The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1888-05-10
A BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY.
W hat Judge Clark Saw While Travelling
Thr ,ugh Forsyth and Adj
joining Counties.


the Spring term of courts in Piedmont
North Carolina, and during his travels
through this fine section of country he found
time to write letter regarding the beauty
and grandeur which attracted his attention
along his travels. The letter is interesting
throughout, and we believe will prove such
to every reader who is anxious to learn of
the rapid progress being made by the good
people of our beloved Piedmont Section.
The letter was written to the Raleigh
| Christian Aduocate, and reads as follows:
L have been travelling North Western N.
c., i.e. the magnificent stretch of country
reaching from Rockingham county to
| Wilkes, and from Allegheny to Davie. 1t
| is beautiful and rich section. The valleys
of the Yadkin and the Dan are unsurpassa-
| BILE, to say nothing of the valleys of many
smaller streams. This part of the State has
| been neglected as to railroad building, but
| movements are now on foot which, when
| completed, will fully open up this section
and reveal to the outside world that North
Carolina has enough undeUeloped wealth to
| make the reputation of an ordinary State
The railroad from Greensboro is now COM
pleted to within six miles of Mt Airy, and
will be there by June 1st. This opens up
North Guilford, South Rockingham, and
the fine counties of Stokes and Surry. Work
on the branch railroad from Stokesdale to
Madison is being pushed, and the cars will
probably be running by the Fall. The very
important and much needed railroad from
Winston to Wilkesboro is in active con-
struction, and its completion will put new
lie into the beautiful valley of the Yadkin
There are also active steps being taken in
favor of the Roanoke q Southern Railroad,
to pass through Stokes, Forsyth and Davie,
with fine prospects of success. Throughout
North Western North Carolina there is Just
now life, movement and hope, tinting its
future with golden corruscations of the
dawn 1t is a fine section and a fine peo-
pie. 1t should be subject of qualification
to the whole State that this people are now
coming so grandly to the front.
Wentworth is beautifully located. Its
court house is credit to the county. AS
rule the court houses in North Carolina,
built when the white population was much
smaller and the negroes had their settle
ment for offenses made elsewhere, are much
too small, and their arrangements and gen
eral appearance show a woful want of pub
lie spirit and proper county pride. There
are many counties, however, which are not
subject TO this charge, and esch year adds to
to the number. Wentworth enjoys the
unique fact that of four young lawyers, who
started practice together there, three-Ruf-
fin, billiard and Settle-became Supreme
Court Judges, and the fourth, many times
member of Congress, is now the popular
Governor of the State. OF Winston, whose
public spirit, enterprise and success the
State knows so well, nothing can be added
except that, wonderful as its growth has
been, it really seems to be Just at the be-
ginning of greater development. It's bus
mess men have breadth Of view and with
unsurpassed energy, like Durham, are push
ing on the building of two additional rail-
roads. They know what makes city.
Wilkesboro, perched on a hill, overlooks
the beautiful valley of the Yadkin, which
stretches like ribbon of velvet through the
county, and separates the range of the
Brushy Mountain from the massive Blue
Ridge. Here lie, in the sight of their for
mer homes, the remains of the gallant Gen.
Jas. B. Gordon and Col. w. NJ. Barbour,
of the 37th N. c. Regiment. With the river
rushing along below, snd the mountains
eircling round as frame to one of natures
fairest pictures, it is a fitting resting place
for the gallant dead. Three miles up the
river, on the side ofthe mountain, overlook
ing the valley, is the old homestead of Gov.
Montfort S. Stokes. Near by reposes the
remains of his son, Col. Stokes, of the LIST
N. c.. Regiment. The lands of the valley
are almost incredibly fertile, and remote
from railroads as they are, those in reason
a BILE distance of Wilkesboro command 500
per acre, and even more it is said. The
mountains uia Wilkesboro are 100 miles
nearer Raleigh and Eastern North Carolina
than via Salisbury, as at present, and when
the railroad is open to Wilkesboro, no doubt
Eastern people will fill, as summer tourists;
the mountains of Ashe and Allegheny to
which they are now strangers.
From Wilkesboro, we went up Reddies
River valley, and through the gap of that
name to Jefferson, Ashe county. From the
gap is magnificent view of mountain ran
ges and valleys. At Jefferson the tall Ne
gro Mountain overshadows the beautiful
little town at its foot. From the top of this
mountain can be seen panorama extend
ing from Roam Mountain, lying low down
on the western horizon to Pilot Mountain,
which rises in solitary splendor in the plain
to the far east, and taking in the most beau
tiful part of the mountain system in North
Carolina. Judge Heath, of Edenton, is bur-
led here. From Jefferson we went to Spar
ia, by the deserted Copper works mine, and
through romantic looking country.
Sparta is beautifully located, but, like Troy
of old, it is fairly entitled to the epithet
@wind-swept." The blasts rushing down
Gap Civil whirl and eddy in its streets. We
left the Spartan city in binding snow !
storm on one ofthe last days of March, and
descended the mountains by Roaring River
gap. | have been all over the mountains
of North Carolina, but recall no grander
view than the one from Roaring Gap. The
view at Caesars Head does not equal it.
When the railroad is completed to this Sec
ton, there will doubtless be summer hotel
here. From the Roaring Gap we passed |
down the fertile valley of the Yadkin, |
through Elkin and East Bend, to Winston. |
At Mocksville, one finds himself in one of |
the richest farming counties in the State, |
for the county of Davie lies in the fork |
made by the Yadkin and South Yadkin. |
In Stokes we are in a mountainous country, |