Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1906-08-01
The LAND OF THE SKY.
PEN PICTURES or WESTERN NORTH
CAROLINA-A TOURISTS MECCA.

Thousands of our fellow citizens
will leave the city for the summer.
Some will 60 to Europe, many will
HE them to the mountains and sea-
shore. The majority of us will, more
or less involuntarily, remain at home,
enduring heat and fighting mos
quitoes. Fortunately, as a general
rule, New Orleans is very healthy
during June, July and August, and by
the expenditure OF little money the
can't-get-away population may have
relief in the immediate vicinity, along
the coast, on the lake or in the ozone,
artesian, pinewood region. We who
have to remain should keep our tenn
pers, dress seasonably, avoid heavy
meat diet and alcoholic beverages.
Drinking of ice water is beneficial if
not swallowed too cold and gulped
down hurriedly. Luckily, too, we
generally can count upon refreshing
breezes from the river, the lake and
the gulf.
We should take comfort in the re-
Election that high degree of heat is
necessary for the growing and ripen-
ing of the great crops upon which
our material prosperity depends.
There is complaint of lack of rain,
but it will come before long, and per-
chance last beyond our patience.
Nothing is much more foolish than to
complain about weather conditions.
They are not in our power to adjust,
and we can safely leave them with
the Lord of All.
THE SOUTHERN ALPS.
The Southern Railway just now,
in connection with other great sys-
TENS, is offering extraordinary in
ducements to such of our fellow
citizens as have the leisure and means
to spend the dog days in the Alpine
region of Western North Carolina,
which some one calls "The Switzer-
land of America" 1t is, in fact, a
finer country than Switzerland, be-
cause the magnificent mountains of
the old North State are clad in en-
erald verdure from base to summit,
whereas the Swiss peaks are bare and
bald. Asheville is favorite resort.
There are several elegant modern
hotels there and numerous minor
ones, to say nothing of boarding
houses suitable to anyone's purse.
Our mind goes back lovingly to the
Battery Park Hotel, the original
grand inn, with an incompatible sit
uation. In my younger days L used
to visit that enchanting place, and it
was great rallying point for Geor-
gians, Virganians even, and South
Carolinians, many of whom were my
friends. What grand time we had,
lot only in house amusements, but
drives around the country. The
owner in those days was Col.
Frank Cox. He was North Caro-
linian, but had extensive coal proper
ties in Pennsylvania. He was bon
vivant, a scholar and wit. During
the war between the States he was
drafted in North Carolina and Penn
sylvania. For some satisfactory rea-
son, he put in two substitutes, one for
the North and the other for the
South, both Of whom lost their lives.
"l am the only man." he used to
say, "who was killed on both sides
during the war" The Ex- -Confed-
crates who patronized the hotel had
no harsh feeling about this episode.
lie was such a generous, big hearted
host that no one cared to quarrel
with him on any subject. remem-
Der that once, while discussing Sir
Walter Scotts novels, he said "My
favorite romance is St. Romans
WE'LL" and he was much pleased
when literary gentleman present
agreed with him. An aristocratic
Virginian, an Ex- Confederate soldier
and West Point graduate, one day
heard some talk of mint julep. He
said "Gentlemen, have the noble
whiskey, and | am an adept in the