Show NO PEANUT PEAKS Unnamed Mountains Get Cognomens I RALEIGH N. N C. C The C.-The The last two unnamed mountains of the Appalachian range now are officially Mt Craige and Big Tom following a decision of the federal board on geo geo- geographical geographical geographical graphical names to accept recommendations recommend a made by Gov R. R Gregg Cherry and other North Carolinians And they are not little bitty pea pea- peanut peanut peanut nut mountains either either either-as as any flat flat- lander will tell you after he has climbed them Mt Craige is the second highest mountain in eastern America soaring America soaring feet and topped only by its near neighbor lordly Mt Mitchell Big Tom Tomis is feet high The two mountains twin peaks in inthe inthe inthe the Black mountains just east of Asheville had been known merely as the Black Brothers but this was considered pretty insipid nomenclature ture for such sizeable mounds The Black mountain range is so cluttered cluttered cluttered with high mountains that geographers had paid scant atten atten- attention attention attention tion to the two peaks until recent surveys revealed their superior heights Naming of the higher south fork for the late Gov Locko Locke Craige was prompted by his well known love of the mountains Craige was gover gover- governor governor governor nor of the state from the beginning of the model T era in 1913 when North Carolinians or the first time had travel means to reach their magnificent mountain scenic treas treas- treasures treasures treasures ures to 1917 when only the emer emer- emergencies emergencies g of World War I forced the transformed mountaineer to give up his plans to open every cove of the Mitchell country to every Tar Heel Hee Just that by the way had been accomplished almost to the letter of Craige's plans when World War II came along But designation of the north northfork northfork northfork fork as Big Tom was merely official endorsement of a name which has endured locally tor for half hall a century It was named for Tom Wilson most famous hunter bear the South ever had and a man of such prodigious feats that none of his contempo contempo- contemporaries ever thought of him with without out prefixing Big Unlike the Bunyan of the north- north northwoods northwoods northwoods woods Big Toms Tom's was real With axe and gun and hoe hoehe hoehe hoehe he carved out a pioneers pioneer's empire in the most rugged land this side of the and even before his death he was was enshrined as the greatest mountaineer of the Appa Appa- Big Tom has a passion for bear- bear hunting a fervor he communicated to his son Adolphus and so to his grandson Ewart who today hunts over the acres of Wilson bear lands in the shadow of Mitchell and Big Tom The newly named peaks are the nearest ridges to the north of Mt Mitchell and few persons have ever explored them since they are difficult difficult difficult cult of access Both are covered with a virgin balsam forest and the dark evergreen draped across the peaks gave them their forbidding name t a i Av n x t SCY W M y y W NO LONGER MINUS lINUS NAMES Twin peaks In the Black moun moan mountains mountains of North Carolina long ranking as the last two unnamed mountains of the Appalachian range now are officially Mount Craige right and Big Tom left |