The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-07-01
MORGAN1ON HEALTH REPORTS
MADE WASHINGTON STARE
They Were too Good to Believe and Were
Returned for Notification. The
Low Death Rate.

the United States.
| Morganton would never, have been chos-
en- as the site of these two great charities
| in the face of the sharpest competition
| from larger towns claiming equal CHI
matte advantages had it not been demon
strated that none of the competing points
had the same fortunate environment Re-
suits are showing the wisdom of the
States choice, for while the average death
rate in the fifty-eight hospitals for the
insane throughout the United States has
been, for the past ten years, eight per
cent of the number admitted the death
rate at the Morganton institution, for the
same period, has averaged only four per
cent.
CLIMATIC COMPARISONS.
The mean annual temperature for Nor
canton, as given by the State Agricul-
tural Department, is 56.S degrees, the
mean for spring, summer, autumn and
winter being respectively 572 degrees,
1876 degrees, ISL degrees, and 429 de-
grees. BY way of comparison it may be
stated that Venice has a mean annual
temperature of ST. degrees and mean
winter temperature of 1876 degrees, its
summers being hotter and its winters
colder than ours; while the mean winter
temperatures of Boston, Chicago, Phila-
delphia, Asheville and Pensacola are
2S.9 degrees, 27.4degrees, $40 degrees,
So degrees, and 56.5 degrees, respectively.
Between the winter temperature of Chi
cago and that of Pensacola, there is an
average difference of twenty-nine degrees,
while Morganton's winter temperature of
AZ degrees is exactly midway between the
two extremes-the ideal winter climate.
In the county, besides the Catawba, are
four rivers and creeks and numerous
smaller drains of great waterfalls and
great beauty. These are in part Upper
Creek, Wilson'S Creek. Shuls Creek Pad
dies Greek, Laurel Creek, Irish Creek.
Silver Creek Lower Creek, Muddy
Creek, Hunting Creek, Linville River and
Johns River. Through fertile valleys
these waters play and give forth the sweet
song of gurgling, rushing waters. Their
power once harnessed will cause Burke
county to blossom as the rose
XXX
Two hundred thousand acres of virgin
forests of white and yellow pine, oak,
hickory and poplar timber dot mountain
and valley. Much timber land has been
purchased but it is regretted that the
lumber, practically all Of it, is being
shipped in the rough when the establish
ment of furniture. sash. blind an door
factories would give larger employment
to labor and more quickly build up the
section.
VALUE OF TIMBER.
AS showing this. two years ago. tract
of thirty thousand acres was purchased
for thirty thousand dollars. The owners
recently refused one hundred and fifty
thousand dollars for their interest. This
tract is embraced in what is known as
Flat Rock Mountain. and contains, esti
mated not less than one hundred and six
ty-eight million feet Of lumber.
Avery and Erwin, attorneys at law, in
terested in the development of Morgan
ton and Burke county, will answer en-
quiries of prospective purchasers.
MINES AND MINERALS.
Gold mining has been profitably carried
on in Burke county since 1882, and while
the largest finds have been made near the
springs of Silver creek, about thirteen
miles southwest of Morganton, veins of
the precious metal have been discovered
IN the northern and northeastern sections
of the county, and all the small streams in
and near the town of Morganton have
been "panned out" at a good profit by the
placer miners The famous BrindletownI
Mines on Silver creek have been constant
ly worked for more than sixty years, and
SO great was their output back in the
early forties that people flocked there
from all over the State, and hundreds of
slaves toiled for years digging down the
hills and washing for gold with the crude
appliances then in use. Near these mines
1t was, at the town Of Rutherfordton, that
the government granted to German
goldsmith named Bechtler a special dis
pensation to coin gold pieces of the de-
nomination of one dollar two dollars and
half and five dollars; and the Bechtler
coins, bearing simply the legend "A
Bechtler" and the value in dollars have
been current money with the merchant
from that day to this,-now, in fact. I
bringing more than their face value to |
adorn the cabinets OF the numsmatists.
The operations in the Silver creek mining
district have heretofore been confined to
small area along the streams, but an
English company is now operating at
Brindletown on a large seal" and with an
abundant water supply, 3 nght twenty
miles through the mountain viii be able
to work out large body of land exceed
ingly rich in gold ore.
In the Sixteenth Annual Report of the
Director of the U. S. Geological Survey.
1895, Mr.. George F. Becker has an in
teresting paper on "The Gold Fields of
the Southern Appalachians, in which,
speaking of the South Mountain area in
Burke and Mcdowell counties, he says
"The ores could be mined and reduced
for SO per ton, OF thereabout, and it seems
incredible that veins OF Is inches or more
in width. averaging $40 per ton should be
allowed to remain idle
Monazite is found in all the gold dis
trict, and is an important by-product oil
the mines. 1t is shipped to England and
Austria, where il is used in manufacture
ing the Wellsbach gas hood. A few dia
monds have been found in the county and
aquamarines. amethysts, zircons. rubies
apafeS and yarnets both crystal and mac