The Courier
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VOL. VIII—NO. 36.
NORTH CAROLINA'S NEWEST AND MOST
NOTED SCENIC TOWN NOW
OFFICIALLY ON MAP
OVER THIRTY-FIVE HUNDRED PEOPLE PRESENT FOR
MOMENTOUS OCCASION
South's Greatest Resort Enterprise On Way to
Successful Consummation.
Chimney Rock, June 16.—The
cornerstone dedication of the ad
ministration building opening North
Carolina's newest town, Lake Lure,
with General A J. Bowley, of Fort
Bragg, taking the leading part in the
ceremony, was carried out with mili
tary pomp yesterday. Thirty-five
hundred people by actual count
passed into the grounds between 8
o'clock a. m., and 3 p. m. Automo
biles were there bearing license tags
from many distant states, and in the
contest to determine who came from
the longest distances were cars from
Cuba, Bahamas, London, Lyons,
France, and Honolulu, the latter win
ning, the present being a Lake Lure
traveling bag.
Early in the morning automobiles
began to crowd the Chimney Rock
highway from both the Charlotte and
Ashevilie end. By 10 o'clock the
road was crowded and before noon
three thousand people were listen
ing to the United' States Army brass
band and wondering if they would
be among the first 2.000 to get one
of Jack Weaver's barbecue dinners.
Word had gone out that Jack had
prepared 2,000 servings and most
«
everyone realized that there were
more than that number present. Au
tomobiles were parked all over the
30 acre field back of the Logan
house and for half a mile along the
state highway in either direction.
In order to save the day and feed
all those present, vice president, Geo.
Randel, instructed Mrs. Paul Hol
land, who operates the regular cafe
on the executive office grounds to
turn over the 500 dinners she had
prepared to sell to regular customers
to the overflow crowd, free of charge
GEORGE A. RANDEL
As vice-president and director of real estate Mr. Randel has
charge r,f the active operations of the corporation which is developing the
vast Lake Lure property. His broad knewledge and thorough understand
ing of the subject has enabled him to quickly grasp the problems which
confront him. The rapid progress being made by the company is evidence
of his foresighted business judgment. He has demonstrated the energy
and initiative that has characterized his former successful real estate
projects.
Prior to coming to Western North Carolina, Mr. Randel accomplished
results in Cleveland, New York and Florida, which won for him a place at
the head of modern developers.
FOREST CIT Y COURIER
PUBLISHED IN THE INTEREST OF FOREST CITY AND RUTHERFpi 1 COUNTY .
All the other hotels, including the
Cliff Dwellers Inn were similarly
opened for free service and before
3 o'clock all those present had been
fed satisfactorily.
The scheduled' program did not
lag, because the brass band kept up
the music and the artists appeared
practically on time. While part of
the crowd listened, the remainder
of them devoted their time to the
food and free soft drinks.
During the day, more than a hun
dred telegram congratulations came
to Dr. Lucius B. Morse, who origi
nally conceived the idea of found
ing Lake Lure as a national resort
of magnitude to attract the atten
tion of the whole world. On his desk
reposed a huge basket of flowers the
gift of his associates. Among these
were telegrams from Miami, St. Pe
tersburfi, Atlanta, Charlotte, Greens-
boro, Raleigh, Winston-Salem, Ma
rion, Lexington and numerous other
cities. United States Senators Over
man and Simmons, both sent memen
tos to be placed in the cornerstone.
Ex-Secretary of the navy, Daniels,
presented the Raleigh chamber of
commerce with an autographed copy
of his "Life of Woodrow Wilson,"
books. The mayors of over 20 cities
sent things to be placed in the corn
erstone. Copies of The Ashevilie Cit
izen, other dailies, and weeklies,
which circulate in this section of
Western North Carolina, were ready
to be placed in the The
union masons, however, had not cal
culated on there being necessity for
such a large receptacle, and had'
loft only a small aparture to be seal
ed by General A. J. Bowley, with
the Tiffanv silver trowel. Onlv a few
FOREST CITY, NORTH CAROLINA, THURSDADY, JUI/E y6 t 1926
DR. LUCIUS B. MORSE
The Man Whose Dream is Now Realized.
small trinkets could be placed there
in officially, but before this corner
stone pillar is built any higher, the
brick masons will arrange an open
ing in the same cornerstone and all
of the bulky matter will be hermeti
cally sealed after being enclosed in
parchment papers.
