The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1890-06-26
4 SAMPSON BOY
In the Mountains OF Western
North Carolina.
Continued from i-,uc Of the 18th. J

Continued from i-,uc of the 18th.
We Glanced to secure for our
guard one Uncle jimmy who
was familiar with the narrow
paths leading from one settle
ment to another and the peCu-
liar manner in which We should
approach the mOuntaineers. in
fact Uncle Jimmy was much
Of mountain rough himself
He said that we would find
plenty of game, and those
Western waters We're teamlng
with fish. We took plenty Of
shooting lions and fishing
tackle. When we wanted tOI
take a hunt tie driver was
ordered to go to a certain place
and pitch camp until all gather
ed. Sometime we were scat
tered for several hours. Our
first spot was i'll kill ng bull
frogs, and | confess it took some
effort on my part to rid myself
Of the predjudice against frogs
and relish them as food. We
took provisions as we thought
sufficient for a week. but at the
end Of the 2ud day it was OK
hausted and we commenced
cooking for ourselves. The
WOrs. trade connected with our
tip was feeding cur guide,
Uncle Jimmy. The Blowing
Rock was first visited, from
here we took Il circle i'll search
OF the red squirrel returning late
i'll the evening. Nearly every
point of interest on the Blue
Ridge mountains was visited,
and the whole country from
there to the Tenn. line. The
excitement was just enough to
make it interesting and keep
off monOtOny all the time. The
fist fishing was III the clear
waters Of the Watauga River
where we could Tide on the
wagon along the road and see
fish swimming in the bottom of
the river. We feel III company
with two other gentlemen who
were out to spend a month in
the mountains fishing and hunt
ing. After spending some days
III this section we went up the
Watanga River and down the
LinVilic sevoial miles over
rough roads TO the foot OF Grand
Fa her Mountain by way Of
Natauga Hotel, and tel miles
further took us over IN Mitchell
Co., where a company from the
Nolth has purchased twelve
thousand acres of land i'll body
| which lies on both sides of the
Liuville River and from the
foot to the topmnst pinnacle of
the Grand Father Mountain.
Here we pitced camp and visit
ed the mountains near the town,
to give all idea Of the work
cow going on in Western North
iarOlina.
Fifteen months ago, what Is
now Linville City was a dreary
wilderness inhabited by wild
beasts and hardly known to
civilization. The Supt., of the
company, Capt.. S. 7. Kelsey
t IL lis that they had com
fenced work with one hundred
hands (all whites) and have
kept them st work all the time
since. They DOW want 200
more hands. The town incO"-
pOration has ore thousand
acres, through which stretches
Linville Avenue one hundred
feet wide for a distance Of eight
miles up and down Linville
River. Parallel to this and at
d proper distance is Carolina
Avenue of equal dimensions.
! One year ago it was almost im -
possible to ascend the Grand
Father Mountains, even on foot.
10 day it is accessible to the
top by Turn Pike Road eight
miles in length, thirty feet
wide, WITH al upward grade of
one foot i'll every fifteen. 1t is
a delightful drive, aid from the
top of the mountain, we had the
grandest view that we ever be-
held. Only two of our party
went to the top. In the town
proper is Il delightful drive of
one hundred miles of nearly
level road. On each side is a
beautiful park covered with the
natural mountain shrubbey. OF
this the under growth is being
cleared off and in its place they
a'e planting the fine st of grasses.
This thousand acres as laid
off in city style and the lots are
for sale. Il is perfectly as
, tonishing to see the improve
ment that has been made III SO
short slime. When capital
push and industry are com bined
something IS soon done. 1t is a
certainty that Il Railroad will
soon be stretched through this
b' ait;ful place and the les 'urces
of Western North Cal DINA fully
developed. Linvllle City will
be one of the grandest summer