The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1938-01-27
Reynolds Makes An Interesting
Speech On ''Old North State

fering reward for the return of
the tailor's apprecentice who ran
away from North Carolina to live
in history, as one of the States
Presidential sons. James K. Polk,
the eleventh President of the Unit
ed States, was born in Mecklenburg
county Historians differ as to
whether Andrew Jackson was born
in North or South Carolina, as he
was born in a home virtually on the
line between the two states. In any
event, he was Carolinian.
One of the greatest living Ameri-
cans said that North Carolina is the
best-balanced state in the Union.
There are many reasons why this is
true. 1t has the largest native-born
population. It's average family is
larger than that in any other state.
It's population is thirty per cent ur-
ban and seventy per cent rural.
North Carolina has vast sources of
raw material and unlimited hydro
electric power. It has ready access
to markets for the products of its
farms, forests, fisheries, factories
and mines. Thus it is a complete
state and has a strong position in
our great national empire.
North Carolina is state of mag
nificent distances and varying ter
rain. BY highway from Manteo on
the coast in the east to Murphy in
the extreme mountains west, it is
636 miles-a distance almost equal
to that between New York City and
Detroit. One can enter an automo-
bile at sea level in the early morn
ing and at twilight be atop Mount
Mitchell-the highest point east of
the Rocky Mountains-6711 feet
above sea level The uique features
to be found on a trip from Manteo
to Murphy would include Roanoke
Island where is to be found the
largest and oldest grapevine in the
world-the place of the only private
mint ever operated, at Rutherford
ton-a post Office housed in six
by eight log building in Jackson
county-highest railroad point east
of the Rockies at Balsam-and in
Murphy a community nearer to six
other state capitals than it is to our
own state capital.
Into the commerce of the world is
poured products and commodities
from North Cardinals mines, soil,
forests, and factories valued at more
than a billion and half dollars
year. The state ranks first in the
number of native minerals with
total of 289. Gold mining was once
so profitable that the Government
maintained a mint at Charlotte and
mining is now being reestablished
on a profitable basis. Semi-precious
stones are found in abundance and
even diamonds of considerable va
lue have been unearthed in the
state. It's forests have an estimated
stand of twenty billion feet of mer-
charitable timber and here great
contributions were made to forest
conservation. It's factories produce
a variety of products almost to star
tie the Imagination, with tobacco,
textiles and furniture in the lead.
The annual production of cigar
cites in North Carolina is sufficient
to provide four cigarettes each day
for every adult in the United
States. Laid end to end, these Gig
argettes would be sufficient in num-
Der to girdle the globe at the Equa-
tor one hundred times. Towels
from the Cannon mills are found in
hotels and homes throughout the
world. And here let me cite that
the Saturday Evening Post recently
informed the country of the splen-