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 it--it 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 being--whirled on a circular descending grade, and very soon they
were in sight again. Aga