eg———iBBaegaegayww—■—w————t—|
fUSITHE GASTONIA
A m&pm UuctmtUr hit !ktdrw.m A ■_ ... . . _
__Published Twice a Week—Tuesdays and Fridays.
W. t. MAK5HAU, Mitor ftfsristw. DEVOTED TO THE PEOTECTlOlf Of HOME AMP THE PrTflMTff tF THE fOUHTT.
VOL. XXV. GASTONIA, N. C., TUESDAY, AUGUST 33, 1004.
MOUNTAIN FAKTT OETS HOME
Sscaad Chapter al a Description
a! tba Trip la Weatera North
Caraliaa.
To dM Bettor of Um Ossetia:
My last letter left the moun
tain party at Chimney Rock,
and though we lingered around
there four days we finally did
leave. But before doing so let
me say to all future mountain
parties, that it would take a
whole week to visit all the in
teresting places to be found near
Chimney Rock.
Please let me refer again to
Bat Cave. Before reaching the
cave oar guide turned us a little
to the left that we might take in
another curiosity. He stopped
n» at a crevice in o very large
rock which exteuded from top
to bottom. The crevice was
about a foot or more wide, be
fore which we stood and cooled
of!, for the draft of air coming
out of that crevice would cool
you in two minntes. There are
two of these cooling places
which are abont fifteen feet
apart. What produces this very
cool air and causes the draft to
come from where it docs is cer
tainly a mystery. Warm as wr
were at the time, it wonld not
have been prudent to stand there
too long.
i nursriay morning we left
Chimney Rock , ami went to
Sugar Loaf Mountain which is
only eight miles distant. Hat
we traveled with our wagons
about twenty miles, puxsing sev
eral hotels, name* of most of
them already given you. So at
three o'clock, bv taking the
wrong road, wc find ourselves
on a nice camping ground spot,
called "World’* Kdge." (well
named), I will take my seat on
‘‘Lover’s Log" and try to des
cribe tbe view pefore me. Ima
gine yourself standing upon the
edge of an immense bath tub
twenty miles long, three miles
wide and thouaandsof feet deep,
and you have a very (aiut con
ception of what we saw, and of
what the reader U reading about.
Yes. were it possible to lift
Kings Mountain from its posi
tion and place it upon tbe tree
tops in this valley and they not
give way under their load, then
you standing on the edge or sit
ting on "Lover’s Log," wonld
be Tar above the pinuacle of the
transferred mountain. Here
and there you see far below yon
a little mountain home, looking
to be no larger than a good
sized chicken coop. On this
iuvcijt lire uivui,
Where we are camping is called,
as said, "World'* Edge," and Is
part of "Sngar Loaf mountain.
Friday morning, Ang. 12. We
leave this grand scenery and
part of the boys go to the top of
r‘Sngar Loaf,” which ia said to
be 6,500 feet high. The others
of ns leave camp with our teams
and meet the boys at “Ottono
la” post office. I should have
said that "Salola Inn” stands
near the top ol "Sugar Loaf.”
Boys meet us at Ottanola and
we travel abont fonr miles and
stop for dinner at Mr. Isaac Jus
tice’s. Left camp and drove
within half mile of Henderson
ville, camping at Mr. Gerard
Thompson’s, a Gaston county
man. Several of the boys-visited
Asheville on Saturday. We also
visited "Flat Rock,” three miles
from Hendersonville, where we
saw many handsome dwellings,
generally owned, as we learned,
by Charlestonians. Tbe coun
try around Hendersonville ia a
pretty country.
Monday morning has come
and we most go. so we leave
camp at 6 o'clock a. in. and cross
Saluda mono tain. Stopped for
dinner at Lynn, where the Tryon
Hosiery mill stands. We travel
on and take a look at the "White
Oak” mountain on which stands
the "Skyuka” hotel with all
modern improvements, anch as
electric lights, water works, etc.
Pasting Landrum, abont eight
miles, we camped for ths night
not far from Smith's old field.
Tuesday morning, the 16<h,
a a. w m I • *a
icu camp bduui bix iu
morning passed Finge r v i 11 e
where we found s cotton mill on
North Pecolet. Traveling about
twenty miles we fed at G. D.
