Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1939-02-16

Ill IOuIlly DtlIlOCTsft, MI
Smoky Mountains National Park as
we saw it In 1892. When we visited
| il then, we came in the glory of the
summer time. Verdure and flowers
Wele everywhere. Now as we travel
we feel keenly the frosty air, and
wish it were summer now. From
Knoxville, we pass on to Sevierville
Tennessee John Sewer, for whom
the town is named was conteElpor-
ary of Daniel Boone and Simon Ken
ton, and l think first governor OF
Tennessee.
Later we reach Gatlinsburg, an
cid mountain village made over new.
On the way, acres and acres OF
steep hillsides, show marks of culti-
yation in bygone years. The fields
stand on end, at an angle of 40 de.
grees. But the ancient rows Of corn
have left parallel lines across the
steep fields, where the corn rows
| once were Thousands of thousands
of cabins dot the highway. Once in
a while there Is new log bunga-
How, built for some newly married
couple whose fidelity to the place Of
their birth keep them here. The
land is poor, and the corn seems to
grow slender stalks scarcely more
than five feet high
In 1882 the road up to the state
I, Jorxy tntun1rs ond
North Carolina, was just finished.
It was splendid road then as now.
North Carolina finished it's side
about 1888, and now the road pass
es clear over. We stopped again at
Mountain View Hotel, magnificent
building, built of oak, jack-pine and
cherry. Mr.. A. j. Huff entertains
each year, some 200 guests, who re-
main through the summer, but the
winter guests are few.
This year instead of abundant
flowers and green trees, everything
was covered with ice and snow. All
the trees were Christmas trees.
Boles and boughs were covered with
ice, cleaning in the sunlight. 1t
was beautiful as you look from the
base of the mountains to the top,
all glittering like so many candle
sticks.
l confess it seemed a little dan
gerous to climb higher and higher,
over icy switch-backs, where you
look far below, over a frozen world.
The road winds in circle, and
crosses over itself at another height
above. We passed through three
tunnels, before we reached the top.
The snow was swirling in miniature
hurricanes. We wondered what it
would be like, motoring over the
great ridge in a real winter gale.
Other kinds of tunnels are made by
the bears as they work their way
through the dense underground of
the jungle.
On the North Carolina side we
passed through the Cherokee Reser
yation. We stopped at the Indian
School and Hospital The hospital
cost $85, 900. The schools have
both white and Indian teachers. l
mingled freely with the boys at play,
and got acquainted with Howard
Tiger, Slicktale Possom, Bobby Crow
and Mark Rather. Nearly all of the
boys have taken English names. The
boys refuse to mary Indian girls,
because they are dirty, and the girls
refuse to marry Indian boys because
they are lazy. So the race is rapid
ly fusing with the whites. | under
stood the Cherokee population is
1900. SequOyah, who invented the
Indian alphabet, and after whom the
great red-trees are named in Cali
fornia, was born and lived here.
We passed the little town Of Whit
tier at the foot of the mountains.
We recalled it was here Col. Ray
mond Robins was found, after his
long lapse of memory. He was a
Klondike millionaire, benevolent and
He was mourned when
te passed from public knowledge,
lnaccounted for. A Whittier boy
telephoned the family, and they
came up from Brooksville, Florida.
He recognized his wife and they
home, but later fell from
n oak tree. and sustained severe
accident, from which he is now re-
covering. / will write more about
lis beautiful home later.
Coming to Sylvia N. c., I minis
cred Sunday, at the Baptist church
o an appreciative and inspiring
udience-Howard H. Scott.