The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1914-08-18

ing In ecstacy At the dashing waters
the clouds. which come up here with
furnish another kind Of
waterfall for a few minutes. Those
could crawled under a Ledge Of |
the precipice. but those who go wet
oidnt mind it. for the sun came out .
again and before the winding climb
was over the rain had been forgotten. |
and then there was a tern tins dinner
ahead 10 be looked 10 and each tray
eller carried an appetite IL To enjoy
TO the utmost satisfaction
TIE -Settkr Patch"
From the Switzerland colony the
Nettle Patch knob of the Blue
Ridge Is some five miles
hve mountain miles. There is
some sharp climbing. but the view
rs worth it. From its top there is an
unohssruceed view of the landscape On
every side save at one point and be
nind these trees Is no important vista.
Before you is unfolded the whole range
OF the Blacks. with Mount Mitchell,
C~lIngInan's Dome. the Two Brothers.
and GraybeaFd to the west. and you
are almost in their shadow. Far up
their side can be seen the begin
nan8 OF the baASam Zone, with it's dark
foliage, which gives the nee
from which the range got its name.
Just to the right OF this can be seen
Fellow a lefty giant, and
some spurs of the smokes and Bal
sam ranges Coming farther around
can. he seen Grandfather and the
Ehree Brothers" and to the right ef
THESE TN Roam mountain. with Cloud
land Hotel on its very top and almost
continually in the clouds which seem
TO finger more fOndly mere than any
where else. The dividing line be-
tween North Carolina and Tennessee
runs through the dining room here.
and by a peculiar geographical feat
ure NOFth~Carolina is west of Ten
nessee- Other peaks in the distance
are Table Rock. Caesars Head. Hawk
Bali. -Linvifle and Chimney Rock. all
swinging around to complete the cir
Gle. though probably not just in the
named. the "Nettle
Patch' and these outlying Sc ntries lie
the whole army of hills Of all sizes,
most of them as yet in the virgin
beauty of wooded slope and summit
though the lumber fiend, the de-
stroyer of beauty. has got in his work
at places. There are not words fl,
to describe this scene. which is prob
ably unsurpassed the wide world over
Those whO see come away believins
this to be one of nature S Supremes,
beauty spots.
The Crest Highway.
Returning toward a line friee
NiAi' NIL uIHileI, tHe party lEaNcTSeu
little trail on the top. of the Blu,
Ridge. here engineers have surveyet
n cut their path through the dens
woodland, a route for u great roa,
that will some day be built from u
, In Virginia, on the top Of the noun
tain, all the way to Georgia. Som
places the actual crest of the noun
t tain narroWS down to two or thre
feet before it begins gently to slop.
: But everywhere there is opportunit
to construct a highway with Il fairl
level grade. When his is finished
e will probably be h finest scenic roa
in the world. at least there won't b
much finer. At some points the roaC
way has actually begun. Six mile
Of the finest kind Of road run up int
the mountains from Alta FaSs. 1t ma
d be years before the dream of til
e men behind the plan come true, b.
Y the increasing traffic to this sectio
will eventually demand its realize
a ton.
Coming OF Opportunity.
The viewpoint held so long by tt
n many of the people w;
6 we'll expressed a few days ago by d
aged woman. who had spent abo,
seventy years of her life in these hill
where SO little of civilization h;
g heretofore come. Il don see an,
d thing enticin' about these mountain
;e and don't know why you folks 90 wi
g about them. When | was three yea
# old in Missouri my father died al
IS mother put three of US children
Re a wagon and drove all the way her
We didn't get any further and I ha
only been out of these Mountains b
n about once since then. l took o.
" trip to Charlotte. which is about {
" have seen of the world. Bat
reckon you see something pref
about these hills that | never thong
of. stranger. I have only thong
to of getting a living from my patch
a. and orchard 1t doesn't take mu,
I. work. and there is plenty go
rs water"
Of Seventy years and no progres
n, This is the pity Of it These peoI
Of are almost unbelieyably honest. Loo
IL are almost unknown. Some repr
Of brate dropped into this section on
Of and stole a gun and it was the ia
Is. Of every gathering for days. That an
one should ever steal anythi
of seemed to never have entered tn