The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-10-12

| Mitchell (the highest point east of the
| RockleS), at an elevation Of Sill
feet. The city owns the watershed OF
over 49, 600 acres. An unbrollen for
est; untouched by the hand of man:
covered with a virgin growth of lau-
rel. aZalea, rhDdodendron. l'alsam,
oak chestnut, poplar, gum, walnut
hickory and hundred others;
Astounding in waterfalls, pools, preci-
| 1t'eS, caves and cascades. The streams
arc alive with speckled trout; there
are forests Whe II the sunlight never
rcnetrates; crasS scanned ard Starred
by wind and storm, and the waters
! come leaping ap1 dashing down the
rock sides of the mountain, $500 feet
! in a few miles. No freshet and no
| rain so great as [" mar the sparkling
| br.lliance; for here no cultivated fields
! exist. or ever will no mani has SCARF
ed the earth; no clay is exposed; the
water bounds along as clear IN
storm as in drOuth, and presents the
| gravity line, WITH possibilities Of some
1000, 900 gallons every tWiHty-four
hours.
This water, which expert analysis
hiss shown to be pracT cally pure, is
delivered in Asheville in almost un-
! limited quantities. without pumping,
and therefore without d2ngCr of
breakdown, ana hence the possibility
| Of a water famine is reduced to 4
minimum. This abundance of pure,
clean water means much, both to the
resident and tourist. Sec0ndarily to
| 'hc removal of iii danger of infection
! from drinking wntnr. 1t means clean
streets. rs sufficient is at hand 10 al
low Of flushing the same; sanitation
| Tor the whole city is insured
! Recreation.
The Asheville Club, Elks Club and
/ hf lhat1 'int hTtf IA
are equipped with the convenierces OF
modern social enjoyment, ami for all
| requirements of club recreation; life
of these organizations is a source of
| cn2rossing pleasure TO many visitors
here.
The swannanoa Country Club has a
| conInodiouS and we fitted club
| house at the golf links near Sunset
Mountain. The Inks are in high
repute with golfers all over the coun-
thy; tournaments are frequently held.
and competition for the splendid tro-
piles offered has engaged raany oil
the best-knoWn players of tie game
hst Vile Offers further choice OF
recreation at Riverside p Irk and its
| takes for boating, the walks at the
rivers edge the bear pit and ami
mails, and the childrcn'S playground.
The livery accommodations are am
pl, in every way, and the demand for
fire saddle and carriage horse and
trotters and for very kinI of vehicle.
is easily met by tra large n1er of
fine stables. The driyeWaYS are kept
in order by the Good Roads Asso-
citation. With IS ais promoting the
building of fine n;tcadam roads. Bril-
die paths course this entire region.
N Rapid Transit.
Asheville electric street cars COM
pass all points NJ interest Witai!t the
city. fare five cents; there are about
fourteen miles of trick; the system is
admirably managed, has through
transfers. and for ublic convenience
indicates stopping points in the streets
bN white bands rairted on the trolley
poes Cars leave the. Public Square
every fifteen minues for the depot.
golf links. Biltmore and Riverside
Park.
Vrnderblt'> Biltmorc.
An evidence of the permanent ma
ture CT AsheviIIe's prosperity, The val
NC of its climate and the beauty of
its scenery. is afforded by the nagni
hCent home-a pr;nceiy mauor-es-
tablshed just outside Of the city by
George w. Vanderbilt, Of New York.
With vast fortune and with whole
world TO choose from, he h;ts selected
AshevlIe as the one place for creating
which his architects and engineers
have constructed under the direction
of Frederick Law Olmstcd. the land-
scape architect, who gave New York
her Central Park. The house was
built under the direction of the en-
inent architect, the late Richard M.
Hunt, and is Il chateau OF the
French Renaissance. 375 feet long
and $50 feet wide, and in some feat
ures not unlike the famous chateau
at BlOis, France.
The Biltmore estate contains about
10, 600 acres, ana the Pink Beds and
adjacent tract of Mr.. Vanderbilts
hunting preserve comprise about no.
COO acres; this is known as Pisgah |
Forest.
Drives are permitted on three days
Of each week over this famed estate. |
probably the finest private park in the
world, where thirty miles of beautiful
roads with marvellous landscape and
lovely Vistas can Ec enjoyed. aud visits
to the immense model dairy. it's barns
and the large herd of imported Jer-
seys, the Berkshire pens and the
Poultry yards, are full of interest.
Educational Advantages.
Asheville is an educational center.
This fact is atteSted by the number
and excellence of it's institutions of
learning. The total value of public |
ard private school property in Ashe-
Vile and it's suburbs is about 100000.
The list of educational institutions
here includes: City Graded Schools;
Asheville School; Bingham School; !
Normal and Collegiate Institute;
Home Industrial School; Asaeville |
Farm School: Business College; Prof. |
j. a. Winn's Select Preparatory School |
for Boys; Misses stevens school; Miss
Tcrd's School for Girls; Ashevliie Free
Kindergartens, Glasses in Vocal and |
Instrumental Studies; Industrial |
School, cOlored.
City Schools.
The city school system of Ashcville |
was organized in 1888 with two poor |
buildings and an enrolment OF gee
pupils In seventeen years the >ys- |
tenn has grown until it mas become |
one of the most efficient in the South
if not in the country. There is now |
a teaching force Of flfty,flye ms, lnstruc7
supervisors of manual training, music |
and physical culture. The enrolment
this year is about $500. ana the city
hos -bIIilt and Well |