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THE SOUTHERN WORLD, AUGUST l t 1882.
Tallulah Falls.
We were one of an excursion party of
some five hundred that paid a visit to these
falls on the 13th of July. Our route was
over the still unfinished extension of the
Northeastern Railroad, from Rabun Gap
Junction by Clarksville to within one mile
of the beginning of Tallulah’s grand views.
In the elegant coaches of the Richmond and
Danville Railroad, of whose system the new
road forms a part, the passage was quick and
comfortable. Arriving at the terminus, we
“took foot in hand” along the roadway to
the “grand chasm"—one of the lower views,
down the river—avoiding the frequent un
filled! ravines, by tracing a narrow footway
that had been prepared for the convenience
of the excursionists. Suddenly from' the
brink of a tremendous precipice which
caused the quick stepping and eager observer
to shrink back with a feeling of mingled
uwe aud fear, the grand chasm burst upon
the view! We soon recovered ourselves suf
ficiently to approach to the very edge of the
terrible gulf—so suggestive of the jumping
off place which existed in the imagination
of some of the old time explorers of the
great sea on the confines of tbe known
world. Far down, down, four hundred, five
hundred—yes, six hundred feet below us in
perpendicular depth we could see tiie roar
ing, surging, foaming watersof the Tallulah
river. The wall on the side of the observer
is too precipitous to be taken into the field
of view, unless, indeed he lie prone on his
breast with bead hanging over; but tbe prec
ipice on the opposite side of the river could
be seen rising from the water's edge with its
bald, blackish-gray surface—with here and
there a straggling spruce and luxuriant lich
ens that have fastened themselves in the
crevices—until it reaches an elevation cor
responding to the eye of the beholder. Then
it begins to break away at a lesser angle of
ascent—the surface mostly covered with a
stunted growth of pines that struggle for
foothold and sustenance among the almost
solid rocks—until the eye rests on the rug
ged mountain beyond—sixteen hundred feet
above the water that is still wearing and
cutting its channel deeper and deeper. The
distance across the chasm at this place is
very deceptive. It is considered an extraor
dinary feat to cast a stone so that it will fall
into or beyond the river. And yet it seems
as if an apple might be tossed by a child to
the other side.
As we passed from one point of view to
another up the stream on the south and west
side, the beauties and grandeur of the scene
constantly unfold to the eyo. The river in
its tortuous course makes a succession of
falls—fivo distinct ones in number, varying
from forty to eighty feet in perpendicular
pitch—in the course of about two miles.
As we ascend along the margin, the walls of
the precipice on either side become more
precipitous, less in height, and more bare of
tree vegetation, Several projecting points
present favorable views of the ever chang
ing but always wonderful stationary pano
rama— the observer shifting ills position in
stead of the views presented. Among the
most noted of these points are Flirtation
Point, Lover’s Leap and Devil’s Pulpit, from
each of which special beauties may be seen.
We would not forget to note that the rail
road will,extend its perilous course along the
chasm, in some places on the very verge of
the tremendous precipice, where a car jump
ing tbe track would make a sheer fall of five
hundred feet or more I The bold skill of
the engineer has been well illustrated in the
location and construction of a secure road
bed along and across the dangerous crests
and gorges. Nearly the whole work of ex
cavating the numerous cuttings is done by
blasting with powder and dynamite.
Returning late in the afternoon to the view
of the grand chaim from Flirtation Point, we
spent an hour in solitude—only disturbed
by the rumbling and pouring waters far be
low us—In gazing upon the scene and en
deavoring to unravel the cause of this grand
natural wonder. It is quite evident that in
the dim ages of the past, this great gorge or
canon did not exist, and that the opposite
sides of almost solid sandstone were joined
together with only an inconsiderable ravine
between, along which the river took its
course tour or five hundred feet above its
present bed.
The walls of the chasm and adjacent hills
are composed of a species of soft sandstone,
(Pottdam formation) which must also have
once filled the whole of the now void space.
