The weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 186?-1869, 1868-09-16
n the Standard.
Western North Carolina.

anticipated. The Blue Ridge now stands
between me and Springfield. At Springfield
was surrounded by Quakers, at Asheville
by mountains. gu ra.
.-4r 81 CENTRAL LOCALITY. eai ..'t 81
1t hardly matters what part of Western
North Carolina the traveller is aiming to
reach, Ashcyilc seems to be the first place
to get to. 1t is sort of natural capital of
this mountain region. 1t is by con-
siderable, the largest town of Western North
Carolina, and in every sense the most i'm
portant. It is sixty miles from Morganton,
the terminus of the Western N. G. r. r.,
the same distance from Greenyille, S. c., the
terminus OF the Railroad to Columbia, anG
it is the same distance from Greenville, Ten
nessee, depot on the Va. & East Tennessee
Railroad. 7e ?"
The routes to Asheville, from other Sec
tions are numerous enough; but to Rail-
road traveller they all seem exceedingly
rough. Macadamized turnpikes oush to
have been made to it half century ago
The route from Morganton over the Blue
Mountains. is a disgrace to the North Caro-
lima Legislature from the beginning down
to the charter for a Railroad over the route.
In q few years. however, the State of Bun
combe will be independent of turnplkss
from that side; as it is believed here the
Rail Road from Salisbury one day will be
here Should this be SO, I predict new era
in Western North Carolina. Indeed the
commotion is already felt. Every eye seems
to sparkle with hope of more prosperity,
more trade, more people. While write
this, there is in session, in the hotel where
am, company of land owners and an agent
from Europe. Probably half q million acres
are represented, by the owners themselves,
and the agent, himself an European, but for
some time resident in this country, starts
next Tuesday for the old country, to conduct
large colony of Germans to Western North
Carolina Many or them are already en-
gagged, and the prospects are, that they will
be here in a reasonable time. l.a
"Come on, MacDuff,
And kicked be he who first cries, hold, enough
CLIMATE. ,ea
In summer, Asheville is one of the finest
of all retreats from the heat of the lower
sections. 1t is 2,200 feet above the level of
the sea, and yet it lies in a valley. The
Swannanoa and the French Broad joins near
the town and flow West 1t is surrounded
by mountains These three facts, the great
elevation, the well-watered valley and the
mountain-belt makes it delightfully."- cool in
Summer, yet correspondingly cold in Winter.
A professional gentleman of the town, who
has been long accustomed to note the state
of the thermometer, says that during July
QS6S) the mercury got up to SO, the highest
he has ever known it to rise here "They
say" it was the only time this Summer, 50 far,
when a blanket was not comfortable. Thiak
of that, with your Palmetto fans and mos
quito bars. - r..- t.sa.. .t
SURROUNDINGS
Asheville is surrounded by mountains, al
though the valley in which it lies has area
enough for large city. From an elevated
spot in the vicinity, one can count one or
two hundred mountain tops, of all varieties
of shape, sharp, abrupt, fat, etc, and prob
ably not one is without a name, and a name,
too, which is significant. Here stands
Mount Pisgah, and there is the Cold Noun
tain, and Elk Mountain, Balsam Mountain,
Mount Zeaden, Beau Catcher, Spring Creek
Range.
SHEEP AND CATTLE.
Much of the land in these twelve or fifteen
counties is mountain land, and it is a natu-
raj pasture. As purpose giving you an
entire letter on what is done in cheese ma.
king next week, will say nothing now on
that feature. But, at glance, this is evil
IDENTIFY natural sheep pasture. There are
millions OF acres here now ready for sheep.
1t only lacks fencing The success of wool
growing only lacks the effort. IF sheep
raisers want only a country ready to their
hands, and include in this readiness, fine
homes already built, refined society, dense
population, an abundance of towns, villages,
drug stores, carpet stores, book stores, Jew
elry stores, gas factories, news depots, chrys-
tai palaces, ice cream saloons in fine lawns
dotted with marble statues of men, women,
lions, hounds, lambs, hoop skirted babies,
canary bird cages, poodle pups, and the
like, they will not. find them here. Land
in such regions is worth three hundred
dollars an acre. But those who seek coun-
try of fine health, rich soil, good grass, pure
water, good water power, beautiful building
sites, and logs a plenty for building, fire
wood enough for rousing fires in the winter,
butter and milk of the best quality, all for a
dollar or two an acre, here it is.
At night there is a good breeze in summer
Places can be found a mile or two apart,
which are almost as extreme as New York
and North Carolina. In valley frost is
hardly known, whilst on the adjoining noun
tain the winter is severe. Here is the natu-
raj home of the sheep, cool retreats, album
dant-warm spots when needed-grass
abundant everything but the effort. In the
warm spots pasturage comes carly, in the
cold spots it is late. This gives long sea-
son-say nine months out of twelve
Even~the poor breeds now here do well.
But improved sheep would enrich their
owners, especially on lands that cost so little.
The temperature is almost reproduction
of that of Spain, when the Merino sheep is
born. 1t is a dry atmosphere, and cool, just
what the sheep wants. Il. .- ~.
The hooks of the Turnpike Company
show that before the war between two and
three million dollars worth of cattle passed
over their road per annum, on its way to
Southern markets-Columbia, Charleston,
etc. Most of this came from Kentucky and
Ohio. When here, it was about half way to
market. IF Ohio and Kentucky stock rails
ers can send SO far to market, certainly those
counties here can afford it, with as good
country batting the Improvement ,Notcn-
ly sheep, but beef cattle can be made to do
as we'll Already, three years after the war,
this country is filling up with cattle, and
you see them "on thousand hills" fat and
fiourishing good enough fora princes din
ner. A poor beef is rarely seen.
ga avn. IRELAND oUTDoNE.
have this day seen an acre lot which
am well assured once produced eleven hun
dred bushels of Irish potatoes 1t did this
but one year. Mr.. Patton, the cultivator,
seems to have acted lilo thn mon who f;rad
pistol at cross the ball plugged the
centre, and the fellow never could be induced
to shoot again, lest he might fail to do SO