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

friends West of the Ridge. They should
not forget the fable of the woman who
was too greedy to be content with a
single golden egg a day, and killing her
hen, lost all. The Railroad hen" is
enriching the mountain towns and vii
lagos by bringing swarms Of summer
visitors: but other attractions, and
other facilities are opening up and If
Western Carolina would really profit by
railway Communications, she must In
crease her population with a thrifty,
intelligent, producing, developing, en-
terprising class, so that not one foot OF
her productive soil shall lie idle. There
are towns in North Carolina, such a 5
LincolntAn, and M~organton, and others,
which expected a shower of prosperity
when the Railroad comes" The
railroad came but the shower wa:
somehow turned aside. History fire.
quently repeats.
ASHKVILLE.
The ride down the valley to Asheville
suggested many pleasant reflections OF
Progress and Enterprise, which have
already done much, but like a gather
ing SNOWFALL will increase h~enceforth
with every step. 1t was eleven years,
to the very day, since the Editor, the
only green thing on top of ground on
that raw, s!eety day, slowly rode a
stumbling horse Owe the icy-pig paths
of Swananoa Gap, and on to Asheville
to start a newspaper, the NORTH
Carolina Cttazen, now prosperously
conducted by Messrs. Furman Il Stone.
The contrast between the Iron Horse
and hired ''Rosinante," twas not
greater than is the face of the country,
as stimulated by the steam whistle.
Wondrous Steam! What gift of Ma
ture has done SO much for Civilization
and Progress A~rchimides lacked only
a lever In order to move the world. F"
The engineer slightest touch upon the
lever of the steam engine starts the
modern world.
Two miles from Southeast of Ashe-
vile, the train leaves the Swananoa,
and, making a curve, runs down the
French Broad to Smiths Bridge
now "Asheville Station" about one
mile from the centre of the town. Here
were ~onnibusses, foundries. shops, and
new buildings, to show how greatly the
young Trans-Montane Capital has
changed since 1870, when the village
boys went swimming at the ricketty old
bridge, and were not likely to be dis
turbed by travellers, male or female.
1t was a pleasing thought that so many
things which the old Citizen urged and
predicted had come to pass; although
the ten years space of time should have
beeA reduced one half, but for the vii
famous effects of Grants eight years
term of outrage and oppression, with
It's natural accompaniment OF mis-rule,
robbery. aud corruption at the South.
II CAROLINA SWITZERLAND.
A moment of suspense (for tae run
from Asheville to Marshal Is only
made when there are enough passengers
to justify it,, and we begin to roll across
the line new railway bridge which is
our first crossing OF a stream whose
rocky roaring will not-leave our ears
until we have passed Leadvale, sixty
miles distant, In Tennessee. The run
between these points is without doubt
the most picturesque III America. Other
routes may follow rivers, and traverse
m untain districts but here is a combi-
n,tiono Of river ard laiiroad, running side
by ids, f. SIXTY miles. at the bottom ola
narrow. winding, gorge, whose rugged
cliffs over hang the river on one bank,
and the railroad on the other: forming
IL DfU pso1aSc Cor Wheelsl
throuSn the a $ network, or wilder.
ness OF mountains, comprising the
Great Smoky Cham which is the
boundary between North Carolina and
tennessee, and embraces the highest
peaks east of the Rocky Mountains.
From Asheville to Marshall, % miles.
the Valley Is wide enough for occasional
residences, such as ''Alexanders." a
acted stopping place in stage-coach
days. The railway station, French
broad, Is just across the river, and
Capt, Rice, an old railroader, is erect
ing a county bridge between them. The
piers arc butt, and ere June, the tourist
can pass from the cars to Mr.. AIexan-
ders porch dry-shod.
But Q the cliffs begin to frowD at
each other, and draw nigh, as if to bar
the passage of the rumbiing train: yea.
ana even the roaring, white trothed
river. Looking ahead, one sees no
outlet through the eternal hills"
whose notched peaks lowered in silent
grandeur and lo%veliness long before
Columbus was a baby, and yelled for
paregorlc during the weary night
watches, when the six foot passengers.
were trying to make a bed out Of a
three foot car seat. But in a moment
the locomotive whisks around a curve,
and again we go on.
sCYLLA AND CHARYDIs.
Ones appreciation of the route from,
Ale1anders to Wolf creek depends upon
ones nerves. The rose of Beauty mast
be plucked from the hedging nettle
Danger. The main cliffs are rugged
and grand. but their Jagged rocks are
only Is inches from your car window.
The purilng, racing, ever changing river
beautiful to look upon lin a picturel,
but the water Is only arms length from
your car wheels, and, in some places. i.
from 9 to 80 feet deep. You see how
1t IS yourself. But the track from
AsheSille to Marshall is in good con
ditlon, and so long as the cars are steady
head can be-''dit.o."
MARSHALL.
~he-connty seat Of Madison is as near
IKE to a Swiss hamlet, as any Amer.
can village can be. 1t nestles in a bend
the gorge, or GALLEY, where there j.
.ust room tor a single street the houses
IN one side of it being close to the
Inns; while those on the other are
lose to the river. The county Jail is .
'artly over the water. The railway for }
ONE time ran through the street, bnt t
nov curves just in rear of the bouses '
~ a .ong %trestle. erected in the shallow