This sandstone is striated and varying in
hardness, in some places appearing as if it
had been the work of rude, but gigantic
stonemasons. The rolling, restles waters be
gan to cut away the soft stone, grinding it to
powder and bearing away the sand and peb
bles towards the ocean. In places where the
stone is harder, the stream was diverted from
its course and made to seek a less obdurate
barrier, forming curves and horseshoe bends
and undermining the sides of the forming
precipices. This process has been going on
for thousands—yea, millions—of! years, no
geologist can tell how long, until the water
has cut the deep gorge' over tw6 miles in
length. Tbe distinct cataracts seem to be
caused by ledges of stone of a harder and
more homogeneous character that have of
fered more resistence to the erosive action
of the water.
Wo did not start to write anything like
an elaborate description of this great won
der. Language—of which we have a poor
command at best—utterly fails in the effort
to give a just conception of the terrible
sublimity of the scenes. Our illustration
fails—perhaps more signally than words—to
pictureoneof the viewsas it actually appears
to the observer on the ground. We have never
seen a print or photographic view of Tallu
lah that gave more than a very faint idea of
the real. It must be seen to be appreciated;
and several days will not more than suffice
to give it a thorough and satisfactory exam
ination.
Orounds near by have been selected for
the location of the Southern Chataugua, a
place for the meetings and Conventions of
Sunday-schools, educational bodies, etc.
The building of the railroad and the com
modious hotels, has made it as easy of ac
cess os it was before difficult; and Tallulah
must become a grand summer resort in the
near future. Visitors from the great Ni
agara even, stand in wonder and awe as they
gaze upon the dark and gloomy chasms and
inaccessible wails of Tallulah, or ramble
upon the surrounding mountains twenty-
five hundred feet above the ocean.
R.
Fiesta Food Not Indispensable.
BY HENRY REYNOLDS M. D.
Flesh is not an indispensable article of
food. One may discard meats of all kinds,
aqd live to old age on fruits, vegetables and
the various grains. The health seldom suf
fers any impairment from such a change,
and often is much improved. Neither is the
vigor of mind nor power of body Impaired.
Not a few of those who have attained to re
markably old age and preserved to a notable
degieo their powers of mind and body, have
been those who lived principally upon vege
table diet. Those nations whose people sub
sist largely on vegetables are not inferior in
mental or physical powers to those who eat
most freely of meats. The hardy Scotch liv
ing on grain and vegetables mostly, is not
surpassed in vigor and activity by the beef
eating Englishman. Tbe Russians, whose
diet contains very little flesh, are noted for
their fine physical development uiul powers
of endurance.
Many of our people eat too much flesh,
causing Injury to their health. The long
train of bilious diseases and gouty attacks
are largely due to eating too freely of meats.
Excess of animal food is also regarded by
some radical writers as cause of consump
tion and other lung diseases. Scrofula, some
forms of kidney diseases, and other affec
tions, are attributed to the eating of too
much meat. Persons who pursue indoor oc
cupations, requiring only a limited amount
of active exercise, are more injuriously af
fected by animal food, than those who lead
an active out-door life. The carnivorous an
imals, like the lions, tigers and wolves, gen
erally arc very active in their habits, taking
a large amount of vigorous exercise, while
the herbivorous animals, like the ox, sheep,
and others, are of a more quiet disposition.
The man who eats freely of flesh, and 1 imi.
fates the carnivorous animals in the activity
of his out-door life, will suffer little incon
venience therefrom, while he who leads a
sedentary life and eats freely of meat will
suffer from various diseases.
The taste for flesh is largely, if not wholly,
acquired, and we ate apt to mistake the crav
ings of appetite for the demands of nature.
Many think that flesh is indispensable. Un
less they have their regular supply of meat,
they feel the want of it—do not feel as strong
os usual—and that no other food with them
can take the place of meat The fact that
they feel stronger after eating meat is re
garded by many as sufficient proof that meat
is just what they need to make them strong,
active, or well. A glass of wine would also
make them feel stronger and active for
awhile, yet they would be aware that the
sensation was merely delusive, and would
soon pass away. The same is true to a con
siderable extent of the first effects of meat.
It exerts a stimulating effect upon the
stomach, which imparts the- feeling of
strength, when first taken. The sense of
strength after meat is felt more immediately
than after a meal of bread and fruit, but
does not last bo long. A laborer on a diet of
bread, fruit and vegetables; will endure to
labor longer without feeling exhausted than
on meat.
