the complete writings-4-第32章

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re　and　persiflage　to　face　the　wilderness　of　Mitchell　County。

〃How　heavy；〃　exclaimed　the　Professor；　pricking　Laura　Matilda　to　call　her　attention　sharply　to　her　footing

　　　　〃How　heavy　do　I　journey　on　the　way；　　　　　　When　what　I　seekmy　weary　travel's　end　　　　　　Doth　teach　that　ease　and　that　repose　to　say；　　　　　　Thus　far　the　miles　are　measur'd　from　thy　friend！　　　　　　The　beast　that　bears　me；　tired　with　my　woe；　　　　　　Plods　dully　on；　to　bear　that　weight　in　me；　　　　　　As　if　by　some　instinct　the　wretch　did　know　　　　　　His　rider　loved　not　speed；　being　made　from　thee：　　　　　　The　bloody　spur　cannot　provoke　him　on　　　　　　That　sometimes　anger　thrusts　into　his　hide；　　　　　　Which　heavily　he　answers　with　a　groan；　　　　　　More　sharp　to　me　than　spurring　to　his　side；　　　　　　For　that　same　groan　doth　put　this　in　my　mind；　　　　　　My　grief　lies　onward　and　my　joy　behind。〃

This　was　not　spoken　to　the　group　who　fluttered　their　farewells；　but　poured　out　to　the　uncomplaining　forest；　which　rose　up　in　ever　statelierand　grander　ranks　to　greet　the　travelers　as　they　descendedthe　silent；　vast　forest；　without　note　of　bird　or　chip　of　squirrel；　only　the　wind　tossing　the　great　branches　high　overhead　in　response　to　the　sonnet。　　Is　there　any　region　or　circumstance　of　life　that　the　poet　did　not　forecast　and　provide　for？　　But　what　would　have　been　his　feelings　if　he　could　have　known　that　almost　three　centuries　after　these　lines　were　penned；　they　would　be　used　to　express　the　emotion　of　an　unsentimental　traveler　in　the　primeval　forests　of　the　New　World？　　At　any　rate；　he　peopled　the　New　World　with　the　children　of　his　imagination。　　And；　thought　the　Friend；　whose　attention　to　his　horse　did　not　permit　him　to　drop　into　poetry；　Shakespeare　might　have　had　a　vision　of　this　vast　continent；　though　he　did　not　refer　to　it；　when　he　exclaimed：

　　　　〃What　is　your　substance；　whereof　are　you　made；　　　　　　That　millions　of　strange　shadows　on　you　tend？〃

Bakersville；　the　capital　of　Mitchell　County；　is　eight　miles　from　the　top　of　Roan；　and　the　last　three　miles　of　the　way　the　horsemen　found　tolerable　going；　over　which　the　horses　could　show　their　paces。　　The　valley　looked　fairly　thrifty　and　bright；　and　was　a　pleasing　introduction　to　Bakersville；　a　pretty　place　in　the　hills；　of　some　six　hundred　inhabitants；　with　two　churches；　three　indifferent　hotels；　and　a　court…house。　　This　mountain　town；　255O　feet　above　the　sea；　is　said　to　have　a　decent　winter　climate；　with　little　snow；　favorable　to　fruit…growing；　and；　by　contrast　with　New　England；　encouraging　to　people　with　weak　lungs。

This　is　the　center　of　the　mica　mining；　and　of　considerable　excitement　about　minerals。　　All　around；　the　hills　are　spotted　with　〃diggings。〃　Most　of　the　mines　which　yield　well　show　signs　of　having　been　worked　before；　a　very　long　time　ago；　no　doubt　by　the　occupants　before　the　Indians。　　The　mica　is　of　excellent　quality　and　easily　mined。　　It　is　got　out　in　large　irregular…shaped　blocks　and　transported　to　the　factories；　where　it　is　carefully　split　by　hand；　and　the　laminae；　of　as　large　size　as　can　be　obtained；　are　trimmed　with　shears　and　tied　up　in　packages　for　market。　　The　quantity　of　refuse；　broken；　and　rotten　mica　piled　up　about　the　factories　is　immense；　and　all　the　roads　round　about　glisten　with　its　scales。　　Garnets　are　often　found　imbedded　in　the　laminae；　flattened　by　the　extreme　pressure　to　which　the　mass　was　subjected。　　It　is　fascinating　material；　this　mica；　to　handle；　and　we　amused　ourselves　by　experimenting　on　the　thinness　to　which　its　scales　could　be　reduced　by　splitting。　　It　was　at　Bakersville　that　we　saw　specimens　of　mica　that　resembled　the　delicate　tracery　in　the　moss…　agate　and　had　the　iridescent　sheen　of　the　rainbow　colorsthe　most　delicate　greens；　reds；　blues；　purples；　and　gold；　changing　from　one　to　the　other　in　the　reflected　light。　　In　the　texture　were　the　tracings　of　fossil　forms　of　ferns　and　the　most　exquisite　and　delicate　vegetable　beauty　of　the　coal　age。　　But　the　magnet　shows　this　tracery　to　be　iron。　　We　were　shown　also　emeralds　and　〃diamonds；〃　picked　up　in　this　region；　and　there　is　a　mild　expectation　in　all　the　inhabitants　of　great　mineral　treasure。　　A　singular　product　of　the　region　is　the　flexible　sandstone。　　It　is　a　most　uncanny　stone。　　A　slip　of　it　a　couple　of　feet　long　and　an　inch　in　diameter　each　way　bends　in　the　hand　like　a　half…frozen　snake。　　This　conduct　of　a　substance　that　we　have　been　taught　to　regard　as　inflexible　impairs　one's　confidence　in　the　stability　of　nature　and　affects　him　as　an　earthquake　does。

