the complete writings-4-第42章

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　is　gone；　and　wants　the　negro　educated；　when　it　comes　to　ascendency　in　politics　such　as　the　State　once　experiencedasks　you　what　you　would　do　yourself。　　This　is　not　the　place　to　enter　upon　the　politico…social　question；　but　the　writer　may　note　one　impression　gathered　from　much　friendly　and　agreeable　conversation。　　It　is　that　the　Southern　whites　misapprehend　and　make　a　scarecrow　of　〃social　equality。〃　　When；　during　the　war；　it　was　a　question　at　the　North　of　giving　the　colored　people　of　the　Northern　States　the　ballot；　the　argument　against　it　used　to　be　stated　in　the　form　of　a　question：　〃Do　you　want　your　daughter　to　marry　a　negro？〃　　Well；　the　negro　has　his　political　rights　in　the　North；　and　there　has　come　no　change　in　the　social　conditions　whatever。　　And　there　is　no　doubt　that　the　social　conditions　would　remain　exactly　as　they　are　at　the　South　if　the　negro　enjoyed　all　the　civil　rights　which　the　Constitution　tries　to　give　him。　　The　most　sensible　view　of　this　whole　question　was　taken　by　an　intelligent　colored　man；　whose　brother　was　formerly　a　representative　in　Congress。　　〃Social　equality；〃　he　said　in　effect；　〃is　a　humbug。　　We　do　not　expect　it；　we　do　not　want　it。　　It　does　not　exist　among　the　blacks　themselves。　　We　have　our　own　social　degrees；　and　choose　our　own　associates。　　We　simply　want　the　ordinary　civil　rights；　under　which　we　can　live　and　make　our　way　in　peace　and　amity。　　This　is　necessary　to　our　self…respect；　and　if　we　have　not　self…respect；　it　is　not　to　be　supposed　that　the　race　can　improve。　　I'll　tell　you　what　I　mean。　　My　wife　is　a　modest；　intelligent　woman；　of　good　manners；　and　she　is　always　neat；　and　tastefully　dressed。　　Now；　if　she　goes　to　take　the　cars；　she　is　not　permitted　to　go　into　a　clean　car　with　decent　people；　but　is　ordered　into　one　that　is　repellent；　and　is　forced　into　company　that　any　refined　woman　would　shrink　from。　　But　along　comes　a　flauntingly　dressed　woman；　of　known　disreputable　character；　whom　my　wife　would　be　disgraced　to　know；　and　she　takes　any　place　that　money　will　buy。　　It　is　this　sort　of　thing　that　hurts。〃

We　took　the　eastern　train　one　evening　to　Round　Nob　（Henry's　Station）；　some　thirty　miles；　in　order　to　see　the　wonderful　railway　that　descends；　a　distance　of　eight　miles；　from　the　summit　of　Swannanoa　Gap　（2657　feet　elevation）　to　Round　Nob　Hotel　（1607　feet）。　　The　Swannanoa　Summit　is　the　dividing　line　between　the　waters　that　flow　to　the　Atlantic　and　those　that　go　to　the　Gulf　of　Mexico。　　This　fact　was　impressed　upon　us　by　the　inhabitants；　who　derive　a　good　deal　of　comfort　from　it。　　Such　divides　are　always　matter　of　local　pride。　Unfortunately；　perhaps；　it　was　too　dark　before　we　reached　Henry's　to　enable　us　to　see　the　road　in　all　its　loops　and　parallels　as　it　appears　on　the　map；　but　we　gained　a　better　effect。　　The　hotel；　when　we　first　sighted　it；　all　its　windows　blazing　with　light；　was　at　the　bottom　of　a　well。　　Beside　itit　was　sufficiently　light　to　see　that　a　column　of　water　sprang　straight　into　the　air　to　the　height；　as　we　learned　afterwards　from　two　official　sources；　of　225　and　265　feet；　and　the　information　was　added　that　it　is　the　highest　fountain　in　the　world。　　This　stout　column；　stiff　as　a　flagstaff；　with　its　feathery　head　of　mist　gleaming　like　silver　in　the　failing　light；　had　the　most　charming　effect。　　We　passed　out　of　sight　of　hotel　and　fountain；　but　were　conscious　of　beingwhirled　on　a　circular　descending　grade；　and　very　soon　they　were　in　sight　again。　　Again　and　again　they　disappeared　and　came　to　view；　now　on　one　side　and　now　on　the　other；　until　our　train　seemed　to　be　bewitched；　making　frantic　efforts　by　dodgings　and　turnings；　now　through　tunnels　and　now　over　high　pieces　of　trestle；　to　escape　the　inevitable　attraction　that　was　gravitating　it　down　to　the　hospitable　lights　at　the　bottom　of　the　well。　　When　we　climbed　back　up　the　road　in　the　morning；　we　had　an　opportunity　to　see　the　marvelous　engineering；　but　there　is　little　else　to　see；　the　view　being　nearly　always　very　limited。

