The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1904-02-24

he trout. with which the streams are
superbiy stocked. killing them by ex-
n!o.!l.S dymani,n Ia III" den nnnis
where the big trout iurk. or To XIII
the deer. the turkeys or the grouse,
which are known in the mountains as
pheasaEts. The trained ears of these
rangers hear the explosion Of dyna-
mite great distance, and they track
the offenders az q bloodhound would
track them. into other counties, and
even into Tennessee.
Through this great Pisgah reserve,
which now is leased for use by one
OF the most exclusive hunting and fish,
ing clubs in this country, there are u
miles of wagon road and 275 miles OF
trails, the latter leading alongside each
trout stream. These roads and trails
are always kept cut out and ready
for use. There are miles Of what are
known as shooting paths" Is feet
wide. which branch Out right and left
from certain OF the roads, so that when
deer are driven by the dogs they must
cross these paths and by means OF the
latter alone can they be seen in time to
afford shot. Deer can stand in the
rihododendron thickets in 10 feet OF q
hunter. and yet be absolutely invisible,
so dense and 80 perfect is this paradise
of game in which there is so much OF
wild animal life. The foot prints OF
the deer are constantly seen, and once
seven superb specimens were noted in
group, drinking from Looking Glass
creek. High overhead a golden eagle
was soaring and later on the ranger
showed mounted specimen OF this
noble bird, which he had killed with
his revolver as he sat in a tree TOP 80
yards away.
Mr.. Vanderbilt began to acquire Pis-
gah Forest II years ago, and he
promptly began the work of restocking
the streams with trout, in the simplest
| manner, that is, by protection, without
In, nj
the streams rainbow trout have been
placed, but these are not nearly SO
| satisfactory as the native trout. The
number of trout In this particular re-
In the old days, before there waa any
protection. there were caught in two
days by three fishermen 1850 trout and
most of this needles slaughter was. alb
solute waste. Pisgah Forest has large
ly been chosen as the place for the
study OF forestry. under the direction
OF the very talented DR.. Schenck, who
succeeded Clifford Pinchot. now the
head forester Of the United States. AS
all the world knows, Mr.. Vanderbilt
with its 10000 acres forms in q way
part of Pisgah Forest, an arboretum
of over 100000 trees and shrubs Pts
gah Forest is the complement Of this
arboretum, and in these magnificent
woods DR.. Schenck has II lodge, where
he spends much Of the summer with
his class. making a tree study under
wonderfully favorable conditions. In
these classes are youths of wealth and
high social position. who study forest
ry, study sorely needed in this coun-
try, where there Is SO much destruc-
ton. Nowhere east Of the Pacific slope
are there nobler trees-tulip trees or
poplars. Spanish and red oak, hem
cumbers and pines &C half 81 dozen
! kinds. rise in stately aymmetry, this
being one place where the lumberman
has never injured the Drimeval forest.
1t is this great covering, of woods
mountains, which is the reason for the
name of the Blue Ridge.
There Is a trail to the very peak of
Pisgah, and on the mountain crest are
found lovely meadows, lush with ten
trees. wind-blown and indescribably
picturesque. The trail along this crest
leads by Pnssah lodge, the finest col
lection Of log houses in this country,
built in imitation of Swiss chalets. only
| the finest selected logs being used. and !.
the furniture being all of native work
and of mountain woods. Sportslnen
will be charmed with this lodge, with
it's stately dining hall, the walls of.
which are covered with dressed skins
mainly those of the wildcat, all these
animals having been shot or trapped in
Pisgah forest. while great eagles peer
down from the beams upon the visi-
! tors. The view Of Biltmore house from
Plsgah peak or front from this lodge is
nearly like a vision of ehchantment.
The house seems to hang in the middle
distance, like Aladdin's palace. snowy
white and vast, and quite near It: is
Asheville.
Four counties corner on this peak.
Southwark there spreads the ellnbroken
mass of 'Pisgah forest, to thefeastward
is the rich valley OF the famous French
Broad river, bounded by the cloud
| touching wall Of the Blue Ridge, while
to the westward there is wild and
rugged view of mountain piled upon
mountain. finally bordered by the Great
Smoky range, which towers like the
vision one sees the elimination Of the
great Appalachian system with no less
than 43 peaks exceeding 5000 feet in
altitude, there being the Smoky, the
Relsam and the Black ranges. Mt.
Mitchell In the Black dominating them
| all with its Gill feet. In its entirety the
view is the very nch!est which the
eastern part Of America affords.
| The conservation of game In the for
est will be promoted still further. as
great care Is to; be taken in limiting
the kills" whether Of fish or fowl.
The grouse have greatly increased,
hardly any hunting having been done
In the dozen years: and there are, many
Turkeys. - oQulFTeiS are, OF course,
abundant, both the gray and the small
er brown ones, the latter being univer-,
| sally known in the North Carolina
mountains as the Boomer" There is
another kind of game in this region.
: which is not so much esteemed, this
being the rattle-snake, which shares
| with the general public the appreciation
of the Pink Beds. The rattlefs are Of
| the black variety, and while short are
unusually large, three inches in diam
of ri nf ho ro
keeps a ta,ly-stick with q cut for each
rattler killed., and said that during one
season he killed 26 himself; his three
employees saying they had killed as
| many more. 50 $50 {;7s 49, g E (; u
A watchful eye IS, therefore, neces-
sary when one is cut OF a road or a
trail. The rattlers. as rule. are very
peaceable," as the mountaineers say,