Meat is not especially Injurious, except
when excessively eaten. Few should eat it
more than once a day, and then very mod
erately. It is not indispensable, and a fami
ly might get along without it for almost any
length of time, and suffer no real injury, if
provided with a wholesome variety of vege
table food. The health of many families
would be much improved by the change.
Dr. Cragie, author of a work on the practice
of medicine, says: “Diet, consisting of an
imal food, is not requisite, either to preserve
health or to maintain strength, and diet of
articles from which the flesh of animals is
altogether excluded, is perfectly adequate
to the sustenance of the human body in a
state of good health and strength."
Dr. Adam Smith, in his “Health of Na
tions,” says: “It may indeed be doubted
whether butcher’s meat is anywhere a nec
essary of life. Grain and other vegetables,
with the help of milk, cheese and butter, or
oil, (where butter is not to be had,) it is
known, from experience, can, without any
butcher’s meat, afford the most plentiful,
the most wholesome, the most nourishing,
and the most invigorating diet.”
The cost of meats is a serious objection to
their use by large numbers of our laboring
people. To provide beef steak for a family
is a severe tax upon a laborer who has only
his daily wages to depend upon. Many,
however strain a point to furnish a good
supply of meat for the family, believing it
essential to “good living.” Flesh is popu
larly regarded as containing nutriment in a
highly concentrated form. Such, however,
is not the case. Beef contains only about
20 per cent, of nutriment; pork and veal, 24
percent; mutton 30per cent, and poultry
20 per cent. The grains are much more con
centrated food. Bread made from wheat
flour, contains 00 per cent, of nutriment;
com bread 91 per cent, and rye 70 per cent.
Thus it will be seen that the meats contain
less than one-third as much nutriment as
the grains, while their cost is much more.
Meats sell at irom ten to twenty-five cents
per pound, while the grains sell at from two
to four cents per pound. No man should
over-work himself to provide meat for his
family, for they will be just as well off
without it as with it. If a man has means
so that he can afford to purchase meat, then
there is no serious objection to a limited
use of it. No family, however, 'should be
deprived of other necessaries in order to se
cure a supply of meat All the food needed
for a family can be purchased for a compar
ative small sum, in this land of plenty, and
no laborer, who has work, need allow his
family to go hungry, provided he invests his
money wisely, purchasing that kind of food
which is best, and which, fortunately, is
also by far the cheapest.—N. E. Farmer.
Pampas Urns* pinmes.
The sales of pampas grass plumes in all of
our principal cities are very large, and is
growing larger every year. The plumes
make an excellent ornament for rooms in
the winter time and in all houses of any
pretensions in cities the plumes may be met
with. In the latitude of Philadelphia the
plant will not live out in winter unless well
protected, but in California the cultivation
of the plant for its plumes lias become an
industry of some importance. Three quarters
of an acre planted to pampas grass, yielded,
at two and a half centsa head, |500. Another
grower sold all that he could raise at seven
aud a half cents per head. Last year 10,000
head or plumes of this grass were sold from
that region. The plumes retail in Philadel
phia at from twenty five to fifty cents each.
As with all other American productions a
large trade has sprung up with Europe for
these plumes, many large lots finding their
way to England, France and Germany.
The plumes, when cut and placed in the
house will last for years losing hardly any of
their value after several years of use.—Ex.
The Sacramento Bee makes a note of the
fact that there is <n routs to the coast from
China, a consignment of rare trees collected
by Consul-General Denny, among which are
plants of the “candle-tree,” used by the Chi
nese for illuminating purposes. They will
be distributed between the University and
Golden Gate parks, and will, it is thought,
flourish in this climate. Of course the latter
trees are not to be introduced here for the
benefitof the heathen, but simply on account
of their variety, handsome foliage and ex
otic qualities.
JUgriqulttirfil jfjqparbtwiL
A Rival of Hinson Sniff.
Macon County, Ala.
