Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1903-12-17
A Strange 6
' = Adventure

RfW efately, WhatstFahRe happenings
. may befall man in this life?
Into what untoward and unbelievable
predicaments he may fall, or become in
volved from which the eXtriCation is
sometimes as involved as the cause OF
the involvement? Ninety-nine men outi
of hundred would deny anything be-
yOnd their humdrum lives but the hum
dredth one would agree with the prop
osition, and forthwith relate some
thrilling adventure of his own.
1t is certainly strange and ineXplica-
BILE what peculiar and untOward happen
ings, or chances il you SO wish to call
them, may befall one, coming from some
unknown quarter, as il a part OF some
great program arranged for us by mys-
terious power the depths OF whose plans
we cannot fathOm nor whose ldenJlty
discover, but whose numbers on the
wierd program are marvellous and in
mprehensible.
Many times during my life, dreams
have come true. A strange statement,
is it not? Perhaps it is statement
that a sound reasoning person, one who
is accustomed to weigh and consider
ed brain, or an over fertile Imagination.
Neither Of these can be assigned as a
cause, for my personal characteristics Of
GOODNESS and reticence, added to an alb
solute lack of imaginative power, would
hardly betray me into such weaknesses.
But there is reason in my statement
for many times during my life, things
presented to me in dreams, things
which could not possibly have happen
ed to me previously other than in
dreams, or even seen by me previously
other than in dreams, have been eXem-
plified to me in living characters, and
actual reality. A still more curious
feature of these occasions is sudden
consciousness that what was now real
ity, had once been vision OF my sleep
dream, and this consciousness bursts
upon my mind with a suddenness tina
startles me, and makes me marvel at the
wonder. Some psychic agency doub
less had been at work, and in my sleel
had sent to me view of what was Il
come, as when traveller approaching
the brink of lofty plateau, catche
glimpses of lofty mountains through
the trees, but my understanding not be
ing aroused could not comprehend, ant
my mentality not being excited coul'
not retain.
Among the many things happening t
me in life, foreshadoWed as they wer
by dreams, of which / had only vagu
remembrances on awakening, but whic
which were wildly presented to me l
some after period in life, | will relat
the following strange, wierd and almos
unearthly adventure, which happene
to me some thirty years ago while tra'
alinR in the Cumberland Mountains, i
Tennessee. 1t is an adventure whic
shall ever retain place in my memory.
NV name is Adams, John Adams.
am a mining expert and engineer, an
Junior member of the firm of Selden
Adams, Mining Experts 81 Engineer
with extensive offices located in--wel
it not necessary to state where, but
an important Southern city At thi
time | was travelling for my firm, gat
ering specimens of Goals and ores, exau
lining timber. and generally observlr
the geological character OF the countr
with view to taking up options
suitable properties for development l
ter. NV wanderings had led me furth
and further into the defiles of II
mountains, until to reach some partic
larly valuable properties | had hea
mentioned, it became necessary for n
to travel particularly rough and u
travelled mountain road leadll
through a gorge or cove piercing tn
range.
II was an afternoon late in Decembe
and the forests were clad in their wi
ter garb of grey, relieved by the som
greens of the hemlocks and pines Will
fiourished in the bottom OF the cove al
along the sides of the mountains i
sky was overcast with thick, lead
clouds, which hurried swiftly on iowa
the south under the impulse of a free
ing wind which howled and smart
along the cove like pack OF wolves
for a merrymaking, and over and an
casting limb from some huge tree
IL in disdain of its ill-COnCealed powC
1t was a decidedly unpleasant da
and would great deal rather ha
been down at the little inn in the v
lev, slipping eggnogg with hospital
host, than to have been facing tho
freezing blasts. My horse, too, seem
to dislike the trip, and while he Ike
bravely forcing himself against
blast, his steps were not as willing
they might have been.
The presence of dark and glooI
mountain torrent, which roared dlsm
ly now on my rightand now on my lie
as repeatedly crossed its rushing \
ters, led by the eccentricities OF
rocky mountain path, made me shiv
and often | felt like d second Slntr
and half fearfully glancing at so
wild waterfall almost expected 1T TO
solve itself into some strange mons
or uncouth spirit.
The mountains now slOped down
the torrent, leaving bare room on eitI
side for the road which was now ris
abruptly, the ascent being difficult
account of the rough, unbeaten sto
fast becoming slippery from the ia
of snow already descending. \ sud-
turn lust above the ascent brought
before one Of the strangest building
has ever been my lot to see. The II
at this point bOrdered deep chasm
the left while the mountain rose sha
ly on the right allowing just room
the road to pass With slight eXcavati
Across the road and raised on mass
unhewn logs was a building c0nstruc
like the blOckhOusps built by the ca
settlers in which TO f0rtiiy themsel
and their families against the attacks
savage marauders. One end OF
strange building abutted the bank,
the other end was raised some nifty
above the road, which passed benea
Logs Of the most massive prOpOrti
had been used in the work, which
very substantial and evidently bl
years before. as the sides were wealth
beaten and the roof Cncrusted ~
,-.oor moss Al the bottom of the ur