The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1867-09-10
For the Western Democrat.
WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA.
LENoIR, CALDWELL COUNTY, n c., !
September 5th, 1867.

DeptemDeF otuj ICoI'
EDITOR OF CHARLOTTE DEMOCRAT :-1r
these days, when the public press is teemins
with graphic and glowing dseri ptions and in
ducements inviting emigration, energy, capita
and enterprise to the lately acquired Russian
Possessions, the Brazilian Empire, or the Ter
rtorics of the far West, it has occurred to mt
that the resources and attractions of our Western
North Carolina, if properly and truthfully Sc
forth, would possibly show to the world arount
US, that here almost at our very doors there are
ample and inviting fields for the employment G
capital the exercise of energy and enterprise
a1d the prospective development of a great
country--a country that 10 attractions and re
sources, when fully and properly developed, vii
compare with any portion OF this continent 10
native resources or natural grandeur and beauty
and which, instead Of being surrounded or peo
| pied with outside barbarians or moDgrel races
is sparsely settled by staid, hosptable, honest
citizenship-lacking only y 10 energy and the
clements Of progress which their natural diff
cultles and isolation from the great avenues of
travel and commerce may very well account an
atone for. ..r. ..t ...ae.~ .fr7
| If you will allow me space, Mr. Editor, 1 pro.
! pose In. as brief manner as L can to bring to
light some of these resources and attractions
and thus demonstrate that many of the very
|
provoke emigration to other Nations, as we'll as
| to our own far Western Territories, are to be
found closer to home, and that they will be
found not only equal but in many respects pre-
eminently superior to any foreign or far-off por-
tion of the country. | am prompted to this
work not only by State pride and affection, but
from conviction that truth and justice demands
that the resources and> attractions of our own
State should be properly studied, appreciated
and improved, before our citizens are invited
and lured off to invest capital and exhaust enter
prise IN foreign parts-enterprise and capital
that in all fairness and propriety should be en-
ployed in building up, identifying and eleva-
ting own beloved State s.. $685.. 3 .
Western North Carolina commends itself to
the world around US on account, 1st of
OUR CLIMATE.
A residence and extensive practice of med-
cine for period of Is years in this region of
country has left DO doubt on my mind as to the
salubrity, purity and invigorating nature of our
sphere-there always being such an equili
brum preserved between its Thcrmometrica and
Barometrical condition as that invalids, more
especially those with pulmonary diseases, were
neither prostrated on the one hand by heat, nor
their diseases aggravated and their lives
Gangered by dampness, while putrid malarias
and poisonous miasms as local engine of death
have no existence here. Convinced by ex-
perience and observation of these facts, have
not hesitated TO recommend our climate as ad-
urably adapted to the cure and comfort of all
persons, the victims of miasmatic, pulmonary or
blood diseases ... .-..
Western North Carolina commends itself to
the attention of the world around US on account
I'd, of
OUR PRODUCTIONS
In the production of corn, wheat, clover and
grass, we will vie with all other portions of the
country of the same soil and latitude; while in
the production Of tobacco, our country stands
re-emnent, not so much on account Of quantity
as Of the quality. When carefully cultivated
and judiclousIy managed our tobacco will rank
in any market as super fine. But Western
North Carolina will yield to no other country
on the face of the earth in the production Of
fruit. Our apples, peaches, cherries and plums
will compete with any other portion Of the world
in regard to profusion and perfection, and they
will carry with them luscousness peculiar to
the fruits of this mountain region, which fruit
connosseurs pronounce unattainable by the
fruits of other attitudes, however careful and
elaborate their cultivation.
Between the top of the Blue Ridge and the
valleys Of the Yadkin and Catawba there is an
undulatng plateau of table land where the Isa-
bella and Catawba grape natures in great per-
tection aud profusion. 1t needs nothing but
experiment and enterprise to determine whether
or not this plateau of land will not produce the
grape in as great perfection and of as superior
kind it does the fruits. Lying as it does
uJoUe the frost line, there would be the assurance
of never failing crop. This portion of our
State might thus become vast wine producing
country
We notice in the Sd place :aa- '.
Our Soil.
Of this we have every grade and variety,
from the rich alluvial OF the lowands to the
dark vegetable compost deposited on our noun
tain tops Our soil will thus admit of being
tempered by fertilizers to any degree required
by the kind OF crop to rende. it most productive.
But it is the price of our soil, especially these
agricultural fruit and grape lands, that, together
with their intrinsic value, commends them to
the notice of the world around u.s. One gentle
man alone has just completed survey of up
wards Of twenty farms, laid out and arranged
with special view to making ample, convenient
and tasteful homesteads--no one Of which farms
is more than three miles FROM our village; sew
eral Of them join cur village suberbs and are
under the Very shadow Of our Female College.
Upon more than half of these plots of land there
are excellent native springs of water-the whole
range, it will be seen, in easy reach of our vii
lase Churches, College and Schools, The price
of these lands is merely nominal, considering
their advanta gcous location. But risk moth
ing in saying that one thousand such farms
are above described could be procured in this
county alone, which, though at greater or less
distance from our village, need not still be more