The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-06-07


month is the SUM paid at present to men
working on the grounds, aside from
those who are building And yet my
grounds, especially on Monday. present,
/ think, more cheerful appearance
than his'n does. often tell him that
when our folks are Tnsing out their
white clothes in the second water, and
r9zcing my new parboiled shirts on the
lawn to bleach, know of no landscape
gardener who can begin to get such eff
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,
he is known as quiet, studious, thor
ough gentleman and scholar, as well as
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 facetious, but
that was the rate-$500 to the bushel OF
earth-for it was placer mine-or
So, 000, 900 while the mine was being
worked. Then it suddenly became flood
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 sufficient
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 for
granular or crystalline corundum, or
emory. Arsenic, anthony, bismuth,
cobalt and nickel are also met up with
here, but not in the gneissoid rocks.
The climate of North Carolina, es-
peclally of Buncombe county, is really
its chief charm. 1t is, in fact, why both
me and Vanderbilt came here. We said
to ourselves: Staten Island is beauti-
full beyond description, especially at
times, but it is not suitable for the en-
tire year. One should go up into the
hills, at least for a part of the year, that
the ozone may dawdle through ones
whiskers. Change is good thing, and
the climate of North Carolina has its
good points"
Once came here along with fall Of
two feet of snow and a mean tempera-
ture. had nothing to do with it, but
even yet land 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
murnur to themselves and begin to 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 near as the Creator left it in the
sun to dry. Virgin forests are still that
way after the lapse of millions of years,
and l 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
fort has been made at clearing up the
land save the unsatisfactory one, it
seems to me, of trying to clear farm
by cutting down tree every two weeks
in order to get a 'possum that is con-
cealed in it. From the oranges of the
coast to the buchwheat pancakes Of the
Blue Ridge; from the terrapin of her
tropical shores to the maple strip of the
mountains, North Carolina has almost
everything on earth that is good to eat;
and, in the language of Daniel Webster,
her skies shed health and vigor. do
not just remember for sure whether
Webster said that or whether | quote
from myself, but it is good and true.