The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1885-09-10
ABOVE THE CLOUDS.
Tho Ascent From Nashville to the Top OF
Roane.

Tho Ascent From Nashville to the Top of
Roane.
It was Sidney Smith, I think, who
said: "When it gets so hot I have to
take off my flesh and sit in my bones."
If this feat were possible, we denigens Of
"The Rocky City" would certainly have
accomplished it during the late torrid
weather. We have heard of no one try
ing that experiment, but "lots of us" Hed
away ingloriously feeling that
May live to fight another day."
So armed with an Excursion for the
season." my grip sack, my army glass
and other belongings boarded the train
and in due time was flying through East
Tennessee, past Knoxville, past Morris.
town, past Jonesboro, the "oldest settle
ment" in the State, past Greenville, the
home of "Andrew johnson, Taylor" our
once President, past all those to johnson
City, which vigorous, young and doughty,
is fast rivalling Bristol, just twenty miles
away.
Here you take the "East Tennessee &
Western North Carolina Railroad"
narrow. gauge thirty-two miles long, COM
monty known as Cranberry Route" and
are soon riding due South down the valley
of Buffalo Greek, till it empties into the
Watauga, and now you are in "Happy
Valley" which has been occupied and
farmed for more than a century. The
sleek cattle, the waving masses of dark
green maize, the thickly standing
"shocks" of wheat and oats, the "ricks"
of grass and clover attest the wonderful
fertility of this soil.
Here are Elizabeth town and Hampton,
old towns in Garter County. Here you.
leave the Wautauga and go up the valley
of the Doe River, old substantial brick
farm-houses, fourishing orchards and
clear, dashing, sparkling, roaring streams,
mountains rising up grandly on right
and left, cool breezes tanning you as you
sit on the top of box.c and take it all
in; the sun, no longer hot, kissing and
bronzing your cheeks, your glass in hams,
pulling mountains, cascades, coy, blush
ing maiden, everything right up close to
you-and so you ride through this smil.
ing "Happy Valley" and pass on into the
gorge. -,
mountain-Stone Mountain it is called
and right we'll it is named-by some
Titanic hand has been torn asunder,
leaving many seam and scar and cavern
and creyice, with its corrugated brow,
with its balsam. covered slopes, with its
fern.filled inches, looks down upon you
for I, 500 feet, right and left. Through
this canyon flows, or rather rushes, Doe
River, for it is never still enough to flow,
but goes rotling, leaping, tumbling, foam
ing, roaring in torrents, cascades, whirl'
pools, with q deafening sound, making
music of grewsome sort. Here is the
glory of the descendant of Izaac Walton,
for this water, though kept in ceaseless
agitation, is clear as crystal, and here, in
these wild, cayorting rapids the speckled
trout do most love to inger. For my
part, I didn't'do like ancient Simon, Ego
afshing," for, sans experience, sans rub.
ber boots andspants, sans reel and fly, [
thought I'D be but q laughing stock both
for my companionsand the gamey trout,
and get only my pains for my trouble. 1
was seeking the cousin german of the
North Pole, and I did not seek in vain.
Down in this canyon the sun never in
trudes more than to. hurl doWnsa stray
splintering ray?as,he rides in:the upper
world, although ], 500 feet of rock.ribbcd
walls frown down upon you, yet you arc
5000 feet higher than that hammock in
which you swung in Nashville, vainly
trying to induce coolness.
For mining purposes this Cranberry
road was built, by the Messrs. Pardie, of
the Quaker City, and it threads its way
through this gorge, winding like snake,
following the course of the river, rushing
through tunnels, over iron truss bridges,
making complete rs S" and reverse
curves again and again; at times the
road.bed is hewn down out of the solid
granite stone, and while from one window
You can smoothe the wrinkles on the face
of the mountain, from the opposite win.
dow you look through many fathoms of
neither air and into the silyery current of
the river. At other places the road.bed
has been built up for 200 feet from the
yawning chasm, constructed in masonry
inclinipg from the water to the cross-ties;
there hemlock torn from its hold in the
rocks by the gusty tempest has plunged
headlong, its top plays with the foamiog
waters, while its roots, many yards away,
cling to the laminated rocks.
You are riding on the top of box car.
You look ahead your engine is out of
sight and when you catch up you find
yourself and it have crossed the river.
Yonder, half way up the mountain you
see waterfall, respectable in size, height
and general appearauce-this sight will
be repeated several times: ut "Pardie
Point" the most weird spot Of all, you
are watching from your airy seat the
traiu as it makes a tremendous double
curve, the buzzards floating slowly and
seepily among the clouds, the Succession
of cascades, first on your right, then on
your left-it grows dark-you are in
tunnel, "duck your head" as does the
brakeman, or this excursion might have
the inconvenience of a coroner and jury
of inquest over your detruncated curpus.
This would be 50 out of place for there is
not a spot of earth large enough to sep
ulture red bug, much less your cadaver
like Abraham of old, you'd have to be
put away in a cave.
Ten miles through the gorge you come
into another valley. Over deep ravine
lofty, swinging bridge has been thrown.
You are on it; look down There under
you is mountaineer's hut; pale, sick
ly, sad.looking woman with slatternly
garments, her pipe in her mouth, her
feet in that condition in which Job said
he made his debut into this environment,
saving the addition of considerable real
estate, which had naturally accumulated
thereon; beside her are progeny of
dogs and children, badly mixed up,
barking, bowling, shaking fists at the