The Asheville citizen. [volume] (Asheville, N.C.) 1885-1889, 1885-05-23
iFor the AshevlIIe CiTIzEN
SOUTHWARK AND WEST.
THE TRAVELS OF AtoITIZEN OF
AsHEVILLE.
Where lid gog What did / seer
what kind Of q country i, ,ft.7

ASHEVIILE.
Where aid 60 2 what did I seer
What kind OF country is it7 SIC
To answer the above fully, L would
have to be much better gifted ingiying
details and have much better powers Of
description, in fact would have to be
possessed of reportorial genius.
Not suspecting that / would ever be
requested eto write up my trip9or much
less ever attempting it, took not single
note; brt gave only passing notice to
places or events. So / can give only an
[incoherent or unsystematic statement Of
where I. went and what saw, as best
my memory serves me.
At Warm Springs called for ticket
to New Orleans and return'in forty days,
stating route desired, but was informed
ttslt such a ticket could filot be had at
that Office So / took another under
protest But at Knoxville the general
passenger agent exchanged tickets as
desired. This took me over roate with
which was for part the way familiar.
These scenes being unattractive left me
to muse on my environments and I fell
to observing faces and manners and
reading characters. For the sweetest
and purest traits, Bob Burns, Will Carl
ton and others would lead us to, the
humber walk in life; but my observa-
ticrs prove that the s"cottagersp haven't
a monopoly Of all that is lovely or love-
able in character In our car were a
couple, who move in the highest circle
1<1x
not only handsome and fashionable. but
in every way lovely and loyeable. She
was apprecitive and coniding in her
husband and courteous and gracious to
all. Merit to no one or to no class ex-
clusiyely belongs. a.=.,se ~
The Southern portion of our route lay
on the frazeled edge of terra frnaa irr,g-
ularly dovetailed in the corresponding
edges of the broad expanse of the brin-
ey main. q: The long and frequent trest
ling, over water, led us to conclude that
we were travelling as much by water as
by land Notwithstanding we were in a
rail way train. The abundance of water,
that interviewed on our route to Hous-
ton, Texas, via the Mississippi River and
the Gulf, suppressed us with Col. Inger-
soils statement, that this globe was bet
fer adapted to raising fish than men,
from the prcdominance of waSer. Geol-
ogists inform us, that the gulf once coy
ered most all the Southern portion of
what is now our Middle States, and has
receded through lapse of ages to its
present position. Its borders now re-
present a very partial obedience to the
great primeYial command sslet the waters
be divided from the land," for there is
but little dry land near the waters, nor
positively defined water bounds. We
are not to infer from this great conces-
sion Of the waters to the land that there
is any less water now than Gin the begin
ning.n Science teaches that earth is
accumulated, but also teaches us that
water is reproductive. s..,....9{
Sahara and our great American desert
denote great absence OF water, but is
lands and continents have submerged
since 'ih the beginning
The feceding of the gulf; too, favored
than culture other fish culture in yield-
ing money, broad miles of fertile land
to air and light. We are told thati.the
"contending waters" are making cores
ponding aggressions elsewhere The In
dians had tradition that Hellgate in
New York was. once dry land, and OBJ
servations prove that New York is sink
ing at the rate of % inches per hundred.
years Ifthere should be a rise in the,
gulf corresponding with the depth of
Hellgate, it would inundate many
miles Of the once bed OF the, gnlf. This
fact makes the sipposition that this con-
tinent was peopled from Asia, without
navigation feasible. =
s. Well. over land and water, By raid, We
arrived at New Orleans (niy first nayiga-
ton was done on rally. In this Franco
American city we visited the great Ex
position. To avoid tedious detail, it will
suffice it to say that, while the EXPOSE
ton is a big show, its apparent want Of
completeness demonstrates! three facts,
viz: 1t takes time, railroad facilities and
public interest to make a big exposition
"a success, and we feel sure that these
three essential elements were in meas
ure wanting. But we viii say to the
credit of New Orleans, that perhaps no
other city, except Paris, conld have sue
ceeded SO well, with the means at hand.
This is doubtless due to French vivacity
and dispatch. S
pGsion 1tse The natiag ant tbs
l' e ea9 - als, ~ Ite e. w
O@IOAO u ~ " - - go