The Cecil Whig., 1881-11-19

tclligent settlers, and making a personal
examination, they determined that the
plateau embraced within the basin form
ed by Whiteside. Stooley. :>hort-olf. Bear
pen. Black-rock and Fodder stack Noun
tans and their ridges, was the best site
for village in all that wide extent of
mountain country. owing to its geograph-
ical position, Typographical character.
altitude, soil. climate, water, etc. The
trails made by the Indians and wild
animals and followed by the white men
who came after the red man, which, lead
ing from all directions, crossed this pla-
teau through the mountain gaps, d@sig-
mated it as the natural
/ CENTER OF THIS MOUNTAIN REGION
for many miles in every direction. Ra-
/ bun Gap is about fifteen miles south by
! west of this point. and is the only gap
! between Chattanoona and Ashvillc, NC.
through which Il railroad can be built
Both Of these gentlemen, MeSsrS. Hatch
inson and Kelsey, had had considerable
4
/ managing emigration in Kansas and were
qualified for the work they had under
, taken.
! In the Spring of ii. having purchased
a large tract of land forming this plateau.
! they commenced the work of surveying
and laying out q town site. The spot
! was then an unbrol,en wilderness. and to
! destroy some of the forest and open 4
way for emigration and civilization vas
! the work which claimed immediate at
tention. This work has been going on
steadily ever since. New roads have
been opened, old ones changed and i'm
/ proved, leading from this central spot to
every point Of the compass. y saw and
Touring mill have been built on branch
of Sugar-fork River, which flows through
the village. and preparations are being
made to build. the present Winter. an
other saw mill and furniture factory. and
the place gives promise Of becoming in
a few years an
IMPORTANT POINT FOR BUSINESS,
IL large scope of new country being trib-
utary to it as fast as opened up. As Il
Summer resort this is destined to become
one of the principal places in the South
ern States, the air is SO pure and health
ful. and the thermometer never reaches
higher than Sc in the shade in the hot
test weather, with mountain breeze,
gentle, but almost constantly stirring.
Springs are innumerable, and have a tenn
perature Of about - in the hottest
hours of midsummer.
For consumrtives it has been asccr-
tanned that the climate of the Blue
Ridge is not surpassed, if equalcd, in
the United States, and consequently this
place is becoming favorite resort of
persons with weak lungs, and a Summer
residence for people from the hot cotton
regions of Georgia and South Carolina.
The past Summer there were more viSi-
tors and tourists than could be well ac-
commodated. and q few good, well-man-
aged hotels for the accommodation of
October. The population gathering here
halls from all parts of the United States,
attracted in search of health and to es-
tablish comfortable homes. make farms.
etc.
THE CLIMATE.
While the past Summer has been one
of the most pleasant of any have ever
experienced I cannot speak from per-
sonal experience of the Winters, but
learn that the ground was not frozen
more than two inches last Winter, which
is pronounced everywhere throughout
the country to have been the severest in
fifty years; as the Summer Just ended
has by universal consent been the hot
test. At present it Is thirty miles to
THE NEAREST RAILROAD
station, Walhalla, S. C.. and a toilsome.
weary road up the mountains to the vii
lagc of Highlands, but work is being
pushed from a point near Mt. Airy on
the Airline Railroad toward the Rabun
Gap thence to Franklin. the county seat
of this (Macon) county, and on to kuox-
vile. Tenn. Engineers are also eyamin-
ing the grade of the Blue Ridge Rail-
road, which has been completed 10 Wal
halla for several years, and a large
amount of grading was done before the
war. between the present terminus OF
the road and Rabun Cab. Certainly one
Of these roads, and probably both, will
be built to and beyond the Gap next
summer; and running within thirteen
miles of Highlands. with IN easy wagon
road connecting the latter place with the
. depot. These roads will be the means OF
rapidly opening up all of this fine coun-
try and aifording the most accessible,
healthy and comfortable Summer resorts
for health seekers and others who would
escape from the malarial districts and
heated terms in the lower country of the
cotton belt. If this country was cleared
up and put in grass, for which it is adj
: mirably adapted. it would speedily be-
come one of the
LIZA III NJ i'tlLIh blSlKillS
i in the United States. With mild Win
! ters and cool, pleasant Summers. its
. mountain showers. which will ever pro =
I vent drouth from burning up the pas
= /. tures it would be a dairyman's delight.
when he had once got his perman mt
; pastures established.
;. Few places can be found and none OF
so easy access to equal Highlands i'll its
fine mountain scenery. The high noun
q tain peaks. which are sheer on thciI
5 south sides for two Thousand or more
e feet. are of easy access on their northern
. slopes. This seems to be singular
:. characteristic of all these mountain peaks
s Stooley Mountain, which is a peak 1000
i feet above the sea, and 1900 or l, 400
|, feet above the village of Highlands, car
be assembled on its north side. on which
the town is located, either on foot, or
horseback, or even in Il buggy. so easy
! and full is the trail. \ mile and quar-.
n ter brings the climber to its summit
from which
l. THE GBASDEsT Or VIEWS
!, open before him. Thirty miles away
Y may be seen the town OF Walhalla, auc
It if the atmosphere is clear, ten miles be
> yond, Seneca City and the Airline Rail
road can be iisoerned, while on all side'