The following are events of the
athletic and field day program, to
gether with the list of prize win
ners this feature of the program be
ing under the direction of Miss Eli
zabeth Levie, of the Asheville pub
lic schools.
Boy's chariot race won by Blue
Jay team of Asheville boys; flag
race won by the red team of Ashe
ville; open entry girls' basket ball
throw for distance, entries 14 years
old or under, won by Nancey Red
fern, 52 feet, one inch; open entry
boys' basket ball throw for distance,
same age qualifications, won by Rob
ert Jones, 74 feet, four inches.
These contests brought thf win
ners handsome trophies in the form
of useful prizes, apropriately mark
ed. There followed an attractive lawn
pageant by 12 Asheville school girls
in an exhibition Levie drill that was
well applauded.
Miss Margaret L'Engle, noted
dancer, followed with an enjoyable
Spanish dance in full costume, with
Miss Ediih Stebbins giving a de
lightful ballet dance.
Following the big barbecue which
taxed to capacity the machinery
set up by Jack Weaver upon the ad
ministration grounds. Samson Boss
and Standing Deer, two braves from
the Cherokee Indian reservation west
of Asheville, gave an exhibition in
archery at ranges of 50 and 60 feet,
with Chief Samson Owl retired head
of the tribe, and his grandson as in
terested spectators.
One of the highlights in the en
joyable program came when Miss
Ailie Norris Whitfield, child premier
danseuse, and youngest member of
che International Association of Mas
ter of Dancing, gave beautiful inter
pretations in dancing, ending with
a spectacular head spin dance.
Other prizes awarded at the lay
ing of the cornerstone were as fol
lows: oldest person present, L J.
Ledbetter, aged 70, who participat
ed in the flagraising on top of Chim
ney Rock in 1916, awarded a hand
somely bound volume of Azure Lure;
J. P. Edgerton, a blind citizen of
Buncombe county, aged 75, who re
ceived a similar award.
Major Lawrence W. Young, of the
U. S. Army, Honolulu, received a
handsome traveling bag for having
traveled the greatest distance from
bis home to Lake Lure. Miss Eliza
beth Levie directing the pageant dril,l
received the first official Lake Lure
bathing suit.
Little Miss Virginia Milner, d'augh
of Willis J. Milner, Jr., was pre
sented a souvenir doll for officially
deciding that the prize of ten dollars
in gold, offered by Dr. L. B Morse,
president, should go to Miss Helen
Cabiness, of Shelby.
Throughout the events of the gala
day at Lake Lure motion pictures
were made, the film to he part of a
motion picture reel to be given
wide-spread showing.
Materialisation of A
Ten Million Doilar Dream
With tne exercises Tuesday, the
world witnessed the first materiliza
tion of a ten million dollar dream
idea which came to Dr Lucius B.
Morse, upon the day he first visited
Chimney Rock region, 25 years ago,
and with great difficulty climbed to
the top of that freak of nature.
As his sharp. alert eyes swept
across the beautiful \ alley below, he
visualized a great National Moun
tain lake pleasure resort, in a non
ouplicatable setting. Today it is ra
pidly coming into existence upon
the most stupendous and magnificent
scale in the history of such develop
ments.
From the summit of this giant
monolith, even now oi' world-wide
fame, Dr. Morse saw before him a
beautiful valley of panoramic gran
deur unmatchable in all the world.
Winding its turbulent way through
che valley below was the Rocky
Broad River, a charming mountain
stream fed by rivulets from a hun
t-red auxiliary sources in the moun-
tains. Each of these meant added
charm for a resort when once ac- •
cessible to the public. Here was pos-;
sible a scenic resort playground of j
incomparable beauty and magnitude j
where the charm of the water and the j
call of the hills are combined in per- j
feet harmony. Upon the hillsides he I
pictured trails fQr hikers and horse- |
back riders with smooth motor boule-!
vards circling a great body of water, |
full of acquatic life and sports —-J
charming and healthful. There were ;
many eminences suitable for hotels, j
great rolling acres for golf and polo, j
and all the good things which make ;
an appealing outdoor life and re- j
creation.
Last but not least its location was
ideal, for within 24 hours' ride there
are more than 50,000,000 people
who should patronize such a resort.
As a test, Dr. Morse built a motor
road to the base of Chimney Rock.
