The sea coast echo. [volume] (Bay Saint Louis, Miss.) 1892-current, 1913-08-30

Roam Mountain, Tenn, Aug. 26, 1918.
DEAR ECHO -
Again we are in the Sapphire Coun-
try where the great Appalachian sys-
tenn reaches its climex in altitude, wild
ness, grandeur and kaleidoscope varie-
tv of scenery. Mountains here are pill
ed prefusely upon mountains Pelion on
Ossa high, while the do, elk, toe, caine,
French broad, wautauaa, nolichucky
pigeon, holstein and beautiful rivers of
crystal purity issuing from sibyled grot-
toes near the peaks of these titanic
mountains dash madly over precipices
to rocks below, throwing up bridal wells
of silvery spray to refresh the gardens
of Rhododendrons, Kalmia, Galax, Leu
cothia, and Azalea, which everywhere
paint the mountain landscape with gor-
geous bloom.
Winding through precipitate gorges
and csnons whose mossy walls of adorn-
ment seem to prop up the sapphire
dome above, these crystal limped
streams have become the undisturbed
lurking places and nature playground of
rainbow trout which reign supreme here
in the cascades and cataracts and rapids.
Towering supremely above these three
hundred mountain peaks one sees the
sublime sentinel of the Blue Ridge ris-
ing to the whitening height of Gill feet
above sea level. The ascent of this
mountain has always been the ambitious
dream of every schoolboy since Rev.
Elisha Mitchell in 1856 lost his life in
proving its height greater than that of
Clingman's peak just opposite. By for
tuitous circum stance, the ascent was as
sisted by a sawmill road leading out of
Black Mountain, under the skillful gui-
dance of Captain Sutton who has con-
sSructed the switch back steam railroad
that terminates within three miles of
Mitchell's Summit, whence the Smith
trail to the pinnacle is very gradual.
Through unbroken forest of spruce
pine and oxalys and carpse plants we
climbed this distance and passed un-
known flora, unseen perhaps by eyes
before, until we stood tip-toe expectant
on the pinnacle of Mitchell-beside the
tomb of the famous astronomer, who,
Moses-like in Nebo. lies buried in a
grave higher than any other east of the
Rocky mountainsl We wrote before of
this wonderful man and his wonderful
work, but now We saw the honors that
had been bestowed upon him. The
shaft that marked the eastern end of the
grave was made of followed zinc, in
short sections and then rebuilt after be-
ing carried up by porters to the top of
the. mountains.
Relic hunters have mutilated even
this shaft and ere long possibly icono-
clasts will carry it all away. The night
spentin the "al fresco" on Mt. Mitchell's
summit with seven companions all male
strangers) was as sublime and glorious
as it was shiyering. A fire of balsam
logs burning all night kept US from
freezing. We saw the sun go down in a
smother of glory, painting a rainbow on
an ambitious thunderhead in the east.
The stars came out in undimmed
beauty, sparkling and scintillating
brighter than we had seen them before.
and after awhile our sleepless, and yet
not sleepy eyes, saw the great orb of
day reaching up his great giant fingers
to unlatch the gates of morning, while
the reflected rays of light came glisten-
tening to us from hundreds of pinnacles
of mountains-a scene of transcendant
splendor! The spruce pine On top OF
Mitchell is being manufactured into
lumber and sold at current price of SEQ
per thousand and is used for the con-
struction of aeroplanes, it being the
toughest and hghtest lumber known.
The interiors of pianos are also con-
structed therefrom.
The descent from Mitchell was made
alone and on the opposite side from the
ascent Starting IRON the summit ex-
actly atG o'clock eastern time) the
descent down the railroad at Booneford,
thirty two miles away, was completed
on foot without stop at 6 o'clock p. m.
This descent furnishes the most unique
trip in eastern America, being remoted
from the haunts of the traveller and from
the innovations of civilization and far
removed from the maddening crowd
.ignoble strife. Ethnologists would find
here at the Immediate base OF Mitchell
the retroversion OF the species through
incestuous marriages, leading to the IA
tai types of degeneracy sallow faced,
expressionless eyes, criminal featured
men, suspicious, revengeful, feudal,
while the women, noticeably IN predom-
mating numbers lead an apparently
Amazonian life; bare footed, the ac-
customed black gum tooth brush ii their
mouths, Of else they nchaw tobacco
straight out and raise their broods alone
and unmolested.