Scruggs'. Traveling over some
nice country, we camped that
night about seven miles from
Shelby. Wednesday morning,
17th, we left camp, pesatng
Shelby, making about onebour’a
atop, we left about 9:15 o’clock
and fed at one Mr. Cline’s.
Leaving camp and traveling un
til about fl:39 we arrived safely
at home, and found that a kind
Providence had taken care, not
only of us, but also our loved
oscs. tor which we should all be
thankful.
The trip has been very pleas
ant to ua, and will doubtless
linger long in the memories oi
us all# W, 1. B«
CHARGE AGAINST STORE WALL.
Beldlaget TkMMdhlin Gat
Haw Ml Csntadsratea Pars
laraid This Paat ol Valtr
Against t Federal Brigade—
Laa Played Hla Carl and Vat
—Bat the Narrow Way Waa
Cbaked With Deal and Wend
ed.
C. B. UwU in Chtcwru Daily Naira.
Lee waa moving to invade
Maryland aid Pennsylvania.
The mountain hid bia marching
colnmni from sight of the Fed
erals, and at every gap in the
Blue Ridge he left a force with
instructions to hold to the last
and give all the time possible
to reach and cross the Potomac,
it waa the aim of the Federals
to break through at some point
and penetrate bia movement,
and there was fighting on every
mountain trail and at the moun
tain gap. The major general
bad auid to the brigadier ordered
to proceed ' to Thoroughfare
Gap:
"I do not know how many
Confederates arc bolding that
gap, but be the number 500 or
10,000 you must break through.
That is the order—break tbruugh
If only oue uran of your corn
uiiuu i» icu aiivr, ur will unn|j
it* the new* we went."
And the major general ou
the Confederate side had said to
the brigadier:
"You will detach one regiment
of your command to hold Thor
oughfare Ciap. It must lie held
agaiuhl the federal* for three
days. We can spare only a
single regiment. If there i* hut
one man left alive at the cud of
that time, he will follow on and
overtake ua."
ALMOST IMPftOONABLli POSITION
A narrow wagon road, twist
ing and luruiug between walls
from 20 to 100 feet high, with
alternate spots of annsniue and
gloom—that was Thoroughfare
Gap. A* the skeleton regiment
of 600 Confederates entered it
and pressed forward to its wes
tern mouth, its raggedness and
gloomy solemity brought a feel*
mg of awe. It reminded them
of a tomb, and they shuddered
to think of dying in the semi
darkness. Two field pieces roll
ed along with the regiment of
the heavy wheels loosened a
stone now and then to come
clattering down from far above.
When a bine brigade came clat
icnug up u eras 10 nno me buu
in possession and the position
dne which the dullest private
must see was well-nigh im
pregnable. Every hour was
worth a thousand lives to the
Federal army, and the Federal
brigadier lost no time iu begin
ning the attack. In tbe open
be would have gobbled up that
skeleton regiment at a dash.
Behind a rocky wall hastily
thrown up, with no way to get
at the enemy except in front,
his suiplus of men did not
count.
WHAT TKKDAY BROUGHT.
'At the sound of tbe bugles
they dashed forward with cheers,
but not a mao got with
in fiverods of the wall.
Grape and canister and bullets
tore the line to pieces. It was
tried again and again. The or
ders were to break through the
gap. A thousand dead snd
wounded would be a cheap price
for tbe information to be had at
the other end. Artillery was
brought forward to batter down
tbe wall, but it could not be
placed to advantage. The pieces
bad only been fired once when
their crews lay dead or wounded
and tbe carriages weTe shattered.
Tbe Federal brigadier rode back
and forth and stormed and swore
and almost wept.
-Whether 500 or 10,000, yon
must break through!" were tht
orders, and if be failed to carry
them out his career at a soldier
was at an end. An army o<
ono rwi _.-.j_,__
—-«----- »v »V»I
the splash of Coafederate feet
in tbc waters of the Potomac.
The men in bine could hardly
form company in the mouth of
that defile. A charge against
the wall meant death to every
other man, bnt they formed up
and charged and cheered end
died. After half a day of bloody
fighting the Federal brigadier
rested, lie was still bleeding
from a wound when he opened
a dispatch and read:
"You have one of the best
brigades in the craps, snd it it
certain you are opposed by only
a handful of Confederates, By
9 o'clock in the morning you
muat have authentic news of
Lee,
KWKW UgATB WAS CUIUMO.
