The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-08-20

Toxaway Inn. Lake Toxaway, N C. Special )-The pale yel low inn by the Sapphire lake reminds inc these August days of those sumptuous lplaoes that look out upon Alexandria bay and the Thousand Islands. By day the lake Is like that exquisite bay, mlrrowinE every mood Of the summer sky and re- neoting the deepening green of the rich foliage about it's shores When the sur comes up over the water 1t Is a vivid irusset in color. By night 1t beggars all description when a moon rises and like those that looked upon the barges oi Cleopatra. The inn looks upon the lake right at the waters edge. It Is the kind of place that interests and fasoinates the kind of life that spells one, that makes one enjoy idleness because there is SC much to enjoy, that fills onels days with out any monotony, unless one is abso- llutely and unpardonably stupid and for these there Is no beauty of summer skies and-well let the soughing of the pines on Toxaway Point give their own lament for all the stupid people.
 Toxaway Inn, If you can once get away from looking at the lake on one side and the mountains on the other, Is the most charming inn in the mountains. The most interesting thing about 1t is that all the native woods of North Carolina were used in its construction and it is like ihaving a lesson in forestry to study the wood work in the big living room, the music room and throughout the inn. The living room is entered rom "a large porte-oo-chere overlooking the water. circular drive about 1t, and while no distinct style of architecture has been attempted the effect of every thing, the furnishings, the woodwork Is Aso restful and so cool looking that it seems surprising that there should be fso much that is unattractive and depress- ing in many of our houses and in the shotels where we spend half our lives. Much of the woodwork is in North Caro- Una maple, an exquisite cream tint with . suggestion of yellow. This makes the most beautiful floors. In the ball room, where a high polish gives it an almost dazzling sheen, it Is seen to what per lection 1t may be carried. Combined with the maple as a selling effect is the red birch, a pale mahogany tint fine as satin wood and rich in coloring. The black gum is one of the rarest of native woods and this has been used extensively 1n ceiling effects and in wainscoting. The walnut and quarter-sawed oak have also sbeen used in the private apartments of the inn and each floor Is finished in a distinctive wood, highly polished, show ing the possibilities of the native woods. The richness of the forests here in this Appalachian region have claimed within recent years much attention from the government and experts have pronounced this section the best suited to a na- tional forest reservation of any In Amer lea. The economic reasons for establish 4 ka.az been frequently pointed out by the secre- tary of agriculture and experts who have been on long journeys through these mountains, but the richness of these Avast forests Is told in the native woods employed in the construction of Tox. laway Inn, in the building of which nc material was imported. The immense fire places built about the wide pazzas are of native granite and soap stone.
 Some interesting figures were recent Ny given in regard to this Sapphire coun- try by President Roosevelt in urging the national reservation.
 Tn my own judgment" he said "and in the judgment of the secretary of agri. culture this national forest reserve should become one of our permanent preserves at once, or as soon as possible. It k the opinion of experts and lumbermer that of all the continent this southern tcBloH IS DtSl dudpltu lo d lOTeSI re serve, the highest peaks east of tn, Rockies being here and no hard woods il all America like them. The mountain are covered at all seasons of the year b. an almost impenetrable forest of tn, Heaviest and most beautiful hardwood il all America, of unparalleled richness an, variety, which furnish important supple to be had nowhere else in all the world nnd upon the conservation of this forest which regulates the rivers and streams depends not alone the prosperity and hap piness of the mountain population, bu all the people south.
 "The heaviest rainfall in the Unite States. except in the north Pacific coast occurs in this region. the highest record ed being eight inches in eleven hours thirty-one inches in one month, and 1d inches in twelve months.
 "The soil if denuded and swept by thes torrential rains will rapidly lose first 1t flumus, then its rich upper strata, an afterwards enormous volumes thus wash ed out will serve to bury the lowlands 10 obstruct all rivers and streams an Ill up the harbors and coast ports. whic the people are annually taxed to kee open and serviceable. It has been esti mated by experts that more good soil washed away from mountain fields an the damage to lowlands and rivers an harbors is greater during a single rain 
 etorm than during century under fores eover.''
 Some fifteen years ago tourists wer first attracted to this section of Mort FCarolina and investors began buying Il large tracts which few years later pass ed into the hands of a wealthy nortf ern syndicate. the Toxaway company which now owns some thirty thousan acres This company has built the chai of sumptuous hotels in the Sapphire cour try and the development of this seo sion is still going on as year after yea brings thousands of visitors. The estat of the Toxaway company Is well stock ed with all kinds of game. The tror fishing Is fine. the hatchery connecte with the estate supplying two hundre and fifty thousand trout to the stream and lakes yearly, There are seventy mile of river and brook fishing which hay rbeen under careful patrol for severs wears. On the estate are a number C cultivated farms and orchards and beat tiful pasture lands for the sheep an -- herds of cattle
 This region has been frequently con pared to the English lake region, an