Times-promoter. (Hernando, DeSoto County, Miss.) 1898-1970, 1907-08-30
FROM NORTH CAROLINA
Maj. Dockery Writes interesting Letter
From Old North State.

dairy and / crossed the old north
state to this place within four miles
of the Virginia line. / was among
the mountains most of the day, some
times on the side, then in deep
gulch, then in long tunnel going
through mountain. The valleys are
fertile and the crops of corn and hay
are very fine all the way from Chat
tanooga and the mountain region will
not starve for want of hog and hom-
ony next year.
The towns through which / passed
look new and have the air of prosper
ity, the secret of which is their man
ufactories. saw great numbers of
large plants, that were turning out
hundreds of car loads of farm machin-
ery-wagone, buggies, plows and inn
mense quantities of furniture all
from the home woods, giving value
to their timber and employment to
the people. / heard a man say that
solid train load of chairs had been
sent from one of the towns the week
before. saw scores of large cotton
mills, whose pay rolls were hundreds
of dollars day, At Ashville there
is quilt factory which turns ont
hundreds of the beautiful white
spreads or counterpanes we buy in
the stores.
Most of the machinery for these
plants is Iun by electricity generated
by the mountain streams miles and
miles away.
It is almost incredible to us how
much furniture is made, in these
mountains, and where it all goes to;
and to use how much neater, cleaner
and newer these manufacturing towns
are than strictly commercial towns,
Greensboro with which was famil-
lar sixty years ago, was then a sleepy
old town with perEa ps two thousand
people and one shabby old tavern, is
now railroad centre with near thirty
thousand people. Street cars. cleo
tric lights, water works, splendid
hotels, sky scraper stores and other
evidences Of wide-awake and pro-
gressive people. About six miles
from the town, 7 am told, are shafts
and monuments on each side OF the
railroad, and upon inquiry, found
was passing through the battle
grounds Of Gulford Court House.
The readers of evolutionary history
win remember that, that was an i'm
portant battle and nerved the loysl
Carolinians to aggressive fight. The
county, (Gulford) regards it as sacred
ground and are embelishing it as
such.
am now in, as it's name indicates,
MT. Airy, little town way off in the
monntrins, four miles from Virginia--
twenty miles from Pilot mountain,
which il the highest point near, and
has pinnicle rising from it as
straight Us pole and about two hum
dred feet high, with an area of about |
two acres ON the top. Il is the pilot |
or guide for the travellers many miles
away--and tourists 60 to the top to
view the country DER"
This town 10 new. Has between
1--WE and six thousand people, is like
The other western North Carolina
towns, progressive. There are three
furniture factories turning out at /
east $50, 600 dollars worth of goods
every month-two cotton factories,
one wooden, and several large tobacco
They ship from here
about. four million pounds Of leaf to-
oacco year, and there is here q
quarry Of the finest granite on the
,ontinent-showin fifty acres sur
ace measurement and no man can
ell its depth or extent under the
,arth. There are several hundred
men at work boning, blasting and
and loading cars all the time.
The noise and activity show business.
have not seen q bag of cotton in
he mountains, but instead there is q
constant procession Of schooners
lrawn by good pair of mares with
'olts at their sides, bringing all kinds
i produce from the mountains. They
re now bringing apples and shipping
D all parts OF the u. s. Later they
rill bring tobacco, cabbage, potatoes
nd onions. These native mountain
ers, who come with their wagons,
re rough, uncouth specimens. They
rs generally primitive or hard shell
aptists and believe in free trade