. ;
M A R fl N
A Gem Set Upon the Spurs
of the 'Blue Rictee.
McDowell County, North Carolina.
An Oasis of Rich and Varied Resources,
and a Section of Grand Prospects.
The People, Status, Natural Advantages.
Soil, Climate, Agriculture, Horticulture,
Mining, Lumbering, Commerce, Manu
factures, Schools, Churches, Etc., Etc.
f? I'LLASAXT though h.l.o
r J rious tusk is sel 1 MF f us
J of j n 1 ; t oring- to iul'l our
i ; : ; T - in Irving to io something;
tii.lt Would l.-i'iit (dir gTenl scc
tii ill. ii u 1 to share tit urns wit li
llioe w ho would ;iii us in doing;
mi. lilv fait.-, however they
tiui v In' ni'si nti il. w ill l- toM.
No o er-st ra iiM ! . 1 1 ii n li.il ! st i ill -1
1 n nt s w ill I m' inserted, if we know
i I ; ; 1 1 1 t w liu 1 1 1 ; t I nil eff rt
to jiost ourselves. If it will he
iln- us ninl more, ur shall lie
ilulv ii ;isnl il' what is here given
i- i !ii'i iiion by invest ros ami
I m 1 1 1 ilc w ho i ! -si ri- to i -on if a lining;
ii- to s!ia ri' in a in title deveh ) -lil'
li! .
Therefore, our grea test allown
i I - ; 1 1 1 1 ! i t i 1 1 r i shall lie to present
i?i t his w rilr up " a correct
stati'iiM-nl of f:t-ts w it h iidniissi
I'li fulliM-ss that may I ii-ai'i-f it a-I.!.-
to th-' put. lie.
Clarion.
Tin i m n t v st'.i ( whs set ;iart
us Midi in t h- your Is . It was
iiaiiH-il after the lioteil Keyohi-
tiotiary pat riot, Gen. Francis
Ma i ii hi, i f Si ut li ( 'an lina.
A t t he present t inie it lias a
po piil; it ion of I let ween 1 .MOO ami
l.LM'O. is situate.! near ihe
iiiitie of the county, on tin
Southern Kail way, and I at pres
ent ) is the northern terminus of
t lie hio Kiv.-r Charleston Knil
w.iy. It is luo miles west of
Salislniry and 1J miles east of
A-heville. i lieyond doulit
that as business brightens Up the
":ii(. Ki cr M 'liarleston Railway
W ill lie completed, as to the onlv
iiiissinir link, from here to John
sou City, 'I'enn. Then Marion
w ill I"' on t w o great railroad
triiiik linesdf tin-South one run
ning east and west (the South
ern i . t he ot her nort h and south.
This will make Marion, as it
already is. an ideal place for a
mniiufa.-t uring- town, which is
destined to grow up into thou
sands. See a list of '"what Ma
li" ui has " in am it her ci ilunin.
( hi .(('m!i,.r '27,, 1MU. on a
i-lear. windy Saliliath. in a very
dry time, while n p M part of
ih" population were attending
religions services in t he churches,
tire liroke out accidentally, as we
say. in an old rookery, from
w hidi t he w inds carried small
inals to the t ops of houses hun-
. ! n -. I s , if v a ri I s a w ay . se 1 1 i n g- 1 1 inn
on lire. I nder t hoeirciinistntiees
the lire was soon uncotitrola
l'!e. Every store in town. except
'in-, and six dwellings were con
sumed with the contents of most
of them. The loss was about
sloo.ooo. with hardly a tifth in
sured. Vet our people with tilt'
energy characteristic of most of
ll.em bewail to i-ebiiild on the
burnt district. All business build
ups on Main street arc of
brick. We now have more store
buildings. ;ni, 1,11-Mvr ones, than
e it li. fi u e. Marion is improving
l isi. r nnd more business is done
i 'in before the lire. In fact it is
' ident that the town has en
' :'d upon an era of advance-i.'-nt.
substantial and promising
io the most ardent. Within the
p i-t year a new bank, theCom-;e!-i
ial of Marion, and a furni
ture fa. tory have been in suceess
tu! operation. Luil. lings for a
"iioelty w oodworking;" plant
are in process of erection. As
with t lie furnit are factory, scores
"i operatives are necessary in
i'i 1 1 i : i i i tu" these. A llourinir mill is
In 1 ie erected as soon as possible.
