The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-10-12
A JOURNEY INTO EGYPT.
VERY TOUGH CORNER IN WEST
ERIN NORTH CAROLINA.

ERIN NORTH CAROLINA.
Rascal Hoist by His own Petsrd-A
Pokerish Place to Stop Over Night
Little Johnnie Higgins. His Franks
His Religion and His Want of Both
Religion and Morality-A Reminder
of the Stormy Plays OF the Ancient
Morse.
BALD MOUNTAIN CREEK. EGYPT, Y. C.,
Oct. 6-I arrived at Asheville several days
ago, and Phoebe and [, and baggage, quar-
tered ourselves upon some very agreeable
people, against whom there can nothing
whatever be said, except that they happen
to be connections of mine by marriage.
The first day got there l was relating
Othello-like-my fortunes and adventures
by field and flood, through mountain trails
and river fords, and expressed my regret at
missing the Mount Mitchell trip
NY brother-in-law at once spoke up and
said be was leaving early the next morning
on an expedition. which, if it was thing
within reason to take me along, would
surely prove of far more interest TO me than
tie ascent of Mount Mitchell
"A thing within reasoum l exclaimed
AFTER the places I've gone and the things
I've done, ali alonei Whittier is your expe-
ditlon, pray, and what is its bloody nature,
that it is not "a thing within reason for you
to take me Glongp
Il AN going into a pl ice called Egypt, up
here in Yaucey, to buy Tobacco in the
patch" said Mr.. Bernard. who is leaf
dealer.
why, Egypt, and what is the reason l
can't 30, too persiS ted.
az reckon it is called Egypt because it's a
place of heathen darkness; and the reason
That you, or any lady, can't go is that it's
the widest. toughest a d most Inaccessible
mountain country, inhabited by the tough
es , savages; ana most lawless community
anywhere to be flu d il the state. They
average a man q week killed up there-shot
or stabbed. Officers can scarcely be found
to go in there for tn. purpose of serving
warrants. IL is a regular haunt Of illicit
stills. Revenue men don't trouble them
much from the fact that, il one holder or
more jealous than most of his fellows gets
il there les seldom Leard from again.
TIE inen-not all Of them, of course, but
tie ma ity-are q rough. wild. reckless,
devilsh set. fine looking often, and some
times with q certain dasa, bravedo and at
tTactive ess about them that the more hum
be and decent grubbers of tie soil lack.
They huut, fish, drink whisky loaf around
the little stores of the settle nents, gamb-
ling and fighting, while the women-,ome
OF them ill-used slaves, bat many no better
than the men-do such work, in house and
field, as is done. | hoard somo fellows up
there discussing brutal shooting affair, in
which one man had killed another in cold
blood.
.'Was he arrested9" l asked
Nav, responded the narrator, with a
surprised circumfiex. he never killed but
one man."
will not set down here our arguments
back and forth, up and down, pro and con:
but you know it hath been long since said:
"When a woman will, she will, and when
Mr.. Bernard rode up the WeavervilIe road
and across Beaverdam creek toward
Yancey, "on his fat red horse" ''slenced,
but not convinced" cut talked out gem
eraled, trotted blithely along beside him
and Phebe, endeavorlng TO soften his de-
feat by means If jocund prattle. antic quip,
and what Bill Nye calls gay badinagen
He kindly allo .ed his overthrow to be
covered in this manner, and by the time we
stopped for the night on Big Laurel we we're
not only entirely at peace but very friendly,
and | was being treated like a much desired
and honored guest. who had been hardly
prevailed upon TO share the expedition.
In the morning we again set out and soon
struck the Caney river, which we fo.lowed
down, and reached the southern edge OF
The landscape and surrounding here un-
derwent gradual change as we progressed
The country grew wilder and more rugged,
but was much more thickly settled. The
people we met or saw sitting In their DOORS
and busted CD about their cabins, reflected
the features of their environment, and were,
for the most part, shaggy-haired, wild eyed,
powerful, booy looking creatures, bare
footed-both men and women-and with q
strong suggestion of primitive savage about
them, as though they might kill man With
big spear and serve up choice chunks of
HIM, III rude stone vessel, for dinner in
genuine ''prehstoricn style We rode all
day, with an hours rest beside a spring, in
the shade of beautiful sycamore, to eat
the lunch which we hal brought with us
from our last stopping place outside the
confines of the Land of the Pharaohs"
just at dusk we rode up TO big rambling
log house, consisting of a number of small
ones, evidently built at different times and
joined together in irregular formlessness by
open passages and porches, some one or two
being entirely detached.
While some one came out and minded
the hounds off" us, my brother-ln-law re-
marked: Nov, my lady. l think you'll
get enough of this thing right here Tnis
Is about the toughest place and the hardest
lot We have to encounte. -. and upon the
heels of this we went into the house with
out my having time to reply. l was braced
70 the point of mental and moral rigidity.
anu 1t was well.
Il was Rembrandt interior No light
except q big open fire. where the supper
was beir, cooked, and around which hung
number of shock-headed, vacant-eyed
children and the whole gang of gau t.,
hungry-looking hounds-the latter kicked
and cutfed away every few minutes, with
much tumult and riot.
As NY eyes grew accustomed to the light
| examined the surroundings. There was a
bed. l thought, III each of the four corners
OF the 70 IN, made 10y boring hole III log
at the right distance from the corner on
each side and inserting poles, these two
poles being supported where they met at
the outer c0rAer by post Then frame
work of withes is woven across, and the
bedding laid on.
/ found when a light was made by
means of O. rag floating in a small pan of
grease, that the fourth one of the primitive
structures was our dining table; and in the
log at my corner was bored an auger hole
which served as a salt cellar.
The supper of corn bread, sweet potatoes,
possuIn, rabbit and coffee with sorghuml,
was not bad, and | ate, notwithstanding toe
re2usive-not to say sgusting-looking
children, and the reproachful chances of the
hounds.
When the tobacco business had been set
tied, Mr.. Bernard asked about the sleeping