Quote:
Originally Posted by Team Sergeant
This fellow is not "camping", not with what he writes about carrying. You'd need a wagon to load all his products and cooking gear. And Lyonnaise Potatoes, is French culinary cuisine........
|
Good catch Team Sergeant, Horace wrote for Field and Steam in the early 1900's ...he had been a librarian and was a bit of a mess. What Horace did was illuminate the wilds of Western North Carolina which for the most part was a closed off chapter of American migration. His AO was Deep Creek in the Bryson City area. He was eventually accepted by the mountaineers who seldom opened up to outsiders. He had money from his articles which allowed him resources to explore the cultural aspects of life in the wilds, he stayed in Summer camps he built, occasionally was a caretaker in small mill cabins and at times lived briefly in Bryson City itself. At the time there were few wagon roads but paths, mule trails and the use of sledges were more typical due to the terrain and vegetation. To some degree, through his articles, perhaps an analogy might be a bit of a Martha Stewart type or you tuber in today's context. What he presented of the mountain culture was the genuine article... A place and time locked in the past due to isolation and culture.
He and his writings are credited with spurring awareness of some horrendous logging and mining practices by big industry which lead to the creation of the Smokey Mountain National Park. He is both celebrated and reviled for these efforts locally.
Edit: Nessmuck/ George Washington Sears is another similar author from a slightly earlier time, he has some intriguing articles worth the read.
Librarian- a compiler of information, to include knowledge of the classics for expanded context.