VOLUME I.
OXFORL, N. 0., WEDNESDAY, MAKOII 24, 1875.
NUMilER L’
[Froiii the TS'iirfolk Landmark.]
SKETCESES ©E K©KTg2 ©AK-
OEEMA.
A Irief lylorjraphy of Professor
Mitchell, fits llirth, Education
and Professional Duties.
BY EX-GOV. 2. B. VANX'E.
As a (■oiitiniiation of tiie notice
of tiie University, a short sketch
of one of its noblest and most
useful Professors, and his melan
choly death, will not be improper
or troaceeptable.
Klislia Mitchell, D. 1)., Profes
sor of Cheniisny, Mineralogy tind
(leology in the University, was
born in Washington, Couneciiciit,
in 1793. He graduated at Yale
College in 1813, in the same class
with (roorge E, Badger, Tliornas
P Deverenx, and otlier distin-
giiiahed Sotilhern men. In Jan
uary, 1818, through the influence
of J udge Gaston, he was appoint
ed to a professorship in the Uni
versity along with Dr. 0!on.stead,
another classmate at Y'ale. For
nearly' forty years he served the
instittitiou with a zeal, fidelity and
ability scarcely surpassed in the
history of literary men. Hisiove
for the natural sciences soon broke
through the books and tlie walls
of his lecture room, and early led
liim to study the geology and nat
ural history' of the State. His va
cations were spent in extensive
survey's ine very direction. Scarce
ly a stream, valley, mountain,
coal bed, gold field, or mineral
deposit in the State, but was vis
ited and inspected by' liim. Sfi
early' as 1835 he clambered the
great mountain heigiiis of the
Apjialachians, measured their tall
est peaks, and classified the rich
Canadian flora of their slopes. He
it was who first determined by'
barometric measurement what had
often been conjectod, that the
peaks of the Black Mountain were
higher than those of the White
Mountains in New Hampshire,
ai.d liis name was affixed to the
loftiest summit.
In 1856 a controversy' arose be
tween Dr. Mitchell and Hon. T.
L, Clingman in regard to this
highest peak. The latter claimed
that lie had first made known its
true height, and tliat Dr. Mitchell
had not been upon this particular
peak. After considerable sparring
in the newspapers, Dr. M. em
braced the first opportunity pre
sented by tlie suimiior vacation of
1857 to visit that mountain again
for the purpose of verifying his
former visit and measurements.
His son, Mr. Charles Mitchell, and
a daughter, accompanied him :
and inasmuch as it was desirable
in the interest of science to deter
mine the accuracy of the barom
eter as an instrument for the
measurement of elevation, be de
cided to run a line of levels to the
summit based upon the surveys
of a railroad which passed near
by in the valley'. Ascending by'
the
HEAD WATERS OF THE SWANXANOA,
he labored on the survey' with
his son about two weeks, and had
progressed about tliree-fomths of
the distance by Saturday noon of
the 27th June. At this point
about six hundred y'ards above a
rude inn built of fir logs known
as the Mountain House, ho ce.as
ed work, dismissed bis son, who
was his only' assistant, to the farm
house in rhe valley, requesting
him to return on Monday morn
ing to resmno the survey. He
then left, saying he intended to
(TOSS the groat range and descend
into the opposite valley' of Caney
river by the route which he had
traversed in 1841, and if possible,
see the guides who iiad tlicn ac-
conijianied him. He was never
.again seen alive. On Monday
morning the son clambered uj) to
file appointed place, but the
father was not there. The day-
passed Ti-ithout his appearance.
The next morning’s sun found the
anxious son waiting on the crags
beside the deserted trijxid, ami
waiting in vain. The sun rode
slotvly' and tediously- through the
south .and west, and the gates of
evening into his glorious couch
behind the mountain peaks, and
still the father came not. Wed
nesday- the dismal story was re
peated, and by sunset of tliat day,
all allowances for accidental de
lay's having been exhausted and
serious alarm taken their plar-e,
swift-footed 1 anners were started
across to the other valley a dis
tance of full twenty miles. On
Friday morning they too return
ed without ir.teiligcnoe of the
good Doctor—lie had not reached
the point for which he liad start
ed. Now indeed the worst was
sure. Only' one faint liope was
felt—at d wliat a thought it was
—that he might possibly be lying
at tbe base of some tall precipice.
ina,nglcd, blec-diiqg and perishing
with hunger, but yet alive ! Far
and fast spread the aUrm through
out tliat sparsely- peojiled region
.and ajiward poured the men of
the mountains. Old men, young
men and boys, fai-niers fresh from
their fields, mercha.nts, stadents,
teachers, ministers, veteran hun
ters with tlieir famous rifles and
sliot pouches swejit up the moun
tain paths with the elastic, tread
of y'outli, leading and advising the
anxious mnliitude from tlie Swan-
iianoa valley-; whilst similar inul-
titudes were asceiidiug from
Caney river. To a,ppreciate the
difficulties of such a search which
these gallp.nt and humane men
underfook, a glance at the region
of tlie disaster is necess.ary-.
