Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1899-09-06
aalistellanruus 8eading.
NATURES WONDERLAND
Continued from First Page


nothing of much interest to claim your
attention in this little place. Perhaps
the scenery and the beauty of recent
date had palled the appetite. The
Wheeler House, "our camping
ground" is a pretentious hotel, re-
plete with every modern improvement
It is capital place to "stay in" while
YOU make Hendersonville the centre
of neighborhood rich in scenic heau'
| ty. And this is exactly how look
upon this city. Here I met clergy
man, to whom the mountains OF West
ern North Carolina were as an open
book. For 1S or 20 years he had visited
practically every coign of vantasEe as
summer after summer found him wend
| ing his way hitherward. What he had
to say, in his eager enthusiasm
aroused within me an intense desire to
tramp over the same grounds, graf
ification 1 hope to realize at no distant
date. One evening was spent at Flat
Rock, three miles distant. The charm
of this place lay in the elegant cot
tages of the summer residents. They
are principally Charlestonians; but
one and all, with a magnanimity, truly
commendable, permit you the freedom
of their grounds, and an afternoon car
be we'll spent in admiring the beauti
full and artistic merits of each place
Flat Rock, while it premises a goodly
elevation, appears as in declivity, SC
high do the surrounding hills ano
mountains loom up. The course o.
the streams, as they pour down the
sides of the mighty hills, are easily dis
cernible late in the evening or early II
the morning. There is thin wreath
of whitish vapor hanging over theil
waters, and you can trace the intricate
windings of these little rivers by the
windings in and out among the valleys
and woodlands of their vaporing pres
ence. When the streams are closely
closeted together, the vapor becomes
Scotch mist and hangs in the form o.
a goodly size cloud. 1t was lovely
sight. The mountains everywhere
being pierced by this thin streak Of
white, and causing the dark, dense
foliage to come forth in clearer, bolder
outline.
Between Hendersonville and Ashe'
Vile, distance of % miles, the roads
were found in excellent condition
They lack, however, the surperlatively
fine sights that had been seen a few
days before. There is not that awe
inspiring grandeur, that majestic sub.
Unity, that kaleidoscope panorama OF
the Chimney Rock region. There was
also the absence of running water to
add charming variety and poetic
sweetness. Instead, there are the
mountains, but as the road traverses
these at a goodly altitude, and the
views are partially obscured, the bold
ness, the brusqueness, the roughness
and the abruptness seems to be want
ing. There are, indeed, innumerable
paradisaical "spots" which possess a
charm peculiarly their own, and which
the mind loves to dwell upon. They
will linger in the memory for years
to come. The first stopping place was
Fletcher, and visit and talk with
the patriarch of this vicinity, DIR.
Fletcher, was an unbounded treat.
Many a summers sun and winters
blast has descended upon his head,
and now crowned with years, he stands
forth, as these majestic peaks, covered
with the glory of hoary old age, a
creditable son of these parts, strong,
rugged, unconventional, grand. They
have beautiful church-Episcopal-
perfect little gem. 1t stands in its
own spacious Gods acre, in the depths
of this lovely country, and testifies to
the generousness of the wealthy fami.
lies who make this neighborhood their
summer home. 1t is here that Bill Nye
is buried and his tomb is worth visit.
The Westfeldt Mansion, true south
ern home in its general effects, charm
ingly simple and homelike, is here too.
At intinitesimal distances, as distances
90 in the mountains, are several popu-
lar resorts, Glen Arden, Skyland,
Bony Creek, ETC., all possessing pic
turesque sweetness, and health CIV
ing ozone, as testified to by the increas-
ing number that make these delightful
abodes their summer quarters year
after wear. Each and all of these
are we'll worthy an extended visit, a
privilege that on this trip was denied
US, and they are we'll worthy all ex-
tended notice too. A few more min
utes and we are in the outskirts of
Asheville, a city and country the rep
utation of which are famous all over
the United States.
VANDERBILTs' KINGDOM.
A visit to Asheville is certainly in.
complete, if Biltmore, the palatial
residence of Mr.. George Vanderbilt
be omitted. Without stretching a
point" it can be truthfully said, that
this magnificent country home and
estate, which is so magnanimously
placed at the "disposal of the public, I"
twice weekly, is the piece de resis-
tance of this city and its environ
ments. Biltmore is celebrated far and
wide, and indeed, what would charm
ing Asheville be without it 1t may
not be out of place to state that the
visiting days are now limited to We'd
nesday and Saturday afternoon, and
the number of passes each day is
limited to 70 carriages only. The
interest is so great, however, that it is
no unusual sight to see the visiting
vehicles literally thronged with sight
aaa.a IL .,ac anr fortnna To he an !.