Dismilis Canyon

By Will Welton

Dismilis Canyon is a sandstone gorge in Franklin County, Alabama. Dismals Canyon is one of only a few places where insects called dismalites (Orfelia fultoni, a distant relative of Arachnocampa) can be found. The larval forms of these flies emit a bright blue-green light to attract food and mates. They cover the canyon the canyon is home to two waterfalls, Secret Falls and Rainbow Falls, and six natural bridges. It was declared a National Natural Landmark in May 1974.
The canyon, located 10 miles west of the Sipsey Wilderness, was first inhabited by Native Americans over 10,000 years ago. When Europeans arrived, they gave the canyon its name. Some believe it was named for the Dismals in Scotland, some say it was because early pioneers thought of it as being a supernatural place. Whatever the reason, Dismal Canyon is now known as Alabama’s last secret hiding place.” Chickasaw Indians were held captive in the canyon for two weeks before embarking on a forced journey along the Trail of Tears. Several outlaws have allegedly hidden in the canyon, including Jesse James, Rube Burrows Gang and Aaron Burr one of the Vice Presidents of the United States.
Along the canyon floor the temperature drops 14 degrees, a true respite from the Alabama heat of summer. The path along Dismal Branch is vibrant green with moss and ferns, such as Secret and Rainbow water falls and the towering boulders of Witch’s Cavern and Temple Cave. There are six natural bridges of rock and water flows at times under the rocks. Of course there’s this little oddity known as the Dismalites (Orfelia fultoni, a distant relative of Arachnocampa). They are known as natures glow sticks for each night after twilight these young larvae emit a bright blue-green light to attract food. It is a spectacular natural light show illuminating the canyon.

Allan Pinkerton put several men full time on the James-Younger case and pulled out all the stops in trying to capture of kill the James-Younger gang. Some of his operatives were under cover agents for years even though they did work other cases at times.
In Franklin County Alabama there were as many as fifteen Pinkerton Agents on occasion working to catch the James-Younger gang. Twice the Pinkerton agents with Deputy U.S. Marshals rode into the Dismals Canyon area after the outlaws to no avail. The Pinkertons also went into Jackson County Alabama hunting cave where the James Gang might hide. One occasion they had a running gun battle with outlaws and found that they were no part of the James-Younger gang but the men which were confronted were wanted for stagecoach robberies in Mississippi.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Will Welton
• Release date: Mar 18, 2012
• ISBN: 9781476486420

Will Welton

I grew up during the 1940’s and 1950’s, in the Choctaw (McCurtain and Choctaw Counties) and Creek Indian (Okmulgee County) Nations of Oklahoma, with the spoken languages of Choctaw, Ojibwa, Spanish and English was an asset in my knowledge of story telling. Most of the time I lived on Jamaica Street in Idabel Oklahoma. My stepfather knew a lot of the old outlaws of the late 1800 and the early 1900. there were a lot of old men living on the street that my stepfather said were old outlaws and old lawmen from earlier times.When I entered school I had trouble with writing down the English language for the way we spoke where I lived was not what I was being told so my writing was atrocious. As I advance in the grades at school my writing was not getting better. I got a job working doing part time work at the State Theater when I was only ten years old. A reporter, that worked part time at the theater when the owner was out of town or needed to do other things, for the McCurtain County Gazette told me, “Write down the stories and the things you have done in life for some day they would be useful in keeping the tales of the old folks alive after we all are gone.” I took his advice and he helped me in my writing of what I heard in the neighbor hood and it helped me immensely in junior and senior high school at Idabel.I was working various jobs from the age of twelve doing things from cowboy, working with cattle, loading lumber or fence post on to trucks, building fences and farmer, hoeing cotton, picking cotton, stripping corn, and plowing. When got my driver licenses I started driving small trucks and hauling freight and hay. Form there I went to work for the Saint Louis San Francisco Railroad as a labor and later carpenter rebuilding wooden bridges to holding, the positions of Foreman of a bridge gang.I enlisted in the army as a buck private and worked my way up in rank to hold the position of Command Sergeant Major of a battalion in the Army. The experience gave me the opportunity to meet a wide variety of people. I was medically discharged from the military with an honorable discharge. After a few years and I got my health up and running, so to speak, I did construction work until finally being forced to retire completely because of my health.Moving near Russellville Alabama because my two sons came to this area to work and raise my grand-children. After over twenty years here on the mountain top my wife and I bought coming to this area we enjoy the people and the country side. Now I live and play near the Crooked Oak community near nine of my grand-children and my one great grand children.I have written short stories, young adult books, free lance magazine articles, articles for several news papers and write novels about the tales of the old folks when I was growing up. In addition, to the western novels, I have also written two mysteries of modern day times.

