The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-06-26
TICKTOWN IN SUMNER
Bill Nye Writes About a North
Carolina Resort.
ALL SORTS OF GAME FISH
Habits OF the Southern Hog-The Work.
tngman's Old Grievance-Rav.
ages Of the Red Bug.
copyright, 1892, by Edgar W. Nye. ]


TIcKrowN, n. c., June 2O-TSpecial Cor
respondence. l-Ticktown, n. c., fifty years
ago had never been thought much of as
summer resort, yet even then it was con-
sidered remarkably healthy, and the vital
statistics showed that no one ever died
there except poor people, and death can
hardly be regarded as calamity to people
who have no means.
Forty-eight years ago Colonel (now Gen.
eraD West. of Cane Creek, this state, Wis
ited IIcktown while on an equestrian trip
aboard his justly celebrated trick mule
Mary, and was delighted to notice how
hungry he was on arriving there, and also
how much more so he was when he came
away.
He also detected what the other citizens
had not before noticed, as there were no
scientists then living in Ticktown, that
the place had mean annual rainfall and
view of Pisgah and the Rat. These
facts, together with the appetite he ac-
quired while there. led him to consider the
feasibility of making Ticktown a Mecca
for the invalid. Here, said he, wealthy
men who have no appetite may come and
get mighty hungry, if they stay long
enough.
That was only forty-eight years ago, or
near that. In fact. last Christmas they
tell me was forty-eight years ago. The
governor, in speaking of it to me the other
day, said that it struck him that was a
good while between Christmases, but We
will let that pass.
The attitude of Pisgah, which may be
seen from the hill just back Of Ticktown,
is 5. 7157 feet.
Craggy mountain, which may be seen
from the top of Pisgah. is 5000 feet high.
From the top of this mountain one may
see Mount Mitchell, which is 6,7i7 feet
high, and from the top of Mount Mitchell
one may see Mr.. George w. Vanderbilt's
magnificent place with a powerful glass;
also what his idea was in building same.
The best way to visit Ticktown is by
diligence from Asheville, n. C. You will
arrive there about noon. Then by the
time you can gather your Strawberries and
catch 4 COW you will be right hungry. No
place can furnish such an appetite with so
few facilities for quenching it as Ticktown.
The French Broad river is only a short
drive from Ticktown. and furnishes rare
sport during the fishing season. All sorts
of game fish, such as the red horse, the
hog sucker the stone toter and the maltese
catfish are abundant in the French Broad
and are caught with club or dynamited
when the grand jury is not in session.
These fish are all rich and nourishing,
especially when put on cucumber bed.
The German carp is also to be found here
in great abundance, and seven of the
mamma carp on a pleasant summer night
will easily lay eggs enough to stop navi-
CATION. With them it seems to be a sort
of gift.
The sportsman during the carp season
provides hisnseif with a twig with which
to scare her off the nest and then sled
stake with which to take her life. 1t is
very exciting. You also take along a
small colored boy. 1t is his duty every
time you land a fish to burn rag.
The hog sucker, or stone toter, as it is
also called by ornlthologists, is so-caled
because 1t has a flat place on the head
on which to carry stones for the purpose
OF building wing dams for nest. Some
cali him the free and accepted r.ason be-
cause he lays such a beautiful wall around
his nest. The stone toter makes good eat
ing, but does not resist arrest like the
trout or the bass. | have caught every
thing most, but nothing that reminds me