The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1904-02-25

' l.
pheasants. The trained ears of these
rangers hear the explosion Of dyna-
mite a great distance, and they track
the offenders as a bloodhound would
track them, into other counties, and
even into Tennessee.
Through this great Pisgah reserve,
which now is leased for use by ofta
Of the most exclusive hunting and fisi,-
ing clubs in this country, there are -
miles Of wagon road and 215 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
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
rhododendron thickets in 10 feet Of q
hunter and yet be absolutely invisible,
so dense and so 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
q group, drinking from Looking Glass
creek High overhead a golden eagle
showed a mounted specimen Of this
noble bird, which he had killed with
his revolver as he sat IN tree top 80
yards away
Mr.. Vanderbilt began to acquire Pts
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
any artificial protection. In some OF
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-
gion was years ago incredibly great.
In the old days, before there was any
protection. there were caught in two
days by tn ee 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
has at Biltmore, which adjoins and
with it's 10000 acres forms in a way
a part of Pisgah Forest, an arboretunl
of over 100000 trees and shrubs. P.s-
gah Forest is the complement Of this
arboretun, and in these magnificent
woods DR.. Schenck has 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 deStTuc-
tion Nowhere east Of the Pacific slope
are there noioier trees-tulip trees Or
! poplars, Spanish and red oak, hen1-
locks, chestnuts, black walnuts, Gu
! cumbers and pines Of half a dozen
! kinds, rise in stately symmetry, thls
being one place where the lumberman
has never injured the primeval forest.
It is this great covering OF WOODS
which gives that tender blue to the :
; 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
derest grass and studded with dwarf
/; trees, wind-blown and indescribaoly
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. and
the furniture being ali Of native Work
and of mountain woods. Sportsnen
will be charmed with this lodge, with
its stately dining hall, the walls or
which are covered with dressed sklas
Of the deer, fox, wildcat, skunk, etc.
mainly those of the wildcat, all these
animals having been shot or trapped in
Pisgah forest, while great eagles peer
t down from the beams upon the vlsi-
| tors. The view of BiItmore house from
Pisgah peak or front from this lodge Is
nearly like a vision Of enchantnent.
The house seems to hang in the middle
distance, like Aladdin's palace, snowy
| white and vast, and quite near 1t IS
Asheville.
! Four counties corner On this peak.
Southwark there spreads the unoroken
mass of Pisgah forest, to the eastward
is the rich valley OF the famous French
Broad river, bounded by the clouo-
touching wall of the Blue Ridge, While
to the westward there is wild ana
rugged view Of mountain plled upon
mountain, finally bordered by the Great
Smoky range. which towers like the
wall of a world Within the sweep or
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
Balsam and the Black ranges, Mt.
Mitchell in the Black dominating them
all with its GIL feet. In its entirety the
view is the very noblest which the
eastern part of America affords.
The conservation Of game in the Tor
est will be promoted still further, as
great care is to be taken IN limiting
the kills" whether Of fish or fowi.
The grouse have greatly increased,
hardly any hunting having been done
in the dozen years, and there are many
turkeys Squirrels are, OF course,
abundant. both the gray and the small
err brown ones, the latter being unlvef-
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, TINS
heine 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
erar sometimes. One Of the rangers
Icons tally-stick with cut for each
rattIer killed. and said that during one
season he killed 26 himself; his three
employees saying they had Killed as
many more. 1890
A watchful eye is, therefore, neces-
sarv when one is out Of a road or a
t~si, The rattlers. as a rule, are very
naaceeb BILE" as the mountaineers say,
so much so that when they think per
sons do not see them they lie quiet anu