Tba brigadier had sacrificed
600 men that day, and be could
not believe the Confederate lose
to be over fifty. Thera waa but
oim way to reach them on tba
morrow—over that stone wall.
He would driyc them or die with
the last man. There waa no
jollity in the Federal camp that
night. Men will sing or ioke aa
they awing into battle fine in
tbe open, but these men peered
into the darkeneat of tne gap
and thought of the dead in front
of tbe atone wall and apoke to
each other in whispers. I,t was
a brave tight to sec them swing
into line as the sun gilded the
tree topi. Every face had its
pallor, and every eye looked in
to the midst of death, but there
waa no lagging or faltering. You
«#w them tightening their belts
aud setting their jaws as they
waited, and you held ynor
breath for tbe signal which was
to send them to death.
On the other aide of the stone
wall there waa uo exultation.
Tbe dead and the wounded were
comparatively few, but every
hour would add to tbe number
and only one day of tbe three
had passed. The colonel knew
what was coming and prepared
for it. When tbe blue Hues,
ten deep, came dashing forward
they met with such a boil of iron
and lead that the first three or
four were blotted off the face of
the earth. Then, under the
the smoke cloud, some of them
wounded and all despeiate, the
otner line* crept forward anil tile
wall was readied. If was u
hand-to-hand fight now and
every man was a devil aud after
a quarter of an hour of bloody
fighting the Federal* held their
position. The drad fhy three
deep below the wall, Imt the liv
ing Mood ui*on its crest and
cheered agaiu.
CHF.P.BINO SOON KTOPPKD.
But the cheering soon died
away in growls and oatha. A
quarter of a mile above at a beud
of the ravine, there was another
atone wall and the Confederates
had simply withdrawn to the
new position. They had lost
150 men, but the Federal brigade
was no longer a brigade. It
lacked a fall regime..t. That
night the brigadier bad another
wound aud again there were or
ders from the major general:
"We must have news from
Lee at every hazard. Unless
you break through at once yonr
resignation will be accepted."
A dark and narrow ravine, up
which only eight men abreast
could make their way at once;
at the .turn a stone wall, defend
ed by two guns; behind the
gnns the mnakets of the infaa
a._ f. __ a._i . » • .
I IUUIH lUIVU^U,
repeated the brigadier over and
over again. Me knew that the
beat he Could do was to pile np
more dead in the dark ravine.
When morning came he stood
on a knoll and looked down
upon the sun-bronzed and wait*
ing veteran* and it was like a
knife in hit heart to give the or
der to attack. A single bugle
call and the column dashed for
ward. There waa nevet a cheer
nor a about. Men who feel that
they are going to certain death
do not cheei. They draw a
long breath, choke back the
grasp in the throat and rush for
wards with beads down.
In ten minutes it was all over.
The wall had been reached and
fought over bnt it could not be
held. As the last few living
Federal s came limping back the
brigadier sat down and wept.
Orders, orders, orders! And
yet he felt himself a murderer.
More Confederates had fallen,
bn^ the force waa yet strong
enough to hold the gap. If he
could not carry it, be would be
disgraced. Like the brave man
he was. be took the one way
out of it. At high noon the
colftuio waa formed again, and
the brigadier put himself at the
bead of it. Officers groaned and
privates murmured to see him
there, hut he was firm, lie led
tn the dark—ho waa the first to
reach the wall—be mounted it
and cheered bis men iu the fight
which won it. bnt when it was
won he lay among the dead, aad
fTISA NATTER OFNEAIIll
nmamaummvTt
the Confederates retired less
than half a mile to a third wall.
Two days had pasted, and yet
the Federal* bad not broken
through. Then another brigade
came marching np, and there
was another brigadier to take
command. He saw the situation i
as the dead general bad seen it.
but be had less feeling. Column
after column was formed up and
dashed against that third wall
sod driven back, hut in the end
he won. It was twenty lives foi
one every time, bnt under bis
orders he could have doubled
the sacrifice.
At dusk on the evening uf the
third day the last Confederate
infantryman had passed the gap
on Ilia wav to the Potomac, and
the bead of the column was iu
Pennsylvania Lee bad played
his card and won.
