The French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1896-1912, 1908-05-28
SUNDAY MEETING At!
1RCONIA /


talks by the Colonel and the Jud-
ge and also a good dinner.
The start was made soon in the
morning, the Colonel and the
newspaper man behind Bruce, "
the Colonels big powerful horse,
the Judge, a man of weight, and
the ex-sheriff pulled by a livery
animal which promised at one
time not to be able to finish the
rough mountain trip. Through
Flat Rock and then you climb,
higher and higher, the Blue Ridge
standing like a green covered
giants fortress before you, along
a road, cool, shady and fragra mt
with the odor of honeysuckle, the
sight gladdened with wonderful
masses of laurel, in white, in
pink, and here and there a rare
deep red. Cool and clear were
the brooks which dashed across
the road, or wandered ''along be-
side you, over rocks and, stones
with a music which seemed but
trying to rival the songs of the
birds in the trees, and which the
mocking birdsvainly tried to i'm
itate.
At last the summit of the Blue
Ridge mountains is reached and
from there a panorama of scenic
beauty is unfolded which surely
is unequaled anywhere Then down
and down you go, taking advant-
age, if you please, of the very
excellent new roads the chain
gang has made, passing the con-
Wet camp, where you see B. B.
Souther, gun on hip, cigarette in
mouth, keeping a vigilant eye on
the convicts, whose chains, clank,
clank, seem to but i'll accord with
the holy Sabbath calm of the
beautiful morning.
You drive on and almost forget
the cenvicts, when in a buggy,
seated by a lady, you see Joe
Rhodes, now serving a sentence
for cutting Joe Bryson on that
election day about a year ago.
You wonder, mayhap, at the pri-
viliges accorded a convict, but
just then, coming in sight of the
new factory of the Green River
Manufacturing Co., you forget all
about such things in admiration
of the men who have caused sc
great a building to be erected here
seemingly so far away from every
where, surrounded only by the
primitive forest and encircied by
green-clad mountains.
You stop at a house next the
company's store and learn thai
the great building before you is
but one-fourth the size it viii
ultimately be and you are interest
ed in learning too that when the
mill is completed it will employ
not less then 1900 hands. You
stop and think: 1900 hands tina
means a town almost the size O.
Hendersonville, which has three
banks and cement walks!
You do some hard thinking ant
admire the promoters of this big
scheme more then ever. Yol
look around and see streets laiC
out, comfortable cottages, ample
grounds. 1t don't look much lik'
a Spartanburg mill settlement
out here with these great pine:
and oaks and with one of God''
finest pictures spread before yol
always. You notice Mr.. ]. o
Bells handsome residence ant
next to it, a big fourteen-roon
house, just now occupied by onl,
two lone men, Mr.. Callahan an,
DIR. Smart, who complain some
what of being crowded for room
poor men! You drive on and tn
road, close overhung with tree
and masses of laurel is still beaut
iful. You see a dead rattler il
the road, beautiful and repulsive
You pass a wagon loaded wit
the everlasting chestnut wood
one cord-four dollars. The oXel
have been taken out and yonde
in that field of gold, are restinI
peacefully on this Sabbath. Sool
you come to Zirconia church
1 AR- - 1lnooIx +horo S00l