Watauga Democrat. [volume] (Boone, Watauga County, N.C.) 1888-current, 1909-12-02
! "rAs AppslaeA'an ssstA =

ASh6vtHe Citizen.
While, II may be that those
who write Of, and constantly pro
claim the matchlpss resources OF
the Southland, will not live to
zee the full fruitjon OF their la.
bors, manylof'the present gtner-
alton will still be on the earth
when the wealth OF the nation
will be centered in the Appalach
Ian section. Forces that have
hitherto lain dormant are NOV
ing in the direction Of gigantic
deyeIopment, and what is now
only in the formative stage be.
fore the passing Of many years
will have reached the aurora of
full accomplishment.
Twenty years ago Vim. d. Kel
lev, of Pennsyl, ania, who was
known as '''Pig Iron Kelley" de-
clared that the Appalachian re.
gion OF thu South contained
wealth enough for a continents a
wealth 80 vast. 10 varied in it's
elements. and character, 30 ad.
vantageously placed Tor develop.
ment, that. it could sustain a
population far greater than the
population Of the Uniten States.
Coming nearer to our own time,
Editor Richar ! Ednonds. in an
address before the Appalachian
Engineering association ut Wash
ington this month, said in spea.
king Of the section referred to:
"In creation's dawn. when ma
ture counted up her stores OF
wealth intended for that portion
of earth destined to be known. as
the Appalachian South, she found
the quantity so vast that 9 b e
could ouly pack it in the limited
space assigned to this region by
piling it mountain high. That it
might hove the the cheapest of
all possible means of transporta.
tion tn reach thu worlu's mai .
kets, she cut the worlds markets
she cut these vast mountain ran
ges by great rivers, which forev.
er assure to the coal and iron
and timber and manufactured
products Of this section v o t e +
transportation facilities possi.
=. bly, ureq uallrd in many respects
by any siu,ilar. rich mineral re.
!: gion on earth. And as though
she intended to. give to the in.
habitants oil this section the
nose favorable conditions for
mans highest development, che
blessed it with bracing mountain
air, free from the rigors Of the
far North and the heat Of t h g
far South. In it's valleys and on
it's hilIsides she put a soil rich
and yielding in abundance al
most every kind of grain an d
fruit needed for human susten
ance. Unique in the vastness .
it's .resurces, the Appalachian
South is alike unique in the un
paralielled location which it en-
joys, midway between the activi
! ties of the Atlantic and the Gul
> seaboard on one side, and tn
center of the worlds iron q u d
i!st+el industry around Pittsbure
. and on the lakes on the othe
side. Surrounded by the mos
stupendous activities of tue in
dustrial world, here il a bank o
such limitless wealth stored b!
Nature for the benefit of man
I kind that the human mind cal
I scarcely comprehend its exten
or grasp the figures which may
be used to try tell the. story o
y its potentialities. We might how
. ever, have all these natural re
8 sources. these illimitable pDsssi-
D bilities for the crea, ion of wealtl
t and yet have 80 slow q develop
8 ment us to be of little value tt
i; the present generation. Thes
vast stores havs been here sine
y the beginning OF time, but it il
4. .nlv n0w that vo aro horiunin