Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1895-01-05

Il
70 th9r Qftts Regis,er:
SIE;-The 1871 last, 1 left Wheeling
In company with SIR. w. Fl. Johnson,
Of Manuington, Il. w. Mccoy, Of Sis
tersviile, and Capt J. E. Mccoy, Of
Wheeling, for the purpose OF exploring
one Of the darkest woods or corners 10
darkest East Tennessee. being the south
east corner Of Monroe county adjoining
the North Carolina line. We arrived
In Knoxville the following evening. and
spent the next day very pleasantly 10
Visitidg that beautiful city, 50 delight.
fully situated on both banks Of the
Tennessee river, forming new ae-
qualntance and admlring the
Beautiful women who so numerously
inhaOit that city. Knoxville has the
most beautiful church edifce that /
nave ever seen. II is an Episcopal
church ADD Is Quilt entirely OF Georgia
and Tennessee marble. Mr.. ~ b. At
kinson, young. hadsome aud exceed
tnglY pleasant gentleman, who will ac-
company US upon our trip, joined us al
Knoxville. We left Knoxville the 10Th
HIST. for the Unaka mountains, situated
In Monroe county, Tennessee, and Cher
o6ee aud Graham cOu0tles, North Caro-
hna, aud Immediately southwest Of the
Great Smoky mountain. To order TO
reach our destination we took q train on
she Marietta and North Georgia railroad
and went % Blue dge, 10 Georgia,
and from there 20 Cherokee county
We could have reached the Unaka
Mountains from the Tennessee side, but
IL was so much more difficult OF access
that We decided 70 take the North Car
DINA route. Az Murphy orr party was
further Increased In the person Of Mr..
Thomas G. Mccoy, OF Ashsyiile, n. ),
who is the owner OF large body Of tim
Der lands, which we are 20 examine
From Murphy 30 the Unak Mountains
it's IGOR 20 miles, and overs very rough,
broken, mountainous section. Having
provided ourselves with blankets and
sufficient Quantity Of provision TO last
few days, We mounted our horses the
morning OF the seventeenth instant, and
arrived az our camp, an Old dilapidated
log hut, full OF the biggest feas 10 be
found on the North American continent,
the same evening about dark. As we
came To sig ht OF our temporary log hut
home, Capt Mccoy, while leading his
horse down a steep hill, fell and broke
his right arm just above the wrist. The
Captain was compelled TO return 20 civ
ilization the next day 10 obtain medical
attention and has been disabled
since from further service
WE REMAINED IN tn MOUNTAINS
from Monday evening until Saturday
evening, and left tired and worn out
with our weeks work. The most trouble
some part Of q visit 70 these mountains
Is TO procure supplies. In addition to
what provisions we took with Us, which
soon grew stale, we had three or four
half-grown bows TO carry supplies into
us, and they made three trips during
the week. Our Log hut was far from
being a pleasant place 70 stay, as we
had u use 10 both for cooking
aud sleeping. We bad 20
sleep on the hard punching floor,
that. is what little sleep we could get
for the feas, and never had our clothes
of during our entire solOurn In the
mountains. BY some oversight we
omitted 10 take with US any knives or
forks, the result being that we had to
use our fingers instead. The only CON-
uensating feature for all our depriVa-
tions were the pure air and water 20 be
had In the mountains. TX we only had
this pure air and water in the Ohio Val
lev We would live long time.
The Unaka Mountains were the
old hunting grounds OF the Cherokee
Indians, who Inhabited this section until
few wears sirce. We we're fortunate
ia securing the services OF most ex-
cellent native guide ia the person OF
Newt. LOvingood, who, when a boy
often accom- panied the Indians on their
grand hunts ia the Unaka mountains.
lie was perfectly familiar with every
trail, nook and corner, aud his descrip
tions on the ground OF the ground OF
the encounter the Indians had with the
wild game, which then rOamed
through these forests were in-
tensely interesting. He pointed out
many places where the Indians and bear
had fought their battles, and explained
p the methods by which their battles
were fought. These Indian hunts we're
conducted systematically and Ia perfect
order. The chief. right or wrong, was
implicitly obey5d, the result being
that peace and harmony reigned su-
preme. But a change came, and the
Cherokee Indians no longer inhsbit
tbis immediate section. They are 20
longer 20 be seen 10 the vicinity OF their
old and happy hunting grounds 10 the
Unaka mountains. The Cherokee In
dams were removed by she government
An 1s37-3S 90 the Indian Territory, but
some OF them were loath 20 leave their
happy hunting grounds, the graves OF
their ancestors and their Wild mountain
Businesses. and Ia consequence the gov
erpment allowed them 20 remain
THEY CONSTITUTE SAD REMNANT
and a melancholy mementO Of perhaps
tbs most powerful tribe Of the North
American Indians The Government
placed this remnant on a reservation OF
* 600 acres 10 Swain county, n. u,
shont Is miles 70 the northeast OF here.
STbare are about $500 lndians on the
-eservation now. These Indians main
81, their tribal relations, and the Gov
e-n,,ont maintains schools for their
Sd the result is that many
oftbe Younger Indians are unable
40 sneak their native tonge, speak Eng
Iisb exclusively. Many OF them are de-
INT and zealous Christians. Ihese
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