Editob Southern World.—By way no in
troduction may I ask you to read these fu
lines from your old friend, (I mean stranger)
Pos Buts by name. Now I don’t run much
on my name, but I run er heap on er one
horse farm down in these parts—that is, hits
er mule yer no we all’ows call hit er horse
farm down here. Well arter me an all the
boys had got thru hoein’ a mity fine peice
uv yung corn about fourteen foot high down
in the sand hammock this evenin' an we
wus cornin’ or long to the bouse, I felt like
expressin’ myself to somebody by letter
about hit an other crops in this neighbor
hood. Well arter we got to the house an fed
the muTe an turned the stear in the oat
patch to graze, an drawed er bucket uv
water fur Jane,(Jane's my wife you no), an
had partuck uv supper, Sam he went to bed
an Bill, he wanted to go over an see old man
Jurnigantose about gittin’ his buggy to
take Sis Brown to meetin’ in next Sunday,
an Jane (that’s my wife you no) she got all
the chillun er sleep an every thing was still
except the mule er kickin’ at the caf down
at the lot. Thinks I to myself nows er good
time fur me to write about our crops an
ez I’m er subscriber to your paper, I
seed a copy uv hit lyin’ on the table an the
idear struck me to write to you—but says I
to myself, them fellers don’t know me an
may not like about my intrudin’ this ’pistle
in their sanktum, but thinks I, they air in
terested in farmin' an good crops an may
not think hard on hit, so I rit anyhow just
to get rid uv the feelin’ there wus on me to
rite.
Never to the recollection uv mankind has
there been as many oats harvested in Macon
county as there has been this year; why one
uv our big farmers here has made thirty
thousand bushels, an all the small ones has
made enough to do um. I never heard the
like in my life befo uv as many oats as has
been made all over the whole country in
genal—still corn keeps goin’ higher, an what
in thunder is the cause uy this, answer me?
Well ef hits gits up as high as the moon
next year bit wont bother us in this
section fur we wont have hit to buy. I
tell you mister, we hav got corn planted
down here, patches uv hit, whole fields uv
hit, nay! miles uv hit, never seed the like
befo since I wus born. Our black lands
down here is adopted to corn os well as to
cotton an ef the rains keep cornin’ like they
have been fur the last two weeks, the yield
will be ummencible, so to speak; an we can
sing the joyful song uv peace an plenty in the
land as hit use to be in aunty bellum days,
(befo the war you no). Hit 'pears that
farmers air cummin’ to their senses uv late,
takin’ the advice uv you newspaper men,
plantin’ mo grain an taters an less cotton,
rotatin’ uv crops an usin’ mo political—I
mean mo domestik economy at home an less
guano.
Hit will be the salvashun uv this whole
country mister, ef the farmers will only
keep hit up, and hit is the only way by
which we can become a happy and independ
ent people, hit does my old heart good to
see hit goin' on an to no that the future is
brighter fur our chillun. Now while we air
raisin' a good deal uv corn an oats an taters
an so on, we hav got lots of cotton planted
too, but not all cotton like it has been here
to fo. You see we air in a cotton region
down here, hit grows just so, on our black
pararie land without guano. Why show er
farmer down here er sack uv guano an let
him smell hit he would be very apt to run
from hit. Hits no mistake we don’t use bit
at all in this section. Cotton seed, stable
manures an vegetable matter is our favorites
with perhaps a little assid fosfate to make
hit pulverize quick. Now Jane (my wife)
says she's er gittin’* tired uv my Bluin' up
here er riten an er riten an she don't see no
sense in hit and says I must come rite to
bed. Ef she says so I must. You don't no
her,mister like I do an as I have got ergood
days work afore me fur to-morrow, I ’spose
she’s about rite, so I must close fur I expect
that I have taxed your pashunts to much
allso with the forgoln’ subjects. Well I’ll
promise' not to do so any more soon as I am
not much given to riten letters any way,
but sometimes when the feelin’ comes on me
I hav to get it off somehow or ruther so you
must excuse me this time, an write to me
whenever er opportunity offers hitsself. I
will allows be glad to hear from you. My
address is Guerrytown, Bullock county,
Alabama. I mean that is where I get my
letters an papers at you no. Jane's arter
me agin. Pos Burs.