The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-08-31
GOVERNOR AYCOCK At
RUBY CITY
Old Fashioned Hospitality
Dispensed by Col Jones.
SPLENDID Specimens of American Miners Who
Love Their Employer. Col. Jones Great
Work in The Mountains.
ESPECIAL to News and Observer

Gilmer, Mr.. Hay, Mr.. Marshall, Mr. Shu-
ford Messrs. F. A. Dillingham; and Geo.
w. Walker, of New York, were enter
tanned by Col S. A. Jones Thursday ana
Friday. the 21st and 22nd. The ladies IN
the party were the wife of Attorney Cen
eral Gilmer Mrs. S. A. Jones, Mrs. hay
of Waco. Tex; the two lovely daughters
of Mr.. Hay. of Raleigh; Mrs.
r J. Davis and her lovely daugh-
ter Loula, from Savannah, Ga, ana ll..ie
Miss Pou, of Raleigh, constituted the
party that left Waynesville on the 400
d. m. train Thursday and were met oy
Col. Jones at Willets Station and taken
I'D the Mountain to Ruby CITY IN the
most unique and enjoyable manner OF
TRANSFORMATION on tram cars win mules
as motive power, winding around ana up
ward across canyons and gulches over
high precipices, high bridges and water
falls through the most lovely scenery III
the world. until they rose to an altitude
of 4 SEQ feet. which brought them to the
gates of the city.
AS the Governors car appeared
at he gate, 40 salutes were
fired at the Great Ruby Mines in the
form of heavy blasts, that sounded like
an immense battery of artillery that
awakened the echoes of the mountains
in a salute to the Governor. Mr.. j. j.
Wild. the handsome and genial general
SUPERINTENDENT, threw wide open the
gates of the White City and welcomed
the party The main buildings were
decorated with American flags with tiny
% t1n m 1s'c
room. Few people have ever seen, or
have any conception of the ideallstlc
mining camp that Col. Jones has estab-
lished within few miles of Waynes-
VILE; so close that on still days the blasts
from the Great Ruby Mines may be heard.
Where the great mills are and camps,
there are about ten acres of ground
cleared away, with the stumps all re-
moved and sowed in grass, interspersed
with mounds of flowers. A main central
drive way nicely graded and on either
side, snow white cottages occupied by
the work. men and their families. Just
beyond them comes the boarding house
where the men without families live,
which is white building about 100 feet
in length, with piazzas full length on
the upper story and half the length on
the lower story, beneath which is large
dining room. kitchen and se-keeper's
room. The company has all of the rooms
nicely papered and furnished, mattresses,
bedding and two pillows for every bed,
and requires the men to furnish bedding
and pillow slips for their own use and
have their rooms cleaned scrupulously
once each week; so the whole place has
the air of a sanitarium; then comes what
is known as Col. Jones' house and the
officers quarters, a building about so
feet in length, cut into rooms fGx14, all
furnished with pure white iron bedsteads,
with spotless white linen. All the rooms
are nicely papered in delicate shade
of paper and the rooms are as orderly
kept as those in any city home. This
building and all the rest are white and
furnished with a water supply, with
hydrants convenient for all portions of
the various buildings in the entire city.
In this building is a shower bath room,
as pretty, neat and we'll finished as any
in the country which is for the use of
the entire camp; so this is where the par
ty arrived that was expecting to have to
camp in log hut and sleep on pallets
in a crowded room, instead of which they
found themselves in a fairy land, with
every convenience and comfort at hand.
On beyond this building rises the i'm
mense crushing plant and factory, which
is about half the size of the Battery
Park Hotel at Ashevlle. Space and
time forbids full description of the fac
tory and plant.
The purpose of this communi
&c IN toll Of nd n
entertainment Col Jones, who was voted
the Governors party. AS the party
reached the long piazza the sweet strains
of music pla Ting Dixie" greeted our ears
nd it was mystery from whence it came
it sounded SO sweet and soft, but
searching party soon located a room in
which stood a splendid music box, that
kept its sweet melodies going the whole
evening. When the party had all been
apportioned to their respective rooms
and the ladies had smoothed out the
wrinkles from their dresses. from the
jolly tram-car ride up the mountain,
they were all led by Col Jones to the
grand lining hall, where the mining crew
is served, and the array of beauty. in
tellect and craftsmanship sat at one long
table, parallel with them at another was
the mining crew. the two tables makina
picture to be remembered. One closely
comparing the two tables, could see that
the difference in the men lay more in
their clothing than elsewhere, for more
intelligent and handsome crew of men is
seldom seen than sit at the dining board
at the camp of the Great Ruby Mines.
The Governor said that he wanted to for
get that he held place of high honor
and be a common plain citizen and one
of the boys; so the whole party was
served with the same food as the work
men and they relished it.
After supper began series
of entertainments which but few
pens could portray; however /
will give a few of the points. A fiddler
and banjo picker that are second to none,
were already on the spacious piazza
giving forth old time melodies, and of
course the young folks opened with an
old-tin,e quadrille and for the space of q
half-hour they surely laid aside all
earthly cares and enjoyed the occasion
TO the fullest extent. The intermission
was f1lled in by q half-hour of jig dances
by Messrs. Kee er and Wood. of the
mining crew, an such dancers would
hold the audiences of the best vaudeville
nnf of 10 III