French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1916-1919, 1916-08-24
A SHORT CHAT WITH
THE FLORIDA COLONY
Items of Interest From Mountain
Home as Told by Experienced
Newspaper Man.
,(By willis B, Powell.)

country correspondence from this sec
ton of the country in you paper. I
take It upon myself to give you a few
subdued wads OF thought about things
that are and people who am.
Mountain Home is located FIVE miles
from H~endersonville and Is miles from
AsheviIle. 1t comprises of about 900
acres of bottom land, rolling land and
mountain, and was formerly the plan
tation of a veIy distinguished Caro-
linian. 1t is about 100 years since the
place was established and was in the
early days the show place Of this sec
ton as well as the center of all social
affairs. White pine trees, a century
old, form a shady circular bower to
the entrance and exit on the Hender-
sonville-Asheville road. while about
the old homestead are every evidence
Of taste and splendor of the environ
ment Of the social center of other
days.
Throughout the plantation are many
driveways and by-paths, and along
these are growing every tree known to
this zone. while the wealth of wild
fowersb from mountain laurel to the
universal %goldenrod, abound On every
side. Massive ferns grow abundanrly
towering above big patches OF, water
cress.
Among the trees are chestnut, hick-
orynut walnut. fig, haze1nut and
beechnut. 1t is a natural park of
great beauty. aided slightly by man.
From the plantation one can see
Mount Pisgah, 40 miles away. and
scores Of lesser mountains. Mt. Couch,
which seemingly starts from Mountain
Home, Is eve miles distant, and a
good days climb. It was here that a
number of Florida gentlemen estab-
lished a summer colony many years
ago, and it is here that many from
HillsbOro and Pinel1as counties gath
er each summer and enjoy the de-
lights of the bracing atmosphere, $3.50
feet above sea level, with two import
ant cities close by to add spice to their
vacations.
At present the cottagers are as fol-
lows:
Mountain Home Inn, by
Mr.. and Mrs. W. E. Allison. of st. Pc
tersburg. The house is comfortably
filled with guests and the party is aug
mented each evening by the cottagers
who assemble on the wide porches to
Just talk and talk. On Sunday even
ings some one is chosen to speak.
Last evening W. B. Powell recounted
the story of his 6,000-mile automobile
trip. On Thursday the ladies meet
there in a sewing bee n the same
evening there is a dance.
County Clerk Weicking, of st. Pc
'~tersburg and Clearwater who is presi-
dent of the Mountain Home company,
Nos q hon6cnpn1 hnroo uIaro h o-1
his estimable family have everv COM
fort. Weicking also has a farm. He
has 20 acres cleared and it is planted
to plums, apples, peaches. pears,
grapes and figs. 1t is remarkable to
see grape vines 10 feet long which
were planted this spring, and no fer
tiliZer was used, as no fertilizer could
be had since the flood. The fruit trees
have been out one year and they will
bear next year. He walks up the
mountain twice a day to inspect the
place.
Mr.. and Mrs. James S. Norton, Of
st. Petersburg, are just finishing their
11-rOOm colonial house. They ordered
the furniture five weeks ago, but the
first freights came through Saturday
and they are just receiving the COM
forts of home. Mr.. Norton has in
stalled a steam-heating and an electric
light plant OF his property, has mod
ern plumbing throughout the place
and a deep and cool cellar and laun-
dry, and another house which is a
combined garage and servants quar-
tiers. He has invested close on to
$4,000 in his summer home and it looks
like he is going to come early and stay
late.
Other st. Petersburg people who
have built pretty bungalows and are
enjoying them this summer with their
families are: A. N. Leland. Walter
Williams. N. D. Weaver, Mrs. Eliza
beth Ferdon, Mrs. Pepper, Mrs. Glenn
Taylor, S. A. Stratton.
Those from Tampa who are cottag-
ers are: Mr.. and Mrs. d. F. Owen and
family, Mr.. and Mrs. F. L. Wing and
family and DR.. and Mrs. Dean.
From Jacksonville is o. K. Robin
son. Jr.. and family.
At the Inn and Mrs. G.. A. English
and Miss Lillian English, Misses Flor
ence and Gladys LIE Baron and Master
LIE Baron. Mrs. J. E.. Larson and Mrs.
William Ballard, all of St. Petersburg.
Guests of the Inn Saturday were
Mrs. J. L. Taylor, Mr.. and Mrs. Theo
Curry and Misses Edna and Agnes
Taylor. of st. Petersburg, n the
Roux party from Plant City.
Mrs. Jesse, of. St. Petersburg, is
teaching the school. which is held in
the Ralph Veillard house.
There are others at Mountain Home
but I have hurriedly taxed my memory
to "think up" these. 1t is a happy
colony.
I must add that the lure of the place
was too much for me and I have pur-
chased a lot. with a log cabin on 1t,
and am now engaged in clearing the
underbrush and next spring will buIld
wings to the log cabin and have a
mountain home.
In Hen~dersOnVille are located for
tn IN ~. 4ho Tor1or- o-1 w.