the complete writings-4-第21章

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except　the　milk；　that　was　good。　A　painful　meal；　on　the　whole；　owing　to　the　presence　in　the　room　of　a　grown…up　daughter　with　a　graveyard　cough；　without　physician　or　medicine；　or　comforts。　　Poor　girl！　just　dying　of　〃a　misery。〃

In　the　spare　room　were　two　beds；　the　walls　were　decorated　with　the　gay…colored　pictures　of　patent…medicine　advertisementsa　favorite　art　adornment　of　the　region；　and　a　pile　of　ancient　illustrated　papers　with　the　usual　patent…office　report；　the　thoughtful　gift　of　the　member　for　the　district。　　The　old　man　takes　in　the　〃Blue　Ridge　Baptist；〃　a　journal　which　we　found　largely　taken　up　with　the　experiences　of　its　editor　on　his　journeys　roundabout　in　search　of　subscribers。　　This　newspaper　was　the　sole　communication　of　the　family　with　the　world　at　large；　but　the　old　man　thought　he　should　stop　it；　he　did　n't　seem　to　get　the　worth　of　his　money　out　of　it。　　And　old　man　Tatem　was　a　thrifty　and　provident　man。　　On　the　hearth　in　this　best　roomas　ornaments　or　memento　mori　were　a　couple　of　marble　gravestones；　a　short　headstone　and　foot…stone；　mounted　on　bases　and　ready　for　use；　except　the　lettering。　　These　may　not　have　been　so　mournful　and　significant　as　they　looked；　nor　the　evidence　of　simple；　humble　faith；　they　may　have　been　taken　for　debt。　　But　as　parlor　ornaments　they　had　a　fascination　which　we　could　not　escape。

It　was　while　we　were　bathing　in　the　New　River；　that　afternoon；　and　meditating　on　the　grim；　unrelieved　sort　of　life　of　our　host；　that　the　Professor　said；　〃judging　by　the　face　of　the　'Blue　Ridge　Baptist；'　he　will　charge　us　smartly　for　the　few　nubbins　of　corn　and　the　milk。〃　The　face　did　not　deceive　us；　the　charge　was　one　dollar。　　At　this　rate　it　would　have　broken　us　to　have　tarried　with　old　man　Tatem　（perhaps　he　is　not　old；　but　that　is　the　name　he　goes　by）　over　night。

It　was　a　hot　afternoon；　and　it　needed　some　courage　to　mount　and　climb　the　sandy　hill　leading　us　away　from　the　corn…crib　of　Tatem。　　But　we　entered　almost　immediately　into　fine　stretches　of　forest；　and　rode　under　the　shade　of　great　oaks。　　The　way；　which　began　by　the　New　River；　soon　led　us　over　the　hills　to　the　higher　levels　of　Watauga　County。　　So　far　on　our　journey　we　had　been　hemmed　in　by　low　hills；　and　without　any　distant　or　mountain　outlooks。　　The　excessive　heat　seemed　out　of　place　at　the　elevation　of　over　two　thousand　feet；　on　which　we　were　traveling。　　Boone；　the　county　seat　of　Watauga　County；　was　our　destination；　and；　ever　since　morning；　the　guideboards　and　the　trend　of　the　roads　had　notified　us　that　everything　in　this　region　tends　towards　Boone　as　a　center　of　interest。　　The　simple　ingenuity　of　some　of　the　guide…boards　impressed　us。　　If；　on　coming　to　a　fork；　the　traveler　was　to　turn　to　the　right；　the　sign　read；

　　　　　　To　BOONE　10　M。　If　he　was　to　go　to　the　left；　it　read；　　　　　　　。M　01　ENOOB　oT

A　short　ride　of　nine　miles；　on　an　ascending　road；　through　an　open；　unfenced　forest　region；　brought　us　long　before　sundown　to　this　capital。　　When　we　had　ridden　into　its　single　street；　which　wanders　over　gentle　hills；　and　landed　at　the　most　promising　of　the　taverns；　the　Friend　informed　his　comrade　that　Boone　was　3250　feet　above　Albemarle　Sound；　and　believed　by　its　inhabitants　to　be　the　highest　village　east　of　the　Rocky　Mountains。　　The　Professor　said　that　it　might　be　so；　but　it　was　a　God…forsaken　place。　　Its　inhabitants　numbered　perhaps　two　hundred　and　fifty；　a　few　of　them　colored。　　It　had　a　gaunt；　shaky　court…house　and　jail；　a　store　or　two；　and　two　taverns。　　The　two　taverns　are　needed　to　accommodate　the　judges　and　lawyers　and　their　clients　during　the　session　of　the　court。　　The　court　is　the　only　excitement　and　the　only　amusement。　　It　is　the　event　from　which　other　events　date。　　Everybody　in　the　county　knows　exactly　when　court　sits；　and　when　court　breaks。　　During　the　session　the　whole　county　is　practically　in　Boone；　men；　women；　and　children。　　They　camp　there；　they　attend　the　trials；　they　take　sides；　half　of　them；　perhaps；　are　witnesses；　for　the　region　is　litigious；　and　the　neighborhood　quarrels　are　entered　into　with　spirit。　　To　be　fond　of　lawsuits　seems　a　characteristic　of　an　isolated　people　in　new　conditions。　　The　early　settlers　of　New　England　were。

