The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1889-05-16
4 Trip in the South,


KEEP In the South.
HENDERSON, \. e. May 13. 1889.
EmroR GOLD LEsr:--Leaving Hender-
son a few weeks ago made a short but
pleasant trip to iiahama, which State.
appears to be attrsirting more men and
money from abroad Just now than any
other section. There was nothing worthy
OF special mention until reached the
Western North t'asolinn Railroad at
After leaving Salisbury we steamed
into that magnificent portion Of the .'Old
North State" and which has rightfully
been named the Alps of America with
her blue peaks kissing the sky and stand
ing out as far as the eve can reach in
bold relief against the marine blue OF q
cioudless sky; but our eyes are not al
lowed to feast On this magnificent pic
tHre which even Titan could not do JUS
tice to. We are ushered on to view the
grandest piece of engineering on the
globe; in other words it is a zig zag
Journey" not in Europe or the Orient,
but up the side of grand old mountain
whose peak points the weary wanderer
to his home beyond the skies and whose
base is washed by the cooling waters of a
brook that brings to memory TennysOns
beautiful poem.
1t is truly grand and wonderful to
watch train load of precious souls ST.
ientiy climb las it were monster serpent
vending it's way) up the mountain side.
At one time the train is on the verge of a
terrible precipice and SO narrow is the
path that Nature has allotted to the
iron horse that it seems as ii the least
lurch of the train would throw it into
eternity, and while breathlessly you
watch this awfully grand scene the
thought rushes into your mind of what
unbounded confidence man places in man.
From this you are ushered into the
deep recess OF cavern whose architect,
though not nature, seems almost as
grand, and it is with sigh OF relief that
we hail the beautiful rays of an afternoon
sun, and to notice by the running of a
small stream that we were on the decline
We reach Asheville which with it's electric
railway and "Hack sir? Hack, STRIP on
every side reminds one of the suburbs of
some great metropolis. E
The next place of note We pass il Hot
Springs with it's palatial hotel surround
ed by an immaculate lawn. This would
be Chinaman's paradise for he could
wash all the clothes in the country with
out a patent boiler. This is also the
place after asking the time you find to
your surprise that your watch is a whole
hour too slow, and after racking your
brain as to the cause of such q loss of time
youremember that you have passed from
the 18th into the 8Oth meridian. All
aboard calls you from a supper which
would tickle the palate of the most fas-
tidiOus, and it was with regret that one
who loves the sweet sensation Of q tickled
palate as much as your writer does to be
thus unceremOniOusly torn from such q
sumptuOus repast but a railroad train
like time and tide waits for no man."
so bid a hasty adieu to the cashier and
make for. the train that was already
moving from it's resting place.
After an hour s ride, during which time
our eyes Toasted upon tall peaks and rug
ged cliffs, we came upon a beautiful
stream, the French Broad, with it's num-
berless falls and cascades rightfully re-
minding one of the Kanawha and which
we followed until night with it's CHASTITY
shadows shut this magnificent scene from
our hungry eyes.
Xeur writer regrets that Knoxville was
passed III inc dead of night. A few hours,
run brought us to the fou,;shing and
booming city of Chattanooga, Tern .
with it's mammoth furnaces, factories
and foundries. 1t is certainly great
manufacturing centre. After leaving
here we passed through some Of the
booming towns OF the South such as
Huntsville, Decatur, Tuscumbia, Shef-
field, and last but not least, Florence,
whose natural advantages make her
stand prominent as point above all
others, both as a manufacturing and dis
tributing point. l.. Her water courses
which cannot be excelled az to their
power for manufacturing purposes, and
the forests by which she is surrounded,
not only abound in groves OF the finest
kind but iron and coal abound in great
quantities, which destines Alabama not
only to be the Pennsylvania of the South
but Florence is to be the Pittsburg. Her
| factories which run into the fifties arenot
all of one kind; they are diversified
Therefore she does not depend on one
branch of trade for her support. The
| factories that your writer can call tC
mind are these: Blast furnaces, fOundries
| brass goods and small hardware, cotton
factories, jeans factories, wooden facto
ries, knitting mills, boot and shoe fac
| tory, Touring mill, wagon works, anG
| other factories too numerous to mention
In the aggregate these factories employ
| thousands of hands, and hevast amour
of capital that has been invested il
them, and is being invested every day, il
something wonderful.
| The health of Florence must not b.
overlooked as it is also worthy of note
Being situated as she is upon a site o
uneqnalled beauty, she looks down witt
pride from her situation upon the hill
| h ha
which the poet has named the Hudson
of the South" and whose magnificent
broad and well drained streets, though
not decked with the massive and auster
forms Of architecture as old Florence, blu
in their place you will find the STATED,
roak, the maple, linden and magnolia
whose magnificent foliage combined wit
the fragrant blossoms of rare and beau
tiful flowers has the effect of huge, mag
nifcent bouquet.
Florence has already great railroa
system centering upon her, while other
are reaching out to touch her. The L. (
n, the E. T., V. & e., and the Fiorenc
Northern are at present the outlets Will
the Tennessee Midland, st. Louis & Pa
ducah, Alabama 4 Tennessee, the Nash
vile 4 Tuscaloosa, and a new road frOl
Evansville, Ind, via. MOrgantOwn, ar
pushing out their connecting links for
share of the traffic.
1t is truly wonderful the development
of Florence. A short while ago she wa
only a country village and she no
claims a population OF 10000 Natur
has been lavish with her gifts and in vie
OF this fact her citizens have spared n
pains. and trouble to make her what sh
is to-day. "