The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-07-18
THE FACT ILLUSTRATED
Forty Thousand Acres Of Fine Timber
Land For Song.
WALNUT TREE BRINGS $3.50 ON STUMP
The Buyer Sells il For ST, 500 on Board Cars.
Wastsful Ways in Tan Bark Business.
Secretary Wi'sm Shocked
by the Waste.

(Staff CORRESPONDENCE

(Staff Correspondence
Bryson City, July 17.-Balsam Gap is
said to be the highest railroad point east
of the Rocky Mountains. The ascent from
not SO steep as the descent on the other
side. The scenery is picturesque, the
mountains being covered with forests and
all kinds of foliage. In the very top of the
gap is a long shanty built of rough timber.
Two years ago this was the railroad eat
ing house. Even now the memory of a
dinner eaten there then fingers. 1t was
just such a dinner as would be provided
from model farm and prepared by a
model housewife, and such a treat after
going through the routine of the conven-
tiOnal hotel meals.
The GOODNESS of the atmosphere upon us
just coming out of warm car made us
so chilly that we had to seek the sun
shine while waiting for the train to pass
our train the side track. We could
hear it coming, coughing and struggling
up the steep grade from the west, and as
We watched its efforts, speculated
on its ability to make the trip.
1t did not succeed but had
to go back and come again, but the second
trial brought it triumphantly up. This.is'
not used as an eating house now for the
schedule is such that passengers get both
dinner and supper at Bryson City. The
accommodations at Bryson City are much
better and the meals equally as good.
The first few miles of the way from the
gap to BrysOn City is wild mountain seen
cry, then come the farm lands. The only
crops seem to be wheat and corn. Both
the mountain sides and the valleys, which
at places stretch out far and wide. are
largely in cultivation 1t is astonishing
how these mountain sides will produce.
There are no hillside bitches as we have
in the Piedmont section. but the water
from the rains is allowed to run as it
falls across the rows down the HILL 1t is
needless to say that most of the land
washes fearfully, but we saw great
gulches on the hillsides in which the corn
seemed to grow as luxur.antly as any
where else, and sometimes even more so.
Upon inquiry we were told that the whole
mountain was SO rich that the subsoil
was equally as rich as that which was
washed away, but anyone acquainted with
the study of soils would hardly be willing
to accept this theory, for it is well known
that in natural formations, no matter how
good the subsol, after being exposed it
must weather for time before it will
produce well. The real reason land we
are substantiated by better authority is
that the washings from the mountain tops
which are not cleared take the place of
the humus on the mountain sides as
rapidly as it is washed away by the rains.
This must be true, for where the soil
washes very easily even here the lands
have to be turned out and allowed to re-
cuperate as our fathers used to do in the
Piedmont section. In addition to this the
fact that the hillsdes are rotated from
corn to wheat each year will enable the
average farmer to see how good crops
may be continually grown on the washing
hillsides. There are sections of these
mountains, however, where the soil is of
such nature that it washes hardly any,
There are places where we saw regular
switch back" rows Chat would have
been a shame and disgrace to any far
mer in our section) across the mountain
sides, where the lands did not appear to.
be fresh, and yet the corn was as high
as a mans head and of even growth and
no gulleys.
A BIG SALE OF IAND.
1t is needless to say that the bottom
lands are very rich, and where they are
properly drained produce crops that re-
mind one of the prairie country and the
far west. In many of these broad
stretches we saw great reapers, with bin
der attachments, drawn by from four to
six horses harvesting wheat as high as a
boi xxbif
ing like sunflowers. This is real farming.
lhese bottom lands are generally very
valuable and are not for sale A gentle
man pointed out to us farm of about
one hundred acres that he said might be
bought for four thousand dollars as the
owner was anxious to SELL OF recent
years, and particularly during the mast
season, these bottom lands have been
greatly damaged by overfows. due we
are told, to the rapid denuding of the
mountains. The mountains have not been
bringing SO good price though really
they are more valuable on account of their
timber. l was witness of transaction
whereby about forty thousand acres of
as valuable timber land as is to be found
anywhere changed hands at something
like two dollars per acre. 1t was shame,
but when Yankee (for it was some
Yankees that bought IT'D comes along and
shakes eighty thousand dollars in the face
OF man who hasn't been used to much
money and has always been considered
land poor he is generally very quick
to take the money. These people have
no idea OF the value of their timber lands.
TO illustrate ! will give you an instance
related to me by Maj. Stringfield: There
$1,000 on a mountain near Waynesvlle
very valuable timber tree. 1t was a curly
walnut. 1t sold after a good deal of
parlying on the stump for $3.50 1t chang
ed hands In few days for $500, and later
as the transaction became noised abroad
for $3.50, and then for $25.OO "live