Notwithstanding　the　elevation　of　Boone；　which　insured　a　pure　air；　the　thermometer　that　afternoon　stood　at　from　85　to　89　deg。　　The　flies　enjoyed　it。　　How　they　swarmed　in　this　tavern！　　They　would　have　carried　off　all　the　food　from　the　dining…room　table　（for　flies　do　not　mind　eating　off　oilcloth；　and　are　not　particular　how　food　is　cooked）；　but　for　the　machine　with　hanging　flappers　that　swept　the　length　of　it；　and　they　destroy　all　possibility　of　sleep　except　in　the　dark。　The　mountain　regions　of　North　Carolina　are　free　from　mosquitoes；　but　the　fly　has　settled　there；　and　is　the　universal　scourge。　　This　tavern；　one　end　of　which　was　a　store；　had　a　veranda　in　front；　and　a　back　gallery；　where　there　were　evidences　of　female　refinement　in　pots　of　plants　and　flowers。　　The　landlord　himself　kept　tavern　very　much　as　a　hostler　would；　but　we　had　to　make　a　note　in　his　favor　that　he　had　never　heard　of　a　milk　punch。　　And　it　might　as　well　be　said　here；　for　it　will　have　to　be　insisted　on　later；　that　the　traveler；　who　has　read　about　the　illicit　stills　till　his　imagination　dwells　upon　the　indulgence　of　his　vitiated　tastes　in　the　mountains　of　North　Carolina；　is　doomed　to　disappointment。　　If　he　wants　to　make　himself　an　exception　to　the　sober　people　whose　cooking　will　make　him　long　for　the　maddening　bowl；　he　must　bring　his　poison　with　him。　　We　had　found　no　bread　since　we　left　Virginia；　we　had　seen　cornmeal　and　water；　slack…baked；　we　had　seen　potatoes　fried　in　grease；　and　bacon　incrusted　with　salt　（all　thirst…provokers）；　but　nothing　to　drink　stronger　than　buttermilk。　　And　we　can　say　that；　so　far　as　our　example　is　concerned；　we　left　the　country　as　temperate　as　we　found　it。　　How　can　there　be　mint　juleps　（to　go　into　details）　without　ice？　and　in　the　summer　there　is　probably　not　a　pound　of　ice　in　all　the　State　north　of　Buncombe　County。

There　is　nothing　special　to　be　said　about　Boone。　　We　were　anxious　to　reach　it；　we　were　glad　to　leave　it；　we　note　as　to　all　these　places　that　our　joy　at　departing　always　exceeds　that　on　arriving；　which　is　a　merciful　provision　of　nature　for　people　who　must　keep　moving。　　This　country　is　settled　by　genuine　Americans；　who　have　the　aboriginal　primitive　traits　of　the　universal　Yankee　nation。　　The　front　porch　in　the　morning　resembled　a　carpenter's　shop；　it　was　literally　covered　with　the　whittlings　of　the　row　of　natives　who　had　spent　the　evening　there　in　the　sedative　occupation　of　whittling。

We　took　that　morning　a　forest　road　to　Valle　Crusis；　seven　miles；　through　noble　growths　of　oaks；　chestnuts；　hemlocks；　rhododendrons；a　charming　wood　road；　leading　to　a　place　that；　as　usual；　did　not　keep　the　promise　of　its　name。　　Valle　Crusis　has　a　blacksmith　shop　and　a　dirty；　flyblown　store。　　While　the　Professor　consulted　the　blacksmith　about　a　loose　shoe；　the　Friend　carried　his　weariness　of　life　without　provisions　up　to　a　white　house　on　the　hill；　and　negotiated　for　boiled　milk。　　This　house　was　occupied　by　flies。　　They　must　have　numbered　millions；　settled　in　black　swarms；　covering　tables；　beds；　walls；　the　veranda；　the　kitchen　was　simply　a　hive　of　them。　　The　only　book　in　sight；　Whewell'sElements　of　Morality；〃　seemed　to　attract　flies。　Query；　Why　should　this　have　such　a　different　effect　from　Porter's？　　A　white　house；a　pleasant…looking　house　at　a　distance；amiable；　kindly　people　in　it；why　should　we　have　arrived　there　on　its　dirty　day？　　Alas！　if　we　had　been　starving；　Valle　Crusis　had　nothing　to　offer　us。