Not a gap bad been carried,
and the news of bis whereabouts
had come from other sources.
There was a last stone wall in
Thoroughfare Gap. Behind it
100 Confederates crouched and
waited. Their taro field-pieces
were useless for the want of am
munition, and their muskets
were alone to be depended on.
Am the sinking sun filled the ra
vine with deeper gloom 500 Fed
eral* made a last charge. They
t J . . . i.i a m a #
IIUVI HIT UTSII UH in UIUI I
W do it. That wa» me toanii |
charge of the day and it was
checked ax the others had been.
It simply ntcsnl mmc dead and
wounded lo choke that narrow
way. Hundreds had liern drag
ged out. Imt hundred* xtilJ re
mained. When night came
down the men with powder
klaiticd laces, who had scarce
ly broken their faat or closed
their eyes for seventy boars,
silently marched out of the gap
end headed for the north in the
wake of the invading army.
There were no colonels, no
captains, no lieutenants. A ser
gaut commanded the remnant,
and his command waa:
"Out of h-and into Penn
sylvania— forward—march I *•
And when the long night had
passed and daylight came again
the Federal* fonnd the stone
wall undefended and clambered
over it and ran to the mouth of
the gap to shout to each other:
"I-ee has passed, and we are
too late.”
PISGAH PENCILINGS.
To lb* Setter of th* Otwtt*:
Pisgah, Aug. 20.—'‘Arlington
Creek" bridge is in place, and
ia now ready for. business. The
regular mail route ia now re
turned and patrons of rural
boxes numbers 50 to 51 will call
for their mail at tbeir boxes in
stead of at Mr. John Morrow’s
as heretofore.
This ia cider making time in
Pisgah; we happen to know a
Pisgabite who has made a 40
gallon keg full.
Spencer Academy which has
been conducted for the past six
weeks by Mias Bits Bradley
closes to-day. Tbe aeasion was
for only six weeks.
The meeting begins at Pisgah
to-day. Tbe pastor will be se
riated in tbe services by Rev.
Mr. Johnston. Wesre informed
that tbe sacrement is not to be
administered on this occasion.
Mr. C. W. Sarvis had the
pleasure of rnnning four water
melon thieves out of his patch
the other day.
Mrs. John B- Sarvis spent
several days in the Olney sec
tion last week visiting friends
sad relatives.
The sprained knee of the
writer is doing nicely, a»<! he
hupea to re so me government
work in a few weeks.
Have you read Col. Henry
Watterson’s editorial in Thurs
day'« Courier Journal on "Dem
ocracy vernna Popnlicltv"? The
dosing paragraph Is, We are
for Democracy! We are against
Populism! We shall elect Park
er and Davis!"
Tht Farmer's EtfncaHw.
fit tke K»ttu>r of th* Omkkttk:
Compared with men la other
lines of business, we are the
least edacated (that is the least
prepared for oar life work,) of
all those who follow woihe par
ticular calling as a business. I
believe this to be a troth sod I
think many fanners will bear
me out in this assertion.
Harming cannot heenma an
exact science beesnae we can
not regulate the seasons, neither
are all soils alike.
We have been asleep on
education. The need of farm
education is growing apparent
and thousands of ua are educa
ting ourselves by taking ad
vantage of the agricultural lit
erature of the day.
One can get a good farm
education in the bollctinea o!
the agricultural department.
-ssursirsjft
hntmn Hoc is.
I ftCSSCMEI ITEMS.
Mrs. Irving of Arizona is die
gneat of Mra. J. A. Swink.
Miaa Annie Da via of Green,
ville, S. C., and Miaa Walker Bl*
bertoo of Georgia, are guests of
Mrs. J. H. Wilkins.
Dr. and Mrs. B. P. Dixon have
bean ruests of Mr. and Mrs. S.
J. Durham tbc past week. Dr.
Dixon left Tuesday for Raleigh.
Mrs. C. B. Whitoey sod Floyd
Whitney left Wednesday ior
Brevard. N. C.
Mrs. J. M. Garrison who has
been tbc geest of Mrs. H. N.
Garrison hat returned to Kings
Mountain.
Dr. S. A. Wilkins of Dallas
was in town Tuesday.
Mra. Vaughn of Augusta, Ga.
who has been visiting Mrs. J. A.
