Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1897-11-17
An IterrSiinr Relic.

u COnChlDs, entitled: "A Winter in the
SOUTH by Gen D. Il. Strother, known
to magazine readers OF % to 40 years
ago as Porte Crayon."
General Strother, accompanied by
Squire Brodacre and some two or three
ladies, arrived in Jonesboro in the fall
OF 1856 and put up at the Eutaw House,
then owned and kept by DR.. Daniel
Kenney,
Gen. Strother was both an artist aud
a writer and as he travelled through
the country he made sketches of per
sons and places with which his articles
are illustrated.
In a preceding paper he gives some
sketches and a highly interesting
write up of Jonesboro. He speaks
OF Tom Dosser as that veterinarian"
MIR. Dosser kept a livery stable in those
days and furnished Gen Strother and
Squire B%roadacfe with horses to ride
to North Carolina, whittier they went
to explore some of those grand noun
tains over there. The ladies remained
here at the Eutaw House, while the
gentlemen of the party, accompanied
by Franklin Deaderick, Rube Roddy
and some others went on the trip to
North Carolina. In the fourth paper,
which is the first II in the volume
before me, the party was at Burnsville,
N. o., and 1t would seem consisted of
only Mr.. Deaderick, called the Ten.
nesean, Squire Broadacre and Gen.
Strotber, whocalls himself Bob Larkin.
The fourth paper opens out as follows:
ut is astonishing" quoth Squire
~Broadacre, setting down his empty
glass with an air of complacency,
how well have borne these unusual
hardships. What with my age and
previous habits Of life, did not be.
lieve myself capable of such efforts;
but, bless me, a man never knows
what he can do until circumstances
develop his powers"
That is strickingly true sir" re-
piled Larkin, demurely; for who
would have thought that we three
could, by our unaided efforts, have
emptied this bottle of apple Jack at a
sitting, and be none the worse for it?''
us it empty Robert God bless me:
then we may as well go to bed
Next morning, before the frost
melted, our adventures bid alden to
huntsville and were on their way to
Bald Mountain, fourteen miles distant,
This peak rises from the great ridge
dividing North Carolina from Tennes
see to a height but little inferior to hat
OF its proudest neighbors. Its smooth
rounded summit is covered with n
rich growth of grass, and is entirely
bare Of trees; from which popularity
it takes its name.
This country said Larkin, is GER
tainly the %grandest in its physical
features that | have seen in the United
States; yet by no means so savage and
inaccessible as many other regions |
have visited, where the elevation is
much less; and while Astounding in
beauty and sublimity, in every element
OF the picturesque, the idea of s~terility
the concomitant of mountain scenery,
is not suggested here"
ION the contrary" said the 'Souire.
the mountains are covered with good
soil and timber to their very summits.
and where trees are wanting their place
is supplied with fine summer pastures
instead of arid and frightfui rocks,
The valleys and rolling hills between
the great ranges appear to be well
adapted to cultivation and stock rails
ing. There is another observation
which l have made, also indicating a
more genial soil and climate than
belongs to our mountain regionsfarther
north; that is, the extraordinary beau
ty of the children and young people
we have seen. Have you not marked
them Robert?"
Indeed have. sir; the girls especi
ally; but | did not suppose you had
been 80 observant."
"All extremes" continued the
Squire, ARE prejudicial to the perfect
development of the human species. 1t
Is In the temperate zones that man at
tains his greatest perfection, and there
always in that condition of life which
is midway between hardship and ease.
privation and luxury, and, to nv eve,
the greatest charm that any country
can possess is u handsome, healthful
and vigorous population"
Adding some beautiful and appro
pirate lines of poetry after which the
Tennessean said:
Those verses are beautiful and
evidently written by one who drew his
inspiration fresh from nature: lust
nature as this by which we are
surrounded; what themes for the poet
iurke in these shadowy wales: how full
OF wild omanc the history of the
simple and hardy race which inhabit
them"
"Ah,' said the artist, these noun
talns have a charm for me that neither
Alps nor Apennines possess. One soon
gets Tired OF the everlasting ice and
snow; and soon of the treeless shrub
less hills, and castle crowned rocks of
Italy; but the sylvan beauty of these
scenes, the glory of these virgin forests,