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EXPONENT OF TRAN
SYLVANIA COUNTY.
/*
and SmcMitT.
VOLUME XXVI.
BREVARD, N. C., FRIDAY NOV. 2^ 1
No. 46
J. F. HAYS DIES IN
iSTASHINGTOH D. C
Promoted Development of Transyl-
Tania County to Gr^eat'
Degree.
J. F. HAYS GREAT
ACMVEHENIS
Rdiponsible For Lake Toxaway Am
Brevard-Toxaway Railroad —
His ^History.
The lifeless body of J. F. Hays,
of Brevard builder of the Transyl
vania railroad and one who lead in
the development of the “Sap.phire
Country” in the Blue Ri^ge moun
tains of Western ‘North Carolina
was found in h^s hotel at Washing
ton, D. C., Wednesday night, Nov.
16, 1921.
No single individual has ever ac
complished as much for the upbuild
ing of Transylvania county than J.
F. Hayit:
I waji not known when he died,
but the coroner gave pneumonia as
the cause. He was known to have
suffered from heart trouble. Ac
cording to the telegrams from
Washington, Mr. Hays registered
November 11.
Mr. Hays Came to Asheville about
30 years ago in search of health.
Shortly afterwards he set about the
determined task of making the “Sap
phire Country” accessable by rail
road and attractive to those wanting
a. quiet glen with modern convenien-
. ces. He also constantly kept in mind
the necesjnty of making the develop
ment of a great country have its com
mercial advantages.
The carecr of the deceased %as
unique in many respects. With '
£ome money and a determination j
to develop his adopted country, bis ,
former connection with capitalists in |
Pitsburgh enabled him to secure j
funds with which to conrstruct the |
railroad from Brevard to Toxaway. j
With the business he grew and ac-;
cumulated money with his own funds j
and capital obtained through finan-1
eial organizations he developed tee- j
veral lakes in Transylvania county f
and was responsible for the con-1
ptmKtion of the Franklin hotel and i
of-the Fairfield, Sapphire and Toxa-|
way hotels. j
Mr. Hays superintended the cut-;
ting of timber, and every process of
its manufacture and then directed
the constructions of the hotels. His
capacity for w’ork at many time® ap- i
peared unlimited. I
Afesociated with him was T. S. |
Boswell, engineer in charge of the ,
building of Lake Toxaway and others ,
in the Sapphire Country. When Mr.;
Hays was genera! manager of the;
Transj'lvania railroad, Mr. Boswell,
now with the Southern, was super
intendent and A. K. Orr, at present
division freight agent for the Sou-1
them, was secretary and treasurer. ^
After the Transylvania road was
taken over by the Southern about
15 years ago, Mr. Hays was made
general superinendent with offices
in Asheville and retained that posi-
^on until his health’ became such as
prevent further active life, a few
years ago.
Mr. Hays played a great part in
the development of the section in
many respects and was w^idely
known and highly respectly.
A large number of Triends from
Transylvania and Western North
Carolina attended the funeral of Mr.
Hays who was buried in New Castle,
_ Pa., where he formerly lived and
where, he was in business for several
years before coming to the Sapphire
Country. He v/as buried beneath a
mound of flowers sent-from hosts
of friends. While Mr. Hays, had
been away from New Castle for se
veral years, no one living there en
joyed the confidence of his friends
more than he and he numbered them
by the score. The funeral was con
ducted by the pastor of the First
Presbyterian Church; Mr. Hayis hav
ing been a member of that church
for a great many years before mov
ing his membership to the First Pres
byterian Church of Ashe vile.
EVEREITS CATTLE
WIN THE RIBBONS
AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENT
The Ford touring car of J. S. Brom
field and the motor truck of the Ash
worth Feed Co. collided last week in
froi^ of the feed store. The Ford
was very badly damaged while the
occupants o^ the cars escaped injury.
Mr. Fred Grogan was driving the
truck and Mr. Bromfield the Ford
and both claim the other was respon
sible for the accident.
(By T. H/ Galloway.)
More than 25 years ago, Mr. J. F.
Hays and his wife, Minnie Hays, came
from New Castle, Pa., to the moun
tains of Western North Carohna and
loc'ited in the now famous Sapphire
region. At that time Mr. Hays was
a very sickjnan, in search of health,
they stopped at Riley Hooper’s, and
in a very short while Mr. Hays’ health
so improved that he became himself
again, and after prospecting for gold
near Fairfield a few months, was so
impressed v*ath the great possfbi ities
of this mountain section, that he set
about to improve and develop the
same. Thus making it a pleasant
play-ground for the rich as well as
a happy resort for the sick. His men
tal vision, lightning like, flashed away
down the vista a quarter of a century
ahead of the common man’s — and
blazed the way for future progress.
