Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-09-04
THE OLD NORTH STATE.
THE ASREViLLE AID SPARTAN
BURG RAILROAD.

~
the Mountain Gorges-The HorEe Shoe
Curve-Tryon Mountain and the Fa-
nous Thermal Z elt-ArrivaI at Hem
ACKNOWLEDGING Fletcher HOuse-De-
scription OF the Town-Its Population
and statistics-PrincipaI Merchants
and Citizens-The Judson College
Male and Female Beautiful
Surroundings.
Not content with exploring and sketch
ing the beautiful and fiourlshng towns of
the famous piedmont Region" of South
Carolina, your correspondent resolved to
penetrate the Land OF the Skies" and II
the powerful engines did their duty in
surrounding the steep intervening grades,
visit Hendersonvile and Asheville. Hap
PLY, under the guidance of that prudent
and popular conductor, Capt. r. H. Nc
CURE, the trip was accomplished without
accident, and about nightfall the
writer reached Hendersonville,
and was comfortably lodged
at the Fletcher House. This popular
hotel, which we found leased by Mr..
Robert Finlay, we found densely packed
with guests, and indeed the whole town
was crowded with visitors from abroad.
OuI uObb anu LIS WOIlIl dSHlSbAuIb "a
erted themselves to the utmost for the
entertainment OF their patrons, and GER
tainly supplied them abundantly with
creature comforts. None but the chronic
grum bier, who is to be found everywhere,
could possibly complain. The only trouble
was the lack of room for the travelling
public. Since the completion of the
NEW AVENUES OF COMMUNICATION
opened up by Capt. RaOul, of the Seen
trail SYSTEM" travel has increased i'm
mensely, and all the hotels between
Spartanburg and the mountains are
crowded 10 their utmost capacity. Ere
the advent of another season, however,
the difficulty will in great measure be
supplied by largely increased accom-
modations all along the line OF road.
The building of the Spartanburg and
Ashville railway was splendid triumph
of genius and art, over the insurmount-
able barriers OF nature. The survey was
a magnificent feat of engineering, which
challenges universal admiration. The
managers OF the
RICHMOND AND DANVILLE RAILROAD
deserve great credit for the successful
completion of this formidable enterprise,
which unlocks the Businesses of the
mountains and affords easy access to a
wide scope OF country, unsurpassed for
beauty and salubrity on the continent.
And yet, owing TO the assistance of con-
wet labor and the present cheapness OF
building material, the actual cost was
only $4,000 per mile.
From Gen. James Anderson, the excel
lent General Superintendent, we gathered
the following facts: The highest grade on
the road for single mile which is said to
be without parallel in the United States
measures 23T11 feet, and we have the as
founding further information that between
Melrose and Saluda, a distance of but
three miles, the elevation surmOunted is
900 feet. Think of q loaded railway train
literally ascending a considerable noun
tain. The powerful engines afford the nee
essary motive power. Another grade OF
400 feet is passed over in the short dis
lance OF seven miles. The road winds
around the mountain gorges, occasionally
bridging with trestle some ueep ravine,
and deity avoiding or thanking obstacles
which to the unprofe sional eve appear
lnsupersble. At one point, while scaling
the sides OF Tryon mountain, which has
an elevation OF 1900 feet, the track de-
scribes
PERFECT HORSE SHOE,
the tram, after a detour OF mile, rum
ming almost parallel with it's former
course. the intervening space between
not exceeding a musket shot. 1t could
be distinctly traced by the curling smoke
left In the rear. The deepest cut through
the mountain is eighty-siX feet.
We passed in close proximity to the
FAMOUS THERMAL BELT,
which, half way up the summit Of Tryon
mountain, is dive miles in length and
about one and a fourth miles broad. Gen.
Anderson says in this strip OF land the
fruit has not been killed for seventy years.
Prof. J. r. Blake, late OF Davidson Col
lege, tolc the writer that in autumn he
had seen the foliage and vegetation, both
frost, while summer seemed TO reign be-
tween. Prof. John LeConte, OF California,
who explored this region, gives some in
teresting facts concerning this apparent
phenomenon in nature. Snow has been
seen covering with frozen mantle the
upper and lower sides Of the mountain,
while the 'belt" was entirely free from
frost. or course, the clouds dropped
their ieecy burden upon the whole scene,
but owing to the difference Of tempera.
ture the snow melted as fast as IL fell
within the limits OF the belt, leaving the
surface of the latter quite bare. The
town of
HENDERSoNvILLE,
cannot be surpassed in the picturesque
beauty OF its location. In stands upon a
gently undulatlng plateau, affordne per
feet drainage and admirable building
sites, while all around the mountains
form magnificent setting to the picture
The water 10 icy cold and absolutely free
from mineral or organic substances, and
malarial fsvers are unknown. The streets
are at right angles to each other and well
shaded with handsome linden trees.
ALL ABOUT THE PLACE.
Hendersonville was incorporated and
made the county seat Dec. Is. 1888. II
has a population OF over a thousand, five
hotels and many boarding houses, about
a score OF stores, one capital newspaper,
the Times, conducted ny j. ID. DAVIS a.
Brothers, which is the only representative
OF three contiguous counties, six churches
-four white and two colored }, one college.
one academy. and quite number Of small
Industries. We note the following BUSH
ness establishments:
General MerchandIse-X. c. Toms.
Fletcher 4 Hickman, Barnett IL Son, Jor-
dan & Hood aud L. A. Allen.
Drugs-C. Few a Co. and w. N. Price
l. Co.
Books. Stationery and News-W. G. b.
Morris & Son.
Saddlery, Sash, Doors and Hardware
NJ. T. Justus d Co.
Fancy Groceries and Confectionery-J
l.. Egerton.
Furnture-B. f. Posey s. Son.
Produce Dealer-F. &. Hart.
Surceon Dentist-Chas, II. Mcdowell