The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1902-09-11
Letter From the West.
Mr.. WILL SHAW WRITES ABOUT HIS TRIP
TO WISCONSIN.

Scenery of Western North Carolina
Through Tennessee and kentucky
From Cincinnati to Chicago and on
to Milwaukee and Madison-Im-
pressed With the Great West, &c.
MADISON, Wis, Sept. 6, 1902.
EDITOR GOLD LEAF--In obedience
to your request l will, as best | can,
lay before your readers that which
impressed me most as saw it from
the car while en- route to Madison.
Wis, from Henderson, n, &. Many OF
them have seen the mountain seen
erv Of Western North Carolina and
Tennessee, and some can follow me
through the great "Windy City of
the West; all will bear with me when
| say that the scenery among the
mountains of Western North Carolina
and Tennessee is without an equal
East of the Mississippi. 1t is true
the vast grain fields of Illinois are
beyond imagination-true that the
great Atlantic skirts our Eastern
shores. but the mountain scenery
surpasse5 them all, insomuch that
the fields have their similarity and
the ocean it's sameness.
Taking the advice of Horace Greedy,
60 West, young man." | left Hen
derson via the Southern Railway at
2:3O Tuesday*aftcrnoon, August 9TH,
| with the expectation Of making close
connection with the Greensboro
| train at Durham, but as usual on all
| branch lines and some main lines.
my train was one hour late, causing
me delay offs hours in Durham. :.
Taking advantage of the opportu-
nitv thus afforded | made use Of my
time by looking over the little city,
| both business and residence sections.
| found the streets unusually narrow
| in the business section, but there
seemed to be an appearance of bust
ness activity notwithstanding the
| season of dizziness. 1t was an inter
esting sight to see the boys aud girls
coming from the large cigarette fac
tories of the American Tobacco Co.
In the residence section can he seen
| quite number of handsome houses
and we'll kept yards. AS | entered
Trinity College campus through the
arched gateway | could but look mp
and think of Cyrus B. Watson and
his translation in the famous Gattis
| vs. kilro case Erltditia, CT RettyaO
ct Cheruto ct Cagarett0 ct kilgo."
NV train left Durham at 2:30 A. Nj.
and | was glad. when | arrived in
Greensboro early in the morning, just
before dawn, to catch a through train
to Salisbury. After spending so,ae
time on branch roads it was Il great
satisfaction to get on the main line.
1t was not very long before the
sun was we'll up, and another day,
just such as | had longed to see, was
fast passing away. Station after sta
ton was passed without notice until
at last High Point was announced.
Here passengers began TO arouse and
prepare for a change of cars, for il
was not long after that the porter
isbury, change cars for Asheville
Knoxville and all points Vest" Here
my anticipations reached their high
est. | had never seen Il mountain
therefore was eager to catch the frs,
glimpse of this wonderful scenery
which lay along my route.
| left Salisbury at $50 a. ~. but il
was we'll on into the day, nearing
noon, before the seemingly steep hill!
of our Eastern and Middle State.
began to form themselves into ridge;
and valleys. But at last after severa
hours of eager watching | caugh
sight Of what proved TO be a small
mountain near Hickory, n. G. Al
though at great distance and small
in comparison with those soon to fol
low. it had it's desired effect in pre-
pairing me for the magnificent scener,
vet to follow.
, The cars rolled on and mound afte
+ mound was passed until at las
nearing Round Knob was seen 8
beautiful fountain shooting it's spra,
| high into the air. Now we piung,
into a tunnel, although not very long
yet long enough to catch good whit
of the damp smoke and foul air. Sool
we are out again looking down at tn
) track over which we had passed, am
) | so on until we had four times climbe,
around the mountain and at las
reached it's summit, to see again below
f our same track in three places dowl
it's side. Here the most beautiful o
) all scenery can be admired with won
der, for down one side [ could Sc,
the same fountain in the valley still
2 letting its sprays of pure mountain
: water we'll up into the air, Will
6 | bo Of h0r ciIn Cd ~
cent peak with its head high abov
the lowering clouds. This is beyon'
5 Imagination. therefore indescribable
hence we will hurry on to Biltmor
and the City of the Sky" We soor
came to the '.Model Village" but, i
the words of some one on the trai
K cousin Georges mansion is not i
sight"
After leaving Biltmore it was onl,
a few minutes rides to Asheville
1 | Here we made a stop for dinner afte
e which we crossed the French Broa
= river to run along its course for owe
D forty miles-sometimes near its edge
/ then again some distance inwards
D | then in tunnel and back to tn
. river. AT some places the Who'll
e track would seem as if suspende
t from the mountain side; down fror
I one side l could see far below th
: shallow river trickling over rocks
/ forming whirlpools here and there
: while from the other there seemed t
, be solid mass of earth as far up a
5 my eye could see through the sea,
4 tered hemloch and rocky crags.
g | secured small canvas stool frol
= the porter and took seat on the rea
D end of the car where | watched wit
i the road inspector the constructio
9 and condition of this masterpiece {
engineering. The curves are Yer
d sharp and require third rail to pr,
\. vent the derailment of the car
$ Some of the road is comparative
n new. having been replaced after d.
); struction by the great landslides