The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1935-07-25
down on the molten mass restlr
on the anvil. 800, ,,,.p,
Eop TEN MILES

down on Cne HlOi"Sh ~
on s mME EF' BLOWS HEARD
FOR TEN MILES I,,,,or
0narated by skilled workmen,
V we're rapid and heavy echoing
snd reyerberating through the
S ro1Ievs until they were often
beard ten miles away, like peals
of heavy thunder. ,,,ho
The expert Zimmerman Wno
drove this mighty implement was
assisted by a tender, who WIN,
lew the loop from the turnace
ond placed it on the anvil: Inc
ammerman, grasping the handle'
sionaled with his fingers iala "a
# the force with which ne WISELY st
~ water to strike the wheel tnat
o ore the hammer shaft. Inc
Speed of the blows was regulatgu
by these finger signals two call can
| Ing for an increase IN rapluL:g,
thee for yet more power while
the removal of all was to snow
that the driving power was to De
withdrawn entirely.
When the loops had been I'M
ished, they were dlVided lne 0
smaller pieces of from 20 to 81
nnnnds each, a bar was welded in
r each as a handle, and after re-
heating, they were hammered IN
to lengths of nine to twelve 1eet'
Other pieces were divided into
sections for wagon tires, horse
Shoe irons, plough and harrow
narts, and gun "skelps".
At this stage, cold water was
poured on the finished bars. 10
Give them a hard, smooth surface.
For wears the iron thus maze
was the principal commodity u
trade. The ends of the bars were
bent like sled runners, welded TO-
gether; and dragged down the
Tough mountain trails by an OK
SUMMARIZING WAS AN
EARLY INDUSTRY ,;.r
Guns were an important tnlns
in the life of the mountain men,
and nearby the forge, the Gllies-
pie family. closely related 10 Inc
Sittons by marriage and lnIer-
marriage, began the Manufacture
of guns from the skulps made at
this forge. Matthew Gillespie ana
[ his three sons, Philip, Harvey ana
Wilson, piled their trade for many
wears and the guns made by them
gained fame throughout the en-
tire western part of the state. NO
homemade gun was ever known
to burst, and missing aim was
never credited to the gun. After
these guns had come into general
favor, in the section. farther TO
the west, a noted hunter missed
fair shot ct a buck one day, and
nothing could persuade him from
leaving. the scene and travelling
miles to have a witch doctor take
the "spell" off his Gillespie gun
Many a man went out from the
mountains to take his part in the
Civil War equipped with one of
these old long guns, a COW horn
converted into a powder carrier,
and bullet mold and ladle with
which lead was made into bullets.
The blacksmith of those days
was a man of Importance in the
community. On his ordinary forge
he worked the iron into axes,
hatchets, drawing knives, chisels,
hoes, and other farm tools as well
as nails and bolts. a.
On the hillsides moving was &C
complished by means of Dutch
scythes made in his shop, while
reap hooks for. harvesting small
grain served the purpose until the
English cradles came into use at
| ter 1850.
jEARLIER EUROPEAN
SKILL WAS EQUALLED
He combined his skill with a
| native artistry in making hinges,
cranes, chimney hooks, fireplace
tools, farm bells. and even lamp
bases, many of these showing a
design and finish equal to that of
earlier European craftsmanship.
During the closing years of the
Civil war bushwhackers shot Phil
lip Sitton down in his own home