The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1882-01-05
NOIES.

Of venerated memory, predicted a rail-
way from Beaufort to Raleigh, and on
westward, through the gaps of the Blue
to Asheville; thence down the
French Broad river through the Nigh
ty mountain chain which comprises the
western boundary of the State, into
Tennessee. His theory was that the
locomotive would follow the Indian
and they were known to
follow the Beautiful River 1.-THE
Indian name for Swananoa) from the
tiny spring at the summit of the Blue
Gap, on to the French Broad,
and on to the Tennessee. Were the
old North Carolinian still with us he
might have ridden last week with the
editor of the Farmer and Mechanic
along the entire route which his fancy
painted, ana his faith foresaw, even il
''as through a glass, darkly."
Raleigh p
Durham ~
"Hillsboro |"
Greensboro
"Salisbury!'
"Statesville - Norgantonl' "Ashe-
vile |"
What joyous reflections would the
enunclat:on of these stations, by the
conductors, have awakened in the
breasts OF our patriotic old grand paps
Caldwell, Wilson, Morehead, Graves,
"Junaiuska'' Thomas, and others. =
could they have Joined us in making
the Through Trip" on Christmas
day!
PASSING THE BLUE RIDGE.
The West bound passenger does not
know it, unless he can judge from the
slackenlng of the engine but he really
begins to climb the mountains while
they are as yet an hundred miles dis
tant.
Let US, however, take our start from
Old Fort, whose title recalls the day
when civilization and safety stopped
east of the Blue Ridge; and the settlers
of Burke and Mcdowell shook their
heads at the ha1dihood of old Bacillus
Smith in v%enturing over Swananoa
Gap. The train has been rumbling
slowly along, all the night, and we are
very tired of the usual slow-train bores;
the loud talking party in front, the wo-
a with a bushel basket of babies in
the centre; and the suppressed gigglc
of the ~spooning couple in the rear.
But our WEAKNESS must give place to
interest in the engineering skill, where
oy haJ. Turner and Mai. James W
Wilson have triumphed over Natures
ugllest distortions, and levelled a path
up the slopes of Swananoa. and thro1gh
There is no question that the passage
of the Blue Ridge is a superb piece of
engineering. The figure IS" at Round
Knob whereon the locomotive doubles
and twists, and curves, around the
mountain for miles on its slow climbing
towards the level Of the mouth of the
tunnel, shows skill of the highest order:
and will always afford interest to the
traveller, especially at the point where
he hnds himself looking down on the
path GOO feet lower on the slope) along
ne came half an hour before.
Indeed he will be apt to grow Devil
iered, and begin to wonder
-"ii the chap that made the track.
Was going out, or coming back"
And now We are at the most famous
mud hole Of a State famed for bad
'oads "a mud-hole which has eneulted
tens of thousands of dollars of
taxes; together with the political
popularity, if not the reputation. of
more than one public man. Mud
cut, at first view, is rather disappoint-
ng; and the Boom" booms propor-
lonately. But on closer inspection. il
S seen that a V-shaped slice of twenty
acres has been cut through the noun
AIN, making an artificial Cap al
most equal to the natural one. The
or sides Of the cutting are now
,ery broad; but they are, on the South
ace, Filled with sub-terranean springs.
whose waters percolate through the
oft soil until it is ready to take the
consistency of mush after every pro-
racted rain. Then begins a slow
'ozlng down into the track cutting.
We were shown a tree stump, which
hree months ago stood neal the top of
he slope. 1t has gradually moved
IN with the sliding earth until near
70, inotHot. The cutting has, how
oeeh SO oi.ehad that there i M
Dnger much trouble with 1t !! tborab
Irelght engine had jumped the tracl
be day previous to our passage.
UNDERGROUND"
At last, we reach the highest era
lent, and plunge into the bowels Of
ne rock verifying Nother shipton's
reelection that
Through rocky mills NAN shall ride
MOI morse, nor Ass, be at his aide
The larger of the Swananoa tnnne,S
about 1000 feet in length but 90 H.
1glne slowly feels its way through the
arkness and dense smoke, congbine
az if it didn't like the taste
he distance seems longer, and i, apt 70
'nder the lady passengers yerv nor :
'us. The spoony couple on the hack !
at were forced to hold on to each
.her Tor protection; and there must
ave been more or less electricity in q
lat part of the coach. s.Ouch I t
'uldn hardly git no breath in thar $
san sald Miss Rosy-cheeks, as the train I
lieu out OF the Western portal into G
e beautiful valley Of the dBeautifu Q
lVer' q 1t was not surprising: the e
lacks averaged 1898 to the minnie. II
by the by, there was quite an aco; ?
ut IN the +. I. 4 Va. tunnel on < T.
IS day. The baby should be calIad 4
nder-G round > for its life begsa |;
'ere yours, dear reader, viii end. e E
WEST O. THE RIDGE" =
Oh, far is the vale where the o.
AMANDA glldeS, on its blue, winding. u
Yes, said DR.. W. II Davis II
u ute company We were enjoying a
Ut these people hold their lands Too h;
"a. fonder is a farm for which $40 IN
acre was demanded " years aso Of
was bought recently by Bishop II. II
q 8 son TOR $50 per acre, and hat, II