The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1902-02-06
Rev. Edwin N. Andrews of Woodwork,
Writes an Interesting Letter
of Events in the South.
MOUNTAINS OF THE CAROLINAS.
Historical Scenes of War Time are Visited
by Mr.. Andrews in his Jaunt through
The South in sear4h of Health.
Columbia, S. c., Jan. 81, 1902.

Column b1a, y. e., Jan. III, 19OZ.
Thinking our friends whom we left
a few days since in the cooler region
of Kenosha county may like to hear
from the southland, will send word.
We came here via the Monon and
Queen and Crescent lines from Chi
cago, leaving there at night, so that
we saw nothing of the less interesting
country through Indiana and ONO.
But when we reached the smoky city OF
Cincinnati the outlook presented de-
cided change. With two engines
ahead, our train, by circumlocut1on,
began the ascent of the bluffs on the
Kentucky side, crossing the Ohio at
steep angle. Here began the tour up
and over and through the vast area OF
the Cumberland mountains of Eastern
Kentucky, Tennessee and North Caro-
lima. We went through twenty-s1x
tunnels, one of which was mile long.
Much of the way the scenery was
grand, with deep gorges or canons,
having clear streams of green looking
water rushing along far below the
track, skirted by steep rocks or cliffs.
We followed the French Broad river
for some distance, or from Knoxville,
Tenn, to Ashevil1e, N. c. The latter
place is two thousand feet'above the
sea. Here is located Bi1tmore, the
magnificent summer home of Wander
bi1t. This is great resort for
health, as it is in the midst Of sky
land. Going on south from this
point the train descends six hundred
feet in few miles at the rate of over
four feet in the hundred.
When passing over or through the
mountains one is impressed by the ap-
pearance of poverty among the sparse
1y scattered highlanders. The inslg-
nificant huts with one or at most two
rooms, find Judgment on the steepest
hil1sides, or in some nook where one
would think there was scarce room for
a footho1d.
How these poor whites can get liv-
ing is the question often considered
by the tourists. But their life is sim
pie and close to nature, like that of the
squirrel. The wood costs nothing and
they may get something by hunting
and with the mule, the only 'stock, :"
besides poor COW, which those better
off manage to keep, they may be able
to cultivate, on the steep hillside, a
few square rods of poor looking soil, or
draw down the mountains few arms
| full of wood to little settlement,
Here is story told by reliable
man. He saw one of those mountains
| GERS blowing on a hillside when sud.
denly mule, man and pillow were seen
rolling down the steep hill, landing in
side of the big chimney of the shanty
below aud coming out at the fireplace!
The only apparent difficulty with the
story is the size of the chimney. The
rest is not at all impossible.
But here we are in the old city of
Columbia, the capital of the state.
And yonder is the old anti-bel1um cap
ito1 where many an ordinance for
slavery was passed. Just across the
street, diagona11y, is the old Baptist
church where was held, in 1860, the
convention which voted for secession
first of all the Southern States. Here
lives the well known Wade Hampton,
now "a years old, whom the writer ex-
poets to meet. Here is located, among
other mills, the largest cotton mill in
the world. Cotton is still king and
the factories in the South save the
large cost of shipping the raw cotton
North, as in years past.
The temperature here is 65 above,
but the papers just in state that in
Wisconsin it is 10 below. This gives
comforta bic feeling to us.
More than half the population here
is co1ored. BY the State law the mill
hands have half holiday on Satur-
day, great blessing to the working
people and plan which should be fol-
lowed by other states.
Yours etc.,
EDWIN N. ANDREWS
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