Swink returned home Monday.
Mra. Q. L. Anderson who has
been visiting friends here re
turned Saturday to Ridgeway, 8.
Mr. and Mra. L. W. Buek,
Mra. J. A. Wilkins. Miaaea An
nie Davis, Bnla Walker. Helen
Buck and T. McMillan visited
Charlotte Saturday.
vmm (mart Bray* Act.
Otoeatillc (B.C.) H*raM.
Ail exciting incident occurred
in the Southern's yards yrstrr
dr* morning shortly after thr
northlxmnd fast mail, No. 36,
passed through. Yard engine.
No. 13. was standing on a sid
ing "ear the depot, with uo one
it» thr call, as all thr yard men
weir «t breakfast, and as ia the
usual ru-tom the little shifter
was fired ready for use when
needed.
Without warning all unexpec
ted No. 13 started oh down the
main line in tbc direction of
’Spartanburg at a rapid rate with
uo out at tbe lever.
The crew of ehifting engine.
No. 73, on discovering that 13
was loose on the main track,
realised the danger of acolliaion
with s through tniu end jumped
into tbeir "trusty" with the pur
pose of overhauling the runaway
before an accident could happen.
Near Paris station about two
miles from tbc city the pursuers
on.73 bumped into 13, breaking
part of tbe coupling.
Flagman R. Glenn Grist saw
that something had to be done
and at considerable risk jumped
bom tbe front of his engine oo
to tbe tender of No. 13, clamb
ered over the coal end oo reach
ing tbe lever shut off the steam.
At a critical moment Flagman
Grist exhibited a coolness and
promptness of action which is to
[>e nigoiy commenced.
He mw whet bed to be done
end be did it.
Engines 13 and 73 were
brought beck to the yard and
the morning’s excitement was at
an end;
Flagman Grist is a grand son
of the late O. W. Dam and is
well known la Gastonia.
HE JU1Y LIST. '
Jnrers Far Flnt and Second
Weeks Smarts? Cssrt.
The printer mixed the jnry
list in print!ug It a lew days ago.
Below, It la straightened out
and printed correctly.
GET TBE SIGNED GUARANTEE
<!• H. Kennedy A Cm Agraonta ga
torn Miwy 11 Ml#'— Pad# t
Mali# Y— w.tl. s
Have J. H. Kennedy & Co
sign tbe following guarantei
wben you buy • box of Mi'ona
nilnr«> cure far dyjpepala,
lb M
_rwiwywitfi
Mi-o-na ia a remarkable pra
paratlou that tonea up tbe digei
vive organa aad quickly give
perfect health and atrength.
i. H. Kennedy & Co. can t«!
yon of many of their cuatoman wh
rtcoa—d Mi-o-na lira—a it <n»r*
them JWtlar than *11 taatimoniili
JirrsVffi:
potHirn atatanwnt that U thia re—
« doaa not relieve yon of Indixai
tf—, ft will coat v— abjiytej
New Styles Arriving.
saHJSSaSrvffiKSS#**
. NEW NBCKWBAft—J«at arrived a new lot of Neckwear—
new and attractive styles of every variety from 25c to 75c per
Incce. *
^Collar Foondatkma-Cbifion. new lot last in 10c.
are the great leaden for this season ^
BLACK BILKS.
Our tine of black silks is complete fan Taffetas and Pen de Soke
from 70c to $1.50 per yd.
Taffetas, yard wide. 90c to $14$.
New fall roods continue to arrive. The styles, qsalities, fab?
rice and novelties that arc aew we here as soon as Ibey aseeet.
Jag. F. Yeager.
r**1*. ..
WHAT COLLEGE?
Davenport College for Young
Women at Lenoir.
WHY?
“Five Good fgeasons,**
WRITE TO
CHARLES C, WEAVER, Pres.
i ——————————————
'Ztis&s&jsssrjz
csr^pfa
yett that people make their
chaoses (or the out peer sod
««» five roe valeable aer
vlcea as a medieaa of escbse*.
«Snn ts ssts
ud we have occasional inquiries
to larger feme and factory
sites.
Call oo or write to aa If ma
i. m* eoy real estate for sale.
^ I Gaston Loan and Trust Company*
b» Y. M. C. A. Bafldtag, ftiitswla. M. C*
_