New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-09-15
A VIRGINIA SUMNER.
NOTES OF A MOUNTAIN QUEST FOR TROUT
AND DIALECT.

We had found the water 90 warm for trout and the
soil snguarly unproductivc OF the ancient negro o.
the magazines, with his pathetic tale of ole massa
or his moving relation OF young massas' cOurtsmP
The mountains offered a new world. II was posspi'
to find sentimental suggestveness in the ruins OF the
old inn which passed In the forest, once fano"
resort with the usual medicinal springs now chokee
with rubbish and unable to heal themselves. although
they were formerly rolled upon TO heal all manner
Of bodily infrmtics But the days drive on LEG
whole, was uneveniful The blooming maldens VIM
prepared meat and preserves for us In guam
stone wayslde house turned out to be from Now
Jersey, and thus an Illusion passed. Al anou'o'
house inquiry was made of an animated sunponne'
30 the possibility OF feeding the horse Inc SUI
bonnet called jake Jake" didn't Know h'
consulted Biz an ancient corpso-lke figure, VINO
seated upon horse block because he HADN'T eneSs
enough TO fall off, Bn' "reckoned' that " JAKE
had moro feed than he had .Jake7 reckoned not
and thus the lymphatc controversy continued while
we urged The horse on TO escape star
vaton. Another mountain cabin, tenan'eu
by white headed children and dogs offered Us
The "rght smarts and hcap7 Of the conventions
dialect literature but very little else. So we dlo'o
on through the evergreen forests winding upWeiu ="
the summit and descending to the little WINE 'o'i-
house which had fairly shoudered its way INTO INC
road in its anxiety for spot Of level ground to s'a
upon. ,
If We had been wise we would have accepted me
toll-taker's offer OF meat which always means
some form Of swines flesh, and bed. But somo-
where below us in the dark valley there was HUG
village and we urged the tired horse reyng upon
a smoky lantern which presently proved vain nope
Perhaps II would be more accurate TO say that We
relied upon the instinct of the horse and it is true
that his instiact asserted itself but not In the way
that we expected. For the road presently grew
rougher and rougher and the wagon pitched ana
luTched disrust of instinct was developed Wmch
was suddenly confirmed by crash and splash anu
an indistnct vision Of a horse seemingly about 10
climb tree, while the wagon was safely anchored
In the bed Of creek. After all the horse q" nus
best There was a cabin somewhere down in the
forest and the horse had turned toward 1t, leaving
the main road for wood path without our knowledge
The yelps of ours welcome for once, betrayed
human habtaton and after discovering that wagon
and horse were unframed I made my way toward
the sound. In the doorway Of little cabin STOOD
a woman with a flock Of white-headcd children hldflg
behind her skirts. Yes, we were of the road, TACT
already obvious. No, she could not keep us over
night. "Td like to, powerful well We'se SO
miserable poor we h'aint got nothn' IN the house
ter eat cept corn NEAL Could her husband guide
us back to the toll house? Well, her husband had
gone TO another mountain cabin, 10 assist at deli
cate domestic event But the woman herself vol
unteered 10 act guide. lantern was discovered
and piloted by or bare headed bcnefactress, The
whitehalred children and the curs We finally extn-
Gated ourselves and returned abjecty to the toll
house. Il kin get me a pair of shoes now said
guide she received her reward. speech which
ilumned the dismal poverty of mountain life Our
evening meal was also characteristic, but we were
content with "middngs7 and "corn p0ne.' There
two fcatherbcds in the room which occupied the
first floor and they placed al the disposal Of
my. fellow fisherman and myself A LADDER led to
the little attic above. We therefore on the
line Of march Of tie domestic procession. Up this
ladder there climbed at various times our hostess,
her grown-up daughter her little girl, her son, and
two Young fellows who had been "hanln' bark
Possibly there were Others but speculation as to the
storage Of these people under the was presently
succeeded by sleep.
II was a snake that welcomed the next day
to the little mountain glen which was our destina-
ton, and for the next few days orr relations with
snakes were intimate. After passing dead rattle
snake on the rocky road between the mountains
a huge mocca,in beside tho little creek
which constantly forlng Tho mOccasin
gared with dun malcvOcucc until penetrated by the
idea of danger, when 1t sluccishly Gded into the
undcrbrush. diary Of our stay in the mountains
would have been largely record OF snakes. On the
first day copperhead killed. behind the house
and brought In that might inspect the poison fangs
sheathed and curving like Kittens claws. On the
second day little viper was slain in an adjoining
field On the third day bruuzed mountaineer came
in, completely unstrung despite his rugged physique
by recent cheerful experience. While lifting
orkful of hay 10 the cart coppcrhead had dropped
but and fallen his arm. whore It lay suirming
Tor few long seconds its loa1hsome head and swift
larting tongue within few inches Of the mans face
One Of the innocent pastlmes Of childhood at this
mountain home to go down to the creek and " see
he snakes come up" The latter were always on
Iand in the evening, small watcHnakes seemingly
standing their tails, their little heads protruded
rom the waller il was this water which drank.
On an evening devoted 10 ophidan remir sciences.
,ur host, fine specimen OF the mountain hunter,
old inspiritIng tale Of Of his experiences
few years before. lie was sleeping on the first
loor of his cabin with all the doors open as usual.
81 the night he arose 10 get water for sick child
md at his second step he rod upon moccasin which
uuck him on the bare foot
" l reckoned twas snake when | felt him. said |
rOm.
What dld you do !o oval the first thing done
vas ter light pine knot an hunt that thar snake
found him up ayn the wall an killed him. When |
see twas moccasn got some clay down ter the |
rick an put # on ter MY foot. Then l drank all |
he whiskcy I had, an l drank quart an 'peared /
he twuz tst water an sent ont for Pnrty |
con the clay on my foot got hot an dry an / |
lowed It hurt powerful bad. WAL my foot il swclled |
'Onderiul, but put fresh clay an KEEP at the |
rhiskey an in TWO or three days ! go.u round |
GAIN Whisky is regarded the great remedy |
Y these mountanccis despite the dcprecating re- |
larks Of Dr. Weir Mitchell In the August Century
Va that evening Of snake talk reckoned up |
dozen cases Of snake bites within his own knowledge
II had been treated with whiskey and nOac had r.
uled fatally. To be this is not scientific |
but # enough for the mOunancers
luch was sad Of the value OF am
lonla aud of clay IN local applications
I'd the usual tales were Did of chickens
I'd dog, which when bitten had kept the injured
arts IN the clay along the creek But for the human
nimaI whiskcy accounted specific Yet
ranger might prefer the chances OF the bite 10 the
lw new whiskcy Of the mountain dl,tllcries.
II should De under TODD that our mountain home Is
ot one Of the shaclls' the abject log cabins
lmmonly described by he dialect hunters. Like The
rye iout sought by the fisherman, these places are
hlrlher Lack7 il was I'M that mN.iernm. regIln