The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1884-04-23
For the Farmer and Mechanic.
Roundabout Raleigh.

Our stroll to-day of half mile or sc
down the Tai boro road was on
the right BY the rock fence OF Col. Jno
Watson. and on the other by the barbeG
wire one of Mai. Jno. Calling. On
reaching Walnut Creek we espied on
the Clifton bridge Tim Poole, the le-
gendary of these parts, with hall dozen
poles. and other necessary equipments,
Tor a formidable fish. We proposed to
accompany him, and, asserting, lie
shook the entire structure in bringing
himself together. Down the shaded
banks of the turbulent stream we lied,
the welcome u gladdening the grass
aud myriads Of flowers. 1ciIo" Jesa-
mine, woodbine, scuppernonS ana mus
cadine grape vines. a. IN lull DOOM
clincing to the mighty walnut trees un-
til we reached the old Commons mill
pond. Here we dropped our hooks,
WAITING for the inevitable bite. Tim
told me of the eight negro chiefs bought
in Charleston before the Revolution by
old ,ant Tommerly off a vessel from
Africa who. rather than work like good
hands pitched into the black depths of
these waters and never came up again.
Just then the swish OF Tins rod caught
u attention, and he safely landed a
sixteen inch carp by gosh" and Tim
SAID that Col Steve Worth, the public
instructor of fish. had schooled all the
streams hereabout with these TURNER'S.
and he was mighty glad twas the wa
ter kind and not the blasting mes who
were always blowing up something in-
stead of carrying it up on their heads as
Nature intended they should" We re-
sumed our old position, waiting for the
bite at Tins hook, and believing what
he tells, as we listened to the meloGious
song of the blue jay, wondering all the
while why they of all birds were the
only ones that helped the devil, and the
impression grew on us until we left be-
hind US the song of the bird that carries
sticks to his Satanic majesty every FRI
day. We whispered to ourself what a
wonder the devil don't teach them that
the small boy is at school all the week
except Saturday. but we forgot the ne
gro was free Though he is afraid to
shoot the blue iayl and shot guns cheap.
Away on, and neXt we dropped our
hooks beneath the shade of a territory
of willows. and Tim went on to tell us
how a Chinaman had -hren to see the
willow orchard aud had offered Mai.
Calling a heap of money to be allow
ed to strip off the leaves every year,
and that they made first class tea. He
did not know how they traded, but he
would bet Mr.. GatIing did not lose
much; though he could have sold them
to the silk worm man who had found
out they were better than mulberry
trees for some things" Here Tim adj
ded two jackfsh and a three 10. cat to
the various species he had in the bucket
and on the string, and as Tim don't be-
lieve in catching them all in one day
we left the creek aud walked along the
banks of Barbary creek to the mill, On
every side of US was cultivated land,
vast fields of grain, tracts OF planted
cotton land, splendid grass and clover
fields, all showing care and thrift. AZ
ter inspecting the compact dam and the
interior of the well-arranged mill house,
with its stones for -four and meal, cot
ton gins and threshing machinery, we
started with Tim to see the Raleigh
mountain" a solid body of stone some
three hundred and fifty feet high and
one hundred and thirty feet in circum-
ference at its base. One side, the north.
is easily climbed by foot passengers,
the others being perpendicular their
surface covered with a thick growth of
evergreen vines of an uncommon kind,
under its protecting cover hundreds of
BIRDS make their nests, n the rattle
OF the snake cal sometimes be heard.
Pleasant r~ecollections of boyhood days
spent around here came up before US as
We thought of the wild cat and oOn
chases we had so often participated i'll
IN the days gone by, and of the belief
that the wild cats invested the under
side of the mountain cave any way,
none of us dared explore it, and its ST.
lence Is still unbroken by human tread.
The dogwood is in full bloom, and the
fragrance of the sassafras combined
with the sumac blossom make quite a
boquet of pleasant smells.
Examination of Maj. GatlinS's fruit
orchard proves the safety of the clear
stones. press and Georgia peaches,
while the May apples will be soon ready
for market. We don't place much con-
fidence in the pomegranite crop. though
the fruit on the thirty trees look well.
We pass the cows and calves on the
dairy part of the farm. noticing they
were well looking, and some very fine
Jerseys among them, and reach one of
the o delicious springs in the world.
Near by is the dairy and creamery. and
the incest of nice milk and butter we
saw there, and thus on up the hill past
the old-time mansion in the grove of
locust, ash, walnut and maple, out to
the road through an avenue OF sentinel
aspens, and we are glad we took our
stroll to-day. G.. I. 5.