An. it her large furniture factory
i- am. .ne; the probabilities in the
i'U- future. Several would
pay lure; also, a manufactory
!..; wagon spokes, various tool
haud!e. hubs, brooms, and all
articles made of wood, because
"i railroad facilities, cheapness
of raw material and livinjr. Alst),
aniline; factories for fruit, espe-
i ally for vegetables, would pay
hen such as for canning; tonia-o.-s.
apples, beans, peas, etc.. etc.
We c.ipv ihe following; from
""North Carolina and its Re-
mives ": -dt Marion is espe
cially adapted for all kinds of
v oodworkine; factories, on ac
count of the cheap timlier and
good railroad facilities. The
great number of trees, the bark
of which is used in tanneries,
makes it especially fa vorable as a
location for a tannery.''
From the location imioii the
great offshoots from the I Hue
Ride-, Marion could be supplied
with great quantities of pure
mountain water by simply laying
down pipes and iirr;mg;ing; for
a fountain head and a reservoir.
The site of the town is on gently
elevated ridges six of them
three running east and west, the
ot hers nort h and south. I let ween
these are several streams that
thoroughly ami rapidly drain the
town.
From parts of the town, and
from the high hills around, the
Ulue Kidg-e, ir miles away; the
Hlack Mountains, L'." miles; the
(I rand Father ninc t o the nort h
'east, ."." miles, and the South
Mountains, about 20 miles dis
tant, present a grand panorama
' of grandeur and beauty. Marion
appears as a g-ein set in "g-rivn
.oceans of mountains raised in
! tremendous billows immediately
i around," to quote the InngMiiige
used by the immortal Dr. Klisha
Mitchell, the surveyor of and
after whom Mount Mitchell was
named, on whose very top his re
mains repose.
The slope of the surface of the
j town is to the south-east, insur-
I me; healt hfulness and genial tem
j pern tare. Just on thesouthedg-e
j of the town is a beaut iful litt le
; mountain of about .100 feet in
j height nbove the town Mount
j Ida. From the top a jood le
, fore-breakfast walk the view is
surpassingly sublime and beauti
ful. The height of the town
; above the sea level is l.b'lS feet
at the court house, by t he Fnited
; States ( !eolorieal Survey.
; i:luca( ional. Social anil ICcli-
ions.
I New life has come into the
school interests of the coiuinu
;nity. A two-story, six-room,
i brick school building nestles
! anion": a jjrovc of oaks on a little
hill about the list a nee of three
squares from the centre of the
town. The school the Marion
Institute has enrolled since the
openine; last fall 1 1 0 pupils. The
teat hers are Prof. .1. F. and Mrs.
Iuy. Miss Nannie (iuy and Miss
Charlotte, who are professional
teachers and jrraduates of the
best schools, having come to us
in lS',r. The trustees hear from
the patrons scarcely anything
but commendation and satisfac
tion. All branches are taught,
from calisthenics and object les
sons for the youngest to collegi
ate studies for those prepared for
them. The Ilible is a text-book,
but the school is unsectarian.
There are other ;ood primary
private schools taught .at the
respective homes of some of our
rood ladies Mrs. T. A. White,
Mrs. YV. II. Ratliff. and Mrs. .1.
McXauirhton, which jrive satis
faction. W'e have a mono; us people of
the very best, noble aspirations,
full of hospitality, and who labor
and love 1 he interests of "Christ
and the Church."
THE llAITlST CHURCH.
The Marion Baptist Church was
dedicated first Sunday in July,
1S7!), with Kev. J. B. Richardson,
pastor, who served the church two
years. Since then Rev. G. V.
Harman, Rev. C. B. Justice and
Dr. M. M. Landrum, have been
the pastors. Rev. V. S. Corpen
ing was pastor awhile this year.
The present pastor is Rev. B. K.
Mason. The membership is S5.
The building has been appropri
ately papered within.
THE METHODIST CHURCH.
The height of the spire is 105
feet. The interior of the vestibule
and auditorium is finished in
natural wood, oiled, the walls al
ternating with yellow pine and
chestnut. The whole reflects much
credit upon the architect and
builder, Mr. McCoy.
The auditorium has a seating
capacity of about three hundred
and titty which may be increased
by the use of chairs.
The church has grown with the
growth uf the town. Since the
j war the following pastors have
miuistered at her altar : Re.vs. E.
G. Gage, J. R. Gnrrith, V. C. Wil
son, J. T. Harris, C. A. Gault, J.
