The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1904-02-26
"pIsGAm ronEsr" RESERVE. :
4 Vast Primal wild Now nm Adjunct
to Diltmore Estate.
Charlotte Observer.


Raleigh, Feb. 6.-No greater interest
mas ever been felt in any hunting pre-
serve in the south than in the mngnifi-
cent one OF George w. Vanderbilt.
which is know as 'Pisgah Forest" and
which embraces Il large section of the
county of Pennsylvania, in one of the
most exquisite sections of all the noble
mountain country of which Western
North Carolina affords. 1t is certain
that TINS park or preserve has had
much to do with the now great move
mcnt Tor the national part TO be known
as the Appalachian Forest Reserve.
This originated in Vandcrbilt's two
great developing ideas. shown first In
ms Biltmore estate and next in his
flsSah Forest. The latter is a true
forest. Mr.. Vanderbilt having been so
fortunate as to discover n place where
nature had been almost unmolested ex-
I cept by occasional fires, and then to
secure this and gently aid her in work
ing her own sweet Will Everybody
knows about Biltmure and its chateau.
The fineSt private residence in all Amer
ica but few know anything about Pis-
gan Forest. and so this will be a story
ABOUT the latter. the writer having
spent a fortnight there in the most de-
llShtful manner in the world
Pisgah Forest is about As miles long
and embraces something over 10C. 900
acres. II takes its name from its DON'T
mating peak Mount PisSah, the most
perfect mountain amid the hundred
OF mountains in Western North Caro-
una. being true cone. landmark
amid all the peaks in the vast, irregu-
iar and lofty plateau bctweeen the
biue Fridge and the great Smoky
Mountains. There are various way OF
getting into PisSah Forest: one bv
AShcEll!c ana Bitmore ana by a very
fine road constructed by Mr.. Wander
hilt to PiSSah Lodge: the other by way
or llendcrSonville and Davidson's riv-
cr up rather steep and rough road.
nut one full of charms and surprises,
along the French Broad. Davidson's
river ana Avcry'S creek To the ma :
lives l'tsgah Forest is know as Mr..
Nanderblts place and It's boundary is;
marked by thrcc-strand barbed-wire
fence. The best way TO see Piscah
Forest is on foot or horseback. prefer
aply the former, as in this way the full
beauty of tie place can best be seen.
Go where one will there is ever the
sound OF falling water. the rush or the
iaIi ci the mountain streams, which
most oi the time is invisible. high over
mead or i'm gorge. perhaps n thousand
f"ct below. Going by the Davidson
river way. when the crest Of the gan
III the great mountain wall is reached
there is glorious View To The south
ward. far into South Carolina, and TO
me horthWard over the Vanderbilt do
main. The heart OF this great forest
has been known as the Pink Beds"
ever since white settlers went into that
mountain region. The origin OF the
name is in some dispute. but very
nfpbahiy comes from the color of the
fhododendron, which is so profuse as
10 make the whole region look like n
conservatory during the months of
May and June. The mOuntaineers call
the place the Pink Beds" and under
inns name il appears in the geological
maps. Ii is a sort OF table land be-
Tween high ana nearly paSallel ridges.
threaded by streams as bright as n
looking glass. all running in beds of
solid stone. literally like flights OF
steps. and which seem like quicksilver
as they flash or fall from under their
lofty sources.
Pisgah Forest cost Mr.. Vanderbilt
something like Il quarter of million
doliarS. or about 500 per acre. Most
OF II he secured at once, and the other
portions We're bought in large or small
tracts, so that now his rangers are the
oNiH deniZens of the wide area. There
are five ot these. all picked mountains
eefS' good riders and dead shots, to
Whoih the mountains are like an open
book. These men have many duties.
They must sec that the boundary fence.
900 miles long, is all right; must keen
ont poachers. look after the game.
whether in fur or feather, and also
after the trout. and further keen an
eye on timber stealers. Poachers
would come from near and far to get