Henderson gold leaf., 1911-08-31

being carefully surveyed He tackled
the long fills. tunnels and cuts in the
mountains The first funds were used
in overcoming the greatest distractions,
go that the most nearly impossible was
soon overcome, and the other came easy.
Many tunnels were built including two
almost mile in length. One OF them is
said to have cost $500, 900, while for
miles in the mountains the road cost as
much as 5000, 900 a mile
"The result of the expenditure Of the
immense amount OF money in the con-
struction Of the road is that it is a
model railroad in every respect. The
low grade OF one-half OF / per cent. was
arbitrarily maintained, regardless Of
cost.
The road has opened to the world
the amazingly beautiful scenery OF this
section OF Western North Carolina. 1t
was not far from the line OF the road
where George w. Vanderbilt erected his
magnificent Biltmore estate, costing mil
lions of dollars. He toured Europe and
America and then declared that no coun-
try in the world could rival this Sap
phire country for natural beauty. The
altitude is the greatest in the East and
here one may revel in a veritabIe won
/ derland.
From an engineering standpoint, the
Clinchfeld railroad is most remarkable.
The marvel OF it is that it has been car
ried over and through the Blue Ridge,
rising from less than 800 feet to more
than 5000 feet above sea level within a
few miles, and maintaining a maximum
grade of only one-half OF l per cent,
with such n reduction of curvature that
a single engine can pull a train of sixty
heavily loaded freight cars"
The trip from Marion Junction
(where the ClinchfieId passes under
the Southern Railway on to BOstic
where connection is made with the
Seaboard Air Line, thence to Spar
tanburg, S. C., the present southern
terminus) was enjoyable though the
weather WAS trifie warm. We went
to Mt Airy and spent few days
very pleasantly with Rev. and Mrs.
J. A. GiImer, happy denouement OF
a most delightful trip. Here is loca-
ted the largest and most remarkable
granite quarry in the world, and
more handsome residences in pro-
portion to size of the town than |
have seen anywhere else in the State
think.
This quarry comprises forty acres
of solid rock above ground. That is
there is that much uncovered and
being worked although there are
sixty acres in the property 1t is al
most a mountain of rock slOping to-
ward the bottom where the railroad
tracks, power plant, carving sheds,
f IA lnnnfnI ~
rock, any size from paving blocks to
the most massive pieces and tallest
mOnOiths that can be produced in
this country, is gotten out above
ground instead Of below as in the
case of other quarries. Hence the
work is more easily handled and this
gives the Mt.Airy granite quarries a
decided advantage in being able to
take care of any kind of job no mat
ter how large or difficult it may be.
Mr. Thomas Woodruff, of the firm
of Woodruff Brothers, kindly showed
me accompanied by MIR. GiImer)
over the Crock" and explained the
working of things An immense
crusher, four stories high and with
an enormous capacity. built at a
cost of $35 600 or $40, 900, was Just
receiving the finishing touches. This
in addition to another smaller one
which was inadequate to meet the
! demands of the cOmpany's growing
business. 1t was Il busy scene several
, hundred men, many of them earning
+ from four the six dollars a day, being
employed.
A large order was being executed
for the municipal building in New
York City. This work consisted o:
cornices, capitals, &c, and it was
| being done by experts in their line
Perhaps the word artist would not
be misappled in this connection
| They had plaster of Paris models or
patterns to go by some of the cary
ing being delicate and difficult of ex,
ecution. noticed that most of the
men engaged upon this work were
Italian and Scotch.
As is known to many OF our citi
zens the base or ground section O
HendersOn's handsome new pest Of
nce building is of Mt. Airy granite
This with Indiana sandstone whicI
forms the upper structure is a com
binatiOn hard to beat.
Many of the residences and a mum
ber of business houses and churrhe,
| of Mt Airy are built of rough stone
| giving them n rustic and beautifu
| appearance This material is uscC
not only because of it's adaptabiIitN y
| and satisfaction but cheapHesS iIt
| we'll Where there are "mOuntains q
| it" stone can be had for little mOr'
than the cost of getting it out. Ii
| was observed that in nearly all q
| the modern houses where stone i,
not used altogether in the construc
tiOn the foundation and up to thl
first windows is of that material.
The Presbyterians are building &
new church. a beautiful stone struc
ture, and MIR. Gilmer and his lOya
congregation have their hearts anC
hands full. The roof is on but the
inside work is yet to be done and the
seats put in. The interior plan j.
similar to the Methodist Protestant
church in Henderson with the differ
ence that the Sunday-school room j,
on the left and more directly at tn,
rear The stone was donated by tn,
Mt. Airy Granite Company and thi'
lessened the cost of building con
siderably.
A day was spent at the famous
White Sulphur Springs near Mt
Airy, and Twas content at being abb
to say | had stayed "some time a
the springs" This is n popular Re
sort and is growing in favor eacl
season.
II Vacation over we turned our face
homeward from the pretty and pros
porous Granite City" metropolis O
Surry county, thus ending on
mountain ramhlnS We had IL 1ln