The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1910-06-22

to Alta Pass, tie higest point on the road.
To reach this elevation the road makes
windings, tunnels, evolutlons, loops AND
leans which are unsurpassed in twentieth
century railroad construction. From the
train the sight of the great mountain DOT
ted with blooming azaleas and Rhododen-
dras, towering thousands of feet into the
air, is inspiring.
No road in the south offers the traveller
grander scenery than is to be seen along
the line of the C. G. and 0. Railway. IL
is n continuous climb from Spartanburg
to Alta pass, the highest point on Inc
road. To reach this elevation the road
makes windings, tunnels, evolutlons' loops
and leaps which are unsurpassed III
twentieth century railraod construction.
From the train the sight OF the great
mountain, towering thousands OF feet INTO
the air, dotted with blooming Azaleas and
Rhododendrans, is inspiring.
After leaving South Carolina no cotooh
plant is to be seen along the line o. TINS
road, but at this season OF the year inc
wheat fields golden in its ripened state
make O picture that rivals the beauty OF
the opened cotton, Wheat, corn and OATS
are in evidence every where.
Every few miles an old "oVer shoI wa
fer mill rreets the eye and adds a quaint
picturesqueness to the mountain scenery'
The people along the line are not yet ac-
costomed to the unusual sight OF q train
of Pulmans, and everywhere they stop 10
paze, At every station, fiat cars arc seen
loaded with poplar logs showing that inc
forests are beginning already To 10 oe-
nuded of their finest trees. Saw mills
play a prominent part. -.
The homes along the route are on tne
whole much better than one would expect
70 see. In some instances the homes are
hare shelters, and hardly that. Along the
right of way contractors had built houses
for their men and covered them WIN pa-
ner. and in one instance a~mountainer a
left his log house and had taken his apooe
in the paper:covered cabin LETT by the
contractors.
One striking: characteristic OF this "est-
ern NorthCa is that d Hra'ei.
p sees no land lying idle. Every piece o,
orahle land is being cultivated. 1t would
no q source of a musement to the Aooe'
vile county farmers to seefsome OF tne
billsides that are cultivated by the moun
taineers. In many places the q Is 30
steep that It i, impossible to plow St anu
vet the intrepid farmer works 1t Win a
hoe. In some instances it is difficult to see
how he gets into his field without the ad
Of q ladder. -,
Tn ~approaching Alta Pass from the
south a sight of one OF the finest pieces Oh
railroad construction in the lands of1ord-
ed the excursionist. This slope is 81 steep
that in order to MAINTAIN a low grade and
over come, in a direct distance OF A miles
n HEIGHT of 1900 feet,sit has been necessary
to wind the road for a distance OF over ~
miles In and out among the peaks, thru
tunnels and over ridges. Seven passes
arc necessary in forming the loops and
seventeen tunnels in so many miles.
From here may be seen Mount Mitchell
named after DR.. Mitchell who lost his lie
climbing 1t and who Is buried III IL;
Clingmans Dome. Hawk Bill, Table ROCK
and many others. Mount Mitchell is the
peak east of the Rockies. Here the con-
struction of the road cost s195.GOO per
mile for a distance of 20 miles. The aver
ape cost of the entire road per mile was
over 100000.
THE HIGHSET POINT.
On reaching Alta Pass the road passes
thru a tunnel and thence it Is down hill to
the Mississippi. Here the train stopped
and gave the excursionists an opportunity
to climb the Ridge and enjoy the unsur-
passed scenery. Many enjoyed the wild
strawberries that cover the mountain in
profusion. Here mountaineers offered
cherries for sale in baskets ingenuously
made of poplar bark. The baskets were
O woven but marked with O knife, bent
and tied. so as to answer the purpose OF a
basket.
DOWN HILL TO DANTE.
After passing through the Ridge tunnel
the road drops into the valley OF the Toe
River and father on into the gorge OF the
nolichucky.
It was up this gorge that the Citizens OF
Tennessee came to help the Carolinians
throw off the English yoke if the battle OF
Kings Mountain. Not far from the rail-
road on an eminence the daughters OF the
American Revolution have erected a mon
ument to the memory Of these brave and
OVAL Tenneseeans.
It was down this gorge that DanielBoone
found his way beyond the mountains INTO
the bluegrass county.
This valley and gorge Is one OF the finest
East Of the Rockies, and when it is better
advertised will be the mecca OF excursun-
lists and sight-seers. Few places on the
map can compare with it in its grandeur
and sublimity. There is no use TO try to
describe such q scene, for 1t is not In man
to do it. It is a picture painted by a
Master Hand and copies IN description
fall short OF the mark.
Passing out Of this gorge into a broad
and beautiful valley Of golden grain and
grazing land, the train stops a few min
utes at Marion before eutering the Clinch
Mountain Tunnel. This tuhnel Is about a
mile long. The immense ridge extends as
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