The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1891-07-21
NYE'S RIO FOURTH.
The Beautiful Pyrotechnic Display He
Had in Skyland.

Ivy @"tCtNN'SSS NN'N
rOrES that Went Oft on
Their Own Hook.
Copyright, 1891, by Edgar W. Nye.l
SKYLAND, Buncombe Co., n. c.,
July 5, 1891.
Pyrotechny is the art of producing
pleasing scenic effects by means Of
fire. In China the knowledge of pyrO-
techny extends back to it's early his
tory, but in Europe it only goes back
to the discovery of gunpOwder by Guy
Fawkes and others. a knowledge Of
chemistry is almost necessary in the
art Of p~yrOtechny, and yet l find that
a knowledge of chemistry without
much practical experience is almost
entirely useless.
Pyrotechny, like the art of hiving
the overheated honey bee, is n that
requires considerable experience and
a good pair of kip mittens.
We live in the bosom Of nature here,
and so I thought it would be a good
scheme to celebrate on the Fourth in a
pure and abstemiOus, yet highly hectic
and luminous manner. Ignoring the
sparkling domestic wines of the hill
country, made from the large early
yellow dent corr which is grown upon
the suspensOry farms of BuncOmbe
county. [ decided to purchase a few
choice fireworks direct from the fac
tory, and after touching lightly on the
beauties of American freedom, reading
of the Declaration of Independence
and an opening prayer in which the
national policy for the coming year
might be briefly laid before the Throne
of Grace, | allowed to set off at ven
ing tide about eight dollars worth of
pyrotechnics, which would furnish a
fitting close to the days celebration.
l spent the early part Of the summer
selecting a choice array of things that
| expected to use in casting a red glow
owe this part of the United States on
the nations natal day, hen I sent in
the order.
Skyland is not a regular metropolis.
1t is young, but it is growing. With
the investment Of foreign capital and
reciprocity with New Jersey we could
soon build up a large trade. Ok yokes,
whOrtleberries, frogs legs. aXhelves,
sassafras bark, fourth hand railroad
ties, mineral water, tar, pitch, turpen-
tine and lumber are the principal ex-
ports. But the place is small yet. The
waterworks 7 yet in their infancy,
and the train does not stop sunless
tagged.
We cannot hope, of course, to com
pete with New York as an outftting
and jObbing town until the train shows
more Of a tendency to pause here. In
some respects we are abreast of the
larger towns, having five churches
and a fine, well-unifOrmed band, good
p~asturage, five dwelling houses and a
good well of water. We have no
sewerage, so our little town is not
lighted by sewer gas.
Our chief difficulty is unjust railroad
discrimination. l hate to attack a
corporation that personally respect
for its sterling qualities of mind and
heart, but the railroad train does this
place most bitter and lasting injustice,
it seems to me, for it pauSes at the
water tank, and yet, unless tagged,
does not hesitate here, but rushes on.
No road can hope to prosper that
ignores the cries of the common people
and no people can be any more so
than I am-and yet 1 am forgotten by
this giant corporation. The day is
surely coming when the common peo-
pie, the plain people, must be heard.
We have been too long the creatures
Of capital. Before election our eyes
are as the diamonds bright, but after
election, on again looking at the poll
books, we find that our names were
registered as Dennis.
said this last evening in speaking
of "Our Nation, Past and Present"
which was the subject Of my address.
To return, however, to my fireworks
order: I tagged the train six or, seven
times to ask the conductor if my fire
works had come. At the end Of that
time he said he guessed that would do
me. [ said. "Possibly you do not
know who I am" He said no., he did
not. Hehad no personal acquaintance
with the peasantry of Buncombe
county, this State. / bridled up and
said:
Sir, I am here under an assumed
name
Doubtless, said he, waving his lily