The weekly sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1886-1887, 1886-09-02
A MOUNTAIN TRAMP.
FROM BRIDGEWATER TO BLOW
ING ROCK.

FROM BRIDGEWATER TO BLOW
ING ROCK.
Sketches of Grandfather Mountain
At Calaway's-Watausa Valley
Blowing Rock.
For The Sentinel
The road from LinviIle Falls to
Grandfather Mountain is one of pict-
uresque beauty. 1t winds along the
edge OF high bluffs, passes beneath gil
ant trees hundreds of years old and
is eyer crossing and re. crossing the
Linville river. We crossed & had
best said aOaded) Linville river four
teen times during our days tramp.
The stream was swollen, foot logs and
bridges were game and wading was
necessary and unavoidable. We saw
numerous trout darting to and fro in
the limpid waters, but our limited time
prevented our fshin@. After we
thought we had made fifteen or six
the distance to Calaways-the board
ing house at the foot Of Grandfather.
"It's about eight miles" This was
discouraging and | think for the next
two hours walk nearly every person
we met estimated the distance at sabout
eight miles" Even one or two were
SO kind as to state that it was nine or
ten-mig ght be more
Foot sore, weary, wet-yet in good
splrlts-we arrived at Calaway's lust
as supper was being served Trout,
fried meat, chicken, biscuits and cof-
fee were on the bill Of fare and receiv-
ed our most hearty attention Supper
over, we were introduced to the fanli-
ly. There was no doubt our being
well introduced. Mr. Galway pre-
sented US to Salty Mariah, Temper
ance Savannah and all the rest, about
eight or nine in all, and then said two
or three were asleep and the balance
gone to mill Mrs Galway was one
of those hearty, fat, laughing women,
fond of a joke. Nearly everybody
that has ever been there likes to laug
at her humorous ways and the names
of her children Next morning at
breakfast she was going on in her US
ual strain when some one remarked on
its being cloudy. "Yes,' she said, Mr..
Webster says clouds come from the
erial elements, but Irving-my old
man-has found out they come out of
crack, up on Grandfather noun
tain. Galway is a long, low, doubl.
storied house of logs, placed at the
foot Of the mountain and within q few
yards of the dashing Watauga river,
IN which the speck.e trout are plenti-
full. The walls and ceiling serve as a
register for visitors names and we
found the names of many friends, who
had visited the place.
The ascent of Grandfather is very
steep. A path cut out of the bushes
and vines led lis up ncal the summit.
There trickling from under u huge
boulder, was spring so cold that it
fairly makes one shiver. 1t is only
seven degrees above the freezing point
and it is dangerous to drink much Of
of it after the climb. After leaving
the spring we climbed almost rock
ladder-so steep and rough was it
until we came out Of the Grandfather's
nose. Looking over q precipice SIX or
seven hundred feet, almost perpendic-
ular, we could see the scrubbv baIsams
and hemlocks far below To our left
were the headwaters Of the Linville
and Watauga rivers. To oul right
lay the smiling valley OF the Watauga,
clothed in its peaceful summer garb Of
green. In front rose peak over peak
and mountain tops seem trying To out
vie each other in their sublime height
Every now and then the sheeted mist
would come slowly drifting around
the mountain like bands OF silver and
obscure our view The effect Of the
sun light on these clouds Of water
smoke was beautiful. Il gilded them
with all the tints Of the rainbow and
one could almost imagine them phan-
tom ships, peopled with beings OF the
air and sailing slowly and forever
among the solemn heights OF these
grand old hills.
On our way down the guide pointed
out the graves Of hundreds Of Indian
warriors Col. Howard was ordered
by Washington to carry his troops
from Tennessee to Kings Mountain.
On his way he met Il baua Il Watau
gas near the summit OF Grandfather-
then called Black Mountain and
several hundred India:ia were :'ain
and buried on its sides. \ party vas
sent out from Washington several
years az, for the purpose Of opening
the mounds but the night they reach
ed Caluway's, sno" fell 1Henty-si1
inches, froze hard and the ,.bandon-
e& the idea, going away mex, day. The
warrior braves rest there to-day
their sleep untrou5ied. The 5a,aa
trees watch over then scpu.eilre that
sheltered them from the sun aad rain.
The same stars shino overhead, and,
in the bosom of their grand old noun