Henderson gold leaf., 1911-08-17
WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA.
CONTINUED from page one.

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to the great Confederate command
err and his constructive genius and
masterly resourcefulness found the
way. The road was built and Won
drous section OF country opened to
development and made accessible to
the sightseer and pleasure-seeker:
One place is pointed out where
eight mules were let down the noun
tain side in cages by means OF a pow
erfuI derrick seven hundred feet into
a gorge and they remained there TOUR
wears as part of a construction crew
before they got out. Only the per-
pendicular rock walls on each side OF
the Toe river, the mountain peaks In
the distance up and down the stream
and the sky above could be seen as
a reminder of the outside world.
That will give an idea OF difficulties
that had to be overcome even II ways
and means OF financing the enter
prise did not have to be provided.
The trip from Montezuma to John
son City down the Toe river, was a
revelation to me. | had not been in
this part OF Western North Carolina
and East Tennessee before and al
though | had learned something OF
the wonderful scenery, quite unlike
that j have been writing about and
possessing form and beauty pecu-
liar to itself, when mine own eyes be-
held it, like the Queen OF Sheba, | felt
that the half had not been told.
say it not egotistically but it has
been my privilege to cross the Rocky
Mountains four times in as many diff
ferent places and do not recall hav-
ing seen anything that surpasses the
Toe River Gorge. There are taller
and more majestic mountain peaks,
deeper gorges and broader canons,
sleeper rock cliffs towering above
valley and stream, but neither in the
Rockies, the Sierras nor the Shasta
mountains have | seen grander
scenery than is found here-wild,
rugged, weird, awe-inspiring.
These mountains are OF a different
character from those around Lenoir,
Blowing Rock, and LinVille. "Moun-
tain upon top OF mountain in awful
grandeur piled" craggy and rock
bound, broken and rough in nature,
they almost inspire terror, and while
invested with a picturesqueness and
interest of their own they lack that
sublime beauty and restful aspect
OF the mountains further south
clothed in their soft foliage of green
surrounding fertile valleys OF waving
grain and corn.
The changing scenery from the be-
ginning OF the journey to the end is
simply grand. The train sweeps at
terrific speed around mountain crag
and across yawning chasm hugging
close to the banks OF the river first
on one side and then on the other
Right at the foot OF towering peaks
that rise almost perpendicular thous-
ands of feet above until they seem to
kiss the skies, the route lies. Through
deep gorges and over Jagged rocks
the fretful waters of the Toe dance
and sparkle in the sunlight as they
leap merrily and musically along,
hurrying and scurrying in fr olicsome
mood on toward the deep blue sea.
The eternal hills, rOck-ribbed and
ancient as the sun, the wales that lie
in pensive quietness between" and
thrown round all the bright blue sky
and clouds that wear a golden hue,
oVerhanging the mountain tops, the
scenery that unfolds itself on every
hand is enchanting in it's picturesque
aspect.
"Where'er you turn the musng eyes,
New pleasing scenes and pleasant prospects
rise"
Lest | tire the reader and get called
down by the printer for exceeding
the limitation OF space, / stop right
here. II. r. NJ.