The Asheville citizen. [volume] (Asheville, N.C.) 1885-1889, 1886-04-27

Gave where he has llHed
for 70 years.
TELLING HIM OF TIE S0UTH's EReaRRsa
AND TEE ADVANCEMENT or H1saNN
| STATE.
Special Correspondence ofthe AsheRfIle eETlzzN
In THE MOUNTAINS OF NoRTH EARoLINA,
April is, 1885.
Last week while on q tramp up the
Balsam Mountain ran across o regular
old Rip Van Winkle Hermit, Of whom il
has been said that since the war .'the
old man has lived the life d. Eecluse
right there in a cave ON the top Of Bal
sam Mountain for the past twenty years, 2
living on fruits and vegetables in SUM
mer, and in winter existing upon what
game his old flint rife would bring d6wn
when aiined with anerrins certaiaty,
this really being tllaaonly Hiseble ilsean.
of his support FROM year to year.
Feeling considerably interested in the
old man, for he gave evidence of beftt r
days, although his clothes made of the
skins of wild animals gave him deci.
de1ly Rip Van Winkle appearance,
began conversation with him without
any formality.
.Lor bless me Sonney;' calculated the
old eremite "yoii is the first critter I've
talked to for a long time since I've been
living in thar (pointing to the mouth of
his cave) that's been my home my boy
since the war; won't you come in talk
to me littft. whiIe"?
did 80 at once, and walked into his
subterranean hole which startled me at
tirst, and sat down on an old bear skin.
without any ceremony whatever-the
old hermit at the same time pulling down
a crude jug of corn whiskeY and babe me
partake, in the meanwhile giving me a
knowing and suggestive wink of the left
eye.
Now looks here Sonny wants you to
tell me what is going on, and what is
happening any how in the dear old
South and in my native State; case love
the old land vet. You know I'se right here
ali the time with Snipe" (alIuding to his
yellow purp) and this er old "critter'
(Pointiny to his old flint rifle) and l
never sees paper and hardly even q
man, woman or Guild from one year to
the other"
ton and his honest characteristics I began
to give him partial history of our pro-
gress. Well, during the past 25 years
Say hold on there, you p TT crea-
ture lets take pull once more at the Jug
before you begin anyhow" remarked the
old Anchorite. Feeling rather dry did
not object, and SO took erGctiy ..G drops
with pint of pure mo"ntain water.
[ began again.
The accessible values of the South have
increased $640, 100000 in the past four
years, while during the first six months
of 1885, 7O,O00y 600 wereexpended in the
erection and extension of Southern fac
tories.
"Lor Sonney is that all so, is you giving
it to me straight and pure like the old
critter up there in that er jug, il you is
my by, keep right on for it kinder makes
my old bones feel good"
Such can assure you are facts.
The statistics of railroad building in
1885 shows that while there was less
activity in this direction than in any
year since 1878, the South added nearly
100 miles of new railroad to her mile.
age, or largely more than one third of
the mileage constructed in 1884, the
building of which, added to the invest
ments in old roads and these improve
ments, foots up nearly $575, 5000. .JO0-the
ectual cost of the railroads of the South
and their equipment, according to statis-
tics complied from Poor Is Railroad Manuel
being over 81 ,250, 100000 against $685.
S04.82S inISSO.
Look me straight in the eye Sonney
and repeat that over again for l see old
"Smpe" my faithful dog raises his eyes
and wag his tail, and be kinder mistrusts
too. Lor Sonney guess Col. Andrews
will kee3a pushing that footing horse up
and around these mountains right along
wont he? l want ter shake that man
by the hand before die. He has done!
enuff for his State and this mountain
country to make her feel prowd of him."
In 1880 the value of the crops in the
South was $549, ,850, 600, in 1885 it had
risen to $685., OF 600, a gain ofovertwenty-
one per cent. AS net result the assess
ed values in the South have risen from
81, l84, POS, ,F05 in 1880 to O76,514,4 ,435 in
1880. All branches of manufactures tax
en- together have risen in assessed values
from $3l3, ,924 ,744 in 1880 to $445, ,656, 600
in 1885.
'Sonney haden't you better look into
yer book. Sure you given the old man
no tafy, 60 on its kinder stering up the
old mans blood-go on say while ]
light my pine"
The production of pig IRON in the
South for 1880 was 397 .30l tons, in 1885
it was 712,835 tons, an increase of 3I5,534
tons in five yeaas. ss,is,.,
You is peart fellow, cSonney, aint
you afraid we'll get TOO prowd arter a
while and strut like We once did, but you
keep right on with you story telling any
how, it does my fheumatics good"
Here is the annual productions of the
South from 1880 to 1885:
1850.
Agricultural products. $549, $4,000
Stock and dairy products 1306e0,OOO
Manniactur SlSS5a,1.a
Total....... .........-........ 81 .00S, ,36S, ,5S4
1855.
Agricultural products. ..........-- S669077 900
Stock and dairy products......... log, 500, 600
Mining. 1OSIZ'UO
VySO4slV0sUeO
"You hear that Snip say you cut.tail
critted get up there; you got no state
pride about you anyhow, all you fit for
now is to sleep nd5dream all day long.
Well just keep right along with your
good news sonney; don't you mind snip
ifhe does look doubtful. He's nothing
but sorry dog any way you can fix
hin, Koon pi,yht on - Ssss