The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1901-07-10
Appalachian National Park.


Waynesville, n. c., July 7.-Secre-
tary of Agriculture Wilson and his
son, acting as his private secretary !:
p. 81. Newell, chief Of the hydro
graphic division of the United States
geographical survey: w. j. McGee, Of
the national bureau of ethnology ;;
Prof. ]. a. Holmes, State geologist=
of North Carolina, and Congressman
j. nc. Moody, of this (9th) district,
and others form party which have
just concluded tour Of looking
over the ground'' and viewing this
grand mountain country in Western.
North Carolina, part Of the proposed
site Of the now much mooted Appa-
lachian National Park, in which Sen
ator Pritchard, of this State, last
winter enlisted the support of Presi-
dent Mckinley and several Of the lead
ing heads of departments at Washing
ton, including Secretary Wilson, and
for the beginning Of the work in
which he introduced a bill in the last
Congress making an initial appropria-
tion Of several million dollars.
Dr.. CT. Amber, secretary for the
Appalachian National Park Assocla-
ton. who is one of the party, says
that several days were probably devot-
ed to the tour, and that it was not
confined to the line of railroads. The
party left the railroad (the Murphy
branch Of the Western North Carolina
Railroad, division of the Southern
Railway at Andrews and wentsby pri-
vate conveyance, via Franklin and
Highlands, to the beautiful sapphire
country the most picturesque and
magnificently grand views to be had
only by this means Of exploration at
present. The hundreds Of thousands
of Northern visitors to Asheville,
Waynesville and the Hot Springs have
some idea, but no adequate concep-
tion, of this beautiful land Of the
sky, unless they have gone over some
route like this.
/ It is claimed by travelled tics,
competent to judge and make RI
scls, that the scenery OF tt ION
| is unsurpassed anywhere 1fica,
and that national park lbe To-
Gated in these mountains I'd valleys,
with the delightful riverf the Swan
nanoa and the Frenchy8 hy8road rushing
through it and yielding the finest of
game fish, such as trout, in abun-
dance with its great forests Of valua-
BILE, much of it rare, woods and its
rich minerals and fruits, nuts and
other attractions and inducements,
and, above all, its unsurpassed climat-
ic attractions, such as would outstrip
those of the Yellowstone or either Of
the great Government reservations
now in existence.
1t is pointed out that these forests,
within the area under consideration,
should be preserved for obvious natural
reasons as we'll as others: that the
denudation of forests nearer the rail
roads has already been carried to
such an extent that several millions Of
dollars of damage was wrought last
month byfoods, which few years ago
! would have caused little loss or con
cern, and that national park and
great forest preserve in the control Of
the Government is the most practica-
BILE, if not the only efcacious, means
of accomplishing the ends desired.
The proposed park would also in
clude portions of Tennessee, South
-Carolina, Virginia and Georgia, and all
those States, together with North Car.
DINA, which took the initiative, passed
SPECIAL Acts of the Legislature last
winter opening the way for the United
States Government to acquire and hold
the territory in question. Much I'M
portance is attached to the visit of#Sec-
retary Wilson and his party and the
report to be subsequently made as a
result Of the tour.
On Saturday Secretary Wilson stated
that he was greatly impressed With
what he had seen: that he did not see
how congress could decline to establish
this park in the South, when the
other sections of the country are so
well provided, and that he would re-
new his interest and recommendations
and influence to have it established,
adding that be thought an even more
| liberal appropriation should be made
by Congress than the amount asked
for bysthe bill introduced by Senator
Pritchard last winter.
Senator Pritchard and Congressman
Kluttz, of the 7th North Carolina dis
trict, accompanied the party on a por-
tion of the trip also.
The prospect of establishing OF the
park-a matter in which South Carroll
mans should also feel a keen interest
/ is now considered better than ever and
most excellent.
Maxwell German.
The Plague in China.
Wseb;noton :Tn1v 8-Consul John