Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1886-09-02
PETER STEWART NEY,
The Story of a Mysterious School
master.
LOriginal.l

I'm the bosom of the mountainous re-
gions of North Carolina is a valley,
noted for the fertility of its soil and the
industry and Intelligence of its inhabi-
tants. 1t is almost completely Isolated
from the rest of the world even at this
late day of civilization, for being q lap
of land wedged in among the hills and
high lands, it is not as accessible a., the
country on the great Western prairies.
No railway, that modern motor of civ
ilizati0n, has vet dared enter its sacred
precincts, and one would think it
would degenerate into an idle, thrift
less community, content to simply exc
put miserable existence; but he who
forms such an opinion is mistaken. In
no part of North Carolina are the peo-
pie more intelligent, industrious, pros
porous or happy than in the valley,
while being isolated as it was in for
mer days from civilization, slavery,
which dwarfed the intellect and man.
hood of SO many good men of the
South, was not known there. Once or
twice week in the good old days long
gone by the stagc-coach with the mail
made its regular trips to the neat
though somewhat drowsy little village
at the head of the valley. For long
years peaceful quiet reigned in this
isolated region shut in by surrounding
mountain peaks from the whole world.
A small stream clear as crystal glideS
through it with just murmur enough
70 1,,lt 70 IN WI ifn
blue and red pebbles can be seen shin
ing clear and evaneScent from the bot
tom. The brook trout and silver sides
sport in the sparkling waters, and many
a boys heart has been made glad
as he brings one of the tinny
tribe flouncing upon the clean white
sands beside him. Through the for
ests which surround the cultivated
fields only the occasional whistle of a
quail or the tapping of woodpecker
seems to ever break the tranquil 81
lence. Far removed from the noisy
streets and busy scenes of hot, dusty
cities, it seems to be haven of rest for
the weary. An occasional hunter
passes solemnly and silently through
Inc dark cool wood. his feet rustliny
the dry leaves which litter the ground,
or psusing beside some moss-covered
trunk of fallen monarch of the forest.
gazes up into the outrageous foliage
about him in search of the saucy nim-
BILE squirrel hiding from his view. Oc-
casionally the report of a gun followed
by angry echoes rings throughout the
forest and is borne to that little spot of
civilization.
From the listlcss repose of the place
one would expect to find race of I'M
couth, careless class of human beings
the belt of civilization is reached you
find neat well-kept fences, snowy farm
cottages with lawns of close cropped
green sward, made brilliant with
mounds of many-hued flowers and
ornamental trees. The external as
well as internal appearances of these
homes Indicate the thrift. neatness and
comfort of people of taste. Still a
drowsy dreamy influence seems to hang
over the land and pervade the air. The
inhabitants of the valley have the lido
syncrasies peculiar to themselves.
With all their thrift and intelligence
and independence they are strongly
imaginative, credulous of the super
natural, and strongly inclined to
belief in spooks. COLLINS and witches.
Some seem to think that the place is
visited by the ghosts of distinguished
Indian chiefs who once inhabited the
valley and came back at regular inter-
walls to hold powwows at their own
tombs. 1t is certain that these good
people seem under some spell caus-
ing them to walk in continual rev.
erie. They hold to all kinds of strange
beliefs, see strange siyhts, and hear
strange sounds in the air. There is
hardly spot which is not haunted,
and twilight superstitions are preva-
lent every where, stars shoot and me-
teors glare oftener and certainly with
more significance in the valley than
elsewhere, and sprites and spirits seem
here to hold their nightly gambols.
1t is in this peaceable spot that GUS
toms and manners seem fixed. With
all it's thrift and beauty the isolated
spot has not kept pace with the busy
world without. If the people have
grown in intelligence and thrift it is .