Year: 1869

WHAT WE SAW By THE WAY.
Dear .IOuruM "A silence of some weeks
enable ME to say few words worthy the
perusal of your numerous readers. [ will
not elaborate. bnt simply unfold the iot
tings of ride, Averaging fully twenty
three miles daily. The occasion of this
Journey on horseback was the visitation of
the Bishop of North Carolina to this coun-
try of '' everlasting mountains scattered I"
west OF the Blue Ridge. [ had the good
fortune to accompany him from this place
(Asheville) to Murphy, the county seat of


what have seen by the way, and present
them to you exactly as [ saw them.


We left here about half past eleven a. m. !,
for our first stopping place. Waynesville,
thirty-one miles distant. The day was
dry and hot, so that your obedient had to
keep pretty close to the wheels of the
Bishops buggy or else suffer the penalty
of being enveloped in clouds of whirling
dust. For several miles the general as
pect of the country was such as is seen
Immediately surrounding Ashevi!le.-
Hominy Valley came presently in to re-
fresh our eyes. and along Hominy Creek
We cantered, admiring the beauties of ma
ture everywhere displayed. The land,


particularly that part Of it lying on either
side of the stream, is apparently very good.
The corn seemed better the ears fuller.


However this slight vision was presently


eclipsed. We are now in Pigeon Valley.
| travelling through region unique for all


that is picturesque. Everywhere the eye


turned it was filed with enravishing scenes.


We are in Haywood county. The land on


every side looked rich and remarkably


green. It has not suffered as much from


the drought as Buncombe. The corn was
good. Fields of sorghum were fourishing,
and we noticed very fine patches of to-
bacco, excellent apples end promising
pluus. The peach crop has, as general
thing, been everywhere a feilure. Rich
land, west of Pigeon River, is as pretty a
tract of country as can be found on the
globe. The people appeared to me to be
very industrious in this county. Houses
were being built and others were being re-
paired. Waynesville, its capital, sits five
hundred and six feet above Asheyille, or
two thousand seven hundred and fifty-six
feet above the sea level. It's population is
about one hundred souls. Politics, to a
unit, Conservative. It has a school


taught by young gentleman from the
Cape Fear region. It has two churches,


Methodist and Baptist. The Bishop preach


ed to a large congregation, baptiseG two
children, and confirmed ono adult. We
left this goodly town in the afternoon,


crossed the Balsam mountains, and from


the lateness of the hour had to put up at o
house half way down its opposite side.-


We had already met with various parties


engaged on the Railroad, but at this house


we were thrown directly in contact with
| them. The Railroad employees are eating


up everything. Consequently provisions in


their vicinity was not very plentiful. We


were informed that laborer on the road


gets but one dollar and twenty five cents
! per diem. They find great difficulty in


getting good rock for working purposes.


We were surprised at this for We found


the road very rocky. They call it SCALA


aUaq rock. This term needs no explana-


tion. We crossed Jackson county without


seeing much that astonished Us in nature
or in man. Webster is the county-town.
A few families live there. The opening of


this country is at hand, but it has not come
yet In leaving Webster westward you
cross @ very nice stream, the Tuckasegee,


and then you drive on, and cross the
Oowell mountains, and on till you come to
the Tennessee river, when you are in sight
of Franklin. This river is quite deep, and
runs through very fertile valley. Indeed
the whole district around franklin i'm.
presses you with the idea that the land
must be certainly very luxuriant. fancied
the country moro than any had so far
seen. On the west bank of the Tennessee
is an Indian mound. It tells you Of other
days. and of a race of men that had at one
time possessed the land, and roamed over
this broad domain the lord and master. 1t
is the last sad standing relic of people
whose degenerate descendants-if you
watch their eycs-still look down upon us
as an inferior race. franklin is charm
ing town. I do not see why families do
not emigrate there. 1t is situated in
most pleasant neighborhood. The pic
turesque and the beautiful are there at
every point. Besides this, the inhabitants
are as religious, moral and kind, as can be
seen anywhere. You can hardly feel that
YOU are stranger with them. If you ever
90 there stop at Mrs. Siler's hotel. You
will find as comfortable lodging and as fine
a table as any this side of Wilmington.
Everybody was extremely kind. particn-
larly the Conservative member of the
Legislature, Capt. James Robinson, an in
telligent, refined and noble gentleman.
Too much cannot be said in praise OF
Franklin.


Passing through Jackson county / no.
ticed plenty of mica scattered on the road,
and especially at places where knolls of
earth had slipped from their base. had
a very great desire to visit the Indian settle
ments SaultoMn. OnallaW town, &c, but