The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1912-10-01
(By FRED A. OLDS.)

DO a hlO1c Alplc II |
change Of climate, the appearance of
nature and the condition Of crops
than is afforded when this roof Of the
North Carolina world is compared
with the drought-Stricken counties of
which Wake is nearly the center. the
writer cannot conceive of it. Here,
beyond the Blue Ridge, and in the
very heart OF Appalachia, almost daily
rains have made conditions ideal, and
as the writer. this beautiful after
noon. towards sunset-time, stood with
~ex-Lieatenant Governor Rufus A.
DOughton, amid the lush of one Of his
meadows, he thought came How
happy these mountain folk ought to
be, leading SO simple q life and liv-
ing in Il region where the trees SIM
ply bend with fruit, tat grass lands,
corn fields, buckwheat fields and fields
of small grain show their plenty
everywhere, and where one would
think life was one long series of de-
lights
But there is a fly in the ointment,
a rift in the lutte, as is usually the
case. This section, nominally Of
North Carolina, is really Virginian,
end pours its products and popula-
ton alike into the Old Dominion. AS
the writer came along today a big
wagon was met, loaded with chick
SiA-s q AACdS, oo0A0 AOA 03AdA q.
twenty-five miles away, where the
Norfolk and Western railway will get
these fine fowls. Into that station
and into the one at T~routdale, go
vast quantities Of the products of this
region so barred out from touch by
railway with North Carolina all these
long years, and 50 go also the young
men. These leave the nest and de-
part; very many never return; lost
to their Mother, North Carolina,
which needs every man Of them.
Railroad is Coming.
Down in Raleigh there is a man
by the name Of John A. Mills, and
he is now coming through the Blue
Ridge, not under it. but through it,
digging to get here. i, seems so very
like a dream that only the people
with the very stoutest minds believe
that the Elkin and Allegheny railway
is coming to Sparta, and the doubters
are passing the word, to use an up
country phrase. that the railroad is
going away off yonder, and that after
it has climbed the mountain near
Roaring Gap it will point for Gaiax.
There is not a word Of truth in it.
AS a matter Of fact, the convict force
and a steam shovel are just now at
the very foot Of the Blue Ridge, di-
rectly in front of Roaring Gap set
Element, from which they are looked
UOWn upon from lnGl height VI ilolt
han 100 feet as if they were part
of a moving-picture show, and the
road, taking about thirteen miles to
get to the top Of the mountain, which
is only about five miles by the public
highway. will make the most part o.
the ascent through the wild gorge OF
MitchelTs river. and on n side OF
what is really a canyon, with its al
most p%recipitous cliffs Of stone, ant
affpy rnnnhjnO tho rrnvf nf tho R1I1<
Ridge will swing somewhat westward
and then strike out for Sparta. 81
the tinlid can feel III in the com
ing Of the wonderful railroad.
People go fifty miles to see tina
steam shovel at work and one maj
said today After | saw that shove
j felt that it was the greatest thlns
in the world. and knew Joh Mill
was coming through" So friend Mills
that genial captain Of industry, who's
name is a household word in all soutl
Wake, has already begun to win hi
II up here in Appalachia. VIVA
man of us all would have dreamed tW'
years ago that this hustling hero Q
the long-leaf pine region would haV
been one Of the few persons give1
the honor Of climbing the Blue Iidg
and getting in a class with the lat
lamented Maj. James w. Wilson, VII
went through with CAP
and the other splendid engineer Wh
took the Carolina, Clinch1eld an
Ohio through?
Will Open the Unreached.
1t must be said that this Elkin an
Allegheny railway which will tap tn
only primitive bit of the world yet lei
in North Carolina, namely the coun
ties of Allegheny. Ashe and Wataugs
is going to do a lot more than merel
make these counties really Mort
Carolinian and to keep their youn
men in the State, but it is going I
open a region trimming with oppol
tunity for health and pleasure as wei
no small things when one thinks tina
this can be made the quickest OF a
mountain points reached by rail fror
tho east-central and eastern parts c
the State. for from Raleigh to tn
crest Of III Blue Ridge at Roarln
Gap the distance is only 100 miles @
will be when the road is done,) an
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