C. Hansel!, J. W. Wheeler, li. L.
Pell, C. G. Litre, G. W. Callahan,
T. P. Bonner, J. C. Johnston, A. K.
iiurratt, J. lid win Thompson Gen
try and T. J. Rodgers, the present
pastor. Gn the roll there are one
hundred and sixty members. Pre
vious to 1870, this was within the
bounds of the South Carolina Con
ference, but at the General Con
ference of that year, it was trans
ferred to the North Carolina Con
ference. THE l'KESr.V'l KI'.I AN CHURCH.
Was organized with thirteen
members August 30th, IS45, with
Rev. George V. Giobs as stated
supply, and A. L. Ervvin, James 11.
Greenlee and J-hn Neal ruling
elders. . Mr. Gibos filled the posi
tion as stated supply until 164V.
Rev. Thos. N. Raxton succeeded
him in the same capacity in Au
gust, IS51, and continued until in
capacitated by physical weakness
in I852. He died here February
the I4, 1S85. He was succeeded by
Rev. Colin A..Munroe (stated sup
ply) November, I082, who left
December, 1S83. Mr. Munroe was
succeeded by Rev. li. C. Murray.
He was the fust pastor who settled
in this field. His work was abun
dantly blessed and by January,
1887, twenty-four members were
added to the church, thirteen on
p:ofession of faith and eleven by
certificate.
Rev. V. II. White, the present
Eastor, has been in this field since
lay, iSIm The membership is 8S.
The old brick church has been
beautifully papered within.
ST. JOHNS i'KO I'I. ST A N T El' I Si ' !' A !.
CHURCH.
The Hpiscop i! church of "'anm-i
'was consecrated about thre-: yp.irs
ago. The building was erected
about ten years ago ; but was not
entirely completed until about five
years ago. The Rev. .Mr. Bland
was rector during; that time. Mr.
Girard W. Phelps succeeded Mr.
Bland and was in ciiaige of the
church for several years. The
church is not a large building. It
is large enougkto hold the small
number of communicants of the
church with some extra seats for
those who occasionally attend.
Very few of the original mem
bers of the mission are now ii
Marion. Mr. K. J. Justice is now
the warden, Mr. J. B.Swindell be
ing the treasurer. The Rev. C. J.
Wingate, is at present in charge
of the church.
All the churches of the town
have year-around Sabbath schools,
and the ordinary church mission
ary societies.
The colored people have five or
ganizations antl four church build
ings. Different branches of the
Methodist and Baptist church is
represented. They, too. have a
yearly public and private school.
ofltgi.t:iii Q- rf. .iff-i ----- cr?W v-' .
Mt. Mite lo ll from a I)it:oi. ' -Ililu-st
McDowell C'oiint--Il!tory.
The county was organized jn
lSll. and was named after Col. ;
Joseph McDowell, a list ine-uished :
otlicer of the American revolution
of 177. He was born within
the limits of the county on
"Pleasant Gardens" farm, now
owned by Maj. J. W. Wilson, of
Mordant on. The count y was
formed from portions of Burke
ami Rutherford counties. j
The IVople. '
The inhabitants of this county
and ree-ion are very o-eiierally de
scended from theSi-otchand l!n:r
lish mid a few German cononists '
of the anti-revolutionary period
of 177. Kspecially since that
time quite a vigorous sprinkliiii: ,
of the Scotch-Irish of the eastern
part of the State have been j
amone; the best and most infiu-!
ential citizens. Ihe sturtlmess,
perseverance, nobility of purpose
with reasonable versatility that
characterize, with moderating
environments, these peoples, be
long to ours. History shows
that the highest reaches of true
human development have been
amone; such peoples. We have
amone; ns the noblest and truest
of jH'ople: while no state of soci
ety is claimed to be perfect, vet
with divine direction they appre-
ciate the noble, the true, and the;
rood in human character and
life. ;
Our people are noted for their
open-hearted hospitality. I
About LO00 of the 'total of:
12.000 population of the county :
are colored eop!e. The white
inhabitants are a verv homoj-
neons peopli of sir.-.iiar nam;-'
and habits, prefniiie; "to be.
rather than seem to Ik-." From
some experience as a teacher and
otiierwise.it is sit-n that the jwo
ple are naturally intelligent nnd
easily susceptible of the highest
possibilities in reach. With more
immigrants of a desirable kind,
what may not this people accom
plish for jrood? There is more in
people t hau alight else.
Oeo.urailiieal.
The county lies to the south
and south-east from the bending
line of the top of the main P.hie
Ilido-e mountains, in the shape,
in roue.li outline, of a rie-ht an
gled trinne-le with the base to the
south.