The　hotel　at　the　bottom　of　the　ravine；　on　the　side　of　Round　Nob；　offers　little　in　the　way　of　prospect；　but　it　is　a　picturesque　place；　and　we　could　understand　why　it　was　full　of　visitors　when　we　came　to　the　table。　　It　was　probably　the　best…kept　house　of　entertainment　in　the　State；　and　being　in　the　midst　of　the　Black　Hills；　it　offers　good　chances　for　fishing　and　mountain　climbing。

In　the　morning　the　fountain；　which　is；　of　course；　artificial；　refused　to　play；　the　rain　in　the　night　having　washed　in　debris　which　clogged　the　conduit。　　But　it　soon　freed　itself　and　sent　up　for　a　long　time；　like　a　sulky　geyser；　mud　and　foul　water。　　When　it　got　freedom　and　tolerable　clearness；　we　noted　that　the　water　went　up　in　pulsations；　which　were　marked　at　short　distances　by　the　water　falling　off；　giving　the　column　the　appearance　of　a　spine。　　The　summit；　always　beating　the　air　in　efforts　to　rise　higher；　fell　over　in　a　veil　of　mist。

There　are　certain　excursions　that　the　sojourner　at　Asheville　must　make。　　He　must　ride　forty…five　miles　south　through　Henderson　and　Transylvania　to　Caesar's　Head；　on　the　South　Carolina　border；　where　the　mountain　system　abruptly　breaks　down　into　the　vast　southern　plain；　where　the　observer；　standing　on　the　edge　of　the　precipice；　has　behind　him　and　before　him　the　greatest　contrast　that　nature　can　offer。　　He　must　also　take　the　rail　to　Waynesville；　and　visit　the　much…frequented　White　Sulphur　Springs；　among　the　Balsam　Mountains；　and　penetrate　the　Great　Smoky　range　by　way　of　Quallatown；　and　make　the　acquaintance　of　the　remnant　of　Cherokee　Indians　living　on　the　north　slope　of　Cheoah　Mountain。　　The　Professor　could　have　made　it　a　matter　of　personal　merit　that　he　escaped　all　these　encounters　with　wild　and　picturesque　nature；　if　his　horse　had　not　been　too　disabled　for　such　long　jaunts。　　It　is　only　necessary；　however；　to　explain　to　the　public　that　the　travelers　are　not　gormandizers　of　scenery；　and　were　willing　to　leave　some　portions　of　the　State　to　the　curiosity　of　future　excursionists。

But　so　much　was　said　about　Hickory　Nut　Gap　that　a　visit　to　it　could　not　be　evaded。　　The　Gap　is　about　twenty…four　miles　southeast　of　Asheville。　　In　the　opinion　of　a　well…informed　colonel；　who　urged　us　to　make　the　trip；　it　is　the　finest　piece　of　scenery　it　this　region。　We　were　brought　up　on　the　precept　〃get　the　best；〃　and　it　was　with　high　anticipations　that　we　set　out　about　eleven　o'clock　one　warm；　foggy　morning。　　We　followed　a　very　good　road　through　a　broken；　pleasant　country；　gradually　growing　wilder　and　less　cultivated。　There　was　heavy　rain　most　of　the　day　on　the　hills；　and　occasionally　a　shower　swept　across　our　path。　　The　conspicuous　object　toward　which　we　traveled　all　the　morning　was　a　shapely　conical　hill　at　the　beginning　of　the　Gap。

At　three　o'clock　we　stopped　at　the　Widow　Sherrill's　for　dinner。　　Her　house；　only　about　a　mile　from　the　summit；　is　most　picturesquely　situated　on　a　rough　slope；　giving　a　wide　valley　and　mountain　view。　The　house　is　old　rambling；　many…roomed；　with　wide　galleries　on　two　sides。　　If　one　wanted　a　retired　retreat　for　a　few　days；　with　good　air　and　fair　entertainment；　this　could　be　commended。　　It　is　an　excellent　fruit　region；　apples　especially　are　sound　and　of　good　flavor。　　That　may　be　said　of　all　this　part　of　the　State。　　The　climate　is　adapted　to　apples；　as　the　hilly　part　of　New　England　is。　　I　fancy　the　fruit　ripens　slowly；　as　it　does　in　New　England；　and　is　not　subject　to　quick　decay　like　much　of　that　grown　in　the　West。　　But　the　grape　also　can　be　grown　in　all　this　mountain　region。　　Nothing　but　lack　of　enterprise　prevents　any　farmer　from　enjoying　abundance　of　fruit。　　The　industry　carried　on　at　the　moment　at　the　Widow　Sherrill's　was　the　artificial　drying　of　apples　for　the　market。　　The　apples　are　pared；　cored；　and　sliced　in　spirals；　by　machinery；　and　dried　on　tin　sheets　in　a　patented　machine。　　The　industry　appears　to　be　a　profitable　one　hereabouts；　and　is　about　the　only　one　that　calls　in　the　aid　of　invention。

While　our　dinner　was　preparing；　we　studied　the　well…known　pictures　of　〃Jane〃　and　〃Eliza；〃　the　photographs　of　Confederate　boys；　who　had　never　returned　from　the　war；　and　the　relations；　whom　the　traveling　photographers　always　like　to　pillory　in　melancholy　couples；　and　some　stray　volumes　of　the　Sunday…school　Union。　　Madame