The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1882-1884, 1883-01-25

IcCGIou w IaiI VI Wa0OH, Dy SCaGe OF
auggy, on foot or horseback, as taste
may induce. And even by the use
of all these means of locomotion it
will take along time to exhaust the
probabilities of this favored region.
Some enterprising genius has had a
min ature river steam boat built, and
launched upon the troubled waters
of the French Broad river, intending
to make daily excursion up that i'm
petuOus stream. So far the scheme
has been failure on account of the
too shoaly channel and too many
rocky distractions. These are to be
circumvented in some way by the
liberal use of dynamite, and the boat
is to make the trip by next season
One of the most noticeable features
Of the town is its gh,paved, cob
ole stone sidewalks-no, "primrOse
paths of dalliance," these especially,
if you have corns. The natives walk
in the street a fashion soon adopted
by the stranger.
The Railroad ride from Asheville
to the Warm Springs, along the
French road river, is a gallery o.
pictures and poetry in roseate tinos.
For fifty miles, perhaps a hundred.
this shallow, noisy river goes ringin :
and leaping merrily over lodges,
rocks, vertlcle strata Of upvurned
granite and natural dams--jumping
over all distractions or drlllin
through them. till it must be out OF
breath and lifeless long before reach
ing its ''tomb by the sounding sea-
Throughout its the race with locomo-
tive it is bordered and fringed by a
mosaic of easy-sloping hills-ides,
solumn pine-cl mountain tops,
nuge beetling cliffs, and grotesque
oolemns that re ,ede into an Infinite
var ETY. OF the happiest phantas-
magoria that ever pleased the eye on
oait1ed description.
The line of the Railroad follows
close to the banks OF the river making
frequent crossings to shun some
threatening Scyl!a only to fall into
the granite jaws Of Charybdis beyond,
from whose destructive crunch es
cape seems impossible. But modern
engineering is equal to the occasion,
and our winged horse bears us On
triumphantly at a rate never dreamed
Of by Jehu or Pegasus.
1t is one of the most ENJOYABLE
Railroad rides in the world. The
ears never follow one direction long
at time, bat taking Hogarth'~ line
Of beauty, ''thro' many a winding
bout of linked sweetness long drawn
out go swerviag from side to side
making all points. of the compass,
using rail and ties with reckless
prodlgalitl that bears about the same
proportion to the actual miles gained
as did Jacks ''intolerabie deal OF
Sack to the penny's worth of bread"
And SO we 90 till Warm Springs is
reached. This is apost-oifice station
OF about dozen houses, situated in
another of those charming little val
leys of the French Broad. Arriving :
mere, almost every body gets off, and
the hustle is quite disproportioned
TO the place. But we are now at
the Southern Saratoga, the fashion
able resort OF both health and pleas
ure seekers from here to the Gulf.
The arrival of the train is the feature
of the day.
Taking our place in line with the
group of pilgrims. we ambled along
at free-and easy route step towards
the preteutions hotel, on the piazza
of which the baud stood playing for
our benefit something like those
thrilling strains When JOHNNY
Comes Marching Home All Of US
would have preferred hearing ''that
tocsln of the sou''-the dinner bell.
Only one hotel is found here tue
proprietor having monopoly OF the
Springs it is useless for other land
lords to enter the field. The Warm
Springs hotel is great, rambling,
three-story, barracks ike structure.
having one or two thousand feet Of
colonade under the light and shadow
of which the peripatetic may exercise
undisturbed by rain or sunshine. A
handsome natural park surrounds
the hotel the river, here grown con-
slderabiy wider, flows in ceaseless
melody close at hand. while beyond,
and embracing all in an irregular
ellipse of majestic, serrated ridges
lie the silent, ever during mountains
beautiful aud satisfying retreat
for bOtn the heart.sick invalid and
the robust sight seer.
One could wish that the hotel
were conducted on more business
like principles, especially the
price of board. three dollars per day.
would amply justify the landlord in
conducting his house more like
Northern resorts where comfort and
luxuries so abound. But seeing that
more guests come here than can be
accommodated that the daily cash
receipts are from one to two thousand
dollars per diem, one half of which is
net profit. and that mine host has
nothing to fear from competition.
perhaps it is not to be wondered at
that the furnishings and accommodate
tiOnS are so execrahla