The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1882-1884, 1883-02-15

And the six months since the com
pletion of it has effected a veritable
revolution, values have been enhanc-
ed, more in that time than in any
century before. Many other ore beds
Of the same quality have been opened
in the neighborhoo Land preparat ions
are maxim. to eject furnaces ut these
points also.
Lumber mills have been planted
in all directions about the terminus
of this road, on both siles of the
Smoky Mountains and the Yellows,
and have climbed nearly up to the
top Of the Roam. Not less than two
million feet of cherry lumber have
been cut already, and it is sent to
market as rapidly as transportation
can be furnished. One mill on Elk
river. near the Grandfather, has al
ready manufactured 100000 feet OF
such cherry timber as the market Of
the North have not known before.
Here are the forests which nave been
described in the publications of the
survey for dozen years, as the
finest on the continent, aul the
typical trees several times described.
thirty-six inches in diameter an |
seventy feet to the first limb, and
containing above 5000 feet Of lum-
Der, worth $3.50 more than the price
of a square mile of these magnificent
forest lands few years ago. The
owner Of this mill recently offered
$4,000 for the cherry timber on g
800 acre tract near the foot OF Grand
father of which the owner was anx-
ious to sell the fee simple a few
years ago TOR 800.
The mill near the top Of the Roam
has manufactures 10000 feet. and
has 1000 trees still to cut, before
being removed to another cove, few
miles distant. Among these is one
Of four and half diam eter, the larg.
est yet measured by these old lum-
bermen. Besides cherry. these mills
are cutting walnut, ash, birdseve
maple, black birch (mahoyany) and
popular, and shipping north and
northwest. The walnut attains di-
ameoer Of eight feet Gn one case
nine); ash, six feet; maple, five ;
birch, five; poplar, eight; and the
forests of these with chestnuts. eight
and ten feet on the slopes and bench
es of the Smoky, strongly suggest
the giant groves Of Marippsa. Some
Of my scientific friends whom [ have
recently met in that region, confess
ed that they had discounted the rep
resentations Of the geological reports
in regard to the ores and the forests,
but now acknowledge that they have
never seen them matched. But the
incidental improvement OF the coun-
try is more important than the direct
and immediate advantages Of the ac,
cess Of the railway and lumber mill.
| The common roads have been gra.
ded and new ones made in a region
most difficult. in order to reach the
market with lumber. And wi h new
and better roads have come new set.
tier, with other industr es also bet
ter houses, AMI better All | more active
intelligent and profitable farming
Within few years p .st it has been
found that the high plateau north of
the Black and the Grandfather, which
until recently scarcely numbered
wheat among its crops. is really one
OF the best regions oil the state just
as it has been found within few
years that it can produce the fine
yellow tobacco along Granville and
Caswell. By way OF further illustrat
ing the rarity as well as Importance
OF the resources of the region and of
the directions in which the new de.
velopnent is manifested, l give one
fact out Of many. Near the base OF
the Granlfatner passel a new and
large and co .nnodious dwelling into
which Il family imniyrated from Vir
ginla had just moved within a week.
fhe farm one of the best iEthe region
mad been purchased during the year
at very low price, paya BILE in five
years. without interest And a crop
OF wild cranberries, Of over two nun.
dred bushels, had been hauled tel
miles to a new railway aud sent tt
the Northern market. SO that this
volunteer crop will easily pay the
purchase money before it falls due
1t would be difficult to fin | the new
country West, or in any other direc-
ton, watch can surpass this in wide
open avenues to prosperity and for
tune for the enterprising. There arr
broad areas Of mountain land, wilder
ness.s yet untouched. with sol
tnaJ, in the middle region of tbs
State, would rank with that Of the
'pottoms,' and such forests as are
never seen east OF the Blue Ridge
rne sound of the ste am whistle, O
the locomotive and lumber mill. ha;
invaded the submits of the Black
the Grandfather and the Roam. Th'
completion Of two or three more rail
road enterprises. already well matur
ed will bring the last OF these magni
ficent Southern Reserves within
the sweep of improvement And be
fore this occurs the United State:
Geolog gical Survey will have mapped
down and advertised to the world it.
hidden mineral riches, for the ,ntei-
ligent direction OF the inIloWing mil
lions OF invading capital.