He WHS £I great personal dynamo,
electrifying the inanimate as well as
men wheroover and whenever in con
tact.
One of his first adventures was to
associate with himself Mr. Stolzen-
back of Pittsburc:, Pa., and purchase
the entire mineral and land holdings
known as Sapphire valley, co-onerated
by “Jenks Bros.” as a corrundum and
mica mine.
Hg farther interested Pittsburg
capitalist, formed a company after
wards known as the “Toxav/ay Co.,”
and built Sapph're Hotel and lake in
1C97, as a summer and winter resort.
Then in 1898 he constructed the beau
tiful and picturesque Fairfield Lake.
At the head of v.'hich is now erected
and in operation a most modern and
up-to-date girl’s camp under the man
agement of Miss Majorie Harriaon
On the bank of this lake Mr. Hays
built the spacious ‘‘Fairfield Inn”
to accommodate 200 guests.
He then pushed forward and pur
chased the entire Hogback valley
now known as “Toxaway Lake reg
ion” comprising in all, more than 30,
COO acres, on,this plot, at the base of
Hogback Mt., now Mt. Toxaway, he
constructed the far famed Tox- lake
and Toxaway Inn from materials
taken from the virgin forest. Thus
making “the Switzerland of America”
and crowning the “Land of the Sky”.
But while “The Toxaway Lake and
Toxaway Inn” were being built, Mr.
Hays to make his labors a complete^
success, formed a company, bought
the Hendersonville and Brevard R.
R. & Telegraph & Telephone Co.,
with all its rights, improved the same
and named it the Transylvania R. R.
Co. Whereupon he promised and
•built the “Frankfin Hotel” (which
bears his name) in Brevard for $25,
000.00 conditional — that the Citi
zens of Transylvania County would
vote $25,000.00 bonds, which they
did, to aid in extending a R. R. to
Rosman, N. C., (then Toxaway)
where he bought a large boundary of
valuable land as a site for said town.
He then interested the Southern R.
H. and he f.nd his associates extend
ed the R. R. to Lake Toxaway,N. C.,
in 1902. The same year Lake Toxa-
v/ay and Toxaway Inn were complet
ed. He was president T. R. R.; T.
S. Bosw^ell, engineer and A, K. Oi*r,
treasurer; till said R. R. was leased to
the Southern.
He then allied himself with the
Southern Railway with office at Ashe.
He also organized the first water co.
and paid of his own means twenty-
five per cent, of the capital stock to
bring the first city water into the
tow^n of Brevard, the cheapest and
most useful asset the tov;n has.
Of all the men who have figured
in the progress and development of
Transylvania County, no one has con
tributed so much time and energy,
and secured and expended so much
money, for edvertising and develop
ing the resources of the entire county
as J. F. Hays. He was at the head
of every call for improvement or ad
vancement both by his own resources
and that of his companies. ,
Mr. Hays was an uncompromising
advocate for sobriety and morality
He was a high-toned Christian gent
leman, a devoted member of Ihe Prc
byterian church, and rsadi!y and lib
orally gave of his mone:-- to a]l wo}
Returns In Great Triumph With
Prize Winning Herd — Put*
TransylTania First Place.
The return of R. W. Everett with
his splendid Herd of Show Cattle is
of special interest to all Transylvania
on account of his great triumph, hav
ing won nearly everything in several
States.
Mr. Everett started from here with
twelve head of show cattle.*
At Knoxville he won "first prize —
one championship steer.
At Chattanooga he won four fii'st
prizes — one chompionship steer,
“Engadinfi Fame”; Everette’s own
raising. And second and third plac
es too numerous to mention.
At Raleigh nine first prizes, two
championships -— fine bull, “Max-
walton Romper,” won three champ
ionships. Plenty seconds and thirds.
Columbia everything was won, first
second and third.
Macon, Ga., two championships
and eight first prizes — Greenville
wanted Everette’s herd to ap pear at
their fair and paid all expenses from
Macon, Ga., to Greenville, S. C.
From Greenville the herd v^as
brought home.
From fifteen to sixteen hundred
dollars was received in cash prem
iums.
