The state chronicle. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1883-1893, 1889-06-14


town, except the depot, you do not get
good view of Morganton as yon pass
through iD can be seen some Of the most
celebrated mountain peaks of w stern
! North Carolina, viz: Table Rock,
| Hawks Bill, Grandfather. Grandnoth
er, Short Off, Linvile, Brown Noun
| tain, Brushy Mountain, Yellow, Rowan,
Black, Mt. Mitchell the highest peak ibis
| side of the Rocky Mountains), Clingman's
| Peaks, High Brighten aud the whole range
Of South Mountains.
| Mr. HALE in his woods and Timbers
| of North Carolina, says: ''ln all the Gle
ments which renders forest scenery attrac-
tive we may safely say that no portion of
the Eastern United States presents them
| in happier combination, in greater perfec
tan or III larger extent than ~ the noun
| tains Of North Carollna, ESPECIALLY IN THE
| COUNTY OF BURKE
The committee appointed BY the Legis-
lature of 1870 TO select a site for the West
ern North Carolina Insane Asylum, after
carefully considering the advantages of
! tered by other towns, selected MOrganton
as being superior 10 any, in point OF seem
cry and especially for its pure dry atmos-
phere. The wisdom Of their selection has
been fully demonstrated by the great ben
eft derived by the patients confined in the
asylum since its opening
| III liIc LOW IL tiltIt are lOul cllIItltcS. Iflc
Presbyterian, Methodist, Episcopal and
Baptist. There is preaching in all of
them every Sunday. Each church also
has its respective Sunday School.
MORGANTON'S HOTELS.
There are two hotels here, the Mountain
| House and the Hunt House both Of which
| furnish ample accommodations both IN re-
| gard to rooms and table fare to the weary
! and hungry traveller The Morganton
Land and improvement Co, which is com
| posed of some Northern gentlemen and
some citizens of Morganton, have made an
| offer to the town, to give the site and
| s., 1000 If the town will furnish 50, 600 aud
! find some man who VIII furnish the bal
ance of the capital to erect a hotel to cost
about $50, 900, and this company further
says to the business men of Morgant0n:
| If you cannot either in your town or any
| where else find A man to accept this prop
| Osition we, the Land and Improvement
Co. will give the site and s., 900, and find
a man who will furnish the balance of the
capital, provided You viii give $1,000.
We do not see how the moneyesi and blss-
ness men of Morganton can afford to re-
fuse this offer We look upon il as a rare
opportunity of establishing a national rep
utation as a winter and summer resort.
There are other reasons which we viii speak
of why the town cannot afford TO refuse
this offer. One of the members OF this
i company took US for a ride out ii the
| western part of the town and showed us
two of as beautiful locations for erecting
residences as we have ever seen. They are
| both elevated spots, well shaded, about a
| half mile apart, with a commanding
view of the winding Catawba river about
/, 500 to ., 600 feet below, and other side
of the river a stretch of valley lands in
cultivation for miles until You reach the
! base Of the mountains, which loom up
and presents to your gaze for miles as
grand mountain scenery as the eye ever
rested upon Upon these locations two
Northern gentlemen. large stock owners
of this Improvement company, are plepar-
ing the grounds for the purpose OF build
ing their houses The site v hIch IS to be
given for the hotel building Is on another
high elevation about one ana bali miles
from the court house. The vieE nom
this spot is as grand and picturesque as
can be obtained from any place III this
section Now tile idea is this: viii not
the erection Of these two handsome resi-
deuces bv these gentlemen lwho are also
interested h the hotel property hate a
good deal Of influence to induce Northern
ers 10 spend their winters herg1 Daring
our drive We went through the farm and
saw the old homestead OF GEN. Ja>ElH
)
drove to an old grave yard about two
and a half miles from town to see the
spot where lies the remains Of ancient he
roes, but time aud weather had 50 obht-
Grated the marks on the rude granite
rock, that we could not discern the dates
Of birth or death.
THE SCHOOLS OF FMORGANTOS.
In Morganton there are three schools
for whites. The Gilmer High school for
boys was established in 1878. PROF, j.
A. GILMER is superintendent. He has had
charge of this school for nine years. He
had ,hirty-five pupils last year. There
are two primary schools for girls aud small
bows. and besides the above there is a
public school, which is taught about five
months ia the year. In the county Of
Burke there are sixty one white free
: schools with 4, 4,633 scholars, and six
teen colored free schools with 1 ,063 pu-
pills So it can be readily seen that this
county is up with the times IN the advan-
tages of education
COTTON FACTORY.
A new Cotton Factory is being erected
near the depot. MR.. (. F. REID, the Pres
5 dent, tells US that it will be in operation
: by July 1st 1t is a brick building 65x250
feet The factory will give employment
to about % people the first year and will
: only spin. After awhile they expect tc
; put in looms. The factory will be well
} managed from the start and we predict
for it a successful career.
MERCHANDISE AND OTHER BUS
JNESS ESI ERPRISES.
: There are about twenty i've general
; merchantile stores here, dong mostly a
} cash and barter business. There is but
; little of the credit or mortgage trade here
| therefore the percentage OF failures Is
, small In addition the above, there are
' two merchants mills, a sash, door and
blind factory. The gentleman who has
| been sole owner of this enterprise has re
5 Gently sold half interest in the business.
J and the new firm is now doubling It's ca
pacity. This business was first started OF
a very small scale and has been doing
well ever since it started. 1t has grown
: so that the former proprietor found
t it necessary to take in partner TO assist
n him and enlarge the business. There are
n three drug stores here, one feed and grain
/ store, an excellent livery stable, kept by 8
4 man who does not charge a stranger e4
$ orbtant prices as is usually the case il
/ summer Resorts; several private board
+ ing houses, a smoking tobacco factory
0 and a cigar factory. There are hard
( ware stores, clothing stores, &c, &c
mo saoons) there are four or five
IS doctors. a;gf.p ia~yeIs IL tie lleas