The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1901-09-11
WHERE EARTH AND SKY MEET.
Our Correspondent is Smitten With the
Rosy Cheeks of Mountain Lasses.

Uur correspondent Is SHlil1eiI WIN 'i'0
Rosy Cheeks of Mountain Lasses.
To the Editor of the Dispatch:
Having spei t full round week at
Glenn Syringe, and astime for return
ing bone was rep;dly approaching,
on Monday morning, the 2Gtb, de-
parted for Asbeville, n G., to spend
few days On reaching Spartan
burg, we learned that the Southelns
train was off the track between Hen
dersopville and Saluda and would be
FIVE hours late. This was disccurag-
ing as it would delay our train for
Ashe7ille. After considerable wait
we were off toward the mountains
whose lofty peaks soon began to
mark their smokey, blue outlines
against the clouded sky. We watched
them with interest and anxiety as we
shifted ourselves from side to side OF
the train to keep the best view, as it
wound its way up around the noun
tains. After awhile We reached
Tryon, which is just over the line OF
South and North Carolina. While
waiting here for southbound train
we were besieged by great squad
OF boys and men with hundreds OF
little baskets of grapes. We were
told that this is their daily occupation,
and they certainly sell lot of them.
The rustic health Of the country
man and the rosy blush of the noun
tain air on the Tryon girls cheeks,
made US feel as though We bad gone
far enough, but the distant whistle
of the incoming train re-echoeing
down the mountain valleys announced
the continuance of our journey, and
soon we were speeding away up the
mountains.
This was the dreaded part OF our
journey. Heavy rains had washed
down the mountain sides and cut
great bitches in the embankments OF
the roadbed, and angry waters came
rushing and roaring over rocks and
cliffs down the valleys. Our engl-
neer kept sharp lookout and dragged
US up the mountain with the greatest
care, but we held our breath in per-
feet awe when we, looked the noun
tain three or four hundred feet and
beheld the rugged rocks below. We
considered ourselves in imminent
danger of landslide at any moment,
and as We rounded the sharp curves
we imagined we could almost feel The
roadbed giving way beneath US. We
knew if this should occur We would
go tumbling down the angry steep
whose rugged, rocky sides rise 81
most perpendicular from ore to five
hundred feet up to the railroad. Be-
yond Tryon an extra engine came to
our assistance and soon dragged US
out on the great mountain plateau at
Hendersonville. Now we felt relieved,
and not long after we landed in Asbe-
vile. It was raining, the street cars
were off the track and the hackmen
took us for yankees" and wanted
fifty cents to carry US anywhere. We
SOON found boarding house and put
up for the remainder of the night.
It rained all night and next morn
ing it was still raining, but We could
not be content to sit and wait for it
to stop raining. We must see Ashe-
vile. We walked over the principal
streets and even crossed over the
famous French Broad river. We
virtually stock in the town." walking
where We could and riding where We
could not walk.
Asheville is situated on hill in a
mountain valley. Il is surrounded by
lofty peaks that rise up like the pyra-
mids of Egypt. 1t has street car
lines, electric lights and all the mod
ern convenience of an up-to- date city.
Here on the public square standstne
great Vance monument, surrounded
by fowers and beautiful green lawn.
Nearby is magnificent and elegantly
furnished public library. All the
business buildings are strictly up-to-
date and the residences are # the
most modern style and finest archi-
lecture. There is no sameness about
any of them. Everything about
Asheville shows that it is backed up
by great wealth. But we were told
that the principal part of it is North
ern capital. Many ef the fine houses
and places Of business are owned by
Northern men and rented by local
residents. II Northern visitors and
their money were withdrawn Ashe-
vile would be left desolate. There
are but few manufacturing interests
in the place, snd it is surrounded by