New Britain herald., 1914-08-13
COMMUNICATES.
Edwin Norton Andrews Writes From North Carolina.

two or 1Ty leCteIS ITOIu Ine SoulH land, and with your permission l will add another from this unique spot.
 A friend recommended this resort had ever imagined This spot was selected five years ago by the South ern Presbyterian church for their summer conferences
 There are Several Thousand Acres.
 It is virtually a Chautauqua, and people come from Louisiana, Arkan- sas, Missouri, Florida. Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee Kentucky and like the writer, from South Carolina There are 5000 people here. They mostly come for Christian conference and there are many home and for eign missionaries present. It is said there are two million mountain whites in the mountain regions of East Tennessee, North Carolina and West Virginia. These people are of Scotch Irish descent; they were loyal to our flag in the war. But they are ignor ant and need the gospel
 I sit at the hotel table opposite the daughter of q home missionary who came from the celebrated Brethitt county, Kentucky, where several have been killed in feuds. Those feuds are usually between blood relatives. Still the people are honest and woman is perfectly safe at home or on the highways.
 But I wanted to tell more of this wonderful Skylard. Mt. Mitchell is fifteen miles distant. It is 670O feet above the ocean, the highest point east of the Rockies. It is cov- cred with rich verdure as are all these peaks of West North Carolina. Some of our friends are starting this morn ing on foot for the top of Mitchell. They will stay over night, very wisely.
 Montreal was bought of Hyler, the candy man, by the Presbyterians of the south. The purchase includes many thousand acres. They could not raise the full amount of money re- quired into $224,ooO. MT. Hyler gave back that amount with his good will. It was a noble gift. He has since died.
 This little settlement of Montreal is sixteen miles east of Ashville, which is large and very beautiful town, a resort for invalids, especially con- sumptives.
 But it is a charming resort in sum-
 
 northerners Mountain peaks encircle and the city is on an eleva- tion in the middle of a vast hollow.
 Very much like that for situation is little Montreal, but the mountain peaks are close by. half mile distant instead of ten miles. You look up at an angle of thirty degrees to see the tops of these nearby peaks
 CoftaQeS acceSSory n the m blV and the big auditorium, are scattered all about but are completely hidden amid the woods of these steep noun visitors and some are rented to northern people in winter. One fine cottage now closed is occupied by a Vermonter in winter. A large chestnut tree full of burrs stands near the window of the Geneva Halr' where I stop. It reminds me of the old farm in New Britain. The rhododendron prevails all over these m ountains and is grandly beautiful in early spring. The tulip tree, here called poplar, is common, also the sweet gum tree whose timber re- sembIes French walnut. I climb 500 steps virtually, to get to my room from the auditorium. It is all up and down hill here, often thirty de- srees pitch. l
 Away down at the bottom of the | talley is a flashing stream, a trout | brook which must be a torrent in ] heavy rain. The by-paths zig gag Ill about, up and down and. round l about
 But though the forms of nature |! Ire so wonderful hereabout, the ob- 1 ects of this concourse are more i'm | )ortant to one who has at heart the | welfare of the people. To illustrate: he lady missionaries of the mountain 'egions made reports this morning, md they were intensely interesting.
 One labors among the poor cotton mill hands in Georgia, where there is much ignorance and the Restitution hat comes in part from spending heir wages at picture shows or in 'ther foolish ways. This lady teaches he children sewing and homework nd reading.
 Another lady also at my table told ne of her Sunday school in Brethitt ounty, Kentucky. in which a boy aught a class. Later he was asked low many were in the class and he eplied: "A right smart of 'em, but hey fit so I couldn't count em.''
 Probably the surroundings in such
 region would quite dishearten any ne from the north: yet it is pleasant 0 learn that the gospel and it's story rapidly transforming that and many other of these mountain re- ions and making very different lass of people, and driving out the lind tigers and moOnShinerS hidden l ere and there. Brave women are | oing grand work, hand to hand, in hese sections long neglected.
 We hear fine addresses daily from -ell known preachers. presidents of olleges. officials of southern mission ry societies, ct al. And I want to