The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1912-10-29
Or North Carolina, President ard

Treasurer.
II. b. Warner. Secretary.
ice-fresidenG Cyrus h.hr. OF
tennessee. Joseph I. Ellsworth ~
~kHhturkF; J Thompson brown. "
Virginia, {. f. krebs, of West Viz
gin.di iF1t. N. Strahans. 81 teor-
ga r II. Hyatt. of South Carolina.
+. t. Chambers, OF North Carol..s.
n Coming Meeting.
me fourth annual convention aF
1nis southern Appalachian Good
t<oads Association " Ia he held in Al.
!.hta' Georgia, November - aIa II /
i'l1. It Is expected that there WI
os d Iarse number OF delegates not
oniy from the seven states hitherto in
Guided IN the membership Of H.. IL
S'ciation, bu that there Will tie dele
gates also from portions Of Alabama
eraFersed by the Southern Appala-
Shiah mountains. Arrangements are
oelns made FOR addresses from such
Issuing ulsned road men as tn. dirar-
tor OF the United States ono ~
Fuoiic Roads, the Highway Commits
s.oHef OF Virginia. and the Commits!
slohcr OF Agriculture Of South caro- /
una. he governors OF some OF the
seven states are expected, also the
state biologists Of Nirginia <arth
Carolina, Tennessee. Georgia wnsf
lrglnIa n Kentucky: and \ nnmh.r
Oh members OF Congress-: also some
representatives OF colleges and uniyer-
SUES which have courses In road on
Rlneering are expected to be present
A representative Of the American Au-
toinoblle Association Will be present.
Among the interstate highways which
! Will be discussed are:
crest or the Blue Ridge Highway
memphis to Bristol Highway.
trlstol to Washington Highway.
hnoxVllle-Cumberiand Gap-Cincin-
natl Highway.
neutrality-suspicious. Highway.
knoxviNe-Atlanta Highway.
There will also be q discussion Of
the Central Highway Of North Caro-
una. an lntra-State highway.
The Blue Ridge Road.
OF the above interstate highways.
perhaps one Of the most interesting is
the crest OF the Blue Ridgc Highway.
For grandeur Of scenery this will
equal any highway in this country
and compare favorab1y with the great
scenic highways of Europe. Because
II Will be the means Of opening up
this wonderful section of our coun-
!, try 70 the tourist and giving an out
let to the citizens OF this section as
!, well as serving as an object lesson In
road building to the counties ira
versed, the completion Of this high
, way Is felt by those interested in its
; promotion as being 2 feat worthy q
the most strenuous effort. Beginning
at Marion, Virginia, the highway vii
pass around White Top Mountain, ant
> enter North Carolina via Ashe county
then pass through boone, BLOWN,
, Rock, Linvillc, Altapass, Little Swift
/. erland, Asheyiile, Hendersonville
7 Brevard and Highlands: enterint
Georgia probably via Rabun Gap ans
> terminating at Tallulah Falls. TIL
. highest point on the road will b,
Steps Gap, with an altitude of ap
prOximately 5000 feet, where tn,
t top OF Mount Mitchell. the highes
mountain peak last Of the Rockies.
On account of the character of tn,
0 country through which part of thi;
t highway passes and its scanty pop
8 ulation, it will be necessary Il
build a considerable portion Of i
by private subscription, and so, in
3 stead OF being a public road, it viii
= have to be made a toll Dad. This
2 portion of the road lies between Boone
and Asheville, n. c., a distance Of
about 100 miles. From Boone to Lin,
vile. a distance of ~thirty-two miles
q there is already a toll road, which will.
y become part of the crest Of the Blue
Ridge Highway. From Linville tc
: Asheyille the location for the road
has been made, with no grade over
four and one-half per cent. The Blue
y Ridge is crossed and recrOSSed. Sc
that the highway is sometimes on one
: side and sometimes on the other. but
e is kept as near as possible TO the
higher portions Of the mountains. II
passes through the Black. Balsdn1
and Cragv mountains; and while
portions of it offer some very heavy
work. the location has been kept down
to 4 grade of not over four and one
half per cent throughout its length
The work of Surveying this road has
been going on for the past three
years, but it was not unit. 13l2 that
actual construction work was begun
on the link from Atlanta TO Iinyille
This link, which IS now being built, Is
tWenty-four feet wide from ditch to
ditch and on curves as wide as thirty
to fifty feet. Already three and one
hnlf niles Df this hichWaT haze heeD