On the wt-st line the Blue Rido.
ri.-es 1 o hie-her a It it udes t hau any
where from Georgia to its most
northern terminus. The culmi
natine; point is the " Pinnacle"
.7ol feet liih. The average
heio-ht aloii"- the bonier of the
coimly is over 4.0O0 feet: the
a veraoe de ation of the county
is about l.."oo feet, which is nat
urally proof against malaria,
mosquitoes, and oppressive heat
at any time. The county con
tains .'50'. 1. 1' ,."", acres of land, val
ued at about STOO.000. Gnly
about one-fourth is in cult i vat ion.
The South mountains, an east
ward projection of the Blue
Ridee. rising in places to about
th- heio-ht ,,f :;.(lOO feet, border
tii-' county oil the south, so that
on account of a number of ot her
'"spurs" in andaboiit theeoiintv
its eetural surface mio-ht prop
erly be called mountainous, but
nearly all of the la nd is not too
declivitous for cultivation. Its
surface is a diversification of hill
and dale, ridp-and valley, moun
tains and coves. It lies east of
Buncombe, west of P.urke, and
south of Mitchell and Vainey
counties.
Toptirapliy and Soil.
The county beine; such a diver
sitie.l. hio-h, bowl-shaped plateau,
there would be correspondine; (li
versity of soil. Between the
ride-es and mountains there runs
frolicking and lauhin"; towards
the sea many brooks, creeks and
small rivers. All these are tribu
tary to the not larp' but rather
famous Catawba liver, which
rises on the northern edje of the
county in the coves of the Blue
Ridu'e. It is a picturesque, beau
tiful mountain stream. It is an
artery into which How scores of
smaller streams. Alonirthei iver
I'oint I'..i-t of tlx- Ki.rkli 7.111 -
and lare-er st reams the soil is a
rich, alluvial-made loam, with
sand and dark day very fertile.
On the hills the soil varies from
a jrrey to reddish clay, some very
ridi. others of moderate fertility.
Rut underneath nearly alltheup
land soils there is a base of cla
that hinders them from easily
washinir, and makinir a rood
foundation for ditchiii": and a
lasting basis on which these soils
may be preserved in their native
fertility by home-made fertilizers.
Prom these characteristics we
have a most excellent section for
Agriculture.
This mio-ht be said, naturally.
to
be the home of diversified ag
riculture in truck farmine; and
producing "bi-ead stuffs." The
fertile bottom lands produce
e;reat quantities of corn, peas,
and wheat. The uplands the
same in less quantities per acre;
also oats, rye, tobacco in paying
quantities, and all the vegetables
of this n-o-iou cabbage, toma
toes. Irish ota toes esjK.-cialIy,
sweet j.otatoes. jeas. onions,
etc.. etc.. etc. In fact, t ruck farm
ine; could be made toj.ay. The
variety of soil, couj.led with the
different t-xj.osures of the hill
sides, make the culture of all the
grains and .hints of this section
of the South an easy and profita
ble undertakin;r. with jiroper
manae-ement. under pvnl ruling
j.ri.vs. Living: here is comjiara
tively ehea j.
I'ruit Culture
Cm" certain varieties brimr in lare
turns. P'-aeh. -. if jil.-mted on
witli a
ill suc-
i .'' a-'.".
Ucceetl.
'V nit. ti.t.U prevented
bv the cold from blooming too
early, ami the jrreat evajioration
often jirevei'ts moisture in the
formino; of frost.
1'nder the same surroundings,
and for like reasons, apple cul
ture is more jrnernlly successful.
In someshcltercd mountaincoves
there are some valuable apple
orchards.
Rasj.l terries, blackberries and
strawberries, with little culture,
produce satisfactory results.
But this rejrion is one of the
homes of the jrrape of different
varieties. In theCatawba valley
is the original home of the Ca
tawba e-raj.e. On ridges of mod
erate height, in most parts of the
county, jrrajw culture would pay.
A vineyard of about lo acres has
been in existence at Old Fort for
several years, which produces on
an average of j?L0oo worth of
rrajes a year. Hundreds of
other such vineyards ini".ht be
made jtroductive in thecounty.
Other fruits of minor inijor
tance, such as cherries, plums,
nuts, are natural to this section
and are easily made verv jtroduc
tive. Tlie Dairying I ministry,
While not only sujlyine- the
needs of the home market, could
be made profitable in other mar
kets. Varieties of fjrass and
clover, as well as grains, make
the feeding of cattle a moderate
cost. These food juoduets are
easily raised in abundance; hence,
the road to successful dairying is
a short one, and markets can be
found with a number one article.
