The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1896-07-28
CHAPTER 1.
AN AWFUL

VI all that vast area-them mountain
Gus regions OF Western North Caro-
lIna-nOne, perhaps, is less known and
as little frequented by tourists and Wis
ltOrs than the wilds of Pennsylvania
county. No railroad enters its boun-
diaries, and the GU side wUrld-with it's
din, strife and endless confusion-is
here, comparatively, unknown. Habi-
tations are few and far between. In
fact, mile after mile may be traversed
without the abode of man once greet
ing the eye. Therefore, intruders are
few. The scenery, they %ignorantly
think. it not worth the trouble and
hardships that will have to be under
gone that they may enjoy it. Rather
than grapple with these difficulties they
stick to the beaten track, seeing only
that which thousands have viewed
time and again before them. While
generally speaking this is the case, it
is not always so. Occasionally a wan
dering artist, endowed, perhaps, with
an unusual amount of ambition and en-
ergy born of a soul filled with a love
Of the grand and beautiful, finds his
way here, and as q re Ward bears away
upon canvas treasures Of nature that
cause his less energetic friends to stare
with open mouth Armament and in
creduality, and, though they do not
speak the words, doubt that such
scenes really exist, and attribu5 the
whole to the fertile ard vivid magma
ton of the producer.
Early one morning, in the month Of
Nay, long ere the sun had awaken from
it's slumber, a stranger wenGs his way
along the western slope Of an immense
table land. With much difficulty, in
defatigable and untiring energy he had
very nearly reached the top. Here
the mountain grew sleeper, and his
progress nee, ssarily became slow and
more cautious. Climbing from builder
to boulder, aiding himself here and
there by an ~overhanging bough, he
! slowly ascends. Onward and upward
he struggles and finally, with many
bruises and scratches and completely
exhausted, be gains the summit.
| Brushing the loose soil FIR, m his clothes,
he takes his handkerchief from his
pocket and wipes great beads of pers
piration from his face and brow. After
which he removes his hat, and pushing
his damp hair back from his forehead,
ne begins to fan himself vigorously.
Now that he is taking a resting spell,
in as few words as possible, we will
brie fly describe this individual as he
stands:
In stature he is little, if any, above
the average height; in build, he brosd
-unusually so for a man of his height
l-possessing q closely knit, sinewy
! frame, that denotes at a glance great
physical strength and durability.
| Spmetrically speaking, he possesses
a faulCless pay s;que, but nature has
| played a freak with his face: Fair it
is-as fair as a maiden's of sixteen
a large mouth, with thin lips, partially
! concealed by a long, dropping mus
| tache, which matched in color his
tawny locks that clustered in ringlets
| about a smoothe, white brow. But the
most peculiar feature of all, and
that lends to the other wise comparative
faultIess face a supernatural and not
at all prepossessing expression, RE
his eyes-eyes OF a midnight hue
within whose depths there burns a
fire that shines with a sinister gleam.
| That he is an artist would hardly be
drawn from his general appearance,
but the small easel, portfolio and in
numeral sketching parafernalia that
/ ne unstreps from his shoulder and
throws to the ground would, under the
Gil cumetances, bespeak him as such.
He rests only a few minutes; then
gathering together his trapping he
crosses the ptateu. Hating on the
very brink OF the precipice, he puts
aside the lew-hanging Doughs OF q
mountain beach and a scene that only
nature can paint meets his enraptured
gaze.
Beautiful! Grand! Sublime!' are
| the exclamations that burst at inter
walls from his lips.
And, indeed, the scene that lies
before him is a beautiful one-one
that, in it's grandure and subllm-
ity, 20 mortal pen can depict, and one
upon which the most prosaic observer
could not look without a feeling of
profound admiration.
Over the valley hung a heavy fog,