More first prizes (blues) were won
at Raleigh by Mr. Everette’s herd
than any other. Mr. Grove of Ashe
ville being next winning 4 blues and
one championship.
Mr. Everette’s herd has put Tran
sylvania on the maj) as being first
place in championship cattle and
this is a great triumph. He has a
very large box full of all -kinds of
ribbons of every discription and kind
won at different expositions.
After the fairs Mr. Everett \^en
on a hunting trip for big game to
Jackson Hall, North Western Wyom
ing, v;here he succeeded in killing one
large bull Moose, one five hundred
pound black bear and a big bull Elk.
BUILDING COLLAPSED
The foundation of the new garage
being erected by the county near the
present jail site and upon which work
ers v/ere working on the second stor7
gave away, causing the entire build
ing to fall, Grady Kilpatrick suffer
ed a very painful injury to his right
arm while, the other workmen es
caped with minor scratches and
bruises. The tiling used in the con
struction of the foundation crushed,
causing the accident, as stated by
Mr. Kilpatrick.
OUR CHRISTMAS EDITION:
FARMERS UMON
HOLDS CONVENHON
The Brsvard News will have a
spccial Christmas edition of many
pages. All who , want special ads
must notify us before'December and
have copy ready by December 5th.,
1921.
OYSTER SALE
The ladies of the Methodist
church v.dll serve oysters at the
Crary Hotel on Tuesday, NoV. 29,
from 12 o'clock throughout the after
noon and evening.
EVERYBODY INVITED.
Thos. H. Shipman has returned
from Washington, _D. C., where he
attended the funeral of J. F. Hays.
Governor Morrison and J. W. Bailey
Deliver Addresses of Opposite
Views — Other News.
thy calls.
He could ride with rich and with
like dignity walk with the poor. He
was strict in his business relations—
yet kind to his emp’oyees. He made
what he spent, and spent what he
made. Wherefore all these achieve
ments for the good of the community
and these ideal traits of character for
the benefit of mankind are. living
monuments to his memory. In all
these vecesitudes of life he had for
his own comforter and companion,
Mrs. Hays his wife, always kind and”
beloved by all who knew her; she
passed to her rev.'ard June 1920.
Mr. Hay’s health having faile"^
again, he declined rapidly and o;
Thursday, Nov. 17, 1921, he di
udcenly of pneumonia in Hote
Raleigh, Washington, D. C., a’, .i
of 50 vcr.r.;.
Raleigh, N. C., November 21. —
The State Farmers Union held its an
nual meeting here on Thursday and
Friday of last week. On the open
ing day addresses were delivered by
Governor Morrison and J. W. Bailey,
former Collector of Internal Reven
ue. The Governor lauded the far
mers for the splendid part they had
in making North Carolina one of the
most important states in the Union
in the extent and value of agricul
tural products. Said he would npt
assume to lecture the farmer on how
to do things, for he appears to be
getting along mighty we 1 and knows
better than any theorist what to do
and how to do it. The Governor
steered clear of politics in his address
and left the delegates in a hopeful
ftate of mind.
Mr. Bailey came along later on and
told the Union that their whole sy
stem of farming is wrong; that *:hcy
should ,put it aside and begin anew.
He left the impression that most
everybody is trying “to do the far
mer” and painted^a dismal picture of
his present condition and future pros
pectG. With the aptimistic v.ew Oi
the Governor and tne pessimistic ut-
tei;ances of Mr. Bailey the “down
trodden tillers of the soil” were won
dering where they wouid find them
selves a little farther down the road
towards readjustment of condition.-,
now existing.
The Union reelected P- H. W.
Stone, of Greensboro, president. Dr.
J. M. Templeton, of Raleigh, vice-
pEcbident, and W. L. Bagwell, of Ral
eigh, secretary and treasurer. Mem
bers of the execirtive committee wer^
iiA^sea as-foUows: Dr. iir-Q.
ander, of Mecklenburg, E. "C. Fairr;3
of Guilford, W. B. Gibson, of Iradell,
J. L. Cherry, Hob^ood. N. C.. Olli.
Cruse, Salisbury, J. M. L. Lyerly,
Row’an County, and J. S. Davis, Guil
ford. Many of the se$';ions wer:
hold behind closed doors, but in a
series of rersolutions the Union de
clared for:
/‘Taxation of a’l bonds by what
ever unit of government issued; gov
ernment ownership of railroads:
trade relations with Russia; disarma
ment by America regardle^'s of act-
ion of other nations; compelling
Europe to pay its debts; referendum
on war; system of taxe's based on ab
ility to pay; free school text books;
repeal of cotfon tax; election of fed
eral judges; high wage scale; no cot
ton warehouses; more good roads,
and all property tax handled by the
counties themselves in building con
necting roads. The “down trodden”
could see little use to the farmen? of
the State road system, but six months
schools, administered by county au
thorities, without interference from
the State, would in their opinion, be
all right.
