The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson, S.C.) 1914-1917, 1914-06-05
THE BEAUTIES OF P|SGAH FOREST
DESCRIBED IN CHARMING MANNER
The Wonderful Land of the Sky Sold BY Vanderbilt to the
Government To Be Kept Pepetuny Playground for Nation

Vile, the Imagination pictures as
climbing to the sharp summit of Pts
gah.
This road extends from the end of
the county macadam. 20 miles from
the city, and ascends $500 feet by
steady grade OF 3 to per cent miles
to the lodge. and then continues 10
miles along Pisgah ridge. 1t circles
great peaks, hanging over yteep pre-
ciptces and crests heights over 5000
feet high and then becomes almost
level for several miles. The speeding
car unreels new scenic marvels each
moment. In 'front.' above, below, an
ocean of greenery seems to rise and
| fall as far as the eye can see. to the
dim blue OF the Appalachian giants,
the mass or the Great Smokes guard
ing the Tennessee line. and North
ward the dark pinnacle of Mt. Mitch
| ell.highost land East of the Rockies.
Far below CLEANS the water-mirror-
| cd face OF stone pinnacle that stands
sentinel In the river valley and
through the widening vista Of encom-
| passing ridges shows the distant es-
! carpment OF the Blue Ridge, reaching
from Georgia to Virginia.
| An extension OF this road 12 to is
miles to Brevard would connect II
with the state road to Ashcvillc, af-
fording circling GO mile ride From
1t two roads lead down to the valleys
where arc many miles of well graded
roads along the streams which at
slight expense could be converted in-
to automobile highways. 1t is the
plan Of the Appalachian Park Asso-
| citation. whose headquarters are in
Ashcville, to have the government con-
vert the most suitable parts of the
lands. which like this. 1t acquires un-
der the terms OF the Weeks Act" for
conserving the water supplies Of navi-
gable streams, into national parks.
and to connect these by automobile
roads that they may be easily acces-
sible to the people. These roads
would link the various reserves In the
mountain sections of the South.
1t was the wish of MIR. Vanderbilt
that the nation should become the
owner OF Pisgah Forest and last
spring he offered it to the Forest Res
ervation Commission. 69,0Oe acres
were priced at $5.75 an acre, this
Il act being subject to contract which
ne made two years previously 3 with
the Carr Lumber Company by which
1t could cut trees Of q diameter i over
16 inckes, for which It was to pay him
$1,000 an acre. 1900 acres OF virgin
timber were offered at $17.0O an acre.
The commissioners inspected the
property in the early part OF June,
1913. but on returning to Washington
Tdecided not to buy. The generally ac-
cepted reason for their declination
..as their belief that Mr.. Vanderbilt
would preserve the tract and thus the
government would have the essential
advantages Of a reserve without pur.
chase. The death OF Mr.. vanderbilt
In March showed the hazard of this
plan. Individuals offered several dol
lars an acre more for the entire tract
than the price named to the commits
zion. -. si
Mrs. Vanderbilt wrote to the COM
mission the frst of May. that her hus-
band wished the forest to be owned by
the nation and that price might not be
an obstacle to effecting his wish she
would sell the entire acreage at the
price of $500 an acre. This. repre-
sented snying of 100000 to the gov
ernment and the commission accepted
the proposition. There Is excepted
from the sale. as there was by Mr..
Vanderbflt's offer, 500 acres surround
Ing the hunting lodge. Neither offer
included the $4,000 acres which form
the Bfltmore House property which
under the terms OF the will was in
herited by fourteen year old Cornelia
Stuyvesant Vanderbilt. the only child.