The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1895-08-01
CLIMATIC CONDITIONS.
"NORTH CAROLINA AS A HEALTH
RESORT"

The Most Favored of All Lands-A
Great Diversity of Climate, Scenery
and Natural Causes Conducive to
Good Health and Long Life-Facts
Worth Considering.
Following is an extract from the
speech of Mr.. Hal w. Aver. of tn.
Raleigh Cacausian, at the banquet
given complimentary to the Nort.,
Carolina Press Association, in Greens.
bo1o, July 18th, responding to the
toast North Carolina as a Health
Resort So full of information con.
corning this feature of our State and
containing as it does so much of inserest
and value to the general reader, we
asked the privilege of publishing this
portion of Mr.. Ayers remarks
| Scenic and climatic influences have
inspired many an eloquent tribute and
| thrilling to the natural glories and
sunny skies OF North Carolina; and her
abstract fame has Travelled as far as the
wings of ballad and poesy can carry it.
| There has been no exaggeration. Too
much has not been said but the sentiment
attendant upon utterances-both descriD-
tive and eulOgistic-seems to have been
so enthusingly patriotic, soulful and
ethereal, as to lift the mind and imagi-
| nation OF reader or listener into realm
OF fancy from which it is impossible to
properly appreciate the material quail
ties which inhere in everything within
State lines. To pull down the dreamy
fancy of the entranced auditor-tO yank
him out of elysian reverence and bring
him to understand that the scenery is
actually natural-that the climate is
real and that such a combination ofboth
as exists within the borders of Tar Heel
dom is conducive to 30 vulgar and
material thing as active vitality and
ruddy health would be a sacrilege OF
custom at any time,-but especially SO
on such an occasion as this, when the
pent up reason is supposed to be let
loose to feast on everything in sight,
regardless OF consequences, and the
imprisoned soul is released to join flow
of all immediate flowing material in a
direction contrary to all orthodox
instructions as to the course said soul
should take.
But, sir, something tangible is neces-
sarily the basis OF all true inspiration.
Let us try to discover and describe the
real, the actual cause OF the elOqucnce
and song already mentioned, and see
what conclusion practical examination
OF it will lead to. OF course this can not
be done in detail here o-night-certainly
not to the extent OF going into dry,
good fellowship-killing statistics; but a
few facts may be stated which will lead
any one who may question or investi-
gate them to some remarkably interest
ing and delightful discoveries.
Reference to tho mean parallels Of
latitude will show that North Carolina
is situated nearly midway of the Union
and since the Union lies entirely within
the Temperate Zone, it follows that
North Carolina is situated upon the
central belt OF that Zone. This position
gives to the State climatical conditions
not excelled by any section OF country
in the world. Other causes, apart from
it's position, concur to produce these
results. On the West the lofty mountain
chains interpose their mighty barrier
between the bleak winds OF the Northwest
and the general surface OF the State On
the East the coast is swept by the Gulf
stream, the beneacent effect of which is
felt far inland. From the position and
these causes the temperature, which is
more or less the regulator OF life and
health, ranges within moderate limits
from season to season.
The climate OF a locality determines
the desirability of that locality as a
place of residence Or resort for either
health or pleasure. The average annual
temperature of the whole Northern
Hemisphere is $3.50; the average tenn
perature OF North Carolina for 1894 was
1>n hnt oil:
of North Carolina, in respect 20 heat and
cold for the year, is almost exactly the
same as the average OF the whole Northern
portion of the globe-that part of the
globe holding practically all the civiliza-
ton and all the advancement of the
present age.
There were only 1OS rainy days of the
365 in 1894, and the precipitation was
| ample for the best health giving Influences
Now, let's make some brief comparisons
| We can all remember something of the
songs and praises we have heard OF the
| balmy climes OF Southern France-Sunny
Italy-the Andalusian Valleys and other
famed places to which many physicians
in this country ordered their rich patients
We have seen that the average annual
temperature for North Carolina is 59.60
At Paris, of Sunny France, it is 5O.So
At Naples, OF Sunny Italy, it is Gil
differing from North Carolina less than
two degrees. At Madrid, in the Auda.
lusian Valley land, it is 56.5-differine
from North Carolina by three degrees
How can these places, so much famed for
health giving qualities, be superior tC
North Carolina whose temperature is 6
happy mean between that of the points
mentioned? From available authentic
records we may carry the comparison 6
little further and show that for what
may be called the six winter months thu
average temperature of North Caroline
is 49,; for Paris ~; for Naples 52-
differing from North Carolina by foul
degrees for Madrid 45-a difference O
three degrees. Just one more step nov
and let us compare the summer records
For North Carolina the average tempera
ture for the six summer months is 20
for Naples 69.5; for Madrid 67.5; fo
Paris 60. These are the facts in th
case" and that the climate of our Stat,
il not as far famed as that of any in tn
world is due to the remissness of some
body. Gentlemen of the Press, is ours
the fault?
Another factor in determining tn
desirability OF locality as a place O
EcSOlO vi ACclOtuCc IS lIe IuluenCe u
climate upon health and life. keepin,
in mind the fact that we are not goin,
into details, We may state that alocalit.
in which the mortuary record does no
exceed Il deaths a year for each thousan,
inhabitants is a very healthy section
In any illustration We may make in thi
matter, we must omit reference to tn
colored race for while it is unfortunate
it is still fact that a tremendou
majority Of that people live in obhyio
of the results of sanitation. We ma
emphasize this fact by stating that i
Washington City, where the most con
plete records are kept, the death rat
among the whites is 17h per Thousand
) while under the same climatic influence
, the death rate among the colored peopl
is 3Oh per thousand.
, Remembering the TACT that q deaf
= rate nf l nor fh0uso nd ip6 ioo q y..r