The news & observer., 1905-12-03
IMPRESSIONS OF RALEIGH.

IhIlEHncSIO4NS OE htAbEANAIs
The Many Attractions of The Capital
of the Old North State.
(By Cyrus T. FoX.)
After a sojourn of over two weeks
in the capital clty of North Carolina,
we have formed a very favorable i'm
preston of it, and it's beautiful sur
roundings. 1t has well been term
ed the city of Oaks" or "Oak City"
for statelier trees of the Quercus fam
lily we have never seem There are
thousands of magn ,ficent oak trees in
the city, some of which are fully six
feet in diameter. one of these trees,
on a private lot on No~-h Wilmington
street, has been made the subject or
q 4 uvenr postal card. and more
snapshots have been taken of this
tree by tourists than of any build ng
or other point of interest in the city.
The ark around the capitol is adorn-
ed by a number of these noble trees,
and they may be seen along all the
res dence streets and in many parks.
Ii is said that when some of the
reefs were widened and reduced to
grade several years ago, to comply
with the new Typographical survey, 1t
became necessary to cut down more
than two thousand trees. This was
greatly regretted at the time, but it
could not be avoided.
But it is not alone for it's abund-
ance/-lf grand old oak trees that RAJ
cigh is famous, but here may be seen
on lawns and in the front and side
yards of many residences some of the
finest magnolia trees in the country
They arc Of the species known as
Magnolia grandihora, or the large
Towering kind, and are SO bushy and
symmetrical as to be easily the peei
of all other ornamental trees. AT
this season of the year the leaves are
still a rich, glossy green, while tn.
branches contain the seed-cones or
fruit, some of which are of bright
crimson, Chose that are fully colored)
and the cones are almost as beautiful
as the flowers of these magnolia trees
which open early in the spring, and
scent the entire atmosphere.
There is a great variety, in fact. of
decidious trees and ornamental shrubs
more than is 20 be found in most
cities. In a visit which the writer
paid to the National cemetery he
counted more than thirty varieties of
trees within that enclosure. as follows:
White oak, black oak, Spanish oak,
English elm, ashe, North Carolina
plane, tulip poplar. aspen, cypress,
Austrian pine, white pine, yellow pine,
Norway spruce, hemlock, larch, balm
of Gilead mimosa. sycamore, magno-
lia cedar catalpa, linden, arbor vitae,
holly, bay. red maple. silver maple,
sugar maple and Norway maple. We
doubt If another cemetery can be
found in tho United States with a
greater variety of trees.
Then Raleigh is remarkable for the
attention its citizens give to flowers.
Portions Of the city are verita bic rose
gardens the greater part of the year.
The roses are of the hybrid perpetual
and monthly varieties, and they con-
tinue in bloom until after Christmas,
the winter season being SO mild. They
may be seen in the city parks and in
private yards. In Newbern avenue
east of the capitol, there is strip in
the middle of the street extending for
A block, which is fun of vigorous rose
bushes, which are covered at tn late
period in the year with the lovelist
blooms There are many varieties, and
the street in consequence of this floral
attractiVeness is one of the most beau
tiful in the city.
When we arrived in Raleigh early
in October the trees were arrayed in
living green, the change in their To-
liage not having commenced Light
frosts on the nights of the 18th and
1 9Th instants, however, started a
transformation, and at this date many
of the trees have put on those gor-
geous autumnal tints for which this
season of the year in famous. But
the magnolia trees, however, still
stand forth in all their loveliness, un-
changed and commanding the admira-
ton of alh strangers, as we'll as Of
those accustomed to see them every
day, for there is no tree more desira-
BILE for general decorative purposes.
IT is, however. too tender to Withstand
the winters of the north.
Where so much attention has been
paid to trees and shrubbery, and to
the adornment of the surroundings or
home, it stands to reason that due
consideration has been given to the
subject of the architectural effects OF
residences. There are many stately
dwellings and handsome homes
throughout the city. Some of the
finest are built after the true Southern
style, with high columns supporting
Gothic roof and with spacious
porches and porticoes in front and
at the sides. 1t would be impossible.
in an article as brief as this must be
made, to enumerate all, or even a
small portion. of the attractive resi-
denees, but one of the finest is that
of Mr. Raney, on Hillsboro street,
near the capitol. Mr.. Raney made
fortune as the proprietor for years
of the Marlborough House, during
which time he had regular monopoly
| of the hotel business in Ralelgh. Upon
retiring from the business he pulil
his stately mansion. and also erected
l almost directly opposite library
building, which he donated to the city
of Raleigh. for the purposes of free
| public library.
| Raleigh has good street car facil-
tiles, the cars of the Raleigh Electric
Company running between the unior
depot and points on the main streets
and continuing out to West Raleigh
lac ir Grounds II is 2