The daily citizen. [volume] (Asheville, N.C.) 1889-1890, 1889-08-03
ON OUR HEIGHTS.
THI: PEACEFUL. USE MADE OF
WARI-IKE BEAUCATCHER.
What Is Now BEING Done With the
Cher Heights, and What NIaHni-
fccnt improvements Time Will
Bring About.

what Is Now Being Done with the
q her Heights, and What NIaHni-
fCcnt improvements Time Will
Bring About.
There is along the eastern boundary of
AShcvillc Il range of hills which elsewhere
might be called mountains, extending
from the valley OF Beaver Dam creek to
the valley of Swannanoa river distance
of about three miles They rise above
the level of the city from two hundred
the level of the French Broad from five
hundred TO eight hundred feet, They are
somewhat Carclcssly spoken of as the
lcaucatchcr range, but really are conf
posed Of three distinct heights, Bcatl-
catcher, Town Mountain, and Smiths
Mountain, the latter lying at the north
crn end OF the range, of greater extent
and height. Where I5caucatchcr obtained
its name, we cannot tell, and do not care
to know; for it is a trivial, though now
Il permanent one. Being very accessible,
it has always been a favoritc resort,
and also being very commanding,
it was selected during the war
in connection with Battery Porter
as Il proper site for a battery and earth
works, more for the encouragement Of
the timid than for any practical value or
use. Some years ago Mr.. Hazard, Il
gentleman from the vicinity of George
town, 5. C., erected a handsome dwelling
on the north end Of Iicaucatclcr, and SO
Smoothcd the face OF grim viSaGcd war
with ornamental walks, Shrubbcry and
flowers, as to have made its service in
the days Of trouble only a story Of tru-
CitiOn.
This was the first use of these pctur-
ysquc heights, commanding such magniII-
cent and extensive views. The way once
pointed out, i'll time the whole extent Of
the range will eventually he occupied.
Between Iicaucathcrand Town mountain
there isa gap through whicha pubIicroad,
OF easy grade, passes over to the Swan
nauoa Valley, and Chunn's Cove; and
is also the access to Mr.. Hazards dwell
ing. 1t is also the road by which
a dwelling erected by MIR. J. Nj. Camp
bell on the very apex OF Town noun
tain is reached; and also to the nearer,
larger and more costly dwelling now
being built for Mr.. j, Evans Brown.
This is to stand ON grounds Immediately
opposite to, and North of Mr.. Hazards.
Five acres arc already highly improved,
tasteful and judiciously laid out, and
| planted with many varieties olcvcrgrccnS
and other varieties OitrcCS and Shrubbcry.
The dwelling is to be of brick, two stU-
ricS high, besides basement, architcctu-
rally elegant, ample i'll size, with all mod
| crn improvements and convcnicnccS, with
its parlors, sitting rooms, billiard rooms
baths, chambers, wine and meat cellars,
| also Il library, vcrandahS, balconies,
| and whatever obtains control of the
scenery on every side. The dwell
ing will he castclIatcd in style with tur-
| rctcd and battlcmcntcd roof, the Moro
castle of Havana being somewhat sug-
gcStivc Of the plan. AS this will be a
permanent, and not simply asummcrrc res
idcnce, all the fixtures and convcnicncvs
will he of the most ample and permanent
kind
The outlook is commanding in every
direction, taking in a view with ra-
dius of from ten to sixty miles. A very
picturesque feature of the view from any
point of the range is the almost pcrpcn-
dicular descent down into the pretty val
ley of Chunm'S Cove, thickly set with farm
houses, and uptrom which the busy sounds
OF industry or the chccry notes of laugh
ter or of conversation strike the ear
above with startling and strange dis
| lnctncSs.
The time is coming when the whole of
this range will be dotted with fine resi-
dcnccS So far, nothing has been built
upon Smiths mountain, the highest, the
4 least abrupt and the most accessible OF
Ill, its distance from the business centre
perhaps being thought too great. But
along Sunset Drive, along the sides OF
this mountain ut a height sufficient to
command Il wide range of view, a mum
bcr of handsome houses, painted in strong
colors, and generally of pointed archi
lecture, stand out with fine effect from
their background or surroundings of til,
original forest, adding much to the pict
urcSqucncSS OF the view from the city, ant
giving Il pleasant furcShadowing of tn,
extensive use to he made in coming wears
Of these heights and their sloping sides.