Henderson gold leaf., 1911-08-17

the protection of the LinyilIe I'm
| provement Company, and nowher,
havethe beauties OF Nature been bet
ter preserved. Lying in the highes
part OF the Blue Ridge, the altitud,
OF these lands ranges from 3. 500 tt
5000 feet above the sea.
| The view from Point Sublime on,
mile above Linville on the Yonahlos
see turnpike, is one of the finest IL
all that section. Persons who are
familiar with it always stop on the
trip from Blowing Rock or Edge
mont and get out and take a look
As L stood upon this point and
viewed the picture thrown upon the
canvas of Nature, | felt with the poet
Who first beholds the mountains.
SO massive, yet so shadowy, SO ethereal
As to belong rather to heaven than earth.
instantly receives into his soul, a sense
feeling that he lives not a something
That Informs him, tbs a moment
whence he may date hencef0rward and for
ever"
Llnvilie is easily accessible via the
Southern Railway to johnson CITY.
Tenn, thence over the East Tennes.
see K Western North Carolina Rail-
road and the Linville River Railway
to Montezama Station, from which
it is only two miles to Eseeola Inn.
From the East and Southeast visit
ors may reach Linville over the Car
olina & Northwestern Railway via
Lenoir and Edgemont and then over
well graded turnpike roads.
From Linville we went by hack to
Montezuma, the nearest railroad
station, on the Linville River Rail
road, where we took passage on one
Of the funniest" little railroads |
have ever ridden on / think. Some
girls would call it ''cute." Iu is a.
narrow-gauge lumber and wood road
primarily but carries passengers and
frieght, The engine with it's peculiar
running gear and cogs on the side is
a freak But it does the work all
right. The train rattles along at O
good rate-when it is going-but no
promises are made as to time beyond
putting passengers in Cranberry (ten
miles, liz time to take the next train
out for Johnson City. Frequent
stops are made to take on cars of
wood or lumber or cut them off but
the surrounding mountain scenery is
such AS to claim the attention and
admiration so that the trip is not
tiresome one although l have known
trains to travel a much greater dis
tance in the same length of time.
| was glad of an opportunity
to spend awhile at Cranberry-the
famed iron mines of which | had read
and heard much. The place present
ed busy appearance though I did
not have time to inspect the mines
and see the work going on in that
of ore-one of the richest
finds" of the kind in this country.
There were hundreds of cars, loaded
aud empty, standing on the tracks
and being shifted from one place to
all belonging to the East
tennessee & Western North Carolina
Railway (the ore is carried to John
son City for smelting) This is a
road also, operating
between Cranberry and Johnson CITY,
35 miles. but the only thing small
about it is the size of the track and
the engines and cars. The equip
ment is first-class and the roadbed
irm and we'll graded. The locomo-
lives are the same type OF the stan
lard make only more diminutive,
md the coaches perfect specimens of
he car builders craft and very COM
ortable. The trains make good time
md reach the end of the journey all
90 soon so enraptured and bewilder-
ID is one at the wonderful mountain |
along the entire route. The
rip is one Of real pleasure and enjoy
nent-well worth taking just for the
rip.
The East Tennessee & Western
North Carolina Railroad is operated
~ the Southern Railway Company
md serves Il rich territory. Gen. X.
:. Hoke is the father" of the road
o him belonging the chief credit of
opening up that section of Western
North Carolina and East Tennessee
o railroad transportation.
1t was a stupendOus undertaking
n those days (tlirty years ago)-or
n this time for that matter-tO
'uild this road, and a less cour-
geous and heroic spirit than Gen.
1oke would hardly have attempted
uch a thing under the disadvan-
ages and handicaps in the way OF
he enterprise. But Gen. Hoke was
3 brave fighter against industrial
nd financial odds then as he was
7hen he followed Gen. Lee land was
ccounted fit and worthy to succeed
i'm in the event of death or accident
Continued on four.)