The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1897-07-02
THE PRESIDENTS MoUNTAIN TRIP
Something About TiItmore House Which
the President Visited with tho News
paper Men In tho Footsteps of
the Major.
Atlanta Jonrnal, Juno 18.
President McKinley's trip

President McKinloy's trip to
Asheville has drawn attention to one
of the most picturesque regions in
the world. Longbefore the war it
was noted for its dry climate and
bracing atmosphere, and since then
newcomers have built city On air.
Tho streets and the houses have
their brick and mortar, but tho real
foundation Of Asheville is an exhila-
rating, aerial champagne that stlmu-
lates to the point Of intoxication.
II is said that Major Mckinley,
having tasted this beverage, neg
! looted wine of the vintage of '43 and
oven the protection punch that Mr..
McKissick brewed in his honor.
Looking out on that grand panorama
and drinking in the ambrosiai air
that comes over the mountains, Il
man forgets the monotony of every
day life and loses himself in Mir
vana Of rest. A commonplace NOR
tai becomes poetic and your country
cracker throws off his shuf1ling gate
and walks with grace.
Hard by this Nirvina is the Gar
den Of Eden, brought down to date
by George w. Vanderbilt. The
roads, which are perfect, wind
through miles Of flowers that mingle
their perfumes in indescribable bou-
quets The wild flowers of this re-
gion and cxotics from all parts Of
tho world grow up together. The
mountain laurel and tho rhododon-
dron grow side by side, and the run
ming honeysuckle is joined with
rarer plants in the samo border
Miles of spruce and balsam line the
roads, and all about the hills and
slopes the Indigenous and trans
planted shrubs are intermingled SO
that it is difficult to tell where ma
turc leaves off and art begins.
The absence Of humidity from
the air about Asheville rids the eli
mate of the sultriness which is so op-
prcscive elsewhere. When other
cities were swoltoring under heat
Of 95 or 100 degress, the guests at
the Battery Park hotel were enjoy
ing balmy breczes with tempera-
ture Of 7S.
The approach to Ashevlle from
Salisbury, over the Southern Rail
way, is through Il charming country
which is especially beautiful at
wheat harvest. From the car win
dows you sec thousands of acres Of
golden grain, standing or in shock.
Governor Holt is running 10 har-
vosters this week and will make 10,
600 bushels of wheat.
From Salisbury the train ascends
gradually to Old Fort, where the
mountains rise TO height Of 5000
feet. 1t takes two powerful engines
to pull the train up Round Knob.
In twelve miles they climb 1,4OO
feet. Furteen times the track
doubles round the Knob before it
reaches the summit. Rushing out
Of long tunnel, the train whirls in,
: to full view of Royal Gorge, a
grand avenue among the mountains
with broken valleys between. As
far as the eye can reach mountains
rise to The right and left. This
grand vista is worth coming miles to
see. The Blue Ridge breaks up in
to vcrltable playground of Titans.
From Royal Gorge tho track do,
scends by easy stages. In half an
hour tho picturesque SwanIan oa
loads you into Asheville. There you
find a clean, well-kept town of 49,
600 people, surrounded by eminonces
crowned with hotels and villas. The
finest viow is from Battery Park ho-
tol, which hold tho site Of fort and
is rcaced by an olotric car. There
you got a panoramic Wow which is
hardly cquaied this side of tho Rocky
Mountains, Nature hos thrown out
a Gordon Of mountains peaks that
: surround the place like gigantic sen.
tinels. 1t is n great circle, forty o
3 fifty miles in diameter, and through
y tho middle of the valley flows the
T. Swannanoa and the French Broad
Away off in the distance shred oi
white cloud fecks the mountain