Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-06-19

NOFln CdTOllIld. IL Is u uTedIu VI
beauty. The mountains stand, tall and
majestic, with their settings Of ancient
trees and dense underground. 1t Is the
ideal spot for rest and recreation. 1t Is
a spot where the ever. changing land
scape offers, one after another, views
of surprising loveliness, until 1t seems
as II nature, even in this favored land,
must have exhausted her charms.
AS already stated, Edgemont Is
twenty-three miles northeast Of Lenoir,
and Is about 1900 feet above sea level.
1t is eight miles on an air line from
Blowing Rock, and at present turn
pike road Is being constructed between
these points, which will make the dis
tance between twelve and fifteen miles.
At present there are no accommoda-
tions at Edgemont for the visitor, but
1t is expected that before the opening
OF another season a handsome, con-
venient, modern hotel will have been
erected and be ready for the enter
tainment Of the hundreds Of guests
who are sure to visit that section as
soon as its many attractions to the
health and pleasure seeker become
known to the outside world.
Mountain Home Club Formed.
In addition to the hotel what prom
ises to be one of the most practical as
well as pleasant schemes for tine con-
venience and comfort of those who de-
sire to spend their summer vacation or
any part of 1t in that highly favored
section Is well under way, and bids
fair to meet with entire success. 1t Is
q Mountain Home Club, and the plans
of the promoters of the idea are about
as follows: 1t Is proposed to secure at
least $50 subscribers, each subscribing
one share Of stock at 500 each. This
will provide a fund of $4,000 or more
with which to purchase necessary
lands, erect a club house Of ample size
for the accommodation OF the MEM
bers, and a number Of cottages, lay OH
and beautify the grounds, provide
water supply, sewerage, etc. Annual
dues of $12 will be collected from each
Of the $50 members, and this will pro-
vide an income Of $4,000, to be expend-
ed in the conduct Of the club and on
the improvement Of the property. 1t
Is calculated that the income Will be
further swelled by the initial fees OF
new members. 1t Is the purpose OF the
promoters to guarantee every MEMBER
of the club all the comforts and con-
veniences of a well-ordered, modern
home in this Land Of the Sky" at
minimum cost and at the same time
place him and his family where they
may spend their summer vacations
with congenial company. Each mem
ber will be entitled to board and lodg-
ing, and all the other privileges fur
nished by the club, including baths
electric lights, etc., at about actual
cost and at the same time will be
guaranteed any delicacy or convenience
not regularly furnished, provided he
cares to pay the additional cost.
A partial canvass has been made OF
q majority of the towns along the car
olina and North Western railway, in
Guiding Lenoir, Hickory, Newton, Lin
colnton, Gastonia, Yorkville and Ches-
ter, and also of Charlotte and Winns-
boro, and more than one-fourth the de-
sired number of members have been
secured and on the list are many of
the leading business and professional
men of the various towns named. Oth-
er towns will be canvassed later.
A Wonderful Timber Land.
Although it is not by any means the
only industry Of that section, the lum-
ber business overshadows all others,
and especially Is this true of that por-
ton along the line Of the railroad from
Lenoir to Edgemont. Perhaps no great
er variety of commercial timber Is to
even in America, than in these noun
tains. There Is hickory, white oak
post oak chestnut oak, chestnut, white
pine, yellow pine, ash, birch, maple,
walnut, poplar, hemlock, etc., and the
forests are being rapidly denuded by
wealthy lumber companies or corpora
tions. At Mortimer, two miles south or
Edgemont, is located the plant OF the
Wilson Creek Lumber company. Dur
ing the past eighteen months the con-
Germ which owns enormous bodies or
valuable timber lands in the adjacent
mountains, is said to have expended
about $250,000 in getting ready to ham
die lumber. The town of Mortimer,
except the depot grounds, the depot
and the right of way Of the railroad, Is
owned by the company. There Is
neat and well-kept hotel, scores OF
dwellings, including quite numoer
that would be creditable to the average
town, being large, OF modern style ana
neatly painted, and there are also a
large number Of neat one-story cot
tages, a store room, and besides these
there is the huge sawmill and wood
working plant of the company, by which
the lumber is prepared for market.
The saw mill is of sufficient capacity to
cut $4,000 feet of lumber daily The
company also owns and operates a
railroad, which extends from Mortimer
seven miles along the banks OF Har-
per's Creek into the mountains.
A Mountain Jaunt.
Your correspondent, in company
with two friends, left Mortimer one
afternoon on foot for the purpose OF go
ing over the road and also Of seeing
Harpers Falls. a noted waterfall which
Is said to fall 200 feet. We started
rather late in view of what We had set
out to accomplish, and after walking
six miles on crossties and uphill at
that, met two mountaineers, who told
us that the falls were still two miles
further on, and in view Of the lateness
of the hour and the fact that we had
our hearts set on riding back to Nor
timer on the lumber train, which was
due to start about thirty minutes later,
decided that we would abandon the ef-
fort to reach the falls that day, ana
turned back to where we had noticed
the train awaiting orders to proceed.
While going back we met another train
running backwards toward the head or
another branch Of the road. The en-
gineer stopped his train and invited our
party to climb on the engine, and we
all climbed. The train then proceeded
about a mile up the road, where
gang Of workmen were engaged In
loading logs on a car. At this point II
Is said that the track Is about 1,2OO feet
above Mortimer, or that 1t rises on an
average of 200 feet to each mile.
Coming Down the Mountain.
We soon started on the return trip
to Mortimer and it was an experience
that is not likely soon to be forgotten.
The engine was what is known as the
"geared type" and was built for the
especial class of work for which 1t Is
being used. 1t is not probable than an
engine of the ordinary type could much
more than carry it's own weight over
this road, to say nothing Of pulling six
or eight cars, loaded with green saw
logs, which the geared type seems TO
do with ease. Sitting on the fireman's
box and, looking ahead, your corre-