Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1892-03-31
For the Ellsworth Americana
Experience Among the Mountains.



By invitation of the American Mission
ary Association, under whose flag we are
sailing, on Oct. LIST, 1884. we found our
selves with family and one lady for teach
er landed safely at the village of Sparta,
Tenn. When told that it was seventeen
miles to Pleasant Hill, and there was
high mountain slope to ascend, and it being
evening. We made our way to hotel only
to find it crowded. Everything was full,
tables full, beds full. floors full. The coun-
ty fair was in full blast, and everybody
was there. Horses, mules and Jacks could
be counted In great numbers in the
square" all under saddle and must stand
minus stable as every stall was occupied.
What could we do when told that private
dwellings were also full? To sleep in the
street or in dry-goods box might do for
city waf, but 1t looked unlnviting to US.
Under the stress Of circumstances | or
dered livery. 1t was soon ready. and we
were about to take seats in which we must
ride nearly all night 1t began to grow
dark. and we were weary with long jour
ney. 1t was then that some one said,
There is Mr.. p, he has large house and
no family but wife" Telling the driver
to wait moment, and stepping to his
door, | stated our case. His quick re-
sponse was Come in all of you and wei
come" Gladly we gaye up the night ride
to be resumed at nine the next morning
We received the most hearty Southern
hospitality" which is proverbial as being
the best.
Morning came. At Q we were on the
ascending grade and soon reached the foot
of the mountain, or brow of the Cumber-
land tabe-land
This great physical feature Of the State
of Tennessee consists of ndmber of stra-
IA Of rocks resting at the base upon some
80 feet of red clay, 50 steep that when
wet by shower it is next to impossible
for team to maintain its footing. II is
very much like a mans trying to walk
creased plank At an angle of forty hrc de-
grees.
A. We climb to the top of the clayey road
W. next lind tinty limestone from 80 TO
$50 feet thick. Having passed over this.
we next come 10 beds of ordinary lime
stone 2jo feet thick. At the top Of this We
come to strata Of hne grained sandstone.
often in thin layers suitable for tagstones
This formation Is some 30 feet thick
Next above we ind beds Of blue limestone
from 30 TO 40 feet thick Pass over this.
and you come 10 u tine grained, blush gray
limestone interstratited with beds of shale
from 50 to 80 feet thick. In thi, forma-
lion you may see mighty bowldrrs and
high rocks IN every conceivable shape As
if torn anu split by some terrible cOnvul-
sion
We next come TO marls and shales of
many colors, with an occasional layer of
limestone The deposits are l30 feet thick.
Next we come to layers OF fn,-ilixed lime
stone, from 80 To 1870 feet thick.
SO We 90 up, up, this zigzag, winding
steep, tortuous road climbing on, and
still climbing. but making many stops to
favor the horses and to take observations
OF the wild scenery below. Next we come
TO strata Of fossiized limestone 20 feet
thick. All these beds of rock | have
named are rich in fossils, and show that
they belong To the carboniferous period.
Now We have risen above the mountain
limestone and find number OF different
strata to be passed over before We reach
the top Of the table-land. We now have
climbed to the lower coal measures, T"
| Here we ind alternate beds of sandstone,
shale, and stone coal, $50 feet thick
| We come now to several strata Of ninty
rocks with many rounded white quartz
pebbles. Now We are near the top of the
table-lani, and last Of all We come to the
upper coal measures
This formation is the source of ali the
| coal found in the state Of Tennessee II
varies in thickness from few inche, to 9
feet, and covers nearly the entire table
land of 300 square miles. The coal,
which is Of excellent quality, lies near the
/ 81 AnNei NiNtPihS OuL ~ many IiAAto'
Having climbed to the top, as it was noon,
we stopped an hour to feast our mortal
bodies with lunch, and drink at pure
sprin. which was leaping from high
rock. and our minds, through our eyes
| with scenery easier imagined than de.
scribed.
From this point to Pleasant Hill is
twelve miles, and the road lay through 8
wilderness of oak and chestnut, broker
here and there by a little clearing with
rudely built log cabin In the centre Of it
AS the darkness of night was gathering
the driver exclaimed, This is Pleasan
Hill" Although strangers in what ",
thought very strange land we were al
glad to come to our journeys end. W,
knew we were still in the land of the mos
patriotic flag that floats. Is this vii,
country to be our field of labor: Boil
and reared IN New England homes, can W,
say goodbye to hundreds of dear friends
ami pass the remnant of life in the wilder
ness? We would be homesick if we dared
but we had put our hands to the plow an,
must not "look back" We went to sleel
knowing that God is here