The Asheville citizen. [volume] (Asheville, N.C.) 1885-1889, 1886-02-19
AsHEvILLE THROUGH sTRANG
ER'S EYES.

through our own eyes, apt to be blinded
with conceit or prejudice or inexperience
in objects of comparison. It always
pleases US to present the views of strang-
ers upon the characteristics of this Sec
ton, whether social, sanitary or scenic;
assured that intelligent and candid writ
ers will do us no injustice, even though
they sometimes confront us with unpala-
table truths which need not be occasion
lofirritation, but lead to the correction
of faults of which the subjects may be
unconscious though obvious enough to
others.
DIR. Boynten of Vermont, now il. Ashe-
vile, is writing asersesof letters TO the
New England Farmer and other New
England papers, giving the results or his
observations. He is very intelligent
observer, clear and elegant writer and
dispassionate judge, We propose to
make extracts from his letters, emitting,
however, ground that has been SO often
trod.
The following is taken from letter
in the New England Farmer of the 18th
of February:
The mountain region of North Carolina
embraces the whole of the western part
of the State, il being an area about as
large as the entire State of Massachusetts
The western boundary is the Alleghanies,
which send up many peaks 5000 feet high.
!, d. 80 Ftnn forTa 1or
line, which rises in numerous grand
eminences, though not as lofty as those
on the Allegheny range, while near the
centre of this belt of land, and running
parallel with the two before named, the
Black Mountain range sends up its PIN
nacles 1000 feet above the sea level. This
is short range as compared with the
other two which extend entirely across
the State; yet the "old Black" sends up
thirteen peaks higher that Mt. Washing
ton, ia the far famed White Mountains
of New Hampshire. AS would be nat
urally inferred, many of the towns in this
section are located at~high attitudes.
Asheyille is 2350 feet above sea level,
while many others, like Waynesville,
Hendersonville, Charleston, Webster,
and Marshall, are from 1906 to 2500, and
Highlands in Macon county is 1865 feet
above the sea, the highest village east of
the Rocky Mountains. With this great
general elevation, there is pure air, and
a never-failing abundance of pure water
which comes from an lnnumerable num-
Der of springs among the mountains.
have before me, while write, rec
ord of the temperature of this place for
ten years, and find that the lowest win
ter record previous to this year, was one
degree below zero, and the highest in
the winter for ten years, was 81 degrees
while the highest in July for the sam2
period was go degrees, and the lowest 0 7
degrees. From these observations, .
learn that the average spring temperaturo
Of this plsess s. 5Ss5s degrees;s summer, !,
7l.3; autumn, 55.3; winter 1878. I need
not state that this has been an unusual
ly cold winter all through the South; the
thermometer registered here 10 degrees
below zero, and there have been eight
inches of snow, which has mostly mel
ted from the low lands and the hills.
With little snow on the ground,
bright morning here now is like an
April sugar morning" in New England.
The coolness of the summer is due large
| ly to the influence these extensive for
ests have upon the temperature of the
lished scientific law. this influence is al
ways more noticeable in summer than
in winter.
Mr.. Doubleday, from Central New
York, now a resident for some years in
this section, tells me that the summers
here are more comfortable than in his
native State; and when you think of the
difference between 80 degrees in an ele-
waited mountain locality and 80 degrees
in valley, you will readily see why
this is the fact. The mild weather of
autumn lasts usually until near Christ
mas, and the general fact is, that gar
dens can be proftably made the last OF
February, so that practically, the winter
| is of about two months duration. l have
had experience enough here already, to
know that there are some severe winter
days here, and that one must expect the
general variableness that pertains to the
most OF our country, still this climate
must be a desirable medium between
the overpowering cold of the northern
latitudes and the enervating influence OF
the more Southern localities.
One quickly detects the peculiar brac-
ing and stimulating effects of this rare
fed air, which invites to outdoor exer-
else and enjoyment. This exercise Soon
produces noticeable results upon the re-
spiratory function and the circulation of
tho blood, thereby increasing the nutri-
ton of every tissue of the body. A New
Englander coming into any section o.
the South finds It very. difficult to feed
himself upon the imperfectly prepared
4 food usually put before him, but after he
has been in this high mountain air few
weeks almost any sort offood is taken
i with a keen relish, and he does not stol
to think whether he has stomach.
4 And here let me allude to two or three
lcises where invalids have come from tht
North, seeking relief from their physica
troubles in this mountain air. Two year.
ago a young lady was sent here from
Covington, Kentucky, who had been re.
duced by pulmonary kemorrhage. Sht
then weighed eighty pounds. She has
never had the first sign of any bleeding
since she came here. She now weighs
$50 pounds, and seems perfectly well.
see her every day, and she is o ,picturt
fof health and physical endurance. A
young man from New Hampshire, too fa
gone with consumption to live. there
came here three years lago, and
though not well, is able to be carrying
on an active business. A gentleman from
Michigan came here three weeks ago
suffering with asthma. He told me b.
. had not been able to lie down for thre
months before leaving home. He foune
blmost immediates relief on arriyint
here, and yesterday he commenced run
/ ming market. could easily enougl
J increase this list to score Of cases tina
II have come under my personal obscrya
ton during my short stay
I'VE do not know to what record {