The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-08-02
(Staff Correspondence

(StaH Correspondence
Lenoir, N. c., Aug. IA straight line
drawn from Ducktown to Danbury di-
vides the great summer resort section of
North Carolina into two equal parts, Le-
noir, Montreal, Asheville, Webster and
Murphy are on that line, the golden mean.
At Montreal this line crosses the Blue
Ridge, leacing Lenoir, of the five resorts
mentioned, south and east of the noun
tains. The great variety of attrac-
lions, furnished by this vast area resorted
to tor summer recreation by so many
thousands of city folks is wonderful in
spite of the familiarity of the general pub
lie Herewith. 1t is truly the land of the
sky, where lakes and mountains, beautiful
cities and towns; parks, palaces, cabins
rough, rugged mountain gorges grandly
picturesque; broad plains gently rising
toward the peaks that rise like giants
amid the surrounding blue;-all combine
to lure the wearied denizens of the South
ern and Eastern cities to come and rest
and be comfortable. So widely advertised
2 have these attractions become that the
era OF exploitation has begun. The sum.
mer hotel, or inn or tavern is everywhere
and the landlord Is more apt to hail from
Cape Cod than from Chunky Cal This
Is all right because 1t Is progress, but if
Professor Kerr could come to life and
discover folks dressing for dinner" at
O'Clock In the evening and dancing the
german at 10 a. m. within forty rods of
the stream where he caught speckled
trout over on Banner Elk, thirty years
ago, he would not believe he had come
back at all. Fashion and society are be-
ginning their sway and right well it
Is tor the country that it is so, for the
fashlonables and the smart set spend their
money with free hands and the chicken
and vegetable markets thIlve accordingly
Gof-llnks on Hog Elk! And ping-pong In
the vicinity OF Aho or Bamboo! 1t is rne,
and real business tor the country The
old fogles OF course shake their heads and
grumble because they cannot any longer
stop over for the night at Nelson's on
their way to Billy MorrIs's or Len Estes
at Blowing Rock, where they used, to go
to spend the hve-long summer almost for
nothing, their board being thrown in for
their company. And the luxury of tramp
ing through that great highland country
unembarrassed by crowd of impertinent
tourists! But that time has passed and
If you want to get anywhere in the neigh
borhood OF Morris's or Estes's now, you
have TO engage quarters two months IA
head.
LenOlr has never been exploited by the
summer hotel men and has consequent
ly not become fashionable resort The
town has been content to move along
quietly and with modest hospitality to
welcome those who have come to seek
rest, pure air and water, pretty scenery,
cool, mountain breezes, mild and equa-
Die climate. The climate is not as cold
as it is at the top of the Blue Ridge. The
nights are always cool and pleasant and
blankets are generally required, but it is
not often necessary to kindle the fires in
the evening before September. 1t is
mild climate and the airs are soft and
sweet Indeed it has been held that, ex-
cept for the robust and rugged constitu-
tlons, a change from the seacoast climate
to that of the Piedmont as encountered
at Lenoir is more beneficial than if we
should go from the seacoast straight to
:. the mountains. Many Eastern people make
their summer trips by stops, coming first
to Lenoir for three weeks or month and
then going to the mountains for month
or so. Upon the return they stop at
Lenoir again. They thus avoid too alb
and vice versa.
People do not go away from home in the
summer especially to seek society, but one
does prefer in going away from home, to
find agreeable and congenial surround
ings. Ordinarily it would not be In good
taste for Leuoir or Lenoir people to boast
of its "culchaw," but it is admissible for
an appreciative visitor to remark that the
social atmosphere of the town has always
been such as to make it congenial abid-
ing place for cultivated people.
Blessed with that delightful upper Pied
mont climate, which always suggests to
whoever attempts to describe it the ad-
jectives soft mild sweet" Lenoir
is yet located so near to the high noun
tains as to enjoy superb views of the
whole Blue Ridge range from the Grand
father to the Black Mountains. And near
by, it has a range of its own. Six miles,
by the road, and four miles as the crow
flies, rises beautiful Hibriten mountain
$500 feet above the sea, hundred feet
or so higher than the public square at
Ashevile The road to the top of this
peak is good driving road and is kept up
by the people of Lenoir. The view from
this mountain is one of the most #eauti
full views to be obtained In North Caro-
lima. The landscape is composed largely
of open country and Of cultivated fields
and with good glass the towns OF Nor
canton and Hickory can be seen. Being
located so near to the high mountains Le-
noir is good point of departure for
mountain excursions. 1t Is the gateway
for the travel to Blowing Rock, that very
popular mountain resort, and from Lenoir
passengers for Blowing Rock proceed by
stage over one of the best turnpike roads
I'D the State. Lenoir is headquarters for
livery stables and there is never any diff
hculty about being served well in that
line
There are sufficient reasons why
Lemon should be one of the most pro-
gresslve industrial points in North