The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1908-02-14
BIG TONI WILSON.
Mountaineer Guide Splendid Comb
nation Of Tenderness and Bray
ery--Finding Mitchell's Body.
Columbia State.

Iou loSG "Seh aI HIS uOnC Ill ancey
county, marks the passing Of ono of
the relics Of the mountaincers who
have been made the type of heroic
fiction and romance.
AS 50 often happens in the case of
recognized "types" that appear in
books, the "type" is in reality tne
exception. "Big Tom', as hundreds
can testify was during the whole Of
his long life both the ideal mountain
|, type and the practical exception to
; the rule.
OF great stature, of Herculean
strength, fixed with the homely phil
osophy of Il rough life and the gently
sarcastic humor Of one who has lived
close TO nature toward those who
come upon her with the condescension
of the city, "Big Tom' was rs much
one of the sights-and in some man.
ner as really one Of The Inspirations
as anything afforded by the noun
tains anon" which ne lived. Through
three generations he has been made
famous throughout the country, the
great magazines devoting pages to his
character and publishing studies Of
his great and picturesque frame;
hundreds Of tourists have made pain
full pilgrimage to his home to see
him; and yet there was always the
same story that came back-thc story
Of 4 great primal man, with the gen
tlen'ess OF his strength, the wisdom
of clear-eycd associations with the
brooding mountains and the humor
which those who live large acquire
in the amused contemplation Of those
who live small.
E ven rs Il young man "Bi" Tom'
was stated TO know the thea unknown
mountains better than any other. He
was in large dcmaud as guide and no
party that he took out into the soil
tudcs but That came back to the cities
with his memory in their hearts. He
was hunter and trapper by profess
sion, Knowing to the detail that would
put to shame the most successful ma
ture takers the habits and character
istics Of every creature that went the
ways Of the mountains. With it all
he bore about him deep seated
reverence for the God of the Moun-
tains that robbed him of the faults
while it brought out in him the vir-
tues of the men the mountains breed
In times Of danger. and they were
many in his life. Obi" Tom' acted
with the direct simplicity Of the rare
breed that has heard Of fear but does
not recognize it by experiences: when
the call was for humanity he was as
gentle as Il woman
1t is narrated Of "Bi~ Tom' that
on Il time he was persuaded by
friends to go to Wilmington and see
the ocean. He was distressed with
its flatncsF and pcrturbcd by tha
motion. The SNUG and unbrokcn hor-
izon irritated him. HIe chafcd and
cut his visit short that he might re-
turn to the great hills that he loved
that. almost personally. seemed to
love him.
1t was as the discnvcrcr nf the
dead body of DR.. Elisha Mitchell
that "Bi" Tom" will be chiefly re-
mcmbcrcd. After il weeks search
in which hundreds participated it
was Bi" Tenn who. by process of
deduction learned from intimate as
sociation with the great scientist and
explorer. knew where in the noun
tains to search for and find his trail
A Il IT was. the party led by "Big
Tom' that late at nj ght discovered
where DIR. Mitchell had slipped upon
the ledge and afterwards came upon
his body lying at the bottom of a
clear pool Of mountain water many
feet below. The details Of the search
and finding Of Dr. Mitchell's body
made story that "Big Tom' was
accustomed to tell with unvarying'
graphic detail to The day of mis- death.
Now that "Big Tom' is dead, the
story Of the finding of the body as
narrated by Zcb Vance, who happen
ed to be in the mountains as STU
dent on vacation at the time and
who was of the searching party, gains
renewed interest at this time. tt
was TO visit "Big Tom' that Dr..
Mitchell had turned aside from his
party on The day that he was lost.
The finding oft the body is told by Gov.
N01pn in tbn 4 tcbn,,;li, Sn,ot,t,, 90,