The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1933-08-03
OUR VALLEY
By S. P. WERNER
x v

Besides the foregoing economic
resources, our valley offers sew
eral additional attractions which
are becoming increasingly appre-
ciated and which are of economic
value also to the extent that they
added their influence in deciding
, tourists. visitors, and summer resi-
dents to spend their time and
| money here. One of these is the
rare scenic beauty, which has been
so often described as to be justi-
fled here only on the ground Of
comprehensiveness in h
sketches.
There are innumerable charm
ing little pastoral valley scenes
which one may obtain from thous-
ands of hill-tops slopes, and other
elevated points. 1t is almost COM
mon-place characteristic of our
situation that even the average
property-owner, and many ten
ants, possess views from their win
dOws or porches which many mil
lionaires might envy. The gleam-
ing river, fringed with willows. al
ders, beeches, and other fluvial
trees, winds hither and yOn be-
tween green fields and flower
spangled meadows; snowy catar-
acts may be seen peeping through
leafy bowers, dashing over moss
lined rocks, and sending their
lspray above the blanket of laurel
land rhodendron; beyond the wide
level along the river, the dense
forests rise up the mountain sides
until they pierce the Handicapped
SUBMITS. One thinks, as he looks
down, of the rural scenes Of the
loveliest ~arts of Old England; as
he looks. up. Of the storied slopes
of Ben Nevis; as he watches the
river. of the gentle flow Of the
Shannon in the Emerald Isle; and
he realizes that here, in one
amazing concentration of many
types of rural scenery, the des-
cendant of Englishman, Scotch
man, Irishman, or of 'Frenchman,
| italian, or German. may feast his
leyeS in one sweep upon scenes
reminiscent of the finest in the
lands Of his fathers.
Then there are certain special
vantage-points for observation of
distant and wide-spreading areas,
such as that of upper South Caro-
lima from Caesars Head and other
eminences along the Blue Ridge,
or that Of the whole valley from
the top of Pisgah. or that of the
| lower valley from Jump Off noun
tain, or Of the gorge of the head
waters of Keowee from the ToXa-
way bridge. There is the magnifi-
cent sight Of Whitewater Falls,
considered by many as the finest
of its kind in all the Appalachian
Range. There is the wonderful eX-
posture of the granite heart of the
Alleghanies at Looking-G Glass,
where the mighty mass Of bare
rock would make pygmv of At
lanta's Stone Mountain. There are
the Glades of Gloucester where
the last reaches of the valley are
lined in early summer with such
masses Of Towering shrubs as to
make the covcs look like snow
! banks under a canopy Of green
overhead. There can hardly be
such massive areas Of continuous
inflOrescence at one time any
where else in the world-the
writer has not seen any in four
continents; nor read of any in the
other two.
There are acres upon acres of
lady-slippers springing up on every
yard in some parts of the Ma
tional Forest; while one may en-
counter other orchids every few
hundred yards in his woodland
rambles. Botanists have identified
hundreds of Towering plants and
shrubs. The fall carpet in. the val
ley is no less brilliant and varied
than the spring.
Then there are some rarely
beautiful winter. scenes. He who
IS hardy enough to climb above
Dunn's Rock. or Quebec Noun
tain, when heavy snow is on the
valley, may be wen repaid for his !
'exertions, if his eye delights in
the sight Of tens of thousands of