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Dismili

Canyon

Author

Will Welton

Smashwords Edition

ISBN: 9781476486420

Copyrights 2012

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, and incidents either is products of the author's imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental unless other wise noted.

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Dismilis Canyon is a sandstone gorge in Franklin County, Alabama. Dismals Canyon is one of only a few places where insects called dismalites (Orfelia fultoni, a distant relative of Arachnocampa) can be found. The larval forms of these flies emit a bright blue-green light to attract food and mates. They cover the canyon the canyon is home to two waterfalls, Secret Falls and Rainbow Falls, and six natural bridges. It was declared a National Natural Landmark in May 1974.

The canyon, located 10 miles west of the Sipsey Wilderness, was first inhabited by Native Americans over 10,000 years ago. When Europeans arrived, they gave the canyon its name. Some believe it was named for the Dismals in Scotland, some say it was because early pioneers thought of it as being a supernatural place. Whatever the reason, Dismal Canyon is now known as Alabama’s last secret hiding place." Chickasaw Indians were held captive in the canyon for two weeks before embarking on a forced journey along the Trail of Tears. Several outlaws have allegedly hidden in the canyon, including Jesse James, Rube Burrows Gang and Aaron Burr one of the Vice Presidents of the United States.

Along the canyon floor the temperature drops 14 degrees, a true respite from the Alabama heat of summer. The path along Dismal Branch is vibrant green with moss and ferns, such as Secret and Rainbow water falls and the towering boulders of Witch’s Cavern and Temple Cave. There are six natural bridges of rock and water flows at times under the rocks. Of course there’s this little oddity known as the Dismalites (Orfelia fultoni, a distant relative of Arachnocampa). They are known as natures glow sticks for each night after twilight these young larvae emit a bright blue-green light to attract food. It is a spectacular natural light show illuminating the canyon.

The Freedom Hills of Franklin County, Alabama,(now located in Colbert County) were once a dangerous place for officers of the law.

In or about the year of 1833 soldiers ordered by President Andrew Jackson to round up all Native Americans at gun point in the state of Tennessee, and force them to be removed by barges and boats down the Tennessee River to Oklahoma, (Later called the trail of tears.) One such barge run aground at the Muscle Shoals, for the Tennessee River was very low at that time, while waiting for the river to raise the natives run low on food and some of them ran away into the Freedom Hills of Franklin County. I found this information in a history book at the library in Hamilton, Alabama several years ago I don't remember which book but several books are written about the Freedom Hills

The living was very hard in the cliffs and caves but there was lots of good hiding places and they were tough people, I have been told that they got corn some way, Cooked it by holding it on the cob over an open flame until it turned brown, then shelled it and beat it between two rocks until it became a powder then boiled it in a pot. Eating and drinking the soup. They also cracked hickory nuts boiled them in a pot and using the oil that came to the top for cooking food etc. There were wild animals to hunt and fish in the big bear creek so they managed to eat.

Some years later they made contact with people that would buy wild cat whiskey and ship it north so most everyone went into business. They were already wanted by the law at that time for just being born who they were so they had nothing of lose now for the first time they had money and their life style began to change for the better.

Some times strangers, (lite skinned men) began to come around asking questions about the whiskey making operation going on in the area. The natives began to feel their freedom and life style was in danger from these fancy talkers, so to solve this problem would be to shoot them from ambush and that was what they did from time to time. For several years (and could be now) it was very dangerous for nosey strangers to come into the Freedom Hills. The natives were like a band of brothers they worked together for their common cause FREEDOM. They would help others that were having trouble with the law.

Thanks to the records of The Pinkerton Detective Agency and records at the Smithsonian Institute.

Allan Pinkerton put several men full time on the James-Younger case and pulled out all the stops in trying to capture of kill the James-Younger gang. Some of his operatives were under cover agents for years even though they did work other cases at times.

In Franklin County Alabama there were as many as fifteen Pinkerton Agents on occasion working to catch the James-Younger gang. Twice the Pinkerton agents with Deputy U.S. Marshals rode into the Dismals Canyon area after the outlaws to no avail. The Pinkertons also went into Jackson County Alabama hunting cave where the James Gang might hide. One occasion they had a running gun battle with outlaws and found that they were no part of the James-Younger gang but the men which were confronted were wanted for stagecoach robberies in Mississippi.

July 1874

Hunter Huntley took the telegraph flimsy from the operator wearing the green shades with pushed up shirt sleeves held there with red garters. The operator cracked a few jokes which Hunter thought not very well. He hoped the man could use the Morse code better that tell jokes.

Hunter Huntley

Finish job. Main office now.

Allen

Hunter read the message, looked up at the operator, and asked, Is that all?

