The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1895-09-14
A Letter.

'e four went to have q picnic Of our
wn on top of Lookout Mountain. This
u lovely drive of sixteen miles, q great
art of the way gradually climbing the
and as we approached Chat
.inOoga the Ioad became sleeper and
teeper, but the last four or i've miles
t was macadamized-a "pike road"
hey call it there. At last we reached
he top of Missionary Ridge. three miles
rom the city. On our right, at the very
ummit of the mountain (Shernan
IIeights), stands an exceedingly tall,
,pen steel tower, with winding stair
way in it. This tower, called ''Sher-
mans Tower" is erected to mark the
,pOt where Gen. Sherman had his head
quarters during the famous siege and
battles of Lookout Mountain and Chica-
mauga. Three-quarters Of mile south
west from SHERMAN Tower stands
another exactly like 1t, on the very sum-
nit Of Missionary Ridge las the noun
tain is called, to mark the spot where
Gen. Bragg had his headquarters. These
two towers are close enough together
for the two generals to have seen what
each was doing. The pickets Of the
two armies did actually talk together
and exchange tobacco, etc., 50 was
told by one who was there at the time.
These towers can be seen for miles and
miles. After we reached the top Of
Ridge we began to descend
the western side, and reaching the base,
we turned north, and were at once in
avenue. beautiful residence
street three miles long, and very gradu-
ally ascending another mountain, though
it seems to be the valley, for Chattanoo-
q is built in the valley. We drove to
Mrs. Stewart's { tMaggie's sister to leave
the wraps and robes we took In case 1t
and we had not been there over
fifteen minutes before it rained quite
hard. All we could do was to sit and
wait about an hour and q half, and then
we started for Lookout Mountain. We
took the street car lthey are all electric
cars in Chattanooga for Market street;
changed to another for Lookout Noun
tain and st. Elmo (the railroad station
at the foot of Lookout mountain for the
convenience of tourista), where ws
changed again for "Ths incline, p which
took us about half way up the moautaiu
to Point HOtel,' where we changed
again to the dummy" which carried
us on up, and up, and up TO the top
These inclined railroads rise ct such q
steep incline that it makes one feel as II
they were going straight up into the air
The trees fall out of sight beneath you
the great bonlders and bald sides Of tht
mountain come suddenly so close they
look like they would crush you on bOtf
sides at once, and as quickly drop be
meath you, only to give place to others
higher and sleeper and more threaten
ing. The trip up frightened Miss Mag
gle till she prayed reverently, 20, Lord
let us land safe" Grace said she wa
"too scared TO speak," and Luthe
thought this is mighty ticklish travel
ing" 1t reminded me Of the two in
clines at Niagara Falls, only these q
Lookout are the largest.
Leaving the dummy" at "l-ookou
Inn Station we walked about fifteeI
or twenty yards, leaving the "Museuu
Of War Relics on our right, and by ~
easy grade of fOrty-nine stone step
hewn 50 smoothly In the mountain sid'
they appear to be built there, We stoot
in front Of Lookout Inn," magnii
cent old castle-lO0king building, flv'
stories high. with front central towe
rising high. above the ediflce. We asket
the privilege granted tourists, to 60 b
the top and look out from there, but un
fortunately the elevator was being re
paired, and consequently was not run
ming that day. The Inn has 500 rooms
and is handsomely furnished with Brus
sells carpets, pOrtiers. mirrors, pictures
ETC., and while We were there silye
cornet band was disconrsing SSWee
music, accompanied by grand planc
played by gentleman, while . group Q
young ladies were dancing. We wen
from there to the spripg near ''Serp1n
Rock where we picnicked and dram
from the spring where thousands, pei
haps, of Fighting Joe" Hooker's men
Or the boys in gray oftentimes quenche'
their thirst. After lunching we wer
ready for wOrk-fOr It Is work 70 &
from one point OF interest 70 another. :
one who il as lazy about walking as
am; and walk you must, for there is n
foOt-hOld for horse at some places, I
say nothing of carriage. We stOo
upon the various points" and locke
out upon a panorama indescribable In 1t
grandeur. AS stood entranced, intOx
icated, awe-inspired at the view OF In
world beneath my feet, l could but eS
claim: THANK God for the mountains
and that lie has allowed me thus I
look upon the world that lie has made.
Down, down, down in the valley far be
low lay Chattanooga, looking not like
city of twenty-five or thirty thOusan
inhabitants. but more like pile Of pei
bles that some giant had let fall frOI
his lap-a mere scattering, withOu
order, of different cOlored, irregular pei
bles, save here and there where som
large manufactOry, IL cOmpQxe1iyel
near. looked like child's toy !,
houses at the base appeared u
little paper houses, and thQzGo jill
little irregular green and yellow ~ lrs
on checker-bOard, and thes414 pin
and other forest trees app1aeG lkko 10
shrubs clinging to the groupd; While u
Tennessee river looks Like . thgead {
light, and the "MoccasinFs1INk1k dai
spot. Here we stood in speeehjoss a.
miratiOn-fOr talking aoeG1ed sacrel
gious-and watched the heecy, whi
and sun-tinted clouds rplliug 1lpwly an
majestically, billowlike, eN6y out b
low us, while in the dislAnce, liftiI
their heads above the seaSf1am OF Il
sky. the mountains stood ssntinel-lil
in awful silence, clothed - with ga
ment of deep, serene blue, and purp
and grey. Motianless we stood a.
watched With hute lips, but with wor
less song of fptaisa and alteration in Il
heart, aud &stched the silvery clou
ascending ami silently breaking again