Butter is made here, which, if in
sufficient quantities, would find
sale anywhere.
It but follows that the raising
of sheep and "oatst-onld be made
profitable. "Hoo-and hominy,''
and a plenty of it, is not a difii
eult tliine; here with the industri
ous, not only for home use, but
as a source of ;ain.
Poultry.
A section that produces j;reat
quantities of onisses. "-rains and
fruits is suited to poult ry-raisiii";
for profit, and so it is here. Larje
quantities of chickens, ducks, tur
keys, etc., are shijijied from Ma
rion and other railroad jtoints in
the county constantly. There is
money in fowls.
Hoiiey and Dees
With careful and intelligent at
tention briii"; in ood returns.
The Iai",-e stretch c f forests, in
addition to plant flowers, x'v
an abundance of nectar sweets
for the busy bees. From t lie flow
ers of the sour-wood, or sorrel
tree, the most delicious and clear
est honey is made that the writer
ever saw, and in any shaped comb
that the ingenuity of man could
devise.
Climate.
One of the chiefest sources of
pleasure, as well as other advan
tages of this county and region
around, is its sujierb climate.
McDowell for all-t he-year-round
has a sujterior climate to the
counties west of the Blue Ridre,
even just ndjoiniii";. lliiih alti
tudes, even in a short distance,
make a peat difference as to cli
mate, soil and jiroduct ions.
The average tenijerature for
the four seasons for Marion is
about sjuino, .s ; summer, 74;
autumn, "7; winter, 4." ; average
for the year, oS'aJ Fahrenheit.
The average rain-fall for the
year is about 4S inches; the most
of it falling in the months of the
irowiii": crojis, and less in other
niont lis.
The average snow-fall is in the
lieiohhorln d of 1 li inches yearly,
and it is five inches for the entire
State.
Nort h Carolina, and esjiecially
this reo-ion. liesoutsidethe course
of destructive cyclones. Not one
in twenty years ever crosses this
section. The ususual path of
such war of theelenmits is across
the region t)f the Great Lakes
and uji the Saint Lawrence river,
missino- even the whole State,
usually. In the early fall we
catch the western ed",-e of what
are called sub-t rojiical storms, or
Sejitember rales. of rain and
wind. P.ut these winds are di
vided and scattered by the Blue
Itidfje and IMack Mountains unt il
they are harmless.
McDowell county beinonthe
'"sunny side" of the Blue Riile,
has sunny -side advantages in cli
mate over the counties west of
therido-c. While their climate is
most excellent, ours for an all
t he-year-round climate is sujte
rior. The mountain breezes make
it delightfully jtleasant here in
summer, whileold winter is shorn
of its rijrors. Mosquitoes a re un
known here, unless a few are
straying around, havine; ben
broujrlit here from the south and
east on passenger trains: but he
does not thrive here. He si"-hs
and sino-s a few faint sono-s for a
warmer clime and pines away.
Generally, till about Christmas
the weather is jtleasant, October
and Xovemlter having been a h n;r
Indian summer. Our severest
cold, '.ml most disagreeable rains,
sleets and snows are in January
and February. The latter seldom
lay on the ground but a few days.
Very seldom in winter, and that
but ii day or so, does the ther
mometer pi down to zero. At
lone; intervals of years it may pt
below zero for a short sjtell.
As mLrht be exjiocteil. this sec
tion i.- nature's sanitarium.
Those with weak lun"s, if they
do not wait too lonp and those
nu fieri nir from malarial ;ii;d kin
dred diseases, timl here a curing
remedy in nature itself, which,
combine,! with judicious treat
ment, soon lends to recovery.
Many such cases we have seen.
Here is a superb location for a
sanitarium for the accommoda
tion of any numlMT of j.atients.
We need the men with the money
and skill for such tin enterju ise.
There is climate and jnire water
piiiifTto waste here that miprt
jrladden tens of thousands.
Perhajts there are not one-half
dozen f tps here a year that lat
till lo o'clock in the ir.ornine;
very few at all.
P.y jtermission. we njjond the
following, taken from a panq.hlet
on "Mciwell Count v." bv Col.
P. . I. Sinclair:
Marion, N. C, June, 1SS.
To Co!, r. J. Sinclair,
Mai ion. X. C. :
rKAR Sir : In 1 85, while at
tending mv first course of lectures
at the I'niv. of Penn. Dr. YVm.
Gerhard, Prof, of Clinical Med ,
examined my lungs and advised
me to quit the Medical profession
Believing ''Vox homo noa est Dei."
i:. K. Culvert Near Koiiml Knolt II. ..i l.
