The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1915-07-27
OBION III. BUTLER)

Elack Mountain, July 24.-By |
nature I am a kicker. When / get
back up here in the mountains all the
hereditary instincts seem TO break
loose. Why does not the Federal gov
or,ment take in a lot of this noun
tain ground and make a permanent
National park of it? For years we
have been arguing that thing IL
Washington and in the papers and
for several years we have been filled
fun OF the beauties of the national
parks Of the far west. But why do
we not save these mountains for
national park in the east,
\ mountain is a mountain if it is
big enough Even the miniature
mountains of the Sandhills of North
Carolina. mountains so little l laugh
"a when they were pointed out to me,
as mountains the first time l saw
them, have a charm about them. So
] have no quarrel with the mountains
OF the west. 1 have too frequently
turned my face to some Of the gray
cid SUBMITS of the Rockies and the
Sierras and made friends with the
peaks and gOrges and canyons to nave
a word to say against them, except
just this one-they are too far from
the great mass Of the people.
The society the grim old gians
OF the western mountain ranges is OF
the highest order, when you get
where it is. But there is the trouble.
The whole idea Of the national parks
so far seems to be to construct the
parks and let them be parks in the
strictest sense Of the word. But q
park to be of any use must be where
people can get to it. I will grant
that Mr.. Mitchell is only a trifie over
670O feet high. You can look ou
from Santa Fe, or Denver. or Carson
and see peaks nearly or altogether
twice as high. But they are so fal
away from the bulk Of the population
of the United States that only few
of the people will ever see them.
is no good as a park. 1t might a
we'll be in Jel-Alabahad. The plac
for a mountain park for the Unite
States is the Southern Appalachian
mountains, with an extension tha
would include the mountains o
Pennsylvania, the Adirondacks, tn
Green and White Mountains Of Ne'
England, and anything in Maine tina
is accessible and that can be had.
North Carolina mountains are tn
highest in the eastern United State:
They are accessible to the man wit
q small pocket They can be visite
by anybody who has the means to gt
about on an ordinary journey. an
there are places in the mountain
everywhere to put up, and wher
enough to eat does not cost as muc
a. would subsist a family for yes
at home. The mountain ranges
North Carolina are within coup
of days automobile run from the te
rtory that holds the greater part
tho people of this country. A ma
lucky enough to have a second-har
Ford car can bunch his family and
two-weeks outing he can get
the mountains. get home, have I'll
time of his life, and not be so far
debt that ne has to work the balan
of his life to life the mortgages. =
over North Carolina are little tow
and houses and cross roads store
and places to get supplies. Nor
Carolina has roads that make t
mountains accessible. And what
the main thing for a mountain par
North Carolina has the mountains.
Water In Plenty.
The first thing that struck 7
about the mountains of the west
tho persistent lack of water. You
trailing over the long and wearyi
climbs and you look for watt
Donde eSta la aqua p you salute I
NeXicanS you fall in with, and Yo
tongue swells up as big around as
noe handle, and they make YOU undt
stand that the water is over the ne
ridge or may be no where. The go
old North Carolina mountains ha
springs and small streams ever
mere. and even away on top OF