A. D. Watts, commissioner of re
venue, who has been quartered in the
Senate Chamber, has recently trans
ferred his force and equipment to the
new State building on East Morgar
Street, occupied by the automobile
division of the secretary of State, the
paper storage department of the Com
missioner of Labor and Printing, has
lately enlarged to the extent of ac.
commodating the State Highv/ay Com
mission.\ The Commissioner of Re
venue contemplates a return to his
late quarters immediately on adjourn
ment of the special session of the
Legislature, called by Governor Mor
rison, to meet here on Tuesday, De
cember 6th. Mr. Watts anticipates
little, if any, difl5culty in being con
firmed by the Senate.
The talk of so amending the law
creating the offico of commissioner
of revenue jso as to require the in
cumbent to enter the prIiT!'aries o'
1922 is not taken seriously here. Ur
der the law creating this office Gov
ernor Morrison appointed Mr. Watti
commissioner for a term of fou“
years and it is not believed that th<
special session will seriously consider
any change.
STATE TO BUHD
NEWMGHWAYS
Construction by State With
County’s Funds Recom
mended.
C. M7 Cooke has returned from an
extended trip to Spartanburg an
other cities; but will leave again Fr'
’ay for Raleigh alid Charlotte or
'•usiness.
District Engineer Wythe M. Pey
ton, of the state highway commis
sion has recommended to Thomas A.
Cox, chairman of the Jackson coun
ty highway commission, that the con
struction of the Cashiers Valley and
Savannah roads ]je made by the state
w^ith the county’s ftinds, according to
the Jackson County Journal.
Commisioner James G. Stikelca-
ther has also approved the project,
it is understood.
These roads are a part of the
state highinay system, and with the
action of the commission, Jackson
county, it was estimated, will have
the greatest mileage of state roads
in any county of the state. It is
believed that construction of the
roads which the state has agreed to
build with the county’s money will
be started in the near future.
In order to make the money a-
vallable at once for the work, the
county agreed to let the state use
county’s money for this purpo.se, to
be refunded in half in payments to
be made In two, three and four
years.
The two roads thus to be con
structed, v/ith the Asheville-Murphy
highway now being bui't, will be pro
vided for Western North Carolina to
'he counties west of Jackson, to Ma
con county, to Georgia, to South
Carolina AND A DIRECT ROAD
"^ONNECTING SYLVA, JACKSON
COUNTY SEAT, AND BREVARD,
TRANSYLVANIA COUNTY SEAT.
The Cashiers Valley road, in ad-
iition to serving much needed utili
tarian purposes, will be of almost
e'-iual value as a scenic highway for
tourists. It will lead from Sylva up
the valley of the Tuckaseigee by
Cuilowhee, East Laporte, the forks
of Tuckas^gee, and .the famous
High Falls; by Glennville , across tb<*
Blue Ridge into Cashiers Valley,
THERE CONNECTING WITH THE
TRANSYLVANIA ROAD LEADING
BY LAKE TOXAWAY AND ROS
MAN TO BREVARD.
The Savannah road v/ill,,be con-
.structed from Dillsboro through
Greens Creek and Savannah town-
shi ps to the top of the Cowee moun
tains, where it will connect v/ith the
Macon county road leading to Frank-
in. The county now has under con
struction a road from the Cullov/hee
road in Sylva towwship, through
W ebster to the proposed Savannah
road.
The state has taken over the main
tenance of the roads from Sylva to
Price’s place in River township, and
from Dillsboro to the Macon county
line. IT IS THOUGHT THAT
ROAD MAINTENANCE FROM
PRICE’S PLACE TO THE TRAN
SYLVANIA COUNTY LINE WILL
BE ASSUMED BY THE STATE IN
THE NEAR FUTURE.
GETTING THE BOOZE:
J. L. Osteen, Federal Prohibitioi
Officer, has captured a great many
itil’s and many gallons of liquor dur-
ng the past few months. The News
vill publish full dettails in an earlj
ssue. Mr. Osteen points out that
t is against the Federal Law to have
iny booze at all on the hip and does
:ot hesitate'to arrest and hold for
.rial anyone caught with even a half
?int, and has done so.
