The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1910-03-08

| escaped the blightins
influence of p~redigested bFeaAIasl
foods, Associated Press dlspa'IHe
syndicated stories, trust-faade sehool
books. and that great destroyer en0
school master
physiographic features here present
such uniformity over vast areas tnat
the few unique spots OF land WHICH
might produce inhabitants or varying
types are set apart as state or Ma
tional parks. or forests. to be used as
Fairgrounds for the people Even tne
mountain section OF North tarollna'
which Southerners are fond OF call
5ng 1.-THE Switzerland Of America,
probably because it possesses not one
feature Of Swiss scenery, has become
thoroughly modernized and Aner1-
canized. and there is not another town
Of its Size in our country SO tnoE-
oughlv cosmopolitan as Asheville, ou1
mountain metropolis, has become DUR
ing the last two decades. The arts
and era fits Of the mountains had prac-
ticalfy disappeared during that time,
and had to be taught anew to the
women OF the Bi1trnore estate, who's
mothers and g~randnothers, less than
a score OF years ago, were skilled
a or exquisite tapestries.
In a land where journeys are madt
from the plains @? the interior to
Longwood or Atlantic City for a sum-
mer's outing. or from Carolina to the
geysers OF the Yellowstone for a fort
nights holiday, and all this with as
r1uch ease and comfort as staying at
home, there is little left but the mo-
notony OF American life that SO deep
Iy impressed Mr.. James Bryce when
he Wa writing his american ON
mcnWealth.'
The sand reefs of the North Caro-
lima coast, before the advent of mo-
Eo- - 80 kI-& .--A
g. afforded a large measure of Sc
c%Iusion, and that safety which comes
from isolation. safety from the incur
sions of tourists and pleasure-seekers.
and from exploitation by magazine
writer's.
The most interesting Of these reefs
was then three days journey from
almost any point, but When YOU had
made ~theaiourney you had gone back
three centuries in time. Though
known to every one by name, and
dreaded by all seafaring men as the
graveyard OF American shipping,
hardly q score out Of our eighty mil
fions Of population had ever set foot
on this island. Even all the fingers
OF n hand We're not needed to count
the jewellers on the mainland who
were personally acquainted with this
dangerous sand reef and its mild
hammered people. To most men it is
d" ol L > ekiO. DIS tnUReu III
mas been to many a poor mariner:
and even to the few who know it best
It is ~Serirahte foreign land at home.
iiatteras Island is an elhoW-shaped
sand-spit, forty miles in length meas
ured around the elbow, and from half
a mile TO five miles in width. It lies
along the very border of the CONT
mental shelf, a hundred miles beyond
the normal trend of the coast. and
almost within the Gulf Stream. It
occupies the center Of the quadrangle
made by he parallels So degrees and
IS degrees. north latitude. and the
n1erIdans - degrees and IS degrees
west longitude.
The geographical history. physio-
graphic features, and climatic condi-
tons Of this island have been made
q subject OF special Investigation bv
the writer for something like q score
of years. But since geography is a
study OF the earth as mans physical
and geology a study OF
the earth AS a field for the develop
ment Of organic life. the g~eolog1st
must OF necessity have an interest in
h influence of environment on the
human organism. The purpose OF this
paper is to deal with this human in
terest in one OF its phases, the infu-
ence Of isolation as it shows itself in
the preservation Of old English words
and the ancient forms Of speech once
common to our group. On this island.
IN spite OF Natures changes. with all
her reforms and buffetings. we find
words in daily use that have never
here drifted from their rnediaeyal
m~oorings.
When | reach any point on the isl
and, my friends who have not seen
me land, invariably ask: HOY did
you come? Did you come in a boat
or did You travel?" Travel, in this
case. means TO walk. Once I was told
that l could reach a certain sand dune
by travelling about l,@o acres, across q
palmetto swamp. an acre, in this case
being a furlong, or eighth Of a mile
an old English use Of the word.
How do YOU 60 home when VOL
get to the %counfryc Dc YOU 90 b,