Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1890-05-24
N STANDARD MoNNVILLE TENNESSEE NAV 1900

pared to find hills and mountains,
but we had not expected to find a
place presenting the unusual feature
of not single block of level ground
If there is one such block in Ashevllle
we have not seen it yet. This how
ever, is no drawback to the attrac-
tiveness of the place. 1t furnishes
abundant natural drainage, and adds
greatly to the picturesque beauty of
the place.
Just how much territory is embrace
ed in Asheville proper, we do not
know, but including the hills and
hollows, if reduced to level it
would be quite extensive, and for
miles out in every direction many
beautiful residences may be seen oc-
cupying prominent points upon the
surrounding hills and mountains.
Numbers of these residences are sur
rounded by beautiful grounds.
The streets of Asheville are disap-
pointing. They are narrow and
crooked, and look more like lanes
than streets. Most of them are very
well graded, but are muddy when it
rains, and dry out and become quite
dusty in q remarkably short time
after rain ceases.
The elevation Of Asheville above
sea level is between twenty-four and
twenty-six hundred feet, but our
host facetiously remarked the other
day that "the elevation of this place
increases a hundred feet every year"
Local figures of the population of
Asheville range all the way from ten
to fifteen thousand. Including visi-
tors these figures are probably not ex-
aggerated.
The place has splendid system of
electric street railroads, electric lights,
and water works, but what misera-
BILE stuff the water is. 1t is pumped
into stand-pipe, from the Swananoa
river, and has sweet, brackish taste,
like the surface water of a crawfsh
flat. We understand there are some
wells and springs of better water, but
have not found one yet.
The place is composed largely of
health and pleasure seekers. One of
the Vanderbilts and many other rich
nabobs have residences here. There
are numerous hotels and boarding
houses, which have a good run of
custom all the year around, March
being the busiest month of the year.
We have as yet been unable to dis
cover just why this particular place
should have attracted so many peo-
pie, but there is a reason for it. There
are doubtless many other places
through the Allegheny Mountains in
this section of the State with the
same climate, and equal attraction of
mountain scenery. The climate is
probably the greatest attraction to
Northern people, and these compose
by far the greater part Of the popula-
ton. The commissioners and visi-
tors to the General Assembly of the
Presbyterian Church, nearly two
hundred in number, are being most
pleasantly and Hospitality entertained
by the people. The Assembly holds
its sessions from $3.50 a. m. to 9 p. M,
and the balance of the day is spent
by the commissioners (who are not
busy with committee work., in sight
seeing.
The reception given the Assembly
at Battery Park Hotel on Thursday
night of last week was one of the
most pleasant affairs we have ever
attended. Over three hundred guests
sat down to the tables, and the greet
,, ing and responses which followed
proved indeed "a feast of reason anC
flow of SOUL" r.