Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1905-07-21

lt Was not long hefore the ladies
OF our party-good mission workers
had found old acquaintances and
made new ones among the conven,
ton folk who were to move out on
the morrow, as our pencil ushers
would begin to come in. Miss
Belle Bennett, Mrs. Cobb and
Mrs. MacDonnell were not un-
known to some of us, and we were
glad to meet in SO goodly company
our young friend, Rev. q. Tinsley
Thrift, fresh from Vanderbilt and
stopping here on his way home to
the Northern Neck. Mr.. and Mrs,
Moore, managers of this great
mountain inn that could probably
accommodate thousand if pushed
to 1t, are natives of Berryville, Va,
and have been in Carolina but a few
years. Having mutual acquaintance
among them DR.. Oliver, of lr-
vlngtOn-we soon got into their
good graces and this Irvington crowd
will long remember the social pleas
ure attending it.
As the days rolled by and the Vir-
ginia and Carolina editors, their
wives, daughters, sisters and sweet
hearts, swelled the number to 27O,
not one left Kenilworth Inn with
anything bat praise of the hospitality
of Mr.. and Mrs. Moore, of the
courtesies of Waynesville and of
Asheville's fifteen thousand peo.
pie and of the North Carolina
press whose guests in measure we
were. Never did we strike so hospi-
table people or one who would do
so much for "thank 'ee." The typi-
cal country editor, with threadbare
trousers and frazz led collar, was not
so poor but what he could afford to
participate in such hospitality. Why,
actually, every one of US came back
home with "shin plaster" in his
wallet Wouldn't let us spend any
thing. Whirled through the noun
tains in palace cars, over the noun
tains in handsome equipages, around
the beautiful city of Asheville times
without number in special concourse
of trolleys, dined and feted, and then
not come home busted! Three
cheers for Kenilworth, Biltmore,
Waynesviile, and "tiger"
for the Southern Railway. Not con-
tent with carting us hundreds of
miles to these points the Southern
furnished special train and engine
one day to take us down the French
Broad river to see Cherokee Indians
play lacrosse and other games, and
the next sent us forty miles up into
the Businesses of the mountains to
Waynesville, the "Gem of the Appa-
lachians." 1t was on this latter trip
that we saw the sight Of our lives.
Headed by the mayor and council
of Waynesville and u brass band, two
hundred of us were conveyed mile
to Haywood White Sulphur Springs.
This is one of the most popular re-
sorts in eastern America, and few if
any visit it who do not come away
with new lease of life. A refined
lady, Mrs. Edward S. Ring, presides
as manager over this attractive resort.
From here We were driven in parties
to the top of Junaluska Mountain,
5000 feet above sea level. No more
panorama can be seen this
side of the Rockies, and We doubt if
1t could be excelled there. AS far as
the vision could reach were to be
seen mountain range after mountain
all sides-with their
beautiful valleys, some wooded and
some titled, the latter's farms looking
like crazy quilt squares; range
known as the "Great Divide" frown-
ed across widening valley, the
streams of which hurried into the
French Broad, on into the Mississip-
pi and out into the Gulf of Mexico,
while the waters on the other side
of the Divides crest flowed into
rivers that course through Georgia
and into the Atlantic Ocean. Pisgah
IN the distance u few hundred feet
higher than we looked on the "dead
level" and Mitchell in the far dis
tance had little to crow over. To
'fess up, we were glad we were no
higher; all had come robed in medium
weight clothing but before the end
Of the five-mile mountain drive was
ended We were wrapping newspapers
about our shoulders; and it wasn't a
winters Gay, either. 1t was during
Fourth of July week, and if any
reader thought it cool then in Tide
water he is prepared for warm
hereafter-so weglean from the news
papers of that week. At Eagles
Nest, the hotel on the summit of
Junaluska, the thermometer stood
So, and inside the two reception
rooms were dig hickory blazes in the
arches. Before launching or even
looking over and into the abysses
below all hands agreed to thaw out,
which We proceeded to do. Nobody
that stayed up in that airy place at !
to wear hats; the winds,
night and day, blew through whiskers
and head-gear alike, and the boss
waiter informed us he was never
troubled with flies, kept no fans on
hand and that the hickory arches
were in use the year around. Talk
about breathing! Everyone of us
felt as lively as colts; you didn't have
to pant twice to get a breath; one
breathe minute would have sufficed.
Bot we forgot the climb of five
miles. 1t was walk the horses, and
walk yourself part of the time, but
the air came to your rescue and it
was little effort. After beginning
the ascent, the town of Waynesville