The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1894-12-01
PRIMITIVE LIFE.
TIMBER HUNTERS IN NORTH
CAROLINA MOUNTAINS.
widows Tackle Hears with Axes. Boys
Charm snakes and Men Carry Rifles
About Wherever They Go--Good sport
Found In These Wlids.

III you want to see primitive life.
such as Daniel Boon lived, where the
loom and spinning wheel are going all
day, log cabins swarming with lean
hogs and fat children, where every
man carries rife to store or church
and where crime is unknown. go to
the western part OF North Carolina.
or all Southerners there are none more
manly and straightforward than the
Tar Heels.
So says II Philadelphian, James
Calder, who has been on q timber
hunt in that region. So great IL the
domestic demand for fine hard woods
that very little is exported. Along
the North Carolina streams are fine
walnuts and wild cherries and some
very large curled naples. The
principal trouble is transportation, as
many of the roads are little better
than cattle tracks. III got black
walnut thirty feet two inches, beauti-
fully curlcd, and it cost me 800 to get
this hauled forty miles. Cut into
vencers the value OF this log is not far
from $1,000" said Mr.. Calder, to IL
Philadelphia Times man.
"A few nights before my departure, y
he continued. Il stopped at the cabin
OF IL widow with two stalwart daugh-
tiers. In the middle OF the night
there was IL tremendous noise outside,
II hog squealing and dog barking.
The old woman turned out, shouting:
".Thar's bar u-tacklin' my old
SOW catch him, Tigh--come on, gals
pitch in, stranger.
.'Such scrimmage | never saw,
the moon was up and light rs day, the
bear had clambered into the pen,
seized the hog, and then the dog sailed
in, the widow had an AK, one daughter
pitchfork, the other II club and
emptied my revolver ip$n something
black, but the widows az the bust
ness, and all hands pullcS p-grown
black bear out Of the pens The hog
and dog were badly maulcd, but the
women were game and by morning
the bear was skinned, hung up and
we had steak for breakfast as good as
pork, but no better.
IL never saw ducks so plen tiful as
on the Yadkin. No one hunts small
game here save party that comes
annually from Baltimore. As for
quail they are everywhere and wild
pigeons by the millions. These made
into pot-pie, with crust like brick
wall, are popular dclicacy. Other
wise the food--hog and hominy, with
coffee is palatablc Tvs lyc.
IL borrowed muzzlc-loading gun
| from friend in Rockford and
went for duck, taking with me a
! queer-looking negro lad as guide. We
| went through the meadows to the
river. Suddenly something crossed
the road, "A big water moccasin. The
boy made one dash and the next mo-
mcnt had the snake in his hands. IL
was fully five feet long. 1t writhcd
and struck at him. | yelled: Drop
him quick. He waved it around his
head, gave n snap like II whip and the
reptile was dead. This was repeated
several times, till | got nervous. and
declared | would shoot him. and the
snake too. II he did not quit it.
Il soon got into the ducks and
found it mere slaughter. They would
fly after every shot about fifty yards
and light. got twenty-eight in two
hours and started home with ten.
II was told that the boy was the
son OF voudou near the town, and
he could charm any snake.
ut looks curious to see half dozen
neighbors meet. each one balancing u
long rifle, stocked to the muZZle and
the name of the maker, who. by the
way. lives in Lancaster, Pa. on the
barrel. These men can take the head
off u squirrel at 100 yards, but at the
shooting matches the Winchester car
ries the prize. Among these people
pride of birth and family is more in
tense than anywhere else in my knowl-
edge. and it's patent OF nobility 10
have had am ancestor who fought al
Kings Mountain.
Tried by the standard of common
sense. these people are far happier
than the same class North. All seem
TO have enough, and there are but few
poor, and these mostly negroes. Any
one seeking rest at little expense can
find it at the small towns throughout
This region, and the society is quite as
good us elsewhere. with fewer fads
Only keep clear Of the war and it,
records. There is still an undcrcur.
rent OF sensitive feeling that is easily
brought TO the surface. As for sport
with gun and line, don't believe i,
can be surpassed north OF Florida"
! At tho Esrth's Center.