The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-11-09
THE MOUNTAIN PEOPLE.
Ass MACGowAN TAKES LEAVE
OF THEM.

The Lady Boasts of Her Gun" and
inns Innoceatly "Bluffs" a stalwart
countrynaan-A Nerve-Testing Ride
Through the ocoee Canyon-Some
touching and Beautiful Descriptions.
close of the Series of Mountain
sketches
CHATTANOOGA. TENN, Oct. 2S.-When
,rerqed somewhat from the depths of the
| fountains where the people are in simple,
unconscious, primitive savagery, | came to
,bam in their first stage of development
award modern civilization, which is state
| + deeper barbarism than their original con-
.tion.
They have eaten of tae tree of the kuowl-
doe of good and evil, in clothing and
,ouse-f furnishing. They have seen some
enlightened beings, and - figuratively
reaking-shey know that they are naked.
hev have warnings and readings out
dter something better, which find express
ion in wall pockets and flowers of frazzled
rssue paper. some dreadful tides, God
gess Our Home" or two, and nightmarish
,low-shams with angels Sing Thee to
nv Rest" "Good Night" ''Sleep Well"
md other legends worked upon them in red
Otton.
This unguided seeking for Improvement
his pathetic catching at the fringes of
snlightenment and astheticism, makes these
neoDls the prey and never failing support of
m sorts of pretenders and false prophets.
Raj, agents who sell Mother, Home and
Heaven" and directions for every variety
Of comfort destroying fancy work; vendors
| If stamped patterns, rug machines. abom-
uable charts and pictures, and itinerant
reddlers, purveyors OF Philistine decorations
| generally.
last mountain l crossed after leaving the
Hack Mountain region. There for many
miles there was no habitation, or cabins SO
NOR and unpromising of cheer that |
Tusbed on all day toward Franklin.
I was delayed, as was often the case,
throughout the whole trip, by impassa de
lords. Coming toward evening to the Ten
| nessee river, l found it a dark ochre. run
ming up level with its banks and roaring to
scare Dick Turpin himself.
'SCould one cross the ford at all" asked.
''No. a woman couldn't, nohow. jeff
| Adams had rode over that morning on a
| taller nag than mine, with the water runin
| over its back, an the river'd riZ ever sence"
| So on Unjust go, around to the bridge, several
miles further.
This made me so late that, for appearance
sake. though | was not at all afraid,
stopped at a farm house about dusk and
| procured an escort to ride into Franklin
with me-a boy about Is or 20, on a mule.
/ These people were very kind and helpful to
me, hurrying up the equipment and monnt-
4 ing Of the 10y, telling me where to go in
4 town ard to say they sent me, SO that
4 might receive the consideration which would
4 fall to a friend of theirs.
The boy-a striking type of the most SIM
ple-minded mountaineer, from away back
among the nights of Nantehaleh-talked to
me with wondering admiration all the way
10 town. He thought me wonderfully
4 brave aud smart" He would love TO read
some of my pieces" Readin' was great
entcement TO him anyhow, an when he
knowed the lady that wrote it he lowed it
would be more enticin' still, and when
wanted to pay him for saddling his mule
/ and riding four miles with me after night
fall he refused with grieved surprise.
why, | couldn't take nothin' from a
lady fer showin' her the road. Hits ben
pleasure to me. I'd ben glad TO do more
70? you-to go at the hours O midnight
anywhere you needed me-"
From Franklin TO, AQuone, across the
Eantehaleh mountain, was my next stage.
For the first time throughout my entire
journey had companionship-that of the
nail boy. 1t was beautiful road along
beside the Warrior creek Through Warrior
gap
almost wonder at the charms CT those
river roads among the mountains. When |
travelled them the first frost had not yet
touched and frightened their dull greens.
eautiful then, in the late and waning
season, what must their loneliness be when
dressed In the fair sweetness of spring,
when the ivy bushes in pink and dapple
pretnesS like rustic beauty,
against its background of tender
green, and the rhododendron
throws open its rose and purple splendors.
Or what pageant of glories must they set
forth, robed now in all their pomp of
autumnal red and gold, the Warrior, the
Onauskee, or Cowee slipping clear and
pellucid between its banks and doubling, by
rejection, the gorgeousness of wood and
SLY, or foamlng out upon its rocks, a bril-
liant, snowy contrast to all the opulence of
rich color.
The mail boy was jolly little fellow of
ABOUT 10. and we made the trip with great
MARTY and IN seemingly shorter time than
my soltarY rides occupied.
\, Inc next day l rode from Aquone to
murphy, starting out just at daylight, with
another mail boy, who went the first twelve
miles with me-
am so fond of q horse; | feel such admira-
uon Tor good enc and such pity for poor
OF ABUSED one, that | was often disposed to
ohnle these mountain people severely for
.uelr hard usages of theirs. As looked at
the poor, pltiful. lame creature the Acuone
mai BOY rode and which was expected to
larry MIN to ValleytowD and back, about
'"eInty-tour miles, felt Indignant.
Is your horse very old" asked.
why, no, said the boy, hes just three
Only colt. Hardly old enough to be
proAen to USE And he was already worked
poor and lame, and looked like an old worn
Iuv mack. These people are heartless and
brutal, thought, as I remembered how
+rany such L had seen in my mountain
aave!s. But there were two sides TO the
99uTSs4on looked at the boy, pale, thin,
nollo" chested lad of about Is. The morn
lug was cold, with an icy, penetrat-
~, ois !og' that seemed TO drift right through
I'LL my wraps: but he was shivering
ru MS Scanty summer clothing, without
".dpS OF any sort. He had a cough, and
~ goAeu preraturely old and overworked.
r ra' ueeGed warm clothing, good food, more
c o9' auu chance for an education; but he
oaN nave none of them. He receives IS, 81
a. month for riding daily, in all
-,VTaIHers from twenty-five to forty-two
b btes, Alter all, they are as kind TO their
s,seS' believe, as they can be to them.
1 Lhe ride from Ducktown to Cleveland is
o. t,o aNd desolate one, along beside the