The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1935-01-21

Editor, Times-News:
The entire countryside Of the
Mills River township believes that
the IVA program is, in most in
stances, for the best interests of
the country at large, and that the
project of the proposed dam at
Long Shoals is one Of those pc
culiar instances, which occurs in
some commendable projects that
seems inconsistent to the best
spirit of the movement in this
type of undertaking.
In the survey of the Tennessee
basin, the French Broad basin as
a water supply to be kept in stor-
age was considered as an asset to
this project, could it have been
used without the destruction that
it would cause. But this scheme
was so visionary that it was not
considered seriously by engineers
of sound and practical minds.
There are ways of working out
this question that would be of
practical value to the IVA prof.
ect and in such a way that this
fine agricultural valley would be
left untouched as to inundation
and also greatly benefited and
fmth developed by drainage
with a good channel, which would
| cost only a fractional part of the
cost of the proposed dam. E.
This can be accomplished by
sinking the bed of the French
Broad river about three feet and
by blasting out the rock of the
numerous shoals along the river
which hold back the flow Of the
water to some extent, and by the
construction of dams in Transyl-
vania county about which Mr..
Werner has written.
These dams would be placed in
isolated districts of that county
and would serve the purpose bet
ter than the proposed situation
near Bent Creek, and at one
fourth of the cost Of the latter.
This would save the best agricul-
tural and fruit district IN Western
,orth Carolina.
/ This district has long been
noted for its beauty and self-sup-
| porting ability. 1t has been COM
I,onted on as a desirable place TO
live by many rotablcs, both M
| tive and foreign. 1t has developed
| its agricultural and social stand
ling until it is cxcelled by no other
district of its scope. The social
and religious lives Of the citizens
have never been contaminated by
the low grade Of foreigners so
prevalent in the North. The pres
ent Anglo-SaXon blood hes been
preserved in the citizenry of this
part of the country.
Many good and useful citizens
| have been educated and sent out
into the world to help the social,
moral, and religious lives of their
| fellowmen, some to foreign coun-
tries as missionaries and teachers :;
others have remained here to
maintain their high standards by
help in home life.
Why destroy a country like
this? Which means the most to
humanity, to keep intact the coun-
try that nurtures this high type of
citizens or the electricity that
their land would be ruined by pro-
ducing?
There is no comparison between
this part Of Western North Caro-
lima and the country inundated by
the Joe Wheeler and Norris dams
IN Tennessee, because of the fact
that the people of this district are
above the average in many WAYS.
Consequently, it is well worth pre-
serving and developing for future
generations.
| Hendersonville was once the
largest shipping point in the South
for cabbage and apples until Viz
ginia and some parts of other
states caught on to the lucrative