some OF natives and full Of local color"
artist would say. At the extreme OF the half
circle sits half blood Indian, tall swarthy and brigand
ish with his trousers In his boots and capacous pouch
of coon-skn slung his shoulder, the tail outside
for ornament He has been out hunting bnt got TO
nothin' worth shootin' at" His gun stands in the
corner ancient rife almt st tall himself. Hs
tells that-n parts OF the mountains bears and
catamounts are commoa enough; one man, only few
miles from where ST. killed three Of the former lsst
winter Wolves, too greatly dreaded by the noun
tain Shepherds whose hocks often fall prey to this
traditional enemy. This talk starts story from
other guest
my brother tellin' thaat laast night hees
dawgs got to chssin awx, and fawx till they
keeed IL. Then dawg up and thought he'd
taake the fawx away from the other dawgs and ne
lipt In. The dswgs all lpt toop Of the cu-ur, and
nigh about chewed heem mp. My bro-other heered tho
racket and ipt up and rsan about haalf mile aud
got there just to soomethin white alppin up and
streakin' it of. The dawgs chased the cur
home, and heem into the porch and upt
ON heem aga-ain. II sacaart the people In tho
house. and OF the boys and caught one Of
the hounds slashed his one Of his Gears
with a knife"
-Doggawn IT,! cries the of the long rife when he
heard this I'd felt like wanted to shoot that feer ef
IL had been my dawg"
He must a. been sinalinktum kind o. anyhow"
anothers comment.
No names had been mentioned. but several present
seemed TO know who had been complmented by these
observations Naturally therefore, they fell at gossppng
about them.
"There amt skasey of 'em but what drinks to
Hits sort O. family trait" the tenor OF ono
expression. 81 up there the other day, and Joe
was just crazy He could badly stan straight was
neay parallel" judged the speaker meant 10 say par
alyzed. Old Uncle john" groaniDg with cold, camo
hobbng in just then, each tread of his leviahan feet
shaking the house beyond any power or the gale. He
brought an armfu Of snowy oak wood just split out Of
the log II any dry wood had been laid by the it
had been used up long ago. He about enliven the
dull fire by putting lot Of fine splints on top Of tho
smoking logs-true negro fashon-when one OF the
young interfered and went at the work OF revvng
the blaze, while the rest attacked him and his method
with comment and advice. Somebody remarked thai
pretty he would opens return voey let alone
is he pretty well at that Z" asked
"Cuss a. answered my next neighbor proudly; Lord
he cuss by note"
This original compliment seemed to please the object
OF the praise whose flushed face relaxed into smile of
modest misrepresentation while he struggled with
fractory sticks of which By nature crooked
to lie still.
reckin dey cut at the wrong time O. lie moon,"
announced Uncle John in oracular tone Dere's
heap in that Ef yo' cut you're fyahwoOd IN de light"
e. {. the full O. dc moon, hits gwne to burn wdout
no trouble nohow; but ef yo cuts hit in dc dak o do
moon. hit nigh about won't turn at all"
"why is that, Uncle Z"
"Dunio sir; but hits So sure. knows dat. Juss
WI fence rails Now yo' lay fence-rail in dc da'k
lie moon hits gwine to sink deep In de groun an
make yo' fence all wobby like; but yo put down de
bottom rail in de light o de moon. an she won't settle
any sRasely. an II stan firm de yeah 'roun' Dunno
why, but hits So shneb!
llne and shi
with excellent garment rarely or never seen at tho
North riding egginss OF banket-suf buttonns 10 tho
Did you 90 down the river this mornng,' asked.
Not by derned sight he replied Hit was so dog
gone cold wouldn't a nd down tina this mornin for
nothln' ever seed a most"
81 saw old Judge Blank in Asherlle yesterday Is the
next chance remark hear. He's looking mighty chip
per he got his new wife but she makes his hair
Isn't he the man" ask, of whom many good
81 reckon so but North Carolina is full OF good old
headed court stories did hear one tother day,
heard 1t. uryman by Morgsnton had passed tho
challenge and wus told TO look upon the prisoneryou
know the regular rgmarole. Staring hard az him min
ute the fellow sung out, Yes, Judge, l think he's
The Judge used to ride his circuit favorite mule"
said my aged friend, consulting his memory OF ante
S DiGng an r ecsen thief IN an town.
when suddenly the prisoner NJ out OF the courtroom,
over the hills shading his eyes With his hand the Judge
eiaeuated: The liberty loving son ola gun Then
Sad cSw and he'll send the mule back which be did
turning loose soon as be reached the mountains
This saline mule very fast and the judge used to
race him proudly. One bright night the boys stole him
ont of Judges and him the trt elk until
they supposed they had aseertaned his gait Ia dot
Then they arranged with their horses and offered
big odds against the mule All these offers the judge
took eagerly aud called for much against the re-
monstrances of his friends, who limited to him of tho
fraud the judge umoved. staked all his cash:
and the race came of. Betsy won clear ahead.
knOwd the old mule wouldn't throw on on me- shouted
her owner as he pocketed everybodys stakes
:. know how da. happen" said Uncle John, who had
heen orinninR listener. " Oars bettin'
what mule III do IN de night boss II run like de
dibble by moonlight bur mule done Trad 10 Try IKE
he would In dc day time. 80
Reiring from this circle sought my chilly and
sinned into bed. How firon-llke and icy those
sheetsi How the window ratified! How marbe-like
was the moonlight or tha bare toor! How hard were
the knots I'm the underneath the thin feathersued
L nrnaa