Dwellers in the xUiantic States
will scarcely comprehend fliat
there is such a wilderness and in
accessible tra.ct on this side of the
great Western Sierras.
THE BLACK MOHNTAIN
proper is .about twenty- miles long,
sh.aped like a fish hook with the
sliank lying parallel to the Bine
liidge and close beside it. The
inside of the curve is toward the
north, and contains the waters of
Caney' river. Its shank juts bold
ly- into the valley- of South Tow,
wliose wafers rise between it and
the Blue Ridge. Standing in the
centre of tliis system there is a
radius of ten miles without a sin
gle inlnabited house or road, or
even an axe mark, in any direc
tion. The region contains per
haps 100,000 acres of as absolute
wilderness as may be found in
the United States, and as rugged
as it is wild. It is densely clad
in forests. At certain lines of el
evation the deciduous trees cease,
and the most luxurious forests of
firs prevail w-hich are perhaps to
be found in the woild. The rich,
(iiunp soil throws them up with
such vigor tluit thefir tall, straight
stems stand close tog-etlier, and
their inlcriockitig branches shut
out the light of day and fill ail the
paviUion beneath with a tiiiicroal
gloom.
Shrubs and smaller woods
perish in this snn-excbided .atmos
phere, but' the fiico of the- eartli is
richly- carpeted with their clastic
mosses, w-liicii hide rocks, talleii-
trees, and every-thing. Tire foot
fall makes no noise a.iKl leaves no
j print. Often the rank, luxuriant
covering conceals dangerous cav
erns and pitfalls, into which tlie
incautioas traveler may disap
pear. Clumps of tel!, graceful
ferns dot this mantle of wondrous
beauty-, and struggle for the
patciie.s of light wliieli now and
then flicker tiirough the opening
made by- some storm conquered
fir which has fallen from the
ranks. Adowu the scopes and
througlmut the gorges and rir-
vines run streams of purest, cold
est water, .at first gurgling unseen
beneath tlie mosses and ferns,
then bursting forth into rushing
toiTOnts, then swelling into foam
ing easc.?.des, and pouring at last
in thundering cataracts over steep
mountain w-alls. Along these wild
water-w-ay-s flourish impenetrable
wildernesses of laurel, ivy-, and
the glowing rho-lodendron, so
rich, rant, and wild that tlie mind
is bewildered in its contemplation.
Sueb was the region in which
THE LOST I’EOFESSOK
was to be sought At least five
Imndred men were engaged in
tlie search. Well and faithfully'
did they- labor. From Friday
morning uiii.il Tuesday tbeir ef-
lbn.8 were fruitless. No trace
wliatever could be found, and at
every moment tlie task grew
more and more hopeless. Tlie
faint oxp'ectalion of finding' him
a five and suffering, gradually'
wont out of all men’s minds, and
then came the more sober desire
to find his lifeless body-. At last
on 'I’uesday came a melancholy
confirmation of his disyiutod as
sertion flint bo ha,d been on the
very liigliest peak in 1844. An
obi hunter and experienced moun
taineer by' the name of V/ilson,
was ereseiit from Y'ancey' county,
who had guided the Professor on
his former visit He said he be
lieved he could retrace the very-
route by which they liad ascend
ed thirteen yeru'S before, and, ex
pressed the opinion that the Pro
fessor had iumsolf undertaken to
descend into tho valley of Caney-
river by that way. The result
proved this opinion to be correct.
A careful and 'minute search in tho
edge of a beautiful little prairie
near the liighest summit discover
ed the trail of human footsteps.
So faint was it that an unpractic
ed eye could not have distin
guished it from the mark left by
some wild aniiniil; but tliese
mountain Nimrods, 'with that
wonderful sagacity which is tt T
result of close observation and al |
most insunctive reason recognize!-
it at a glance. An incredulous
town-man present desired to know
bow they could tell it to be the
impress of a man’s foot ‘Come
here,’ said a liunter, pointing to a
spot on a fallen tree trunk, 'H'liere
tho rank moss had been disturb
ed, “kneel do'.va and look at that
closely-. What do you see'!”
“Nothing,” was the reply. “Look
closer yet, and carefully'. Now,
wliat do yon see ?” “Marks of
tho tracks of a slioc heel,” said the
astonished and enlightened town-
man ! The effect of this discov
ery -w.as almost electric. Witli
rapid steps and eyes as keen and
true as tho scent of -well trained
sleuth hounds, Joff b-oimded tho
hunters upon the trail, and soon
were lost in tho rugged and fear
ful wilds below-. A large numb(-)',
feeling that tbey could be of uo
assi.stanoo in following that deli
cate trace, remained upon the
heiglits, w-hilst the others swept
doiTOWM'd iqjon tbe search. As
the ground became rouglier and
the w-ay- more difficult, tho traces
left by- tile w-auderer became more
plain and unmistakable. Soon tho
trail left the sharp crest of the
ridge down which it had started,
.and came to the edge of a plash
ing sti-eam. Adown this they- fol
lowed it -witliout difficulty for
about four miles when they came
to a catai-act with a sheer fall of
forty- feet.
