The daily citizen. [volume] (Asheville, N.C.) 1889-1890, 1889-12-05
LETTER FROM ASHEVILLE.
TRAITS OF OUR PEOPLE AS
SEEN BY A LADY.

USaxcs OF Speech, and a Pleasant
Tribute to the Courtesy of the
Southern Men, and to General
hospitality.
In the Spri,. gtcd Republican OF Novem-
Der 29th, we iud Il very pleasantly writ
ten letter from a lady, now a resident
but a native OF Massachusetts, and
brought up with Yankee habits and
opinions, and with a very independent
way of acting and speaking out both.
She is Mrs. Aunie Noble Baldwin, very
ncute and Just observer, and very
bright misunderstanding writer. Weuse so
much of the letter as we find space tor
But what of the people? Asheville has
two quite distinct rlasses-the perman-
ent residents. mostly cnterprlslrg pro-
l,ssional and business men and their
families, VIII" have come here from other
sections, attracted by the rapid growth
IT the cilv-and the seekers for health or
pleasure, Il large number of them wealthy
,ucsts at tie Battery Park hotel, and
easily distupuishable from the first by
heir d0cc-fir-nente air, as they roll by
every evening Will lSillhSollNlN iiNNi'NN
,urlI-outs on the tavorite drive toward
he beautiful French Broad river In the
last sentence | found myself writing
evening" like veritable Tar-heel. when
ought, rather, as Il good Yankee, to
nave said "mornIng,' or even to nave
| used that awkward mnke-shitt of our
nguaI,c, "Htlernuon. II ! may be
| 3ardUncd iO a bit of personal remlnis-
| : I,.t hon ! first
South | did expect to find the negro
somewhat different from the Caucasian,
but wa, not quite prepared for the differ
,nce, espcclaiIy in speech and opinion,
which exists jctwccn the representatives
of my own race in the two sections. l
llmoSt CaliH to the conclusion that IT
would he necessary for me to have two
political faiths and three sets of manners.
in the North, had been brought up as a
,tHunch republican ("barrin' slight
.alling from grace as a mugwump i'll the
last campaign but onel In the South,
If would cas- my lot with the majority
Of the good and wise, behold must I'M
mediatclv become a democrat. In the
North. when in the city, | had been i'll
he habit OF saving good morning
until a late dinner, and good evening
rom that time onward. In the country,
had carefully remembered to say, good
morning" only until noon, good alter
. noon" from noon till dark and good
evening" when the glowing orb OF day
had dismounted from his fiery Steed be-
low the Hcspcrian sky to quote the
SLIGHTLY mixed metaphor OF an orator
Whum have somewhere heard. But
! here evening begins at nOon,' if one
would beintellgile o his fellow creatures,
and your unhappy correspondent became
rntangled III several embarrassing mis-
takes through ignorance Of this.
There is one habit of speech which,
more than any other marks the souther-
= ncr, and especially the North Carolinlan
!. the almost universal use of the word
-, like" for las it, as in the sentence, ut
J. looks like it might rain" In striking
Il contrast to this use Of like which is
. really an error, though used by English
{, authors, we have noticed everywhere the
admirable pronunciation OF the letter
''u." so rarely met with i'll the North cX-
Il cent among the cultivated classes. We
have been tempted to paraphrase Ad-
:, diSOn's bon mot and cXClarnl, why, III
the South even the little children speak
English" when we have heard young
I children, and the least as well as the
II best educated of the people, pronounce
this letter with grace and correctness
chat have brought the blush of shame to
u our Yankee cheeks. There is an unusual
e emphasis on the word please" i'll asking
!, a iavor,-tor instance PLEASE hand me
that book. (which has to unaCcuStomed
: cars u pecvsh sound, seeming to imply
E. that the favor has already been asked
d snd refused, until we learn from Observa
4 ton that it is merely a habit, and that
The average North CarOniau, on the
/ contrary, is one OF the most courteous
It and amiablr OF beings. And this calls &c
Il mind another remark OF President An
, drc\vS withrcicltnCc to he war, that there
was a great difference between North anC
: South Carolimans i'll the bitterness y
" their feeling toward the North, and that
while a North CarUlinian was quite will
ing 10 exchange civilitieS with the
II northern soldiers when not actually en-
If gagged in fighting, a South CarOllnaf
IN w0uld lose no opportunity of taking ain
-, at a Yankee head whenever one came
within range OF his musket.
: Perhaps the first thing to impress ;
'' lady who happens to come South alon
he is the Difference everywhere shown b,
il, men to women 1t is noticeable evci
before leaving the cars. The very con
r. ductor looks after the comfort of tn
re SOLITARY traveller as if she were hi
10 esnccial charge, assists her on and off tn
~ train. carries her travelling bag to he
rv seat, and escorts her from one car t
:, another if she wishes to change; and i
e' one case, where was obliged to chang
W cars in the night, the conductor lett hi