The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1892-09-07
SANDY CRUNCH" HAS BEEN on A
HIGH MOUNTAIN.
He Didn't Accept any Gifts While on
the Journey But Tells the Story
of His Trips UP and Down Sassa-


the Journey But Tells the Story
of His Trips UP and Down Sassa-
fras Gap
The one desire of my life, the desire that
lifted itself lar above the surrounding coun-
try, speaking after the manner OF Geosru-
phles, has been 10 go up into the mountains
and there amid their cascades and cooling
breezes, abounding stills and stiffness, 10 SIT
me down and recuperate. nave thought oil
It. in my thoughts, and dreamed OF IL In my
dreams as l lay ut night enyeloped In mosqul-
toes and perspiration. "Oh have sighed 10
resi- mel on some lofty mountain top-lt
seemed to me the most delightful thing In the
world to recuperate among the mountains. l
had read OF IL In books and newspapers, and
common parlance (ordinary conservation 81
mud heard of preachers leaving their churches
TO drink in the mountain joys.
| had heard OF the rich and Inc gay seeking
the valleys and the peaks to add TO their
numberless pleasures. had heard OF skele-
tons going up from the lowlands and return
ing clad with iatnesS until could stand u no
longer so putting a collar in ons side OF my
vaiise and brick In the other to balance, l
told my ma and Morandy goodbye, shook
the dust of the streets off my feet and went
to the land where men grow fat IN q DAY: l
went 10 the mountains ol western M0rth cml, q
DINA, reader, To recuperate., l have come
nome, trust to recover. l! SO be that my ina
and the Doctor can pull Inc thro'.
At This present writing l am slttlng IN d
me and around me. l also wear Two plaSters.
The word mountain Is not spoken now IN
our house at all, and If any of The family leel
obliged tu use IL they 80 out into the oack
yard. ~
MOrandy has spoken once or twice OF "pre-
cipi,ous activities but even this Is objected
to by The Doctor us the patient shows signs oi
spasin. A., .,, ,.
n,nsi to think about, while "doWn, down by
the meadow" is the song that gives ue most
pleasure ;, ,,,
at the SEA level or III The valley of the Jordan
which Muraudy tells me Is still lower.
1 had expected 10 return from those sky
piercing mUuuttins with my eyes slanulhS
out with fatness like the wicked, anu Weai,
came home and shall not till aiter Christ
mas but my ma has taken d tuck III both pair
OF my Dreeches and mOvedthe straps nearly
round IN front.
mountains and this is mainly the reason why
am lndisposed ever tu take IL again. l neW
IN buggy at about tnG rate OF Two miles and
u half an hour, and hearu inuch anu saw
over those lofty SUBMITS my views were very
greatly enlarged and ALSO several holes IN my
pants, Among OLner things observed that
land Is very high, high III the mountains, eH'
ceeuiuuiy hiSH-much higher than l have
ever seen IT. aDyWhere else. Corner IL III
Greenw wood are not a circumstance, ana DuL
lew mon are ever rash enough 10 buy IL. Inc
building sites up there are magnificent anu
numuerless-iu fact there Is no end 10 the
Sights, and then there Is 30 much room aud
air-the mountains are .full oi It, a man can
let his house front towards South Carolina
and the OcuaiI, ana his yaru run back lor nj
teen miles without any danger OF his neigh
Dors chickens worrying him. True ralLie
snake may bite one oi his children now and
then, but children abound Ill the mountains
aud the lUss Is SOON supplied.
A MA, n t.,n L
hlnI-he caIl sci 1t 80 the water Will run from
II in every direction, or run ON IL, just as LIE
pleases-he can put IL where wind Will never
strike him or where II Will blow the shingles
of the roof on IL quiet evening. He can builC
| II where the lightning never comes, or be can
set IL on some lofty peak where the thunder
clouds muster and read The news by electric
lights all the sumner.
| The roads !! Besides travelling directly to
wards the stars or towards The center oI the
earth according to which end of The noun
tain you are on-the roads, us nearly AS
could calculate run eXucty towards Tie 3;
| points OF the compass, and IT was IN this d.
rection that Travelled nearly all The Time. III
fact the people are 30 accustomed To move IN
| this manner that IT was whispered 10 me tha
the young men sometimes tWlneu tnelr arli
around II girl In order TO shake hands viii
her. If this he true, however, II Is certainly y
pleasure trip which faIi TO take.
| keep the straight forward road" but If
| had gone straight forward, no geographer Oh
| the lace OF the earth would be able u flnd mt
TO- day. l never came as near being u circuit
| rider In all my LIE, and II there ls anything
ubuut this piece that seems 10 be little wan
derIng from the straight line II Is altogether
due TO those roads.
/ further observed that the mountuineers
raise a great deal OF cutie. and we'll They
might, Tor the mountains abound with rough
ness-ln TACT 1t Is The toughest country tual
ever struck and struck 1t often enough "
know.
Among the chief products Of the noun tains
| G.ItH q ltft lI,tu
thoughtful Is nature, whenever she brings an
evil among US SHE always provides All anu.
dotc, anu there are thousands OF people ur
there who as PROOF Oi their gratitude vi ten
take great doses vi this relnedy when they
have not even seen u snake Tor month";
Some very prudent men make u practice ol
carrying pint or SO with them all the TINE
us there Is no telling what Is going 10 happen
They generally put II un the inside US buLtles
are liable 10 break.
saw thousands Of hesnut trees, but am
sorry to tell you that there are no chesnuts
this year at all. Poor worms, what will They
do this winter? There Will be millions Ol
them without shelter and food.
/ went To the highlands anu from there to
Cashiers Valley aud several other points,
and then down the French Broad and home
again thro the Sassafras Gap. From the Top
VI The Gap To the foot OF the mountain Is
seven miles and they called the road turn.
pike. H. Is the first one ] ever saw, and II
they ure all like IL, / hope 1t will bs the last,
about ready tO pass inLU the hands vi u recels-
er. | pulu quarter TO ride over IT., Out the
next time 1t will be the other way. ! rode
seven miles over 1t going forward, but as near
as | can count about thirty springng up and
down over rocks and gullies, and gullies ana
rocks-wilh the mountain on one side and a
preclpice on the other, and the road slauting
towards IL like the floor In ii new church, II
the horse had made one ialse step -.
l have read OF the battle OF Gettysburg and
Picketts splendid charge, those were tight
times, own. but the man that has lived 10
pass thro' the Sassalras Gap has seen aud felt
enough to make him hero forever.
1T stands out in my memory like night
mare In the day time, Teach your children
to be Industrious and truthful-teach them to
shuu the paths that lead to idleness and cl-
garetles II You will, but above all from their
infancy warn them against the Sdssutrus Gap.
II son OF yours should ever contract the ha-
bit Of riding over that road there is no hope
tor him,
And now, reader, II ever you are in the
French Broad Valley and wish To come back
10 your native land, beseech you go round
by the way Of New York.
The Doctor thinks that ] will be able to
take OIL one of my plasters next week-it IL
the one on my back. Andy Crunch.