The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-02-28

ooutneTIl railway. Here tne RlOrles Oh
nature are absolutely untrammeled and
untouched in their rugged primeval
beauty. Through the gorge OF the not
ed Nantahata river for nearly 1000 feet
the mountains rise sharply on either
side and there Is hardly room at the
bottom of the gorge for both the river
and the railway, very similar to the
Gate of the White Mountain Notch
In New Hampshire.
In the Sapphire region are exquisitely
beautiful lakes and from their banks
the cliffs at places tower absolutely
for "A thousand feet or. three times the
height of Irving cliff, Honesdale. where
the mountain torrents fall sheerly to
the lakes. No other portion of this
country can surpass this immediate
section, in mountains, lakes, streams
and waterfalls. Within u radius of ten
miles from Sapphire, all easily acces-
sible, are fifty waterfalls, ranging from
80 to $40 feet in height-while at "a
convenient distance from either hotel
Sapphire Inn. on Lake Sapphire, or
Hotel Fairfield, on Lake Fairfield, Is
famous Whiteside mountain one of the
grandest I'm America, whose walls rise
sheer for over 1900 feet for distance
Of two miles and which Is but one of
the subimely picturesque features of
this enchanted region. So / might en-
umerate and not begin to cover the
beauty and grandeur of this mountain
scenery. If the reader thinks 1 am too
enthusiastic and eXtravagant in my
conception of the glories of western
North Carolina. let him visit the Land
of the Sky" and be convinced that the
half has not been told
SOUTHERN RAILWAY.
The Southern railway is a superb
and colossal corporation. whose tracks
gridiron eight states of the New South.
About thirty different roads have been
merged into this great system, which
has the largest mileage in the South
and is one of the greatest systems In
the world. 1t has 6,S95 miles, operate
under one management No other rail-
road in this country operated under one
charter has so great mileage. Its
lines penetrate into the richest mineral
regions OF Alabama, the agricultural
regions of Georgia and Tennessee aud
the timber territory of the Carollnas.
There is scarcely a prominent cotton
growing locality of Importance that is
NOT reached and cotton and tobacco
mills are thickly sprinkled along all
the principal arms of this system. In
fact this great system is to the princi-
pal cities of the Southland. what the
arteries and veins are to the human
system; reaching out in every direction
and connecting as it We're, into a
brotherhood of interest, every portion
N IA CT nf ,1,a 1tcc icS.if, mi
and south of the Ohio and Potomac
rivers.
1T has been the most potent factor
in all that is helpful in the mighty
strides which the South has been maxi
ing in material developments. This
road not only links together into one
great commonwealth all the states of
the central South, but it has united
them to their gSeat sister cities of the
North and West by ties of common
industrial, commercial and financial
interest. With it's own tracks it reaches
the very heart of the sources OF raw
material, whether grain, cotton, timber,
iron or other mineral
During the last fiscal year there were
completed and placed in operation on
the lines of this progressive system no
less than 514 manufacturing industries
of which seven per cent. We're cotton
mills. At the present time there are
eEhty-fVe cotton mills in process of
erection and twenty-three more organ
izing. Other miscellaneous industries
have been very active also.
There are today 4S2 cotton factories
in the South, with 1851, ,991 spindles and
representing an investment of $125, ,O0O,-
600. Seventy per cent. of these hum
ming spindles that are transforming
the South into a mighty industrial CEN
ter. are in the immediate territory now
trayersed by the Southern railway and
its branches, as are 6,56l of the 90, 16S
looms of the South.
Few railroads in the world and GER
tainly none in the Southern states, pass
through such beautiful, rich and pic
scenery as does the Southern
railway. Beginning at Birmingham.
Ala. We enjoyed the courtesy of this
road from Birmingham, Ala, via the
cities of Atlanta. Chattanooga, Knox
vile, ana Asheville to Washington and
can vouch for an excellent cuisine and
polite and attentive walters and good
service i'm every particular. / should
say that the dining and observation car
service is a popular feature affording
the travelling public every convenience
possible. The road is progressive and
up-to-date in very way, having the
finest and most improved Pullman and
drawing room cars; even the day
coaches are mainly wide vestibuled cars
with high backs and all the modern
improvements. Its passenger and
iC tel
thoroughly equipped from roadbed to
rolling stock. There is perhaps no
great railroad system in the country
whose developments gives d better IL
ustration of the recent industrial
growth of the Southland than the
railway.
Asheville is truly the crowning health |
'esort of our Southern tour-the de- |
lights of this region are so marked that |
t is not to be wondered at that the tide |
ot returning tourists, sets regularly |
Asheyille from the South for after IL |
season in Florida and the Gulf Coast, |
Where the sea air is so dominating. |
lothing could be more beneficial than |
I week or month high up in the glor- |
GUS mountains OF western North Caro- |
ina, where every zephyr is laden with |
glorious ozone and invigoration. This |
S pleasant half way place of rest and |
to those who are returning
o their Northern homes from the
south.
BY WAY OF REHABILITATION.
With this our fortieth article, we con-
'lude our series of travel-letters
through the new South and for the
present close our books of memoranda
md fold our tablet. We have taken
'ur readers on long and continuous
ourney of near five thousand miles.