This　excitement　over　mica　and　other　minerals　has　the　usual　effect　of　starting　up　business　and　creating　bad　blood。　　Fortunes　have　been　made；　and　lost　in　riotous　living；　scores　of　visionary　men　have　been　disappointed；　lawsuits　about　titles　and　claims　have　multiplied；　and　quarrels　ending　in　murder　have　been　frequent　in　the　past　few　years。　The　mica　and　the　illicit　whisky　have　worked　together　to　make　this　region　one　of　lawlessness　and　violence。　　The　travelers　were　told　stories　of　the　lack　of　common　morality　and　decency　in　the　region；　but　they　made　no　note　of　them。　　And；　perhaps　fortunately；　they　were　not　there　during　court　week　to　witness　the　scenes　of　license　that　were　described。　　This　court　week；　which　draws　hither　the　whole　population；　is　a　sort　of　Saturnalia。　　Perhaps　the　worst　of　this　is　already　a　thing　of　the　past；　for　the　outrages　a　year　before　had　reached　such　a　pass　that　by　a　common　movement　the　sale　of　whisky　was　stopped　（not　interdicted；　but　stopped）；　and　not　a　drop　of　liquor　could　be　bought　in　Bakersville　nor　within　three　miles　of　it。

The　jail　at　Bakersville　is　a　very　simple　residence。　　The　main　building　is　brick；　two　stories　high　and　about　twelve　feet　square。　The　walls　are　so　loosely　laid　up　that　it　seems　as　if　a　colored　prisoner　might　butt　his　head　through。　　Attached　to　this　is　a　room　for　the　jailer。　　In　the　lower　room　is　a　wooden　cage；　made　of　logs　bolted　together　and　filled　with　spikes；　nine　feet　by　ten　feet　square　and　perhaps　seven　or　eight　feet　high。　　Between　this　cage　and　the　wall　is　a　space　of　eighteen　inches　in　width。　　It　has　a　narrow　door；　and　an　opening　through　which　the　food　is　passed　to　the　prisoners；　and　a　conduit　leading　out　of　it。　　Of　course　it　soon　becomes　foul；　and　in　warm　weather　somewhat　warm。　　A　recent　prisoner；　who　wanted　more　ventilation　than　the　State　allowed　him；　found　some　means；　by　a　loose　plank；　I　think；　to　batter　a　hole　in　the　outer　wall　opposite　the　window　in　the　cage；　and　this　ragged　opening；　seeming　to　the　jailer　a　good　sanitary　arrangement；　remains。　　Two　murderers　occupied　this　apartment　at　the　time　of　our　visit。　　During　the　recent　session　of　court；　ten　men　had　been　confined　in　this　narrow　space；　without　room　enough　for　them　to　lie　down　together。　　The　cage　in　the　room　above；　a　little　larger；　had　for　tenant　a　person　who　was　jailed　for　some　misunderstanding　about　an　account；　and　who　was　probably　innocent　from　the　jailer's　statement。　　This　box　is　a　wretched　residence；　month　after　month；　while　awaiting　trial。

We　learned　on　inquiry　that　it　is　practically　impossible　to　get　a　jury　to　convict　of　murder　in　this　region；　and　that　these　admitted　felons　would　undoubtedly　escape。　　We　even　heard　that　juries　were　purchasable　here；　and　that　a　man's　success　in　court　depended　upon　the　length　of　his　purse。　　This　is　such　an　unheard…of　thing　that　we　refused　to　credit　it。　　When　the　Friend　attempted　to　arouse　the　indignation　of　the　Professor　about　the　barbarity　of　this　jail；　the　latter　defended　it　on　the　ground　that　as　confinement　was　the　only　punishment　that　murderers　were　likely　to　receive　in　this　region；　it　was　well　to　make　their　detention　disagreeable　to　them。　　But　the　Friend　did　not　like　this　wild…beast　cage　for　men；　and　could　only　exclaim；

〃Oh；　murder！　　what　crimes　are　done　in　thy　name。〃

If　the　comrades　wished　an　adventure；　they　had　a　small　one；　more　interesting　to　them　than　to　the　public；　the　morning　they　left　Bakersville　to　ride　to　Burnsville；　which　sets　itself　up　as　the　capital　of　Yancey。　　The　way　for　the　first　three　miles　lay　down　a　small　creek　and　in　a　valley　fairly　settled；　the　houses；　a　store；　and　a　grist…mill　giving　evidence　of　the　new　enterprise　of　the　region。　When　Toe　River　was　reached；　there　was　a　choice　of　routes。　　We　might　ford　the　Toe　at　that　point；　where　the　river　was　wide；