So　we　rode　away；　in　the　blazing　heat；　no　poetry　exuding　from　the　Professor；　eight　miles　to　Banner's　Elk；　crossing　a　mountain　and　passing　under　Hanging　Rock；　a　conspicuous　feature　in　the　landscape；　and　the　only　outcropping　of　rock　we　had　seen：　the　face　of　a　ledge；　rounded　up　into　the　sky；　with　a　green　hood　on　it。　　From　the　summit　we　had　the　first　extensive　prospect　during　our　journey。　　The　road　can　be　described　as　awful；steep；　stony；　the　horses　unable　to　make　two　miles　an　hour　on　it。　　Now　and　then　we　encountered　a　rude　log　cabin　without　barns　or　outhouses；　and　a　little　patch　of　feeble　corn。　　The　women　who　regarded　the　passers　from　their　cabin　doors　were　frowzy　and　looked　tired。　　What　with　the　heat　and　the　road　and　this　discouraged　appearance　of　humanity；　we　reached　the　residence　of　Dugger；　at　Banner's　Elk；　to　which　we　had　been　directed；　nearly　exhausted。　　It　is　no　use　to　represent　this　as　a　dash　across　country　on　impatient　steeds。　　It　was　not　so。　　The　love　of　truth　is　stronger　than　the　desire　of　display。　　And　for　this　reason　it　is　impossible　to　say　that　Mr。　Dugger；　who　is　an　excellent　man；　lives　in　a　clean　and　attractive　house；　or　that　he　offers　much　that　the　pampered　child　of　civilization　can　eat。　　But　we　shall　not　forget　the　two　eggs；　fresh　from　the　hens；　whose　temperature　must　have　been　above　the　normal；　nor　the　spring…　house　in　the　glen；　where　we　found　a　refuge　from　the　flies　and　the　heat。　　The　higher　we　go；　the　hotter　it　is。　　Banner's　Elk　boasts　an　elevation　of　thirty…five　to　thirty…seven　hundred　feet。

We　were　not　sorry；　towards　sunset；　to　descend　along　the　Elk　River　towards　Cranberry　Forge。　　The　Elk　is　a　lovely　stream；　and；　though　not　very　clear；　has　a　reputation　for　trout；　but　all　this　region　was　under　operation　of　a　three…years　game　law；　to　give　the　trout　a　chance　to　multiply；　and　we　had　no　opportunity　to　test　the　value　of　its　reputation。　　Yet　a　boy　whom　we　encountered　had　a　good　string　of　quarter…pound　trout；　which　he　had　taken　out　with　a　hook　and　a　feather　rudely　tied　on　it；　to　resemble　a　fly。　　The　road；　though　not　to　be　commended；　was　much　better　than　that　of　the　morning；　the　forests　grew　charming　in　the　cool　of　the　evening；　the　whippoorwill　sang；　and　as　night　fell　the　wanderers；　in　want　of　nearly　everything　that　makes　life　desirable；　stopped　at　the　Iron　Company's　hotel；　under　the　impression　that　it　was　the　only　comfortable　hotel　in　North　Carolina。




II

Cranberry　Forge　is　the　first　wedge　of　civilization　fairly　driven　into　the　northwest　mountains　of　North　Carolina。　　A　narrow…gauge　railway；　starting　from　Johnson　City；　follows　up　the　narrow　gorge　of　the　Doe　River；　and　pushes　into　the　heart　of　the　iron　mines　at　Cranberry；　where　there　is　a　blast　furnace；　and　where　a　big　company　store；　rows　of　tenement　houses；　heaps　of　slag　and　refuse　ore；　interlacing　tracks；　raw　embankments；　denuded　hillsides；　and　a　blackened　landscape；　are　the　signs　of　a　great　devastating　American　enterprise。　　The　Cranberry　iron　is　in　great　esteem；　as　it　has　the　peculiar　quality　of　the　Swedish　iron。　　There　are　remains　of　old　furnaces　lower　down　the　stream；　which　we　passed　on　our　way。　　The　present　〃plant〃　is　that　of　a　Philadelphia　company；　whose　enterprise　has　infused　new　life　into　all　this　region；　made　it　accessible；　and　spoiled　some　pretty　scenery。

When　we　alighted；　weary；　at　the　gate　of　the　pretty　hotel；　which　crowns　a　gentle　hill　and　commands　a　pleasing；　evergreen　prospect　of　many　gentle　hills；　a　mile　or　so　below　the　works；　and　wholly　removed　from　all　sordid　associations；　we　were　at　the　point　of　willingness　that　the　whole　country　should　be　devastated　by　civilization。　　In　the　local　imagination　this　hotel　of　the　company　is　a　palace　of　unequaled　magnificence；