the complete writings-4-第37节

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en　with　his　throat　clogged　with　dry　meal；　and　utterly　unable　to　speak。　　The　impartial　John　praised　the　victor　in　mock　heroics；　but　said　that　the　trial　was　so　even　that　he　would　divide　the　prize；　ten　cents　to　one　and　five　to　the　othera　stroke　of　justice　that　greatly　increased　his　popularity。　　And　then　he　dismissed　the　assembly；　saying　that　he　had　promised　the　mayor　to　do　so　early；　because　he　did　not　wish　to　run　an　opposition　to　the　political　meeting　going　on　in　the　courthouse。

The　scene　in　the　large　court…room　was　less　animated　than　that　out…　doors；　a　half…dozen　tallow　dips；　hung　on　the　wall　in　sconces　and　stuck　on　the　judge's　long　desk；　feebly　illuminated　the　mixed　crowd　of　black　and　white　who　sat　in；　and　on　the　backs　of；　the　benches；　and　cast　only　a　fitful　light　upon　the　orator；　who　paced　back　and　forth　and　pounded　the　rail。　　It　was　to　have　been　a　joint　discussion　between　the　two　presidential　electors　running　in　that　district；　but；　the　Republican　being　absent；　his　place　was　taken　by　a　young　man　of　the　town。　　The　Democratic　orator　took　advantage　of　the　absence　of　his　opponent　to　describe　the　discussion　of　the　night　before；　and　to　give　a　portrait　of　his　adversary。　　He　was　represented　as　a　cross　between　a　baboon　and　a　jackass；　who　would　be　a　natural　curiosity　for　Barnum。　〃I　intend；〃　said　the　orator；〃　to　put　him　in　a　cage　and　exhibit　him　about　the　deestrict。〃　　This　political　hit　called　forth　great　applause。　　All　his　arguments　were　of　this　pointed　character；　and　they　appeared　to　be　unanswerable。　　The　orator　appeared　to　prove　that　there　wasn't　a　respectable　man　in　the　opposite　party　who　wasn't　an　office…　holder；　nor　a　white　man　of　any　kind　in　it　who　was　not　an　office…　holder。　　If　there　were　any　issues　or　principles　in　the　canvass；　he　paid　his　audience　the　compliment　of　knowing　all　about　them；　for　he　never　alluded　to　any。　　In　another　state　of　society；　such　a　speech　of　personalities　might　have　led　to　subsequent　shootings；　but　no　doubt　his　adversary　would　pay　him　in　the　same　coin　when　next　they　met；　and　the　exhibition　seemed　to　be　regarded　down　here　as　satisfactory　and　enlightened　political　canvassing　for　votes。　　The　speaker　who　replied；　opened　his　address　with　a　noble　tribute　to　woman　（as　the　first　speaker　had　ended　his）；　directed　to　a　dozen　of　that　sex　who　sat　in　the　gloom　of　a　corner。　　The　young　man　was　moderate　in　his　sarcasm；　and　attempted　to　speak　of　national　issues；　but　the　crowd　had　small　relish　for　that　sort　of　thing。　　At　eleven　o'clock；　when　we　got　away　from　the　unsavory　room　（more　than　half　the　candles　had　gone　out）；　the　orator　was　making　slow　headway　against　the　refished　blackguardism　of　the　evening。　　The　german　was　still　〃on〃　at　the　hotel　when　we　ascended　to　our　chamber；　satisfied　that　Asheville　was　a　lively　town。

The　sojourner　at　Asheville　can　amuse　himself　very　well　by　walking　or　driving　to　the　many　picturesque　points　of　view　about　the　town；　livery　stables　abound；　and　the　roads　are　good。　　The　Beau…catcher　Hill　is　always　attractive；　and　Connolly's；　a　private　place　a　couple　of　miles　from　town；　is　ideally　situated；　being　on　a　slight　elevation　in　the　valley；　commanding　the　entire　circuit　of　mountains；　for　it　has　the　air　of　repose　which　is　so　seldom　experienced　in　the　location　of　a　dwelling　in　America　whence　an　extensive　prospect　is　given。　　Or　if　the　visitor　is　disinclined　to　exertion；　he　may　lounge　in　the　rooms　of　the　hospitable　Asheville　Club；　or　he　may　sit　on　the　sidewalk　in　front　of　the　hotels；　and　talk　with　the　colonels　and　judges　and　generals　and　ex…members　of　Congress；　the　talk　generally　drifting　to　the　new　commercial　and　industrial　life　of　the　South；　and　only　to　politics　as　it　affects　these；　and　he　will　be　pleased；　if　the　conversation　takes　a　reminiscent　turn；　with　the　lack　of　bitterness　and　the　tone　of　friendliness。　　The　negro　problem　is　commonly　discussed　philosophically　and　without　heat；　but　there　is　always　discovered；　underneath；　the　determination　that　the　negro　shall　never　again　get　the　legislative　upper　hand。　　And　the　gentleman　from　South　Carolina　who　has　an　upland　farm；　and　is　heartily　glad　slavery　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