The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1938-07-29
Pioneers Pushed Up Mountain Through Saluda Gap

later, and the trip down the noun
tain by Saluda Gap over the State
road had to be made by wagon;
The funeral party experienced
great difficulty in taking his body
over the rough way without d'S-
/ aSter.
About this same time. the first
little colony Of Low Country peo-
pie discovered and settled tn" sec
| ton at Flat Rock and near ASh"-
vile. Their delight with the new
/ location of their summer nomrS
encouraged others. and WITHIN Il
few years the annual cavalcadr
of carriages. horseback riders.
wagons and servants making the
two weeks trip from TN" coastal
region to this part Of the High
lands had grown To considerable
/ proportions.
HIGHEST CIVILIZATION
This brought into the Blue
! Ridge mountains the highest de-
vclopmcnt Of American clvIllHa-
ton, wealth, culture, and the luz
uriUuS life Of the slave owners
from the Coastal country. The
coming Of these people soon IN
/ fluenccd the mode Of tranSporta-
ton.
The horsc-drawn vehicle for
conveyance of passengers was an
/ invention claimed by England,
Germany, and several other coun-
tries. The caretta was used by
the queen when Charles of AnJou
made his entry into Naples IN
1880, while the koetsen, or koetS-
wagon Of the Dutch was d litter
in which the passengers reclincd.
In the first crude ones, the wheels
doubtless had wide rims, similar
to those on the war cars, and the
traces We're of ropes. About the
time of Louis XIV, the bodies
were swung on leather straps 10
insure ease in riding. Their man
ufacture called for 4 very nigh
degree of skill and the best Of
material to withstand the strain
Of rough roads. The various parts
of the bodies were made by dIl-
ferent workmcn, and the finest
steel was used, while on the upper
parts Of them, single hide was
wet and curried as it WAS pressed
into shape.
During the time Of Eli2aneth
and early in the 18th century, use
Of the coach had extended widely
and this adopted for general
! transportation in Europe and by
the people of the Low Country
With their wealth and easy ac-
cess to Old World markets, the
ease and comfort of the coach
and carriage We're used for the
annual trips to the mountains.
| The StagccUachcS were IN use for
many years on the mountain
roads and furnished the most PIC
turesque mode of travel ever
seen.
SWUNG ON BRACES
Albany or Concord coaches
on leather braces to give greater
ease of riding. There was accom-
mediation for nine passengers in
side and space beside the driver
for more, while Il boot on Tn"
back carried luggage. In cold
weather, stones heated and wrap
ped in rugs or blankets were used
to keep the passengers warm.
AS early as 1928, the stages
made regular trips from Green
vile. South Carolina, TO Greene
vile, Tennessee, and from Char
lesion to Asheville. Charleston
and other places on the southern
end of the route advertised Spc-
cial arrangements for those VIII"
wished TO make the through trip
to Flat Rock, or points further
on, inSuring them against amy
lack of seats when the coach made
its stopover at Grcenvillr on oti-
! er way towns.
The driver carried a long Tin
horn and as the StayecOach ap-
preached stopping place, he
sounded blasts on this to advise
the innkcepcr OF the number ne
would have to entertain. There
We're many inns and taverns along
the route Of the State road, or
tCUn. Oh Page &, Section Twu)
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