OK THE WZZLE EDGE
of tills tliey found a broken laurel
braucli overhead, and torn moss
underfoot Cautiously descend
ing they found below tbe dead
body of him they sought. The
spot was most romantic andp-xu-
liar. Pouring ovt r tho pr. cipice,
this mountain torrent had origin
ally- stuck upon solid rock below,.
but the attrition of its waters for
untold centuries had worn out a
srnootb, circular basin, about
fourteen feet deep and as many-
iu diameter. This was filled with
cold, pure, and jierfectly limpid
water, in which lay the body’
calmly and perfectly preserved.
In tlie very midst of that nature
which he had loved so well, and
whose mysteries ho had studied
so diligently-, tlie groat devotee
hatl lain him down to die. Her
utmost chai'ms w-ero lavished up
on his obsequies. The pure wa
ters enveloped liim in their w-inding
sheet of chrystal; the leaping cat
aract sang his requiem in that
wondrous and eternal song, of
which old ocean furnishes tho
grand all comprehensive key.
Cream and golden and wliite flow
ers flaked the billow thickets of
dark green laurel, and tall, conical
firs and delicately tapering spruces
interlocked their weeping branch
es from shore to shore. No trace
of man save the broken laurel
branch and the uptorn moss on
the rock above, -was to bo seen.
To all seomingthat virgin spot had
seen no human face before the
noble one which now looked up
ward from its undefiled bed upon
tbe unspeakable beauties of the
gleu.
Enveloping the body in a sheet
and suspending it to a stout pole,
they bore it up those rugged steps
where an unencumbered man
could scarcely stand upright, four
miles to the top. Here it -n-as de
sired that he should bo burled,
but tho members of liis family
who could he consulted not eou-
seiiting, he was placed in a rude
coffin and borne by painful and
tedious stages to Asheville, where
he was interred by the side of an-
otlier noble classmate, the Rev.
John Dickson, D. D., of Charles
ton, 8 C., and attended to the
grave by a vast concourse of j'ei--
j)le. Blit he was not permitted
long to sleep in lhat pleasant
moimiain cliurchynid. 8o great
was tho reajiect and esteem in
which his cliaracier was held by
all classes of our people, and so
profoundly n-as the public iniiinl
iinpressedjby tlie cireuiustam es of
Ids death and tho causes n hi'eh
led to it, that bis family- yieldi d
to the almost universal wish that
his body should
REST ON JIOT.’KT MITCHELL.
Accordingly-, in tho following
summer his remains were taken
up and once more carried to that
high peak and rointerred with im
posing ceremonies in tlie pres
ence of a great multitude of peo
ple. It was a scene to be long
remembered. The Right Rev.
James II. Otey-, Bishop of Ten
nessee, delivered the funer.ial
oration; ox-Governor Swain made
an elegant address; the former a
member of tho first ei.ass which
tlie deceased had instructed at
Chapel Hill, and tho latter a co
laborer in the University-for near
a thii'd of a century-. Strangers
from distant states -wore present,
whilst all the surrounding coun
ties wore largely represented, not
only by- their stalwart men, but
by great numbers of their wives,
daughti'i'S, and children, some of
whom had walked and climbed
perhaps twenty miles to witness
the in.cresting scene. Tho day
was calm and bright. The level
spot on the summit, not larger
than a good sized room, -was thick
ly filled with spectators and far
down its conical .sides. Here in
the face of all inexpressible glories
which spread out in every- direc
tion, high over the Atlantic w-orld,
and fai- removed as all such scenes
should ever be, from tho strife
and tumult of the low-er and dis
tant lands, and where Nature ex
erted lier grandest clianns to lift
the souls of men to the contem
plation of Him from w-Lose hand
they came, tliey laid the Christian
hero’s duet to rest. His monu
ment and his tomb are one, and a
grander hath no man had in this
w-orld. It looks eastw-ard tow ard
lii.s Ne-w England birtliplace, and
behind him is the great land of
the South-west filled with so
many -whom he loved and taught.
“There,” says Professor Phillips,
once a beloved pupil and long a
fellow teacher in the University,
“he shall rest till the Judgment
Day-, in a mausoleum such as no
other man has ever had. Reared
by the hands of Omnipotence, it
was assigned to him by those to
whom it was given thus to express
their esteem, and it was conse
crated by- tire lips of eloquence
warmed by affection amidrt the
rites of our holy religion. Before
him lies the North Carolina he
loved so well and served so faith
fully. From his lofty couch its
hills and valley-s melt into its
plains as they- stretch a'w-ay to the
shores of the eastern ocean,
w'hence the dawn of the last day
stealing quietly -w-estward, as it
lights the mountaiti tops first,
shall awake him earliest to hear
the greeting of “Well done good
AND FAITHFUL SERVANT.”
Z. B. V.
‘If wisdom’s ways yju’d rightly seotc
Five things oiisoive wit'u caro;
Of whom you sjieak, to whom you
Aud -H-hat, and when and where.’