I graduated in iSo'r, my health
then was so feeble I had to remain
in Philadelphia until the late war
broke out. I then went home and
was at once put in the Army at
Ralegh, N. Ca., as assistant sur
geon under Dr. li. Burke Hay
wood. I soon left there for Va.,
following General Lee until the
surrender, meanwhile watching
the effects of climate and water
upon my constitution. During my
stay with the Army as Surg, of the
?2nd N. C. Regiment in charge of
many Hospitals, I had ample op
portunities of seeing men from
every portion of the United States
sick, wounded and in health. I
was forcibly struck with the
healthy appearence of those from
the mountains.
I came to McDowell in lSGj.and
soon recovered withput the aid ot
medicine. I must say, as to water,
I believe it is as pure as ever per
colated through the soil. The air
is as pure as any that wafts across
the foot stool of Jehovah. Malaria
cannot exist here, consequently we
are exempt from all malarial dis
eases. If there is a spot where a
man can live out his allotted time,
I believe it is here.
Let those suffering with Hepatic
and Pulmonary troubles lay aside
erroneous views of going to
Florida, and come here and try
our climate and water, for I feel
assured that my opinion, based
upon a practice- of over 25 years,
will fully justify me in recom
mending this county to invalids.
McDovVell county is nature's Sani
tarium, sheltered by the moun
tains on the West and North, with
an Pastern and Southern exposure,
with plen'y of gaps in the Blue
Rids;e for thorough ventilation.
V; extend a hearty welcome
to all sections of the world, and
promise to do what we can to en
courage the emigration of in
dustrious people of all classes to
settle in our midst. Long sir.ee
have we buried beneath the wa
ters ot Lethe in oblivion's sea tht
remembrance of the War, and can
assure our Northern friends if they
will come in our midst we will ex
tend to t'oeni the hand of fraternal
love, and do what we can to makt
them happv, fully appreciating tht
tact that what will add to their
interest will increase ours.
B. A. Chi-.kk, M. I).
Tlie Scenery
Of this count v and rep on is rich
and varied from the soft, hazy
outline to the bold and paudly
jtict uresqii" and sublime. In the
Rockv Mountain ranp- during
mo.-t of its majestic eour'. the
jtrevailine; style of scenery is t he
p-aml. miii'ed with the awfully
weired and sublime, with fewer
soft fini.-hinps of nature's brush.
Rut in Western North Carolina
we have the p-aiid. the .sublime,
some of the awfully weird, much
of the J.icturesqlle. but OVT all
nature has jiuintcd a coat of j-r-jtetual
p-i-en tin the tops of her
hipVst mountain, while at all
times the thick underp-owth of
shrubs and trees jn-esents a soft,
beautiful effect, near by or dis
tant, at every turn of ;i hill toj-.
or mountain ridp. like in n ka
leidoscojte, the view has new
lteauties,or an entirely new scene
bursts on the tin-less eyes.
In May and June when tin
mountain laurel blooms, is when
vou may j.lace laurel mi your
brow. Th-n the many hiiir- am!
mountains a.j".'ir .as vast bou
quets of pink and white, com
bined with the rreeu of the
leaves. '1 he mountain ivory fur
nishes very occurs of flowers of
white with dark spo, ;s.
A Ion-; the Cat aw La river and
its tributaries the water falls,
cascades, the t umblinp rolline;
and latiohitiLT waters simr Jer
jt'tual jioems and so:;o-s to na
tures God. No w (.;;.!"! that
when a native of ei,.i1 X rt li
Carolina lives clsew!ier,d;e often
sip'is for t.e mountains of his
childln t ui.
Tin. Iter,
The mountain . t ,-,aii.l ri.lp-s.
and even the mountains to the
very tops are nearly always tim
bered. In the coves and on the
sides, th" timber i larp' and val
uable. Vast quantities of it has
not yet been reached by the ax
man. Pine. oak. of half dozen
varieties, chestnut, mnj.le, hick
ory, ash, jtoj.lar. yellow and
white, some walnut yet. and
some lind. are the main j.ayino
varieties. ast quantities are
shijijted away from the county
yearly. Lumber sells, delivered,
at from s. to ss jr l.ooo feet :
j.laned at a some higher rate.
ShinpVs sell from SI. 7." to siM'o
Jter l.ooo.
Water Power.
There is on all the various
streams of the county a! most an
unbounded quantity of water
power eiiouoh to turn millions
of the wheels t if commerce. On
theCatawba river, Toms creek.
