The Mt. Sterling advocate., 1901-07-23

land, the West Its Colorado, the
Pacific coast may glory in her Sierra
Nevada, and British Columbia in
her Cascade range, but nowhere on
the face of the earth is there a re-
gion more picturesquely, more
charmingly beautiful than the
mountain country of western North
Carolina, POLITICALLY known as "The
Land of the Sky" 1t is true there
are mountains of greater elevation
In each of the localities named, but
the greatest canvases in the gallery
|of art are not the choicest gems, nor
is the beauty of nature to be meas
ured on geodetic lines. Where the
mountain ranges of the West are
rugged, barren and foi bidding, those
in Western North Carolina are rob-
ed in deep-hued forests to their
highest SUBMITS. Where the grea-
ter peaks of the Sierra Nevada
frown, those of 'sThe Land of the
Sky smile through banks of rho
dodendrons and azaleas. Where
the valleys of the one are rocky and
impossible gorges, in the other they
are fern-carpeted forest labyrinths,
through which crystal streams tum.
bic merrily along over moss-grown
rocks in their race to the open.
Picture in your mimi region
where range after range of heavily
forested mountains parallel each
other like waves OF the sea, where
interlacing valleys are rich with
verdue and flowers, and where sill
yer streams murmur increasingly.
Imagine an air so light and pure
that breathing itself seems "a new
found joy; then throw over all a
canopy of bluest of Italian blue,
and you have The Land of the
Sky"
This rugged mountain region en-
braces the extreme western portion
of North Carolina and the eastern
edge of Tennessee. Within these
confines are several districts alike
in their general features, but each
having distinct charms and advan-
tages peculiarly its own. The one
most generally visited has Asheville
for its tourist center.
None the less beautiful, however,
is that country in and about Blow
ing Rock and Grandfather's Noun
tain, of which Lenoir is the entire
pot. Southeast of Asheville are the
Flat Rock, Tyron and Sapphire re-
gions, which attrac many visitors
because of the charming environ
ments. Southwest of Asheville,
and between that city and Murphy,
is the Balsam Mountain country,
wild, solitary and SwIss-like, with
the Hayward Sulphur Springs as
the chief tourist rendezvous. Over
TO the west, and near the Tennes-
see line, is the less rugged, but more
picturesquely beautiful. territory in
aud about the Hot Springs, while
almost due north from here and
across the Tennessee line looms up.
N the majesty of its towering
height, Roam Mountain. crowned by
hotel, the highest building eastofI
Colorado, and tavorite summer
gathering place for people from near
and far. Taken as whole, no sim
lar area on the western continent
compares With THE Land of the
Sky in beauty or sublimity. In
square miles it is the equal of Swift
zerland In attractiveness, Access
sibility and health tits its rival.
The southern Railway, which
brings "The Land of the Sky"
within easy reach, approaches it
from all directions of the compass.
From St. Louis daily sleeping cars
are operated direct to Asheville,
which is an all-the-year-round re-
sort, thus putting st. Louis tour
lists into that beautiful region with
only one night on the road.-Globe-
Democrat, st. Louis, July 18th, 1901.
Judge John w. Barr, a iurist of
distinction, whose residence is in
Louisville, while attending tNsome
legal business Saturday, received