The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1890-07-24
No. Al.
SCRAPS fRaN
\ Trip TO Mt. Airy and the Blue Ridge
Mountains.

Mr.. EDITOR: Thinking IL might
be interesting To some Of your read
ers thought | would jot dswn a
few OF the things a. seen on our ex-
cursion last Naek.
The train, in charge Of that clever
little gentleman, Dixie Gilmer, OF
Mt. Airy, left Wilmington on the
morning Of the 18th with obsut one
hundred and twenty-five passengers,
having the number increased 10 r.
little over two hundred by the time
we reached Fayetteville.
Your scribe boarded the train at
the growing town Of Garland and
was surprised 10 note the growth of
the neatlittle towns along the route
to Fayetteville.
After leaving there we sped on
over the hills Of Cumberland, Moore
and Chatham till we reached the live
and fiourishing town of Greensboro,
where we made a stop Of twenty
minutes. The thrift and push Of
this town must be seen to be appre-
ciated.
Leaving here we sped on our way
into the hill country, land Just here
L must say that the crops along the
road are not As good as they are in
Sampsonl, where, in about three
hours, we are greeted with the sigh;
OF tt Surratown mountains, and il
is really amusing to see how eager
every one is to get Il glimpse of the
big hills as they lie far away 10 the
northwest Of us, and in doing this
we are repaid by the sight of a beau
tiful rain-cloud hanging directly be-
tween us AMI the mountains. Quick
ly our attention is attracted to the
other side by the sight of the grand
old Pilot, standing out in all his
majestry, towering hundreds Of feet
above us; and as we are now running
around the base of it, everybody is
completely carried away with its
beauty and grandeur, and the more
so as our train gets slower and slow
er, giving us better view, till final
ly our great iron steed comes to Il
halt, not being aElc to reach the top
Of the very steep grade we are ris-
ing. Then back we go flying down
the hill to take fresh start. Now,
with the old motto, "if at first you
don't succeed, try, try again." be-
fore us, we start out on our second
trip, and, with much pulling and
blowing, we succeed in reaching the
summit. Then away we go, reluc-
tantiy, though swiftly, leaving the
grand old Pilot alone in his majesty
Now we are flying around and
along the very brink Of the Arrarat
river, with the rocks towering hun.
dreds OF feet above us on the other
side, when the shrill whistle tells
us the welcome news,-we are at
Mt. Airy, where we are greeted by
thousand people who have come
down to meet the "sand-fiddIcrs"
from the seashore. Then, after a
pleasant nights rest in the growing
little city, we have two days to take
in the different points of interest.
Our first point was the White
Sulphur Springs, the medicinal
qualities of which are said to be
very fine. Here we find visitors by
the score seeking relief from the
many ails to which man is heir to.
From here we go to the Flat Rock,
being forty acres of solid rock un-
broken by tree or shrub Our next
point is up through Fancy Gap to
the top Of the Blue Ridge. After
reaching the summit, we pay visit
to the realms of his Satanic majesty,
a cave known as the DEVILS den;
where we are taken by a guide down
for hundreds of feet till we reach
the bottomless pit where we look
over, shudder, and are willing to
return again to the light Of day.
After ascending the mountain,
we take US to the Mitchell House
where we are given lin exchange
for twenty five cents, regular
mountain dinner, and anyone who
has ever been TO Mitchell's know
what that means. Then we are in
trim to ascend to the top Of Elk
Knob where we have spread out be-
fore us a panorama of the most
beautiful scenery that it has ever
been our fortune to behold. In this
view we sec five States, North Caro-
lima, South Carolina, West Virgin a,
Virginia and Tennessee. But Mr..
Editor, all things must end, and as
have been entirely too long in
finding the end Of this, my first at
tempt, will close. So we are of
through the beautiful Gap back to
Mt. Airy where we get IL pleasant
nights rest. AT half past eight am.
we hear the cry all aboard and at
five p. M, we arrive safely at the
rustic little city Of Garland where
the pleasant faces of home folks
greet us. Thus endeth our first trip
| QNar the O. L and V " Railrnad