Curtis' creek. Crooked creek. Mill
creek. North Fork (first and sec
ond). Broad river, Muddy creek,
and mativ smaller streams, there
j is an unnieas!:; ed amount of
In irse-pi wer that is undeveh 'ped.
Much of it is in t he very midst of
p-eat quantities of raw material
for the manufacture of various
articles from woods of different
kinds.
Minerals.
We can do no better than to
quote extracts and sum up what
is contained in "North Carolina
and its resources" coming from
Col. H. C Deming. Secretary and
General Manager Marion Bullion
i Company, this county. "The total
output of gold for the past sixty
years is $1,176,000." They have
extensively mined, monazite, gar
net, white granites, flagstone,
vitrified brick clay, and many
gems : the gems to May 1st, 1S!H,
were Sh',oco. In k-'!5 -ft, "thirty
three small diamonds were found,
and a number of rubies and sap
phires from corundum deposits."
The company has had classified
one hundred and fifty-six species
of minerals on their property.
Mineral exhibits, alm-.st entirely
of gems, received highest awards
at the Columbian Imposition, Chi
cago, in iF'.'j, and at the Atlanta,
Georgia, Exposition in
There are some r.th-r gold mines
in the county near Dysartsyille.
The Vein Mountain Gdd Mining
Company have b-'.-n in operation
for years tii.jir Thermal City, in
the lower edge ef the county.
Iron, lead, zinoe, orundum, mica.
1
kaolin, talc, and limestone in pay
j ing rjuantities.
nuildiii; Stone and 'l:tys
I Abound in the county Large
quantities of clay suitable f -r all
1 radeb of brick arc fountl near
! Marior, in place ; on the Catuwba
j river and near ).'! !"rt. Sand
j stone, soapstone, r.:d sandstone,
land other b';i!dir,u "-tone are fo'ind
in larg, pr'.titb.e quantities in
different parts of the county. In
Turkey Cove there are quantities
of Egyptian and od.r c . .red
marb e. In the Linv:!! -1 other
mo'intfiins ther are l-r-e qearit:
:iLi f cr;-.r.i'e pn-l rr.tr!. !; o: p ';.!
quality and variety a..u.:. t;,iy
J paying devckp-nciil of ihe capitalist.
I Rt-v. Win. If Whi'.-. I'; f.fdf I'r.-O.vt
ri.nithuriho;il.::ir..,:i.ii!. I .,rt;oi'l;
l'am.
lluiitia- aixl Kisliin--.
W'nile there is not as much game
as in the years gone by, yet there
is more to delight the hunter here
than in most other sections of the
country. The county lying up on
the Bi-.ie Ridge and reaching up
almost to the edge of the Black
Mountains, brings us into a part
ot tin: best hunting and fishing
seen ins. S.mie deer, more bear
and many tuikeys aoound, with
numbers of smaller game, as small
biids, squirrels, small pheasants,
etc, etc. Tt.e iiead waters of the
mountain sis cams abounJ in
speckled tn.';inuiii trout. Some
wild cats aie I 1 . . , i , and the
ground t:cg ic; a.m 111 his many
Man nts.
In tie.' sou. in 1: t .. : of Turkey
Cove there h. k. . .1 in opera
tion a year a t.o 1 ry , : consider
able sie. It :s : '.o "VVoodlawn
Tanneiy," o.vi-.v 1 ...,! operated by
John (i. Vanity ..-i.i .,:s, at their
home, "VY '.!.. . o.-.i miles from
Mai ion, this t -in ly. Tiie con;
pany will lui.i out, !,L:i in full
operati.)!.. S.;-,-co u.ith of leather
a 'ur. Ti : p:o.J;iL't .v.il be sole
and harness !-.iiher. It h.as a saw
mid attai h:r.ent. There will be
one hundred vats, most of which
are in operation now. This is a
creditable enterptise. The plan
ning and much of the work was
done by the Yancey brothers
by themselves, John and Sam IL
They have completed there, a most
elee, 'fitly appointed dwelling
lioiiM ot near twenty rooms, 01
spacious and airy dimensions.
Suivess to them.
AM KV Oil M .
II.t Titiilnr itml Miiit'ml I iiIitckI Ni
l'.. tn 1 iiih in Hi,- siHtf A KailroiKl
hik! Iimiii.i HO..11
l'l U II I 1 , N. C, Apiil 12, 'I7.
