The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1909-05-12
THE MOUNTAINS OF NORTH ALABAMA
Former Terrell County Citizen Tells of What He Saw
and Heard There. A Couple of Good Stories

,4n Robert Fulton has re-
from Mr.. w. B. Quailes, a
vefI-known citizen of Terrell
-, an interesting letter giving
count of recent visit in the
toinous region of northern Ala
Mr.. Quailes writes from Bes-
and through Captain Fulton's
4osv The News is enabled to give
.oaders the pleasure of perusing
,ofter. 1t follows;
var Friend; / will give you
orrline of my recent visit to
tbern Alabama.
Follinsyille, in Dekalb county, on
G. S. railroad, ninety miles
N of Bessemer and sixty miles
N of Chattanooga, was the end
INV Journey by rail. Here l found
4briving little town of about 1900
Eobi+ants, closely hedged in on the
d bv Raccoon mountain and on
cast by Lookout mountain. The
Ipv. which is formed by the two
nntains, is known as Little Wells |
ill.," and it is said to be very
p5nctive. I was told that it read
commands from SIS to 500 an
When | left home I was I'M /
tbe impression that my kinsmen,
Som | had not seen in 27 years,
Cd on Sand mountain, but when | |
ehed COllinsville, where we met
81 he said he lived on Lookout |
bntain, which enjoys the distinc-
n of being the monarch of all |
bnntains in north Alabama. AS |
lived its huge proportions as it |
liked down upon us, grim and |
ary with age, from it's lofty |
sights / was filled with admiration !
Il the monarch" and felt that it |
build be a treat as we'll as triumph |
scale its highest peaks, which |
Is soon to undertake. 1t was not |
kar to my mind how this was to !
u accomplished with horse and bug |
but l felt sure that my guide |
build be equal to the task, so l gave !
Aself no trouble about details. |
8lr ascent was made through a gap
the mountain, and by winding
1 st one way and then another we
Aally reached the top, but over a |
4 lad so crooked that it was difficult
j see how another crook could have
/ ZEN added to it.
Met Himself Coming Back.
When I made a remark to this
fect | received a smile with this
Fply.
You may think this is a crooked
bad, but there is one a little to the
sft of us that leads to the top of
be mountain that's so crooked that
person is not very careful in
Ding up it he will meet himself
Oming back before he reaches the
Dp.'
On one side of the gap through
-hich we passed the mountain rose
kyWard and almost perpendicular,
immense Lodges of rock put out from
IS side in successive benches one
boye another in such symmetrical
ropOrtion that it makes one wonder
ow it all happened. AS we looked
pom it the following explanation
vas offered with another smile:
They tell me that this mountain
'as packed up a long time ago with
marching orders to be ready to move
t a moments notice"
1t has all the appearance of hav-
ng been packed up a long time ago
" a deft and powerful hand for
no
shall leave to the mOuntaineers
o say When We reached the top
f the mountain we found nice farms
nd comfortable homes on every
and, and the land lay almost as
eyel as it did in the valley below
But the vast stretches of country
hat could be seen in every direction
me of the fact that we were
up in the air"
About One-half of the population
II this mountain came from Georgia
1t the close of the civil war, and a
more prosperous, happy and content
ID people would be hard to find
.hey are not only good farmers, but
rst-rate takers, and can tell las
aughable a yarn as you would care
o listen to. An old confederate told
ne the following story, which may
le Old, but it was new to me, and I
1ought a very good one of it's kind.
was told so many curious stories
" these mOuntaineers, however, that
nave become a little skeptical, and
vii not vOuch for the truth of it:
Lived in Fear of the Lord.
He said in the first settlement of
he mountain a missionary passed
long and stopped at a house to rest
md refresh himself. The man of
ne house was not at home, so he
aIked to his betterhalf on the sub
ect Of religion. After putting a
lumber of other questions he asked
her husband lived in the fear of
he Lord and received this reply:
l think he does, mister, for he
ARIES his gun with him wherever
lie goes"
Oh course this answer was not what