The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-07-16
HEAVENLY PLACES
Ben Lacy Back from Wes-
tern Skies.
And All this Glory He Found in North
Carolina. Delighted with Trip to
the Mountains. Glad to Return
TO His Home and Work.

State Treasurer Lacy was found in
his office yesterday morning with
great pile of mail before him, and al
though ne was very busy, he swung
around in his chair and spoke enthu-
siastically of his visit to the mountains.
He is as brown as a berry, and shows
by eyes and complexion, and in TACT
by every movement that his trip mas
benefited him extremely. He says that
since November, when he returned
from Arizona, up to the 18th OF June,
he had not taken a day of. lie had
been in one constant strain; first, meet
ing the appropriations that are PAID
in December and January; preparing
for the Legislature, and then gong
through the Legislature; afterwards is
suing bonds, and then going to New
York to pay them off. During the last
part of May and the first of June, his
old enemy asthma had returned, ana
Mr. Marshall w. Bell from Murphy,
dropping in at exactly the right time
convinced him that trip TO the
mountains of his own State would be
just as beneficial as a trip to Arizona,
and gave him such a cordial invitation
to join MIN and his partner, Mr.. j. ii.
billiard, on a fishing trip to Snow Bird
creek in Graham county, that he i'm
mediately accepted.
Mr. Lacy is enthusiastic concerning
not only the beauties of the noun
tains but the cordially and hospitality
of the people He was the guest of
Mr.. Marshall Bell, an ideal host, who
left no stone unturned to make him
enjoy himself. The party consisted of
Mr.. Bell and his sister, Mr.. and Mrs.
j. H. billiard, and negro cook. They
took a hack and went fifteen miles
into the mountains, and when the
trail become so rough that the mack
could not be used, they got on the
horses and penetrated five miles faTth-
er into the heart of the mountains,
where the trees are three or four
feet in diameter, and where axe has
rarely disturbed its primeVal glory.
He described Snow Bird as being just
a cash through the mountains with
the banks SO precipitouS that 1T was
impossible to get to the creek except
in a very few places, and then the
laurel had to be cut away for trail.
The laurel on the bank grows down to
the water so thick that dog can
hardly get through, and as acres upon
acres were in bloom it was scene
of unsurpassed loneliness. The fishing
had to be done from knee to waist
deep in the icy water that ran ike
mill race. Mr.. Lacy had never seen
trout fishing before, and while he did
not fish himself, he Waded up and
down the creek with the ladies and
with Messrs. billiard and Bell, and en-
loved the fun more than those that
were catching the fish. He said the
first two or three days he thought he
never would get tired of mountain
trout, but as they caught SO many that
they had them three times day for
ten days, towards the end of that pc
riod he rather longed for some other
kind of food.
On the Fourth of July the whole
party having returned to Murphy, they
went UP to Andrews, to an educational
rally and Mr.. Lacy substituted for
Governor Aycock who was advertised
to speak but could not attend. From
Andrews he went to Mcdowell county,
where, under the directions of County
superintendent Sans, he made three
speeches on the subject of education
one at Marion, one at Nebo and one
at Old Fort.
He was also enthusiastic about the
reception he received in Mcdowell.
From Mcdowell he came down to
Burke, and stopped couple of days
with Mr.. E. NICK. Goodwin, helping
him entertain the teachers of the deaf
and dumb, who had gathered there
from all the States in the Union and
from Canada. These, he said, We're
delighted with their reception in North
Carolina, the State institutions for the
] insane and the deaf and dumb, the
| management of these, and the work
| the State is doing along these lines.
He thinks that this meeting was a
great advertisement for the Tar-Heel
State, and was very proud of the many
compliments he heard paid to the
State and to the people. DR.. Chas. D.
McIver, Mr.. Lacy said, made one of
the very best addresses that he has
ever heard TO these teachers.
But Mr.. Lacy is. delighted to get
back aNEng the people who know him
best, and back to his work.