Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1901-11-28
From Tarheeliana.
AsHEv1LLE, Nov. IA,

that arrived in this city on q Sun
day. After dinner at the Swannanoa,
/ went in quest of my friend OF other
years, Mr.. Jas. II. Loughran. or
course his place of business was closed
that day, but knowing his habitat on
the second floor, l opened the side
door and ascended the well-known
staircase, leading from the street to
his bachelor apartments. A knock
at his room door was quickly responded
to, and pleased look of surprise and
recognition was followed by hearty
hand-shake.
After a fifteen minutes chat he
looked at his watch and said, s'Come,
l want to show you something that will
be new to you in Asheville." After
getting into his overcoat, although the
day was fine, he led the way up Main
street to the courthouse square. There
we boarded street car and started on
the line, / thought, leading toward
Lookout Mountain. Now, the road to
that elevation was newly finished just
before left this town, five years ago,
and I thought to myself, 'My friend,
you are little out in your reckoning,
but I'll enjoy the ride all the same. ="
But for once possessed the wisdom Of
silence. After two-mile ride the end
of that line was attained, but a con-
Meeting electric road, very lately built,
led onward and upward. We changed
cars and began the ascent of Sunset
Mountain. The grade is like, in
places, to climbing the roof of a
house, and soon we were above the
tree-tops, still steadily ascending.
About half way up switch-back is
rendered necessary to the surmount-
ing of the natural obstacles in the way.
A great part of the distance the road
bed is barely wide enough to accom-
modate the track, and the car seems
to hang suspended in mid-air, causing
the neophyte in this electric mountain
climbing to swerve his body away from
the impending gulf. AS we wound
round the mountain, now the fair city
of Asheville, and anon the narrow valley
on the thither base, lay spread out
beneath us-dwelling, tree, field and
stream in miniature, softly defined
through the haze that gently tones
the atmosphere of our Indian Summer.
As we asceuded, a hawk, or larger
bird of air, on plumed pinion poised,
hundreds of feet from the earth below,
and yet floating beneath us, gave &C.
cent to the sense of altitude-or, rather,
to the perilous depths that divided us
from the level OF our departure. The
sun was shining brightly, but as we
mounted higher and higher, the COM
fort of wrap and overcoat became more
pronounced. Our car was filled to its
seating capacity with members OF both
sexes, and light jest and laugh en-
livened the way; but didn't want to
talk just then--the eye fills the brain
too full for utterance on first exper-
ience-and the voices of my fellow
travellers, somehow, Jared out of tune
on my senses.
At length we attained the summit of
the mountain, and a glorious scene
was spread before us-a cyclorama of
NATURES unapproachable art. Is this
an Irishism ? Let it go; it its.)
The mountain-top is bare of trees, and
the view is unobstructed in all direc-
tions. A house of observation, board
walk, and other accessories to comfort
and pleasure, are at the service OF the
public, without money and without
price-the ten cents for the car-ride
pays for all. A running fountain offers
free its sparkling contents, clear and
cold, from a spring upon the mountain
II have forgotten it's name.
AS we stepped out upon the high
lifted crest, the sun was hanging low
in the west, and a golden haze mel
lowed every object. near and far.
Mountain range and mountain peak
were piled one against the other in
the receding distance. until the con-
tours of the most distant were cloud
like in their delineations. Asheville
and its surroundings were spread out
before US in all their beauty; Biltmore
and the Vanderbilt mansion, six miles
away, were in plain view, and seemed
but good running distant. But
what's the useP / can't begin to de-
scribe the scene, and to further try
would only weary the reader. have
the consolation that no painter or pen,
picturer will ever be godlike enough
to render it justice. And so I'll pass
on to other matters more nearly mated
to my poor ability.
amdomiciliated on Chestnut street,
distant from the public square just one
half mile, as the crow flies, and about
one-third farther as the streets run;
but the electric line Is only bali 9
block away. When not predisposed to