:.ii.'os Jfcssr,-,,-:
As a regular reader of TiikMks
si Noi k, I have noted with a keen
sense of regret that as yet in the
history of your paper it has
(ailed to contain a single line from
Yancey county. I, therefore, hop
to see the following appear in
your next issue.
Yancey county, as you are aware,
joins McD jwell on tlie west, anil
is in turn bounded on the west by
Madison county and the State of
Tennessee ; on tlie south by Mc
D iw-'l! and Saincombe counties;
ti.- north by Mitchell. Yancey,
l.ke all the counties of Western
Not 1 h Carolina, is vastly rich in
natural resources, blessed with
mild winters and pleasant sum
meis, with an average rainfall of
fifty two inches. A pleasant cli
mate, freed tmm most all tliseases,
unsurpassed in mountain scenery.
Yancey county is away up among
the clouds, l'urnsville, its capital,
being z,S.o feet above the tide
washed sands of the Atlantic al
most in the shadow of Mt. Milch
ell, the highest mountain east of
I'iKe's Peak.
Every little hollow contains one
or more springs of pure free stone
water, gushing forth from natures
rurart, which combine to make
rivers large enough, deep enough
and wide enough which could le,
v. ith huh: trouble, applied tc pusn
with tireless energy, millions of
wheels of any machinery.
As for timber, we have it suffi
cient to build a tower of Label t.y
the moon. Or if wood was used
for fuel in this modern day, we
have the timber sutlicient, if it was
in tue! shape, to fire every furnace
in America and keep them hot for
six months. One company alone
owns seventy-live million feet of
p plcr timber in this county, and
they have not got I looo part, yet;
atel ;;ftrr the timber if cut away,
the soil would, with little atten
tion, grow grass sutlicient lo feed
th" "( ,.ttle of a thousand hills."
We have one iron deposit large
enough to replace every man-ot-ivar
vessel in the combined navy
of the world.
Chr tme enough, if it was manu
factured, to paint the world red,
and then have lots left for the
S'-' oio! coat.
K 1 -an enough to make a China
f.'i, s eicer and plate for every
nt;.:., woman and child in North
Carolina, and one each for those
tt..it ".'ill be born in the next three
de. a;'( s.
We have one known silver de
posit. Lut at the present low price
it would not bear cost of mining.
An a-.say has shown it to run
il(.V!i ounces to the ton surface
tire.
I!. -sides wc produce one-' "rd of
the mica produced in rated
States in 18 '-5, and still the mica
mines are not exhausted. IJut
O A ing to the inferior, cheap quali
ty mica taring imported, the
mica m res have temporarily sus
pended 0;.. rations. We also have
large d'-p .sits of graphite, asbes
tos, fi ,-.. -p.tr, talr, corundum and
so.-o, . ,r;--, a rid other valuable de
p -sits of minerals aim -st too num
erous to mention.
Vv'ii.-i: te-':p!e talk that there is a
better t. - - ;j r. y in the State than
Vati' -y c '".'"ry potato winks
its ('VP, every caV;ige shakes its
head, ' very 0-et gMs red in the
face, e-.-ry oaion fee's stronger,
every ' ,0 .f.-a-J ; s boc k c t, rve
-tr .k s os h'--.rd, 'v-'ty foot of
land k'eks, r.n-l Lewis Lvon,
edi'or of tlie Iliack Mount in Cttgfr,
grabs n.sshoo'ing stick.
Lut t a; trou'.le with our c-einty
aside Ir'.m a railroad, is desira
ble i :ii !. :g: -it 1 in, without uhicti
thi? f ou.'.ty v. il! nevrr a ivaucc be
you'i l if. ctoidhoo i of t.t.ir race.
We buy t ,', :;iucii ai.d do r. jI pro
flute etioug' . 1 be ; e pie of this
c ,.j'y l-t their manure rot and
bay g ; fe:y bro-rns ami let.
th'-u '. gr.-v up in weeds, !-rd .
at L r ls; f:sh w ith a ' Co rod;
S"r;'i a 5 b y out with a
ssfioc gii. I 1 sh j l birds; burn
our timber i:i 1 -g heaps to get it
out of the way ftnd buy axes,
h M'-s, plow handles, furniture, &r.,
a.:d ;;u h a state of waste rust
exist until we get a railrov.3, and
then, as Cuba is the smile of the
sea, so would Yancey county be
the smile of North Carolina.
Van. ;.v's I'iirMi.
To ; j"t-..' ex'er-.t '.e sam ri
foi..:s : b. ,.-! .r.-d f r Mc-
Loweii c yU'ety ;.s t o.-kin msre
at hon.e and buying less abroad.
En
ti