Watauga Democrat. [volume] (Boone, Watauga County, N.C.) 1888-current, 1925-10-29
THE BLACK
BEAR TRAIL
Folk Here in Interest
of Scenic Highway Entertained by
Chamber of Commerce.

The most representative meeting
and the doubtless the most far reach
ing In its purpose ever held in or
near Boone was held in the Daniel
Boone Hotel on Thursday evening
Of last week.
! The Boone Chamber of Commerce
gave dinner to the scores and
scores of distinguished men who
came as delegates from Virginia and
| Maryland, South Carolina, Florida
and numerous towns and cities Of
North Carolina.
! Spartanburg, S. c. and Marion,
! N. c. did themselves the honor of
furnishing the largest delegations
present.
The Daniel Boone Hotel prepared
and served a dinner in a way that
reflected credit on itself, the Cham
Der Of Commerce and the town.
W. H. Gragg, president of the
Chamber of Commerce delivered an
address of welcome after which he
introduced Profs. l. G. Greer, B. B.
Dougherty and Superintendent Smith
Hagaman who in turn spoke of the
scenic beauty of Western North Car
olina and of the honor and pleasure
of having such a distinguished body
Of the country's leading citizens
within our gates.
Hugh McRae, of Wilmington, one
of North Cardinals most progress
i've and outstanding citizens acted
as chairman of the meeting, After
explaining ae length the purpose
of the meeting, numbers of repre-
sentatives from the various states
cities and towns were called upon
for speeches and then out of inter
est and enthusiasm flowed impass-
ioned oratory unrestrained.
1t was the purpose of the meeting
to discuss and inaugurate ways and
means by which the National Gov
ernment might be induced to give a
federal number and insignia to
number of state and National high
ways which are to be constructed
ways which are to be consolidated
into one great national highway eX-
tending from Quebec, Canada cross
ing the United States in almost
direct line to Miami, Florida. This
highway is to be known as the Black
Bear Trail, whose insignia is to be
a big black bear posted on fences,
trees and posts in profusion. All the
way from Canada to Florida, so the
tourist may thread his way through
valley, over mountain, through city
and town without even inquiring the
way or being told you are on the
wrong road
THIS great highway is to pass thru
about eighty cities and towns, Boone
happily being one of them. 1t is in
teresting to note that Boone is ex-
actly midway between the termini
of this great road---same number of
cities on either side.
The most casual observer can rea-
dily see the tremendous significance
of such highway. Not only would
the state and nation be interested in
making this one of the greatest if
not the greatest trans-contlnentat
l. IL, ~ tatn hrrt
such stream of tourists would pour
over it every day in the year that
every point tonched by it would not
only become known across the con-
tinent, but hundreds would stop and
invest. The tourist from the land
of the orange groves will be attrac-
ted by the balsam groves of the
Grandfather: the traveller from the
perspiring plains of the Carolinas
will be inspirde by the cool of our
towering hills. Many of the brain
tired millions of the great CONNER
cial cities of the north will come,
forget and rest in the shadows of
our great mountain peaks. The tou-
rist passing over this entire route
can experience nothing like it else
where in all the world for variety of
climate and scenic beauty
This is not dream but with the
united effort of the states, cities
and towns through which it passes
will no doubt in the immediate fu--
ture become glorious consumma-
ton.
The next meeting will be held
at Winchester, Va.