Yes Sir I even asked for a repeat. The operator said.

Hunter turned and walked over to the station agent across the room. Give me a ticket to Chicago.

One way or round trip? the agent asked.

Make it one way.

Train leaves in two hours if you want the first train going east.

Hunter took the ticket and without saying a word he left the depot and walked the four blocks to the Palace Hotel. Even at this altitude here in Denver the heat was still very oppressing in the summer. Entering the lobby he just glanced around as he made his way to the stairs. Hell he though about every town has a Palace Hotel of some sorts. This one sure is not a palace for Pinkerton would not approve the expense if it had been.

After packing his valise and insuring his rifle was still safely snuggled in the hand made case he left the hotel and walked back towards the railway depot. Being hungry he stopped at a small café and inside he found out how small it was for it only had a long bar type counter. There not being many people in the café Hunter took the barstool near the kitchen. The heat was almost unbearable in the confined room however the front door was open and there was a breeze coming through the building.

Hunter had finished eating and as he walked towards the depot. There was a tobacco shop and he stopped to buy two packs of ready rolls and then he walked down towards the depot and he bought a Kansas City paper and a Chicago paper, even though they were a week old, from the news stand on the corner. He could hear the train engine pulling into the station and he walked briskly on towards the loading platform. He waited until the mad rush of people to board the train was over and then he boarded the passenger car near the caboose and took a seat near the front of the car. That way there would be less smoke and ciders from the engine getting into the cars. This time of year it was almost a must to have the windows down to allow cooler air to be able to breathe for the passenger cars were hot.

It had been a miserable three days and two nights of ridding or changing trains before arriving in Chicago. Even though he had rented a sleeper berth, on the sleeping car, for two of the nights he did not get much rest. As he laid in the sleeping berth he cold feel the sway of the car as well as hear the constant clacking when the wheels would hit each joint of the rail. Disembarking from the train Hunter, walked across the terminal, the bags seemed to weigh a hundred pounds. He thought to him self he must start packing less. On the front walk he hailed a cabby and rode to the Palace Hotel. Entering the lobby, he could see that very little had changed in the past year, as he walked over to the main desk the clerk asked, Will you be staying long Mister Huntley?

No Gilford probably not however for tonight would you have steak and all the trimmings with a bottle of Brandy sent up to the room. I want one of them rooms with a bath.

Gilford rang the bell on the desk top and a black bell hop came running over to take the key from Gilford. Gilford said, Take Mister Huntley to room 302 and draw him a bath. The bell hop reached for the valise and rifle case but Huntley did not like someone to handle his rife for fear they might break the rifle scope attached to the top of the Winchester rifle.

The bell hop had a look on his face of disappointment until Hunter said, No offense but I’m the only one to carry this case. Hunter waved the bell hop on towards the stairs carrying the valise.

In the room Hunter laid out a clean suit of clothes and dropped two sets of dirty clothes from the valise along what he was wearing in a pile. He could hear the water running in the bath room which was a new thing to the hotel industry. As the bell hop came out of the bathroom Hunter said, Could you please see that my laundry is done no later than noon tomorrow.

Yes Suz I surly can. The bellhop said and picking up the dirty laundry he left the room.

After soaking till the water turned cold for he had not been able to have a good bath in a week. He had only cleaned up in a spit bath, so to speak, washing off some. While he was on the train there had been no opportunity to clean up.

There was a knock at the door and Hunter let the room service in with the little push table on wheels. The man set the items of covered dishes on the small eating table and left. Hunter set down to a good meal for on the train ride he had bought sandwiches and such from hawkers selling food when the train stopped at a station or water stop. Some of the food he had bought had not been fit to eat and after taking a few bites he had thrown the food out of the window of the train.

The next morning after eating in the hotel dinning room, Hunter hailed a cab and went to the Adams Express building. He knew that one of these days Allen Pinkerton would get the name on the building changed. Entering the building Hunter took the stairs for Allen’s office was on the second floor. The halls had carpet runners to keep the sound of foot traffic in the hall from being loud. Hunter entered the outer office and Milley smiled saying, Allen has been wondering when you would get here Hunter so you just go right on in the office.

Hunter smiled and replied, You grow lovelier with each sunrise Milley.

Then she smiled and said, Hunter are you sure you’re not from the Emerald Isles because you’re full of blarney.

Hunter winked at Milley as he entered the office, after knocking, and Allen was setting near the desk looking out over the city. He turned his head and said to Hunter, Have a seat Hunter we need to work something out.

