The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-07-12

Asheville. N. C.. July n.--tspeeiall
 When Mrs. Florence Miner Weatherly of Birmingham formally presented to the
 Episcopal church in the south few days ago vast acreage of land, blessed by nature in hundred ways. and nestled in the very heart of the romantic Blue Ridge mountains in western North Car olina--the veritable Land of the sky-she became the originator and creator of what promises in years to come to be one of the greatest of all religious play grounds in America.
 The possibilities are unlimited and to a
 Birmingham woman goes the honor of providing the very foundation of this re- markable movement. Thus Birmingham,
 the very seat of all that is good in the
 way of parks and recreation, piaS- grounds and assembly tracts for pleasure
 and contentment, spreads it's fame and in-
 fluence to a sister state in the southern link. through the generosity of this good
 woman this benefactor-F'iorence Miner
 Weatherly.
 The general plans of Mrs. Weatheriy
 and the Episcopal church in the south for a colony at Black Mountain, beautiful
 suburb of Ashevile, the metropolis Of
 the Land of the Sky, are well known to
 those readers of The Age-Herald who
 have kept up with the subject for the past
 F months but many of the interesting
 details with reference to the very im- rortant rekgious-civic project have never
 before been related. It is a gigantic un-
 dertaking, requiring tune, money and pa
 tience to accomplish, but when the Epis-
 copal summer colony becomes realty,
 and that is sure to follow, there Will nave
 been built an everlasting monument to
 tLAo hn a
 Ing her. And it is all for the comfort
 and pleasure of mankind, too.
 Mrs Weatherly, as told in The Age Herald at the time, 12 months ago. ten- dered to the Episcopal chnreh-her church-the beautiful tract of land upon which the colony is to be built. Nearby are located the summer colonies ol the I,resbyterians, the Baptists, the Meth odists and the summer homes Of the Southern Young Mems Christian associa- ton and the Younug Women's Christian association. The environments are ideal. few days ago the Weatherly tract was formally presented when meeting or the Church Retreat organization was held at Black Mountain Words of praise and thanksgiving fell from the lips or the reliigous workers as slight tokens Of gratitude for the generosity displayed by Mrs. Weatherly.
 Alabama Man Aids
 Bishop J. NJ Homer of Asheville oi the Episcopal diocese of western North Carolina and power in the church In
 the south is president of the Church Re- treat organization which Is to control the Weatherly gift which comprises SIS acres of land to be used as great playground for the mental physical and spiritual recreation of the thousands of members of the Episcopal church in the south. The land is now vaiued at S2o0oo ana will be divided into about 200 parcels The preliminary surveys have been made by Edward H. Cabaniss, Jr., of Birmingham. Mrs. Weatherly is on the board Of diree- tors, as is also the Rev. Wyatt Brown, an energetic young Alabamian who came | to Asheville from Mobile about year ago to become the rector of Trinity Epis- oopal church here, one of the largest, II not the largest and most influential par shes in North Carolina. Thus Mrs.