The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1904-02-26


the trout. with which the streans ar.
superbly stocked. killing them Nv sss :
ploding dynamite In the dep pools.
the deer. the turkeys or the. groiiss.
which are known in the mountains as
phensants. The trained ears OF these
rangers hear the explosion OF dyna-
mite great distance. and they track
the offenders as q bloodhound would
track them. into other countless 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 .75
miles OF wagon road and 275 miles OF
trails the latter leading alongside enchl
trout stream. These roads and trails
are are always vs. kept cut out and ready
known. as shooting paths is feet
VIDE, which branch out right and left
from certain of the roads, so that when
deer are driven by the dogs they must
iatta Gruss these paths, and by means OF TIE
latter alone can they be seen In time to
aiford q shot. Deer can stand In the
rhododendron thickets in 10 feet of n
hunter, and yet be absolutely inyisible.
SO dense and SO perfect is this paradise
or game In which there is SO much or
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 n golden eapIe
was soaring and later on the ranger.
showed mounted specimen OF this
noble bird, which he had killed wifi,
his revolver as he sat in tree ton 90
yards away.
Mr.. Vanderbilt began tn oonuiro -p,,
gah Forest II years ago. and he
promptly began the work OF restoclxint.
the streams with trout, in the simplest
manner, that is, by protection. without
any artificial protection. In some OF
the streams rainbow trout have been
placed, but these are not nearly so
satisfactory rs the native trout The
number Of trout in this particular re-
gion Was years ago incredibly great
In the old days, before there was any
protection, there We're caught in two
days by three fishermen $50 trout ana
| most of this needles slaughter was abb
solute waste. PiSgah Forest has large
ly been chosen as the place for the
study of forestry. under the direction
or the very talented DR.. Schenck, who
succeeded Clifford Pinchot, now the
head forester of the United States AS
all the world knows, Mr.. Vanderbilt
has at Biltmore, which adjoins and
with it's 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.. Schencll has lodge, where
iie SDcluS illuCIl OI the summer WIKI
his class. making tree study under
wonderfully favorable conditions. In
these classes are youths Of wealth and
high sucial position, vino study forest
~, study Sorely needed in this coun-
try, where there is SO much destruc-
ton. Nowhere east OF the Pacific slope
are there noDler trces-tulip trees or
poplars. Spanish and red oak hem
! locks, chestnuts, black walnuts, Gu
cumbers and pines OF half dozen
,fEl,-
being one place where the lumberman
has never injured the primeval forest.
II is this great covering of woods
which gives that tender blue to the
mountains. which is tie reason for the
name of the Blue Ridge.
There Is a trail to the very pcak of
Pisgah. and on the mountain crest are
found lovely meadows, lush with ten
derest grass and studded with dwarf
trees, wind-blown and indescribably
picturesque. The trail along this crest
leads by Pnsgah lodge. the finest col
lection Of log houses in this country,
built in imitation of Swiss chalets. only
the finest selected logs being used, anu
the furniture being all Of native work
and OF mountain woods. Sportsmen
viii be charmed with this lodge, with
its stately dining hall, the walls OF
which are covered with dressed skins
of the deer, fox. wildcat, skunk, etc,
mainly those of the wildcat, all those
animals having been shot or trapped III
PisSah forest. while great eagles peer
down from the beams upon the visi-
tors. The view OF Biltmore house from
Psgah peak or front from this lodge is
nearly like a vision of enchantlnent.
The house seems to hang in the middle
distance. like Aladdin's palace, snowy
white and vast, and quite near it Is
a Ashevlle
Four counties corner on this peak.
Southwark there spreads the unbroken
mass OF Pisgah forest, TO the eastward
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 a wild and
rugged view of mountain piled upon
mountain, finally bordered by the Great
Smoky range, which towers like the
wall OF n world. Within the sweep of
vision one sees the elimination OF the
great Appalachian system with no less
than i3 peaks exceeding 5000 feet in
altitude. there being the Smoky, the
Balsam and the Black ranges, Mt.
Mitchell in the Black dominating them
all with. its Gill feet. In its entirety the
view is the very noblest 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
III the dozen years. and there are many
turkeys. Squirrels 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 rattlers are OF
the black variety. and while short are
unusually large, three inches in diam
eter sometimes. One of the rangers
keeps tally-stick with n 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.
y watchful eye is. therefore neces-