. The Southern States. bluff aboveand sparsely grown overwith trees. Beyond lie theCumberland tablelands, highand rugged. Through thisGap there seems to be blow-ing a constant current ofcool air. No matter howhot it may be on the out-side, here in the shade it isalways cool, and often creek, which divides in-to a north and west branch atthe upper end of the Gap, isas clear as crystal and usu-ally very cold. After heavy trees, massive rocks on oneside and the creek, almosthidden from view by thelaurel, on the other. Thisplace was w o n d e r fu 11 ybeautiful before the so-called improv
. The Southern States. bluff aboveand sparsely grown overwith trees. Beyond lie theCumberland tablelands, highand rugged. Through thisGap there seems to be blow-ing a constant current ofcool air. No matter howhot it may be on the out-side, here in the shade it isalways cool, and often creek, which divides in-to a north and west branch atthe upper end of the Gap, isas clear as crystal and usu-ally very cold. After heavy trees, massive rocks on oneside and the creek, almosthidden from view by thelaurel, on the other. Thisplace was w o n d e r fu 11 ybeautiful before the so-called improvements be-gan. Now the trees havebeen cut down, a broadroad built on one side,a railroad on the otherand a limestone quarry inthe middle. Even withthese destroyers of beautyit presents a wonderfullyfine combination of themassive grandeur of tall,solemn gray rock cliffswith stunted trees growing like bristleson their tops, and the softer beauty ofthe trees and shrubbery at their sidesand on the mountains beyond. Stand-. THKOIGH THE NARROWS. rains, in the usual fashion of mountainstreams it changes its soft ripple for asurging roar, overflows its banks andrushes through the Gap, washing away SOME BITS OF EAST TENNESSEE SCENERY. 47 all obstructions and carrying on itsthen turbid, yellow waters, logs, rootsand debris washed out of the woods. Beyond the Gap lies Powells valley,a soft and peaceful contrast to the wild-ness of the mountain and forest soclose by. This valley is as widelyknown by its fertility as are the moun-tains for their rich mineral miles along the sides of the Cum-berlands there is farm after farm, culti-vated by a fairly thrifty class of people long and high ridge at right angles tothe direction of Cumberland moun-tam. South, across the valley, Bigcreek can be seen winding its wayaround the succession of hills andridges that lie between here and Pow-ells river, several miles distant. This Gap was quite famous duringthe stirring days of 1862-65, and man
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubj, booksubjectagriculture
