The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1906-06-08
THE LAND OF DELIGHT.
The Florida Press Association Enjoy
ing Life in the Sapphire Country
in the Midst of the Blue
Ridge Mountains.

SpeclaI correspondence Ocala Banner:
In Columbia, S. c., Friday morning,
we missed our train on account of a
delay at Blackville of several hours,
so instead of spending the afternoon
at HendersOnville, as was planned, we
passed a very pleasant morning at Co
lumbia, reaching Toxaway at half-past
9 o'clock in the evening.
This is certainly the Land of De-
light" 1t is almost impossible to ade-
quately describe its beauties and my
pen falters when / try to picture in
words the wondrous loneliness of the
lakes, the grandeur of the mountains
and the glorious climate here.
The Sapphire Country" is the name
given to the section around Lakes
Toxaway, Fairfield and Sapphire. 1t is
situated in western North Carolina
right in the heart of the Blue Ridge
mountains. 1t is easy of access and for
natural scenic beauty must surely sur
pass anything in America. Mountain
peaks almost without number rise to
lofty heights, none being less than 1000
feet above the sea level, wonderful
gorges, beautiful streams and exquisite
waterfalls combine to make it a land
of delight"
The Southern railway runs through
the entire Land of the Sky" and the
route is a charmingly beautiful one.
They devote splendid trains, with Pull
man, buffets, dining cars and obser-
walton cars, and they give their pas
sengers most excellent service.
/ Toxaway is on one of the branches
of the Southern and is the gateway to
the Sapphire Country"
! The lake is completely surrounded
! by forests and mountains. One Of the
descriptions of the charms of the Sap
phire Country that l have just finished
reading is as follows:
1.-The great natural beauty of the
/ landscape has not as yet been marred
by the hand of man, his only encroach-
ment upon the sylvan solitude having
been the erection of splendid hotels on
attractive sites, and the construction
of excellent carriage roads by which
to reach them. In physical contour and
characteristics this region has been
frequently compared to the English
Lakes district, but as a whole the
/ Sapphire County is grander in every
way. It's mountains and cliffs are more
than twice as high; its cataracts and
torrents higher and more impressive;
it's lakes bluer, deeper and more pic
turesquely framed by the lofty peaks
that tower above them; while the rug
ged natural beauty of the surrounding
hills, mountains and crags still bear
and is as yet entirely free from the
softening touches of civilization"
Toxaway Inn. where the party are
stopping, is 5000 feet above the sea
level, and the top of the mountain is
! 5000 feet An exceedingly attractive
little lodge crowns the summit of the
mountain and during the summer it is
crowded with people. who go up from
the various other hotels in the system
to remain over night in order to view
the setting and rising sun, which is
indeed a magnificent sight.
Visible from the top of Mt. Toxa-
way, which is very easily attained. aro
more than one hundred mountain
peaks among them being Mt. Mitchell,
Mt. Pisgah, Old Whitesides, Rabun
and many others
The various lakes of thn Sapphire
Country cover an area of 1000 acres.
Toxaway Inn belongs to the Toxa-
way Hotel Company, who have leased
the four hotels and the lodge of the
Toxaway system. 1t is under the man
agement of Mr.. /. H. Aiken, who is the
vice president of the hotel company.
1t is now open all the year round. II
is one of the finest hotel resorts in
America, and during the summer
months it is almost impossibel to ac-
commodate the immense crowds that
flock here.
Mr. Aiken has been most courteous
to the Florida delegation, and is agree
able and pleasant to everyone.
The Sapphire Country is owned by
a Pittsburg syndicate, who obtained
possession of the country for the tim
Der and for gold mining purposes, but
as the mining was so expensive the
plan of converting the country into a
resort was conceived by the company.
Three years ago Lake Toxaway was a
forest and in twelve months, with over
eight hundred men constantly at work
this exquisitely lovely lake was made
and the hotel erected.
Within a radius of nine miles of
Toxaway Inn there are fifty beautiful
waterfalls and everywhere that the eye
can see the views are sublime.
The company owns about $1,000
acres and there is splendid hunting
and fishing. The lakes abound in trout,
the company having several fish hatch
cries.
In the summer months the guests
at the various Sapphire hotels are SO
per cent southern people, although
there are many guests from the east
the west and the north.
BY the courtesy of Mr.. Aiken the
. editorial party enjoyed a delightful