The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-07-04
STOSE-SEED.
The observations of a Mountain GeOI-
Ogist on the Growth of Rocks.

New York Evening Post
ICY Ricketts, was my friend and guide
during part of an experience in the Blue
Ridge mountains in North Carolina" said
a North Carolina visitor to the city
to-day. ICY was a close student of the
things he saw around him, but his con-
illusions regarding those things were rath-
er apt to betray his lack of an education
that would have better equipped him for
his reasoninss upon natural history He
knew almost everything that grew in the
mountains by sight, if not by name. He
knew the trees and the flowers as he did
the game and the fish.
we were hunting gray squirrels one day
out on the mountain side-or, rather, we
were letting the gray squirrels hunt us,
which is the better way. We sat on q
fallen log in grove of chestnut trees, and
punctuated our conversation from time to
time by a shot at our game. | spoiled the
fur good deal when l fired, but Cy never
did The little bullet from his old-fash-
Toned Kentucky rifle found the head every
time.
turned to me, with an intent look upon his
face. which | had learned to know as the
precursor of something in which he was
deeply interested.
'Capn,' he said, how do you reckin
these hills come ter be here?
Il gave him a tifty-minutes' resume Of
the generally accepted theories of mountain
creation. by either elevation of the hills or
depression of the valleys. He followed me
closely, giving an occasional nod and grunt
of comprehension, if not of Endorsement.
After | had told my little tale Cy shook his
head
All wrong, Capn, all wrong he said
1T may be- l replied 1 know that my
chief interest in the matter just row is that
the hills are here and that l am here to en-
Joy them. But what is your idea about itY
They groWed, Cap'n. They jes' growed.
Why, jest loOk-a-here. See OF Piney, over
yam? See all them ridges a-runnin' down
from the top? Now see that little bush
thar, an see tibet OF oak over thar. Hit
jest the same in all OF 'em. Them ridges is
jest like the twigs on tibet bush an the
limbs on tibet oak An | say they groWed
like EN-. I've studied over 1t right smart
ter reason. EVerythin' else grows. Trees
grow an men grow, an animils, an l Jest
nacherly believe the mountains growed
too
How about the rocks, Cy. Do they
grow inside the hills
They sure do. Other things grows from
seeds-trees, an corn, an wheat An 1
believe thes stone-seed, too, jest the same
as fer the balance O. things. l amt never
seed none of 'em, but hit don't foller that
the amt none, an I believe the is
"'WeH, Cy' I said, whether you ever
saw any stone-seed or not | see gray
squirrel up in the fork of that hickory. If
had eaten anything. except cornbT1e3ad and
side meat for the last week, ! wouldn't in
torfere with him. But m tired of pork,
SO, come down, squirrel. Men must eat
whether rocks grow not
THE squirrel responded to an explosive
invitation, and made the fourteenth on
little pile, which grew more rapidly than
any mountain of my acquaintance.
ICY told me he had seen a good many
queer-loOking things in his tramps over
the noun tains, but he did not feel sure that
any of them were stOne-seed. He is to
send me some if he finds any"