The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1885-08-13
THUNDER HEAD.
A Pleasant Trip and an Ocean
of Scenery.

A flcdSHIlU Tip Hllu Ill UCeHl
Of Scenery.
A party of three, containing a
lawyer, a school teacher and a cul-
tivator of Florida's well-known
fruit, the orange, left Maryville
Tuesday morning, the 4th inst, for
a trip over the mountains to the
famous and stately peak called
Thunderhead. Why it is so called
I am not able to state, unless be-
cause it lifts itself among the clouds
where scarcely an hour goes by
that thunder is not heard, and from
whose height one can stand and
watch the elements spend their
force in the valleys beneath.
The party made twenty-six miles
of their journey the first day and
camped on Laurel Creek at tho
farther base of Scott Mountain,
where a halt was made until Fri
day morning. On Thursdaya rep
resentative Of the TINES joined the
party and a fourth profession was
represented.
Like most new mountain explor.
ers, the awfulness of the lofty peaks
and the deep and somber shades
of the ravines caused buoyancv
of spirit and excited ambition to
reach the highest spot by an inch,
without stopping to calculate the
physical exertion necessary for so
long a journey.
The first evening after the whole
party had gathered around the tent
a cheerful fire was built, around
which we sat, sang songs Of rather
= cheerful and sentimental nature,
related each such tales as the occa-
sion called forth. We will not ex-
patiate upon the first few meals, for
sufficient dainties of home larders
still remained in store. We will
later in our account dwell briefly
upon the fare Of q mountaineer's
life; we will only say that owing
to early training the representative
of the TIMES was by common con.
sent elected cook, no small honor
upon such an expedition. In the
mean time an informal hunt and
fish was INDUCED in by different
members of the party, which sue.
ceeded in attracting some curiosity
among the inhabitants of the noun.
tains.
We should have stated that vi
Laurel creek the wagon road ended
and the remaining journey of siz
or eight miles was to be made along
a trail, before the war, however, the
trail was u passable wagon road in
good condition fol q mountain road
Friday morning, the 18th, a long
lean, lank man with red whiskers
we will call him Jones for short
with q yellow mule, was engaged Il
, pack our tent and provisions up thu
| steep ascent. Such hi light, nearl,
1900 feet rise to the mile. But W
we started with guns, skillets, fry
ing pans, trinkets and q bundle o
lunch. The first mile of our jour
ney was up mountain stream tina
soaked our shoe leather into q pulp
: Up hill and down, but mostly up
. up, chick, chick, chick, our stave
!. sounded upon the stony bed as tn
: muscles began to tell us our bodie
!. themselves were heavy weight
J. pulling US backward. After abou
Q two miles journey from our camp
Y ing, to the left Thunderhead stoo
}, out in bold relief in all its granduel
9 rising nearly 5000 feet above. w
) were compelled to follow the ridg
}. of mountains in a circuitous rout
I, to the right To our left was dee
e chasm reaching across to the foe
d Of Thunderhead, into which we FIRE
z several discharges from our gun
l. The echo came back two minute
d later, and we could hear the ros
b among the maintains nearly fiy
) afterwari. In this deep gulch Ii
q head waters Of Little River com
!. rushing down over boulders an
8 through breaks, at first so sma
d that an OK could drink II dry. IN
a music and rush at the water hear
}. beneath made Va think that N
9 stream flows toward the see will
= out some heart is gladdened in I
;. course." Three miles and not IN
e wayl The longest dreariest thru
Q miles / ever walked. An occasion
o a Sigh, . frequent rest, a hug
% Soalder tipped over the steep d
Q, scent broke the mouotony Of o.
upward journey. Five miles up! "