The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-09-14

selecting the name when he decided to
cast his lot and considerable of his bank
account away back here in the mountains
Fifty years ago the natives ch listened
Buck Sh6aIs, which designaoos a shallow
place in the Salamanca river where the
water tumbies over the rock for distance
of about 100 yards in very fascinating
and cool way. That's the way it looks to
the observer on a hot day.
Picturesque WiIdness.
Why the Swannanoa valley so strongly
attracted such famous people as Wander
bilt and Nye, OF, as the latter modestly eK-
presses it, ''3Je and George - Is hard TO
tell. Most Of the visitors who expect 20
find locality replete with mountain
grandeur and picturesque wildaess are
disappointed. True, many are therattract-
i've views, and the eye waa6crs over an
ever varying, landscape, but the2contFasts
OF mountain and valley are not rzRarka-
bly, striking, and the prospectormight find
thousands of home sites nearer civilization
and much more accessible than Buck
Shoals which are as rich in natural seen
cry and which would form equally dcsira-
BILE spots in which TO enjoy life. But varie-
W is the spice of life, and after the excite
nent incident 10 lecturing before the Hoo
sier and Cracker, cowboy and banker, Nor
mon and Methodist, Yankee and CaroIin-
ian. as well asthe other sorts of people who
make up the average American audience,
MIR Nye naturally desires quiet, and if ire
cannot get it at Buck Shoals he csn't get
it anywhere. 1t is hidden away in a broken
of corner of the country four miles from
the nearest railway station and - miles
up the valley which extends tc the south
of this city.
Mr. Nye's Den.
tt Is an attractive place, with its wide
verandes, large, airy rooms, great fire
places and all the conveniences Of city life,
which are SO essential to comfort and lux
ury in the country. Away back in one
out of the way corner is the owners
'den, with a large writing table, easy
chairs, plenty of books and magazines,
pipes, tobacco and other sources of inspi-
ration which have assisted in making the
Nye articles SO interesting 10 the readers
Of the press Of today. And what disRp-
pointment IT is To meet Bill himself You
are prepared 10 see a lean, lank, cadaver-
Gus individual, with enormous spectacles
and nose like an eagles be2k. That is
mis- appearance in print. Instead you SEQ
well dressed, well built man, slightly
shaver, kindly features. Ia short, he
seems to the visitor 70 be a well to DO man
Of the modern world. He was evidently
prepared for nay surprise, for he remarked: /
Il have changed considerably since 1 be- /
gan farming and living in the mountains. .
! came to this section for the first time
eight years ago. pretty well run down. /
Suffered from nervousness, loss of appe- .
tite and the other ailments you usually I
find described in the ayer1 re patent nedi- /
cine circular, but North Carolina has
made a new man out of me. In fact, I .
had no idea how tough had become phys
scally until a few winters ago when out on
horseback. 1t was in December, and had
TO ford a river. A friend-at least l
thought he was-lent me one of his an
finals, which found out afterWard had a
fondness for rolling over in the water
When we reached the middle of the stream.
he decided to indulge this little eccentrici-
". We both rolled. The water was ice
cold, but had become thoroughly warm