ROAD COMHISION
APPROVES DGHWAY
State Highway Commiion Approves
110 Miles Grading and Gravel
Con^ruction.
Commisioner James G. • Stikelea-
ther, of Asheville, has returned from
the state highway commision’s meet
ing at Raleigh, at which construction
and grading of 110 miles of high
way in the ninth district was ap pro
ved on his recommendation.
Contracts for th^ work will be
awarded before the start spring,
so . that the work can be well under
way by the advent of warm weather.
Ten projects are included in the list
approved by the commision at its
three day’s meeting.
It is probable that one, possibly
more, contracts will be let before
the first of the year, so that side-
hill v/ork can be started.
All of the 10 projects are between
Asheville and the Georgia state line,
via Murphy, and are connecting links
or lead into the Asheville-Atlanta
highway. The road leading to the
Georgia pity is one of tHc finest in
the south. The Georgia state au
thorities have promised their co-oper
ation in repairing the .road leading
from the state line to Atlanta.
The work approved for the ninth
district by the highway commision
follows:
I "
Transylvania—Toxaway to Jack
son county line, six miles gravel.
Cherokee—Andrews to Murphy,
13.85 miles gravel.
Haywood—Waynesville to Pigaon
river, 7.3 miles gravel.
Haywood—Springdale to Transyl
vania Cbunty line} 12 milc^ gravel.
Jackson—Cuilowhee- to Cashiers
Valley, 20 miles.
Jackson—-Dillsboro to Macon line,
14 miles grading.
Macon-7-Franklin to Georgia state
line, 14 miles gravel.
Macon—Franklin to Jackson coun
ty line, 8 miles gravel.
Transylvania—Brevard to Rosman,
10 miles gravel.
Clay—Hayesville to Georgia state
line, 4.8 miles of gravel.
NATIVE TRANSYLVANIAN
HIGHLY HONORED
H. K. Osborne WU! Sit With Sup-
remc Court.
According to the Spartanbui'g
Journal, H. K. Osborne, esq., will sit
with the supreme court week after
next- in the hearing of a. case coming
up from Lourens, C. S. Mr. Osborne
sat in a case recently with the sup
reme court in the case of Renno vs.
director-general of railroadfe. This
is a compliment paid Mr. Osborne,
who is recognized as a lawyer of ex
ceptional ability. — Spartanburg
Journfd.
AN APPRECIATION OF ARMIS<
TICE DAY.
J. J. HAMBLEN SUFFERS FROM
CRUSHED THUMB.
Mr. T. J. Hamblen of Covington,
Kentucky who was born and reared
in Brevard, N, C., was very misfor-
tunate on October 10th, in having
the thumb of his left hand badly
crushed at the Louisville & Nashville
Railroad where he was imployed.
The injury was of such a serious
nature that he had to be removed to
the Booth Memorial Hospital of this
city where the thumb was amputated
on November 3: t. At the presont
writing he is doing very nicely and
expects to b'' back at homo soon.
Mr. Hamblen is a member of one
of the qldest families of Brevard; a
few members of whom still rsside-
here, namely, W. W. Hamblen, hi?
father; a brother Ben; and sisters
Mrs. Alice Bishop, and Mrs. Laura
Turner.
Mr. Editor: — With your permis
sion, I should like to say how much I
enjoyed the Armistice Day celebra
tion.
From the devotional exercises of
the morning to the barbecue in the
afternoon, the entire program was a
most creditable one and showed the
true patriotic spirit in its highest and
noblest sense.
The speakers of the occasion were
wisely chosen and gave us such in
struction ^nd inspiring addresses;
while the parade thrilled our Transyl
vania pride.
Most especially as r r boys in ka-
khi passed and our .^sarts swelled
with thanksgiving ft those who re
turned, and throbbec, with sorrow for
those who made the supreme sacri
fice.
All the schools, clubs and individ
uals who had a part in the getting up
of this parade are to be commended.
Last, but :;ot least, we admired
the valiant way in which our men as
sumed the domestic role, and provid
ed and served dinner to the hundred^ ^
of guests who had been invited to
spend the day with us.
Qn the whole it was a most enjoy
able occasion and there was a mag
netic charm in the spirit which was a
mingling of joy and sadness' and I
ho,p(e we shall ever keep this day
“Lest We F6rget’^ An Onlooker.
J
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