Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-06-08

| - ~ hAA4-. ssilU Is usSu solely 1Ol
conveying building material and salarie:
to the men. 1t is called the Vanderbilt
system Twenty thousand dollars De,
month is the sum paid at present to men
working on the grounds, aside from
those who are building. And vet my
grounds, especially on Monday, present,
think, more cheerful appearance
than hls'n does. | often tell him that
when our folks are rinsing out their
! white clothes in the second water. and
placing my new parboiled shirts on the
lawn to bleach, l know of no landscape
gardener who can begin to get such ef-
| fects as we do.
Mr.. Vanderbilt is very popular here,
especially on Saturday evenings; but he
Is not loved alone for his vast wealth.
Here, as on Staten Island or in the CITY,
ne Is known as quiet, studious, thor
ough gentleman and scholar. as well as
a good judge of the native wines made
here in the mountain Businesses of the
state out of the grains and cereals of
Carolina, and used to shorten the long
stage waits formerly so painful when the
governors of the two Carolinas were
thrown together.
The richest of gold mines known. prior
to the acquisition of California, was found
IN North Carolina. and yielded $500 TO
the busheL Possibly the reader thinks
that am trying to be faceuous. but
that was the rate-S500 to the bushel of
earth-for It was a placer mine-or
S3.000,000 while the mine was being
sorked. Then it suddenly became food
ed, and | believe is still little moist as
this letter goes TO press.
Diamonds of fine water. and from one
half TO two karats in weight, have been
found in the state. but not in suficieu,
quantities to interfere with agriculture.
Fine detached crystals of zircon. gar
nets and graphite occur in Franklin.
Lincoln and Mecklenburg counties.
North Carolina is also headquarters 70.
granular or crystalline corundum. or
emory. Arsenic anthony, bismuth.
cobalt and nickel are also met ND with
here. but not IN the gneissoid rocks.
The Climate of North Carolina. es-
peclaly Of Buncombe county, is really
Its chief charm. Il is, in fact, WHY both
me and Vanderbilt came here. We said
10 ourselves: Staten Island is beauti
tul beyond description. especially at
times, but 1t s not suitable for the en-
tire year. One should 90 up into the
hills, az least for part of the year. that
the ozone may dawdle through ones
whlskeTs. Change Is good thing. and
the climate OF North Carolina has its
good points"
Once came here along with fall Of
two tost OF snow and a mean tempera-
ture, had nothing 10 DO with it, but
even Yet ,and that was better than five
years ago. the people Of Buncombe !
county. whenever frost strikes the val |
ley, as they profanely hunt in the bot |
tom Of the rag barrel for their ear muffs |
murmur 70 themselves and begin 20 look
at the depot for baggage with my name |
on it.
At night, or in the shade, it is always |
cool here, especially during the HOLIDAYS.
But take the year round, facts, figures
and poorly patronized cemeteries show
that this county can easily give points
to the field and carry off the blue satin
ribbon.
Relatively, the larger part of the state
Is very ne r othe Creator left it in the
sun 10 dry. Virgin forests are still that
way after the lapse of millions of years,
and | have had them pointed out TO
me with pride on that account by old
timers here. There are thousands and
thousands Of acres everywhere, and no
where will you see thereon where an eff
Tort has been made al clearing up the
land, save the unsatisfactory one. it
seems 10 me, Of trying to clear a farm
by cutting down tree every two weeks
N order 10 get postum that is con-
'ealed IN It. From the oranges OF the
coast TO the buckwheat pancakes of the
Blue Ridge; from the terrapin of her
roplcal shores 10 the maple strip of the
Mountains, North Carolina has almost
on earth that is good to eat;
md, IN the language of Daniel Webster,
Ter skies shed health and vigor. + do
lot just remember for sure whether
Webster said that or whether | quote |