The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1894-07-05
ROARING GAP HOTEL.
TIE NEW SUMMER RESORT GAIN
ING IN POPULARITY.
Mr. w. w Wood Writes Of the Beauti
full Scenery in and Around
the Hotel.
To the Editor of the Sentinel.

To the Editor of tbs Sentinel.
ROARING GAr HoTEL-SUMMKR Re-
soRT-June 27.-Your request that
describe to you this place cannot be
fully complied with. Neither tongue
| nor pen or any one will ever be able
| to do this. One must see it for him
self to graspits magnificence- Nature
here prese o Us a panorama, extremely
beautiful. grand and extensive, that
may easily rank among her master
| pieces | cannot do more than men
| tion few things that | see, hear, feel,
smell and taste here.
Leaving Elkin, the beautiful rail-
road town in the Yadkin Valley, | be-
gan the ascent to Roaring Gap Hotel,
which was in plain view most Of the
way from the start, and with com-
| pany Of congenial companions had a
! most delightful drive OF four hours
| over very picturesque plateau of
| country situated between the ranges
| of the Brushes and Blue Ridge noun
| tains. The temperature was well up
| In the eighties at the beginning, but
! on arriving on the summit at the
hotel, $500 feet above sea level, we
| at once had need of our coats the
! temperature being in the sixties,
| where it has remained day and night,
varying only two 20 four degrees in the
| twenty-four hours.
At this immense altitude we found
a most beautiful building site and a
| hotel Of complete appointments now
rapidly filling up with guests, happy
and delighted with the surroundings
/ and their host. Mr.. Harden, who
7 l.; I,D,1 f.N = I,oir
| comfort. so that | hear ne words of
complaint from any source.
The hotel tower has four observa-
| tories and | suon joined gOOdly
| company in the upper one in viewing
| the points of interest dotted about In
the grand panorama before Us in cir
cular form, of about four hundred
miles circumference.
With the natural eyes, aided only
by some short-ranged tield-glasses,
could be seen the towns of Nit. Airy,
DobSon, Rockford, Boonyille East
| Bend. Donnaha, Winston, Iadkin
vile, Elkin, Jonesville. Hamptonyille,
| WilkesbOro, Sparta, and other minor
ones.
| Also the important mountain points
/ Of Fishers Peak, Mount Mitchell
Fancy Gap, Fishers Gap, Low Gap,
| Sauratown, Pilot, Mt. Nebo. STAIRS
| ISdh. 1o"elI IIelS utc. IeoSS oluG,
Mt. HOllomon, Poes Knob, Elkspur
| Gap, Bullhead, Grand Father, Green
street, Peach Tree, Wells Knob, Stone
Mountain, Bryans' Knob, and many
| of less note.
| We also lock down upon the follow
| ing rivers: Arrarat, Fishers, North
and South Mitchell, North and South
Elkin, Bugabo, Roaring River and a
| vast number of rivuletS and brOoklets
| L. lI-t ,ri,r int xph inh ha
others all empty.
The towns, mountains and streams
| to be seen are limited only by the
power of vision, and OF the glasses at
hand
In field and forest are flowers and
| trees In beautiful variety of spontane-
| Gus growth. The hotel site and round
| about is covered with innumer3 BILE
| viOiets in season. The forests are
full of the exquisite. mountain laurel
| and iyey, both now in full bloom; and
the red, white, yellow and pink honey
suckles in season afford the most de-
lightful perfumes to the wayfarer on
the highways. The amealacola very
closely resembling the laurel is equal
ly beautiful and more fragrant.
Ferns are abundant too. Here are
found, in abundance, also the white
pine, balSam. and spruce, sugar maple,
|
full bloom.
At the hotel there is never ceasine
breeze, preventing any dew-without
| which no frost can come. The wind
last night whistled and sung around
the hotel as If in March.
Cool and refreshing breeZes SWEEP
constantly through the yeran das anC
piazZas,- the latter very lengthy, 81
that to walk them back and forth
| = \: :rr ~ r
full view of all of the magnificent
scenery which | have just alluded to
The table is supplied with all tha
grows in this most fertile and health
ful section. The milk and butter ar,
unsurpassed. The mutton fresh from
green pastures is quite surprising
Vegetables in great variety, ant
abundance, are very superior here
Cabbages grow very large, white ant
crisp-eight to twelve pounds eacl
ordinarily and often weighing twent.
TO thirty pounds. Irish potatoe
: grow large and abundantly and ar
| proyerbial for delicacy Of fiayors.
Mountain trout are plentiful AM
hooking them:is the finest ofsports an
, no fish better pleases the palate. w
have them for breakfast every da
T now.
] The free stone we'll water on tn
| summit of the hotel needs no ice an
is clear as crystal. The miners
: spring near by is the subject OF yer
many interesting legends of the nj
e merous cures effected by its use anon
e the natives here for generations.
. now remains for the present and 10
s lowing generations to spread its fam
to the outside world so that healt
e seekers may come, drink and be hea
. ed. Mr.. A. Fl. Eller, of Winston,
: learn, has its analysis, by DIR. Battl
the State chemist, OF North Carolin;
from recent Investigations. Jude
Bynum has been drinking it for SON
DAYS here and thinks its fame as
q curative water will ere long becon
? wide spread.
8 Another gentleman who has recen
g " used it is restored from very trol
blesome disorder OF the bowels.
/ have attempted no description {
the sublimIty Of the scenery nor II
y inspiring effect upon the beholde
knowing too well that l can not a
: proximate true picture.
= Writers, orators and artists wit
pen, tongue and brush may come an
}, drink from this expansive store of I'll
= beautiful and grand and be filed
, the utmost, but none Will oe able
:, tell the story complete to others.
With the hope that you can con
: and see yourself before L leave, an
. . with best wishes, L remain
e Very truly yours,
E w. w. WOOD.
Dr V q. THOMPSON. drugpis