Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1884-08-21
BUZZARD R0OST.
The Sleepy Town Among the Noun
tains In North Carolina.

The Sleepy Town Among the Noun
tains In North Carolina.
A correspondent of the New York
Tribune, writing from Buzzard Roost,
n. O., says: AS its name implies, this
hamlet is high up among the noun
tains in that weird, wild portion of
Western North Carolina christianed
so appropriately the land of the
sky" Mount Mitchell, now known
to be the highest point east of the
Rocky mountains excepting Mt.
Washington - towers among the
clouds not far away, surrounded by a
blue mist of haze, while the French
Broad river, called by the Indians
merry waters" laughs and babbles
and dashes along merrily at it's feet.
Buzzard Roost is not ''bustlIng mart
of trade" On the contrary the town
consists of one house, which does duty
as postofice, railroad ticket Office,
store and dwelling. There are two
mails daily at Ruzzard Roost, and this
serves to divert the population of the
place, which consists of the postmast
er and his wife. Once in a while a
man comes here to fish or hunt, upon
which occasion the town puts on its
gala dress and does it's best to be en-
Pertaining and hospitable
Half mile from Buzzard Roost, way
up among the mountains, is a mine.
The owners don't say much about it,
nor do they appear to be anxious for
visitors to 60 there; nevertheless, the
mine is one of the most curious af
fairs in the Countrywide only one of
it's kind, it is to be hoped, ia the
world The material mined here is
peculiar kind of white rock which
the miners say has no name, SO they
have very appropriately called 1T
deception rock" It's uses are vari-
ed and its value is SO great that the
mine and the works near by pay a
good dividend upon the
money invested. The rock
is mined in great pieces
or chunks, which are loaded
upon wheelbarrows aud taken to
large wooden chute, where they are
dumped. This wooden chute runs
down the precipitous side of the
mountain and ends at 1.-The mills.
The rock ia its rapid transit through
the large trough becomes reduced to
small pieces Or Jumps about the size of
cocoanuts. These are gathered up by
the workmen, and when the rock
comes from the mills it is reduced to a
soft, white powder, which is put in
barrels and shipped to New York,
where it sells for from So to So. so
barrel
The uses to which this powdered
rock is put are many. The coarser
quality, especially that which con-
tains small portions of mica, is used
to adulterate granulated sugar. It is
said to be excellent FOR this purpose,
since nearly 20 per cent. may be
mixed with the pure sugar without
fear Of detection. 1t also gives sugar
great weight, and for this reason is
valuable for purposes of adulteration.
The second grade of the deception
rock" powder is much smoother and
finer; this is used to adulterate pow
dered sugar 1t is also used in large
quantities to give the cheaper grades
of family flour" the desired weight.
Still another and finer grade of the
powder is made. and this is used e.
clusively in the manufacture of can
dies. Since the introduction of this
powder about two years ago it has
largely superseded terra alba
which was formerly used in the man
ufacture of candies especially ia
those brands known as the cheap
French mixed"
I asked one Of the operators of the
mine-an intelligent colored man
why the candy manufacturers used
''deceptiOn rock powder in prefer |
ence to the terra alba" We'll, |
sah," he replied, Il reckon it's jest |
cause you can detect terra alba,
which is kind of clay, an you can't |
detect dis we're rowder SO easy. Eff
yo' dissolve the best made candy Ia
water very slowly you will find either
terra alba or dis yere powder in It
cherry time, I'll bet a nickel I've
hear tell, boss, dat mother reason
why de candy makers use dis yere
powder am, dat eff folks eats heap
O. candy with it in dey amt so liable |
ter have spasms as if terra alba had
been used"
The mill and mine together have a
capacity of 800 barrels Of this COM |
pound per week, all of which is ship |
ped direct to New York, where it is
disposed of to the various dealers VIII !
choose to use it.
Just as luck would have it, as
boarded the train after leaving this |
mine at Buzzard Roost, I met one of |