French Broad hustler and Western Carolina Democrat. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1915-1916, 1916-06-29

. Ed Wll6Il MIS- 0COA6O w" NAN ~
recently decided to the United States
title to $4,000 acres, and he arden
| ship of an entire property of 8O,39S
acres of land near Asheville, North
Carolina. The remaining portion will
be decided in the near future when
some technical details of title are per-
fected.
Though officially termed a National
Forest, this vast n beautiful forest
il the heart of the Southern Appalach-
ian Mountains is practically a national
park, since it is now available as a
playground for the thirty-f1ve million
people to whom the Southern Railway
makes it accessible in a days ride. 1t
is Is hours travel from Washington, 13
from Atlanta, 8 from Chattanooga,
IA IL from Cincinnati, IA IL from ST.
Louis, 16 from Memphis, % from New
Orleans, IA IL from Jacksonville. Its
center is II miles southwest from
Asheville from which it's nearest point
is only six miles distant.
Containing 125 square miles, the
property formed the bulk of the land
which the late George w. Vanderbilt
acquired in the past twenty-five years
in connect on with his stately Biltmore
House, the finest country place in
America. "Pisgah Forest" he called
this cherished possession. and this
name has been adopted by the National
Forest Reservation Commission. Con-
served by the first scientific forestry
practiced in this country, it is a prince
ly domain of mighty mountains and
crystal streams. Lacking the barren
grandeur of the Rockies. it is rather a
great green garden of wooded heights
and grassy glades. From its high
elevated table-land, nowhere less than
2406 feet above sea level, rise giant
peaks, some of them grassy "bolds,'
other balsam-clad domes, and rock
capped SUBMITS governing bear and
wolves. The elimination is the sharp
spire of Pisgah's pyramid, 5757 feet
above the sea.
Noble trees of chestnut, poplar, oak,
spruce, hemlock, balsam, hickory, wal
nut, maple and pine climb up and up
to mile-high heights. There are i'm
penetrable thickets of snowy Powered
rhOdOdendrOn, splotches of azalea and
r~Ose-tinted kalmia, dogwood flaming
white IN spring and sourwood scarlet
in the fall. Altitude and Southern lat
itude combine o only to produce
vegetation characteristic of both North
and South. but to effect an attractive
blend of climates. Elevation makes
for GOODNESS in summer. and the South
ern sun for warmth In winter.
Rainfall is abundant. From a thou
sand high-placed springs bordered
galax the water murmurs through min
ature violet meadows. Clear and cold
it comes racing ever faster over it's
rocky beds, swirling in dark pools I'M
der the ice of great boulders flashing
in the sun spaces, spreading like silver
tapestry over-up-tilted rock tables, and
filling the green walled canons with
the thunder of it's waterfalls. It is a
land of singing brooks and white
crested streams, the headwaters OF
Davidson and Mills river.
Game and fish abound in Pisgah
Forest. 1t is estimated that there are
5000 deer, besides bear. wolves, foxes
raccoons. Opossums, squirrels, rabbits.
quail, turkey, native pheasants, and
the descendants of the Chinese and
English ~pheasants with which it was
stocked years ago The cold water is
the native habitat of the speckIed or
mountain trout and in the larger
streams are the imported rainbow
trout. Wardened religiously for many
years, there are so many of these fish.
1t is claimed, that if they were all
taken out the water would fall a foot.
The government however will not
permit experimental proof, and politi-
Cal pull" WI II not get enough to grease
the pan. The U. S.. Forest Service in
tends to make the park a game pre-
serve, and later on plans to grant lil.l-
tied hunting and fishing permits, it is
indicated.
The heart Of this superb w derness
may be reached in q three hours auto
mobile ride from Asheville, n the
greater part Of i may be overlooked By
a road unsurpassed in scenic attrac-
ton; a mile high road. 1t was built
by Mr.. Vanderh 1t exclusively for use
by his automobile in reaching his
hunting lodge on one Of the ears, o.
that rat" which, as seen from Ashe-
vile, the imagination pictures as
climbing to the sharp summit of Pts
gah.
This road extends from the county
macadam. 20 miles from the CITY, and
ascends $500 feet by steady grade of 3
to . per cent, Z miles to the lodge. ana
then continues 10 miles along the
ridge. 1t circles tall peaks, hanging
oVer steep precipices. crests heights a
mie in air and then becomes nearly
level for several miles. The speeding
car unreels new scenic marvels each
moment. Wooded ridges are the bill
lows of a great green sea rising and
Iallng as far as the eye can see, 10
the dim blue of the Appalachian giants,
the prodlglous masses of the Great
smokes on the Tennessee line, and
the dark balsam pinnacleof
MT. Mitchell, the highest point of lard
IN eastern United States. Far below
Sleams the Water-mirrored face of a
stone pinnacle that stands sentinel N
the river valley, and through the Wild
enlng vista of encompassing ridges
SHOWS The distant escarpment OF the