Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1897-01-21
From TarheeIlana.
AsHEv1LLE, n. C.. JAN. 12. 1897

makeup divinei For fully thirty
years the writer had his nose upon
the industrial grindstone. with scarcely
weeks intermission at any one time,
and the gristle upon his proboscis had
become so toughened and callous that
he believed that never again could the
porphyry OF the revolving wheel bring
discomfort or disgust to his abnormal
nature. Yet, here. after an intermis-
sion of two short, fleeing months,
pick up my unwilling Faber (by cour-
tesy so called; in reality, a Federal,
No. 2, filched from a too confiding
acquaintance of the Asheviile Custom
House) only at the eleventh hour. The
blank tablet is a reproach unheeded
from Tuesday evening until Monday
night, when its ornamentation is re-
luctantly begun. 'Tis said that ''all
work and no play makes Jack dull
boy;" if the converse follows. it occurs
to me there ought to be great corrus-
cation in these pages. Lack of it may
be safely laid to the perverting fingers
of the ''intelligent compositor," who
will generally have his way, despite
proof. correction, rhyme or reason.
advert to this only as general fact;
not because have reason for special
complaint.
In company with Federal acquain-
tance above incidentally alluded to,
climbed the steep ascent to Battery
Park Hotel last Sunday, just after sun
set. The hill is so named because,
once upon a time during the family
quarrel which we all now solemnly
swear we have entirely forgotten, a
Confederate battery was stationed
thereon. From this position of van
tage, shot, and shell. in profusiOn,
were tossed to the friends in blue, lOcat-
ed on another rise in convenient prox-
unity, who no doubt warmly returned
the compliments thus extended. We
don't know which side got tired first:
but happily there's no battery there
now, and the scene from the crest OF
the hill is calm, peaceful and pleasant;
and, in place of the guns, an elegant
hotel dispenses Goldfish, potato and
other balls on demand. 1t being a
$5-a-day hostelry. Boston baked beans
and Boston orchestra give tone and
zest to the surroundings and strive
with the ozone for possession of the
atmosphere.
But the beauty of the scene unrolled
from the summit of Battery Park! 1t
is far beyond my power to fttingly de-
scribe 1t. The sun had set, and the
few clouds that hung in the west were
beau tifully tinted and colored by the
afterglow-from the darkest purple
through all the gradations of color to
the brightest, richest crimson. So
great was the beauty Of the heavenly
landscape that the grosser attractions
of terra firma underneath commanded
for the moment but a passing atten-
ton. Yet these. under ordinary con-
dilions, deserved and would have re-
ceived the admiration of the lover OF
terrestrial beauty and grandeur. The
whole city, itself on a plateau 240O
feet above the sea-level, lay at our
feet. We even looked down on Bilt-
more-the Vanderbilt chateau-and
plainly saw its towers and spires three
miles away. The haze of evening
shrouded hill, mountain and valley, in
indistinct outline. adding to rather
than detracting from the enchantment
of the scene. Afar off in front, tower
ed Pizgah, 5000 feet in air. and by its
side lay The Rat, so denominated from
the resemblance of it's contour to the
form OF the rodental household pest in
repose. The long snout, the back,
and even the tail of the animal is per
fectly silhoueted against the blue sky.
To the right is a gap leading from the
seemingly inextricable labyrinth OF
mountain peaks, through which flows
the French Broad. and the Southern
Railway seeks outlet TO regions be,
yond. The whole forms picture Of
exceeding beauty at all times, but that
evening, wrapped in the radiance o
the after-glow. and shaded in Other
parts by the rising mists, its loVelines;
was inexpressible; and, as l said al
the start, its description shall not be
attempted, nor its perfectness marred
by the unskilled touch of my crude
pen.
The Battery Park hotel is one of the
finest in Asheville-and that means il
the State. It is magnificent pile o.
buildings, of two wings joined together
in the form of the letter II. the cross
bar in the n being formed by the din
iug-room on the first floor with bed
rooms in the succeeding stories. tt
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