Smyrna times., 1897-10-20
A TRIP SOUTHWARK.
For the Smyrna Times.

EOi IiiS oLuyIlid lines.
The Peninsular Press Association
and number of guests met in Wash
ingtOn, d. c., on Sept. 25th last, and
after receiving a "clean bill of health
from Government officers, (stating that
none of them had the yellow fever, etc.
etc. boarded a special car of the South
ern Railway for Ashville, N. c., as the
guests of the very accommodating
management of this road. The trip
was very uneventful until we reached
Salisbury, N. c., save the crossing of
several battlefelds and the seeing of
Monticello, the home of Thomas
Jefferson, the framer of the Declara-
ton of Independence. After leaving
Salisbury, the route wac across noun
tains, through mountains and around
mountains. The scenery was almost
too picturesqe for description.
AsHvILLE.
Finally at abOutmidnight, wereached
the famous health resort which has of
recent years gained greater notoriety
by the purchase of 200, 900 acres of its
adjoining land by one of the wander
bilts." This isia magnificent country.
The air is dry and light, the scenery
beautiful and the people kindhearted.
Here we met several Eastern Shoremen
among them being J. d. Plummer,
formerly of the Greensborough Free
Press, who came here three years ago
to fight off consumption. He is greatly
improved. We also met DIR. Pearson,
formerly of Middleton, who is now one
of the leading physicians of Ashville.
We were located at the Battery Park
Hotel while here, and from its porches
and verandas, we beheld the green
swarded mountains all around us. A
carriage drive took many out to view
',BiltmOre," Vanderbilt's home, also
up on Beaumont" the highest noun
tain peak of the neighborhood (lt being
nearly 5000 feet above the sea level.
A number of the party attended divine
services at the several churches, some
going to Vanderbilt's church, down
near the railroad and Just outside the
gates of ''Biltmore. Mr.. Vanderbilt
not only owns the edifice, but he hires
and pays the preacher. The Rectory
adjoins the church.
CHATTANOOGA.
We leave Ashville at 1.3O P. NJ. for
Chattanooga, passing through some of
the grandest scenery it was ever man s
privilege to look npon. There is no
need of landscape artists going to the
Alps of Switzerland, for right here can
be found as picturesque scenery as
mortal eye need care to view. For G5
miles we followed beside the French
Broad River; out of North Carolina
and into Tennessee we go, not stop
ping to give detailed account of our
journey.
just after entering Tennessee, we
met Congressman Moon, who had en-
tered our train. Through his kindness
many places of interest were pointed
out to us, among them being Shell
Mountain Cave and the Convict Stone
Piles of the State. Here all tramps
and vagrants are compelled to break
stone to be placed on the public roads
of the State. We were i'm pressed that
this would be a good way to employ
Delaware cOnvicts. We are now APP
preaching Chattanooga and a large,
uniformed officer enters our car to de-
mand our ''health certificate, which
fortunately we had secured in Wash
ington, otherwise we could not have
stopped in this historic city. We were
met by Mr.. Jackson of the Southern
Railway and escorted to the Read
House, where we were received in
good old Southern style by "Grand-
mother" Read, the aged mother of the
proprietor. Soon we were fast asleep.
Early the next morning we went up on
Lookout Mountain, where the battle
Above the Clouds" was fought. A
whole column of your valable paper
might be used to advantage in describ-
ing this trip alone. At o'clock we
boarded Nashville, Chattanooga and
st. Louis Railway car and were soon
going westward at a remarkable good
rate of speed. neglected to say that
on Sunday night, while the train was
moving at the rate of fifty miles an
hour, Drs. Corkran, Grise and the un-
dersigned addressed the party of trav-
ellers on religious subjects.
NASHVILLE!
Nashville reached at Z P. NJ. on Mon
day and after some difficulty, hotel ac-
comOdations found. '"The Exposition
and a Trip to the Mammoth Cave, -
will be the subject of our next letter.
Very respectfully,
CHAs. I. STENGLE.
IeiDsic. Del