The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-08-24
One Of the Livest and Best Little Cities in the
Western Part of the State.
ACuLTURED POPULATION OF 2, 500
The County Lies Just Under the Shadow OF
the Blue Ridge Mountains 200
Feet Above Tide Water.

The county lies just under the shadow
of the Blue Ridge mountains twelve
hundred feet above tide water. From
the top of the Table Rock mountain,
distant sixteen miles from Monganton.
the capftal the country appears as ONE
vast wooded plain. interspersed with
mere streaks of cultivation along the
line af more notable waiter courses.
TIMBER RESOURCES.
SO large a part of nature yet remains
unreclaimed and this in n section set
tied by white men more than one nun
dred and twenty years ago Burke af-
fords a fine opening for the lumberman.
as yellow anu white pine. white oak III
abundance and no wise inferior to that
of Ohio, hickory, poplar, dogwood ma
pie. beech and in the mountains locust,
cherry. walnut and henllock are among
the woods ~ be found
SOIL AND PRODUCTS.
The Caiawba river. which becomes
lower down the Santee, runs through the
centre Of ,.ie country from West 70
East On its northern bank and within
the county it receives the Iinville and
Johns rivers, Canoe, Upper and Lower
creeks, all of which course through fer
tile valleys yielding prolific crops of
corn, VIII, a., rye, oats and hay.
From the south enters Muddy creek,
Silver creek, Hunting and Drowning
creeks. SO that no county in the State
is better watered. IIenry's and Jacobs
rivers, forming the south fork of the
Catawba. flow through the southern
part of Burke and unite near Hickory.
All of these streams, rising as they do
in the surrounding mountains. have
rapid descent and furnish in greater or
less degree fine water powers, of which
more Will be said hereafter.
LINyILLE RIVER.
Ilnville river is especially noted In
this regard. besides being in point of
picturesque beauty by odds the most
famous Of Western Carolina streams.
Compared with it the Blue .Juiato is
mere frog pond and Minnehaha's
laughing waters a poor copy Of its nli-
rivaled and ever varying charms. The
soil of these river and creek valleys
is a sandy loan Of easy cultivation and
not subject to destructive overliows. On
the contrary an overflow, occurring rs it
usually does in the winter season. rs
generally considered i'm the light of
disguised blessing. enriChsng as ii does
with the black mould of the adjacent
hills and mountains the flat lands be-
low. Drought is unknown on suGh
land and. where deep plonghng is re-
sorted TO- does not mach effect the up-
lands of the county. which have almost
throughout a subsoil Of stiff red clay,
at all times moist. On these uplands
there is grown every variety Of fruit
and cereal known to the Nc.th Tenn
perate zone.
THE TOBACCO CROP.
Tobacco pays handsome profit to all
who have sufficient Intelligence to cure
and market it. and tobacco grown in this
county was awarded the first premium
at the Vienna Exposition in 1874.
GLOVER AND GRASSES.
Clover, orchard grass, herds grass or
red top and timothy grow lXuriantly:p
while the mountains i'll many places af-
ford fine pasturage ia the native grasses
and wild pea vine.
4 GREAT FRUIT COUNTRY.
But tn, great industry OF Burke in
the future will be the fruit business.
green and canned. and the entire Atlantic
Seab0ard cannot show an equal area of
territory surprising it in this regard.
The South Mountains, which divide the
county from Rutherford and Cleveland
counties, have along their entire north
ern exposure a well defined belt in which
frost Is wholly unknown. This is the
horne of the apple. peach and grape the
celebrated variety or the last named,
known as the Catawha. having its birth
near here From two to ten dollars
is the price of land in this thermal
belt
On the Southern exposure Of these
South Mountains and their foot hills the
cotton plant Is TO some extent cultivated,
so that rs on. State. alone CT All. fills
every to!rmn in the census blanks. IL
may b. said that Burke grows every
thing that can be grown in North Caro-
lima from sweet potatoes and F.arsill-
mons rowards.
NORGANTON.
The county seat. is, 100 feet II. s.
Geological Sur ey) above the sea- aad
has lcng er.t,ri "a corner" ON CLIMATE.
having ben mated frem its earliest
times rs :in exceptionally fine sunmor
res0.t.
The avc"aee yearly temperature is e.
degrees. highest 81 degrees. lowest 1fi
degrees. The census maps OF the Unit
cd States 1870. show the area around
the town. covering Burke and parts IL
the adjacent counties, to he absolutely