The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1885-09-10
ASCENDING MT. MITCHELL.

ell it is seven and half miles; we
made it in five and half hours A
bride path. was cut years ago, but il
has been entirely neglected 1t is bad
y washed, it Is stony, muddy, and
great trees have fallen across it which
wholly block the way for horses. At
these places long detours were neces-
sary, on steep hillsides and through
gullies, over treacherous sink-holes in
the rocks, through quaggy places,
heaps of brush, ana rotten logs. Those
who have ever attempted TO get horses
over such ground will not wonder at
the slow progress we made. Before
we were halfway up the ascent, we
realized the folly of attempting it on
horseback; but then to go on seemed
as easy as to go back. The way also
was exceedingly steep in places, and
what with roots, and logs, and slip
perT rocks and stones. it was des-
perate climb for the horses.
What magnificent forest! Oaks,
chestnuts, poplars, hemlocks, the GU
cUmber Ca species of magnolia, with
pinkish, cUcum ber-ike Gomez, and
all sorts of northern and southern
growths meeting here in splendid ar
ray. And this gigantic forest, with
little diminution in size of trees, con-
tinued two thirds of the way up. We
marked as we went on, the maple, the
black walnut, the buckeye, the hick-
ory, the locust, and the guide pointed
out in one section the largest cherry
trees we had ever seen; splendid
trunks, each worth large sum if it
could be got to the market. After the
great trees were left behind, we en-
tered garden of white birches, and
then plateau OF swamp, thick with
raspberry bushes, and finally the
ridges, densely crowded with the fune-
real black balsam.
Hallway up, Big Tom showed US
his favorite, the biggest tree he knew.
1t was poplar, or tulip. 1t stands
more ike column than a tree, rising
high into the air, with scarcely per-
ceptible taper, perhaps sixty, more
likely hundred, feet before it puts
out a limb. It's girth six feet from the
ground is thirty-twO feet! | think it
might be called Big Tom. 1t stood
here, OF course, giant, when Colum-
bus sailed from Spain. and perhaps
some sentimental traveller will attach
the name of Columbus to it.
la the woods there was not much
sign Of animal life, scarcely the note
of 4 bird, but we noticed as we rode
along i'll the otherwise primeval ST.
Iince loud and continuous humming
overhead, almost like the sound of the
wind in pine tops. 1t was the hum
ming of bees! The upper branches
were alive with these industrious toll
crs, and Big Tom was always on the
alert to discover and mark Il bee-gum
which he could visit afterwards. Hon
ey hunting is one of his occupations.
Collecting spruce gum is another, and
he was continually hacking off, with
his hatchet, knobs of the translucent
secretion. How rich and fragrant are
these forests! The rhododendron was
stiii in occasional bloom, and flowers
of brilliant hue cleaned here and
there.
The struggle was more severe as we
neared the summit, and the footing
worse for the horses. Occasionally it
was safest to dismount and lead them
up slippery ascents; but this was also
dangerous, for it was difficult to keep
them from trcading on our heels, in
their frantic fouuderings, in the steep,
wet, narrow, brier-grown path. At
one uncommonly pokorish place, where
the wet rock sloped into a bog, the ri
Ger of Jack thought it prudent to dis
mount, but Big Tom insisted that Jack
would make it, all right, only give
him his head. The rider gave him his
head, and the next minute Jacks four
heels were in the air, and he came
down on his side in flash. The rider
fortunately eXtricated his leg without
losing it, Jack scrambled out with a
broken shoe, and the two limped
along. 1t was q wonder that the hor-
ses' legs were not broken a dozen
times.
As we approached the top, Big Tom
pointed out the direction, a half mile
away, of a small pond, little. noun
tain tarn. overlooked by a ledge of
rock, where Professor Mitchell lost his
life. Big Tom was the guide who
found his body. That day as we sat
on the summit he gave in great detail
the story, the general outline of which
is well known. - lharie5 Dudicy Var
1ter IN September At,0f.tic.