With only this one unit of the pro
gram in operation last year, 42,000
people paid a dollar each on this toll
road. It is estimated that more than
a million people will this year pass
through this valley since State High
way No. 20 is in operation between
Charlotte and Asheville, via Chimney
Rock.
Dr. Morse's plans were approved
by a group of the leading bankers
and mill owners of Rutherford coun
ty and they joined with him in or
ganizing a corporation to carry out
the project, the present plans alone
involving six million dollars. These
men of vision and courage are de
voting their money, energy and
brains in a development now far
past the experimental stage and well
on to relization of success beyond
the sanguine expectations of any of
the courageous men who organized
Chimney Rock Mountains, Inc., in
November, 1923, to carry on this
work. The vision of one man and the
dynamic forces of his associates,
coupled with the genius of renowned
engineering talent is making Lake
Lure a reality.
Some Accomplishments.
Acquired ninety farms, aggregat
ing 8,500 acres, worth $2,000,000.
Employed America's most talented
development consultants.
Contracted for a $750,000 dam to
create Lake Lure
Building six miles of hard paved
highway on crest of mountains, to
cost $500,000.
Set aside $3,000,000 for hotels
and residence site improvements.
Paid $600,000 for scenic at frac
tions, for tourists and residents.
Building golf courses, playgrounds,
bathing beaches, boat houses and
mountain pathways; also beautifying
the 40-mile shore line around Lake
Lure.
Already the town site of Lake Lure
is rising as if by magic. The roof o f '
the first hotel is on; the first office
building under way; a dozen stor.
buildings will be ready scon; orna
mental bridges and illuminated high
way and streets are rapidly being
placed; churches and community
buildings under construction; ih
great dam rising to enormous height
is half completed and soon the wa
ters of Lake Lure will cover 1.500
acres and wash the sandy shore of
the town site of Lake Lure, ercatinv
the most beautiful village in he
United States, and in surround in.'/.
The Rock that fecentlu sold
for s6^o,(^o, ::v Jj^l
i
The Chimney Rock region is a veritable picture land amid awe-inspir
j ing scenery, softened by the exquisite verdure of the Southern Appa
lachians. World travelers have rcpc atcdiy commented upon Jhe infinite
• variety of scenery which characterizes this country. Miles upon miles of
| precipices the highest east of the Rockies; falls of grout height and beauty,
and turbulent mountain strer.ni:- an'! brooks surging in their downward
course over rock-strewn beds.
16 PAGES
96 COLUMNS
$1.50 Per Year In Advance
WOMAN TAKES CAR;
FLEES GAFFNEY
Chase Ends Near Kings Moun
tain When Car Gives Out
of
Gaffney, June 11. —A woman au
tomobile thief met grief at Kings
Mountain, N. C., after having driven
a stolen ear from the Broad River
bridge, four miles north of Gaffney,
to the North Carolina town at top
speed with Cdnstable George Mc-
Graw, of Gaffney, in hot pursuit.
The speeding stolen car threw one
front and one rear tire during the
chase and the gasoline supply gave
out just as the machine reached
Kings Mountain. The car was found
abandoned in the voad but the wo
man had disappeared in the dark
ness.
The woman arrived in Gaffney
from Forest City, N. C., it is alleged
with Sam Daniels of High Shoals,
N. C., who was promptly arrested
by local officers. A warrant was
waiting here charging Daniels with
deserting his wife and three children
at High Shoals, according to officers
who said other charges had been pre
ferred against him at Forest City al
so. The woman had been living with
Daniels as his wife at Forest City
for several weeks, it was stated, and
the couple fled from North Carolina
when they learned officers were on
their trail
Wednesday night the woman was
invited to go for a ride with three
young Gaffney men. She accepted.
The car was stopped at a filling sta
tion at the south end of the Broad
River bridge when the occupants
observed Sheriff Jesse G. Wright's
official automobile approaching. The
Continued on Last Page)
j which are positively nun-duplicatable
j in America. Two thousand people a
! day are visiting the property. When
• :iiv you going to ride through the
j valley on the present highway which
! t' he- covered by 100 feet of wa
! iii ? When the autmn leaves fall, it
wi• • i' too late for this. Lake Lure
I
, vi'i tiven be a reality. It will be a
j cheri h"d and historical memory
| when in later years you glide over
jt-K* ::;nv >pot in glass bottomed ob-
I servation boats, or cast your line in
the crystal waters of Lake Lure,
i angling for the sporty mountain
trout.