Hunter set down in a relative plush chair and took his hat off sticking it on his crossed legs boot toe. Hunter knew something was up for usually he got his instructions through the mail. The only time he came to the office to talk with Allen Pinkerton was when something special came about. They set there for a few minutes and Hunter built him a cigarette from the tobacco pouch in his left coat pocket. As he lit the cigarette Allen asked, You hear about the James-Younger gang?

I’ve hear a few tales.

They killed and tortured Joseph Whicher March 10th. Word is it was Jim Anderson, Arthur McCoy, Frank and Jessie James. On March 17 they killed another two of our agents, Lull Allen and Dick Hamm’s along with a Deputy Sheriff Ed Daniels. Milley brought in two mugs of coffee and gave the men. After she had left the office Allen went to the bureau and retrieved a bottle of Peach Brandy.

He poured a liberal amount of the brandy into the coffee cups and as he set down he said, We started trying to get the James-Younger gang since June of 71. Not long afterwards they robbed the Ocobock Brothers' Bank at Corydon, Iowa then they went to ground. We lost track of them until in April of 72 when Jesse and Frank James, Cole and John Younger, and Clell Miller rob the Bank of Columbia at Columbia, Kentucky. Then poof they dropped off the face of the earth and not an agent could find out anything of where the James was at for they kept on the move or went to ground. Allen took a sip of his coffee mix and brought out his pipe to smoke.

As he was packing his pipe he continued, Then in January 74 they surfaced again and hit a stage coach for the first time down in Arkansas near Hot Springs. They only got about 2,000 dollars. Jan. 31 the James-Younger Gang robs a train at Gad's Hill, Missouri and the take was supposedly 3000 dollars. So the train company said but the Adams Express told me they lost over twenty thousand during the robbery. The robbers are Jesse and Frank James, Cole, John, and Bob Younger, Clell Miller, Arthur McCoy, and Jim Reed. That was a long jump in territory and they must have held up in the Ozarks of Arkansas. Then in February they were in Bentonville, Arkansas and hit the Craig and Son general store of around two-hundred dollars and several sacks of food supplies.

They must have been heading south for in May 1874 the James-Younger Gang robs a stagecoach near Austin, Texas. The robbers were Jesse James and Bob Younger, with around three more accomplices, probably Bill Chadwell, Clell Miller, and Charlie Pitts."

Hunter had just been listening for he had known about some of the robberies however he did know that his friend Whicher was killed by the James gang. What can we do Allen for every time an agent gets close the James gangs they up and disappear or they kill any law or agent around?

It has been said that the Circle of the Golden Knights always gave aid to Jessie and Frank because the two always leave a small amount of money for the local widows of Confederate Soldiers. We ever get a toe hold in that bunch and we might get a good lead on the hide outs of the James gang. There is a pattern of the robberies and when we get that figured out we will stomp them down. I’m sure going to and coming from the reported robberies that there are more that are not reported. We just lucked out on hearing about the one over at Bentonville, Arkansas then down to Hot Springs. The coffee cups were empty and Allen poured them each a half a cup of brandy.

Well have we got anybody working on the angle of joining the Golden Knights? Hunter asked as he sipped his brandy and took the small box of ready roll cigarettes which were a new thing on the market. If he didn’t do something soon he would be drunk on the brandy for it was a good quality.

Thornton Jones is at Memphis and he may have got into the Golden Knights. I want you to go to the Lafayette Hotel and register under the name H. H. Beckworth. Jones will contact you. Heading south you should not be able to use your real name because you have worked Kansas and west usually. You may have to go under cover for as long as it takes however you might be able to steer other agents towards some of the men we are hunting. But don’t blow your identity doing it. When you gona leave town?

Turn in the expenses and pickup a few things at the stores. I should be able to leave on the train tomorrow.

Stop at information and get an up dated list of the gang and their alias. There are some new photographs and sketches on the board for you to become familiar with for some of them might be where you are headed. Keep in touch. Oh since you are good at drawing maps and pictures make us a map of the area and the best places to look for hideouts. Allen said and he left the room while Hunter was just standing. Hunter got the list of information and his money which he had been out on traveling. The pay clerk also had given him a thousand dollars for expenditures. It seemed that Allen had authorized the money two days ago for Hunter to have for expenses.

Hunter’s next stop was the old gunsmith at Gutters Firearms. Entering the shop he saw a wide array of rifles lining the walls and a rack of rifles down the middle of the store standing in a rack. There were glass cases around the room which had pistols and knives on display.

Hunter walked up to the pay counter and a young man came out of the back and asked, May I be of help to you Sir?

Is Hans Gutter in today? Hunter asked, as he looked at a rifle hanging from deer antlers, over the doorway the young man had entered the room thorough.

He is in the back but no longer helps the customers.

I want to talk to him. Hunter said as he went to a break in the gun cabinets and started around the counter.

"Just a minute you can’t