Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1884-06-12
given for Col. Haskell, when Mayor Jones
introduced that gentleman.

for the welcome shown him, which he said
should never be forgotten. The praise for
the occasion we celebrate, he said, was not
due to him, but to those who projected the
work ten years ago. He was only their
representative, and as such we now offer
you the work they have done. We are
here as your servants, your common car
riers, your friends. We will do our work
as common carriers to the best of our ability.
You have beautiful region, inexhaustible
in it's wealth of natural resources, agrlcul-
tural, mineral and timber, and to help you
develop and utilize these resources is our
mission. The associations of the two States,
from their earliest history to the present
day, have been of the most pleasant kind.
1 represent South Carolina as your neigh
Dor, with the sentiment: Let us be as one
in heart, one in hand and one in energy. L
hold in my hand spike-not one OF gold,
nor silver, nor even nickel-plated, but OF
native copper, which it is proposed to drive
as the last remaining spike to be driven IN
the completion of the track of this road;
and while it is not of the more precious
metal, let us hope that it may prove gold
en- spike, indeed, by becoming the means of
developing your country, rich in all the
treasures of nature.
Col. Haskell then descended from the
stand, and was joined by the venerable COL
Greene Moore, IS years of age, and the old
est citizen of Lenoir, and each with sledge
in hand, proceeded to drive the last remain
ing spike to complete the work. On the
spike was engraved "Chester and Lenoir
Railroad.-June 5, 1884," The spike was
driven amid loud and prolonged cheering
of the multitude and the inspiriting strains
of the band, and when the last blow, by
Col. Moore, was struck, Col. Haskell an
nounced that "the work is now completed
by Col. Moore" Of the four elderly citizens
of Lenoir who first broke the ground on the
Caldwell county contract, viz: Col. Greene
Moore, Rev. Jesse Rankin, Col. James Har-
per and Rev. G. H. Rounds, Col. Moore is
the only survivor; and as he threw the first
dirt, near the same spot, it was deemed en-
inently proper that he should WELD the last
blow in the completion of this important
work. The ceremonies at the railroad were
thus terminated, and the procession re-
formed and moved to the public square,
when Chief Marshal Leventhorpe announced
the programme concluded. 1t had been ar
ranged for Col. Robert F. Armfeld, ofStates-
Vile, to deliver an address from the balcony
of the Central Hotel but that gentleman
was unavoidably detained as important
counsel in the Superior Court of Alexander
county, and to his own regret and the dis
appointment of many others could not at
tend.
At 12 o'clock the meeting of the stock
holders was held in the Court House.
At night ball was given in the Jones
House, and until an early hour Friday
morning the youth and beauty of the Caro-
linas Joined in the mazes of the dance.
Thus ended the festivities Of the GEL
ebration of an important event in the his
tory of Lenoir, and an occasion around
which will long cluster pleasant memories
to the many guests of her hospitable citi-
zens.
Notwithstanding the large assemblage,
not an unpleasant incident occurred during
the day. Lenoir being prohibition town,
there was no intoxication, and the crowd
was remarkably quiet and orderly.
Lenoir, as our readers know, is "moun-
tain town." It is situated, as citizen re-
marked to US, son hill in valley, over
looked by the mountains of the Blue Ridge"
Its population is about 600. AS may have
been learned by reading the above, her
citizens are hospitable, and their refine
ment is equalled only by their hospitality.
The town has several fine residences, large,
we'll arranged stores, three churches-Epis-
copal, Presbyterian and Methodist, and a
Baptist church in course of erection-and
has long been seat of learning, its schools,
male and female, ranking with the best in
the South. 1t also has circulating library
of about 1,5O0 volumes. AS a summer re-
sort, now that it has railroad facilities, the
town, with the necessary hotel accommo-
dations, will prove strong rival to any IN
Western North Carolina. The mountain
scenery is not grand, perhaps, compared
with that of Asheville, yet it is attractive.
Hibriten Peak, distant from the town five
miles, is 1922 feet high, and the top of it is
accessible by good carriage road. East
of the town and in full view, is Brushy
Range, the terminus of the Blue Ridge. To
the north of the town lies long chain of
mountains, "Grandfather Mountain" being
the most prominent. A fine view of this
chain is obtained from the female college.
The resources of the county are mainly
agricultural. Some attention is given to
stock raising, and tobacco could be made a
staple crop. Wheat, however, is the prin-
cipal product, and this is produced to per-
fection. The best quality of flour that is
produced is turned out from the mills, and
to keep abreast Of the times miller is fit
ting up machinery for making flour by the
"patent process" Caldwell is also rich in
timber. Until recently farmers used wal
nut for fuel, and we were told that even now
they will haul it to town for $3.50 per cord.
Another industry is the development of
the botanical resources of the section. There
is marketable value for over ninety va
rieties of medicinal roots, herbs, flowers,
barks, &C., all of which are obtainable on
the mountains of Caldwell, and are regular
ly gathered and sold in the stores. The bu-
siness of the town is about 250,00O pounds
per season. The most valuable Of the roots
is ginseng, which, by the time it reaches
China, commands it's weight in gold. These
herbs, roots and barks are baled and ship
ped to European markets, and the handling
of them requires considerable capital.
The merchants of Lenoir are wide-aWake,
enterprising men, and now that they have
railroad facilities, we predict that they will
take on renewed activity and make their
beautiful town what it deserves to be-one