The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1938-07-29
TRANSPORTATION DEVELOPED
SLOWLY AS PEOPLE FROM THE
LOWLANDS SETTLED REGION
Arrival of Wagon in 1893 Hailed As Achievement
Railroad Conceived in 1886 But Not Completed
10 Hendersonville Until lS82-Bunccmbe
Turnpike Made Of Planks

wet wood.
Another simple and cheap way
was to build fire with heaps OF
logs on top Of the rock TO BE- re
moved. These fires were allowed
o. burn until the rocks were well
heated. when barrels of water
would be- dashed on them. This
caused the rocks to split and they
were then easy 10 quarry.
Guupuwder could be had al SOC
4 pound and this was never used
except as last resort. When II
WAS found that there was no other
means. holes were drilled with
steel tipped bars driven by heavy
s.cdge hammers as far Is could be
done, usually about two feet.
Powder was poured into the holes,
hollow reeds Of It'll, cane or elder
were inserted. and well secured
by having the dirt tanpereu
around them. then i line Of leaves
OF straw WAS laid on the ground
for u or - feet back from the
tube. and when ignited, burned ITS
way to the powder. This was =
slow, effective way, but much too
extensive to be used except IN
rare cases.
The sled had been the first We
hicle OF transportation tor the
Irish. Scotch and other early peo-
Die. On the farms among the
mountains, much of the hauling,
was done with these. One type
was called 4 "go-devil' and an
other. made from forked tree,
was known a. lizard" The OK
was used with both these, or for
Shaking" logs out over rough
places by means Of a chain faSten-
ed around them, and the two
wheel OK cart served for many
purposes.
The arteries used by the folk
for travel among the settlements
were not always denoted as roads;
there were sled trails or slides,
cartways. and the mountain pass
or tOte-road, over which foot pas
>engcrS carried their packs, pUkes
OF budgets.
BRAKES FROM SAPLINGS
For vehicles, going was none
too easy Oh the steep roads, and
brakes had TO be contrived in
more than one way. Some Of the
first were ingeuiously made OF
hickory sapliugS twisted around
the front aXles of the wagon and
- a al IL
and another way of retardlng the
dowu-hill progress was 10 cut
trees and drag them along behind
the wagons.
In 1875. the Legislature Of Ten.
uc>>cr appointed i commission To
act with North and South Caro-
lima i'm Investigating the poSslbil-
lty Of building road 10 serve the
three states and crossing the Blue
Ridge through Saluda Gap. BY
1900. StOCkraiSerS of Kentucky
and Tennessee annually drove
large herds of cattle, hogs and
even turkeys over this route to
markets further south. These
drivers. herding their stock thru
here over the newly opened
roads. became the first organized
travel.
Progress was slow on their trips
and overnight stops had to be
made every few miles. TavernS
sprung up along the route. and
often several groups would reach
one OF these stock stands" the
same night. Each mans stock was
accommodated in separate pens
for feeding, and the caretakers
then sought hospitality Of the inn
Keeper.
After supper the men gathered
i'm 4 big room around the fireplace
where immense heaps of logs
blazrd on cool nights. They lay
i'm circle of the bare floor. their
feet toward the warmth of the
fire. and 50 the night was passed.