Year: 1879




most romantic spots in Tennessee-lies


along the eastern bank OF that lovely


mountain stream, the Caney Fork.


Three or four miles from the mouth OF


this valley stands an Old water mill,


whose huge water wheel, it is sAld,


performed its last revolution somewhere


about the year 1918. The miil-inits day


was no doubt a wonder i'll that part OF


the country, for, judging by its present


appearance, it must have been the most


wonderfully constructed building OF It's


kind ever erected III that vicinity. 1t


is now the home of rats and owls, and


the ashes of the jolly old miller, who


long years ago was the lite anu the


light of the place, sleep peacefully on


ncighboring hill. Under this old mill


is the most wonderful spring OF which


the world has ever heard. Among the


inhabitants it is known as the "Devlls


SPRING. No one seems to know how


or when it received this unpleaslDg, 1m-


FORTUNATE appellation. Few people,


other than those living in the immediate


neighborhood, know oi its existence,


and they rarely visit ii, from the fact


that it is believed to exert q powerful


and evil influence over all who are


rash enough to venture sufficiently near


it's confines to allow single drop Of


the bubbling, boiling fluid to fall on


them or their garments. Besides, the


old mill is said to be haunted, and this


alone would keep those superstltlous,


though pious, people from rlsklng their


lives by frequenting the accursed place,


much less the fact that the devil keeps


his spring underneath. Notwithstanding


ing the many narrowing tales related


by the natives of the loss OF fortune,


IN ltn


had ventured in too close proximity to


Gently visited the mill and the spring,


the latter of wisich ii0 tshfaaF aaF66taaeAly ex-


amineti, pronouucing it the most re-
marhable natural curiosity he had ever


seen. The spring is describ bed rs boiling
up from the center Of a solid rock, its
shape being very like that OF a bushel


measure and about as large. The sldps
of this basin or hole are perfectly
smooth, having the appearance OF hav-
ing been polished by the hand OF man.
Its depth is not known. The people
who reside i'll the immediate vicinity
say it is without bottom. How this
may be we are not prepared to state,
but true it is that an iron wedge and
three hundred feet Of cord failed to
reach it. The water is Of a dark blue
color aud bcils up with great force-
SO great that /, spouts up several inches
above lis proper confines. And not
only does it boil up with immense force
but it whirls around with tremendous
velocity, something after the fashion
Of a whlrlwind.


The gentleman who describes it says
that he dipped an ordinary tin dipper
into the spring Tor the purpose OF pro-
on iF
examination of it's qualities, and that
the moment the dipper touched the
water it was wrenched from his grasp
us though it had been struck from his
hand by q stroke OF lightning, and indeed
he states, that his arm felt very much
as if it had been suddenly paraIyzed.
In endeavoring to regain the dlpper,
which did not sink more than SIX inches
below the surface, but which kept Whirl
ing round and round so fast that it was
impossible to see it, he placed his hand
into the water. He says that the sen
satiOns he experienced at the instant
hisfingers touched the water were siDgu-
larry strange, causing him to think that
thousands OF needles had pierced his
body at one time. But he didn't sue
iced in getting the dipper out. He
tried time and again to wrench it from
ltS ItSlCllHSS, buU bhC SfCCuJ
seemed loath to give up their strange
captive, to which they clung with more
than vise-like grasp. Giving up all
hope OF rescuing the dipper with his
hands, the gentleman bethopght him
SELF OF an empty flask which lie carried
in his companion. With this he again
attempted to lit some water from the
spring and was rewarded with success,
not however, without a considerable
effort, for it required his entire strength
toprevent the angry waters from snatch
ing the flask from his hands. Pouring
a single drop OF the strange fluid in the
palm of his left hand, he examined it |
minutely with d magnifying glass with
the most satisfactory results. lie states
that the drop of water closely resembled
a flake OF snow viewed with the same
instrument. He examined several other
drops, and, strange to say, each pre-
sented a marked difference in appear
ance. The first assumed the shape OF a
star, the second that OF a crescent, the
third dagger, the fourth q comet, and
so on. After concluding his examina
test the qualities Of the water by tasting
it. Letting a single drop fall on his
tongue, he was surprised and delighted
to find that it sparkled like the best
brand OF imported champagne. He then
concluded to swallow portion, which
he did with the most delightful effect.
He says the moment the water began
descending his throat he enjoyed the
most pleasant sensation Of his life. 1t
seemed, indeed, as if he, were truly
slipping the nectar Of the gods. The
draught seemed to divide itself into a
million parts the moment it passed his
throat, d portion passing with the speed
of lightning along every vein OF his
body. So delightful was the effect that
he forgot for the time where he was,
and uttered peal after peal of the widest
possible laughter. He AYERS tllat the
sensation OF squeezing a pretty girl is
no comparison to the ecstatic joy which
he derived from one draught of this
water.


Owing to the peculiar effects which
the water has on the human system,
the gentleman, before leaving the place,
the spot, "Tbe Electric
Spring." He claims that this name is
peculiarly appropriate, for there is no
doubt but that the water is heavily
charged with electricity. He will en-
deavor next summer to form q company
for the purpose Of merging the place in |
to summer resort, as it is believed that
the waters of the spring will cure any
ane all ills that flesh is heir to.