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THE CLEVELAND COURIER
v r OL. XXVIIII, No. 28 .
JUST IN PASSINC
By James A. Hollomon
From the news dispatohes in
Sunday papers many cities and
towns in north Georgia are com¬
bining to hold a rousing filth an¬
niversary celebration of The Con¬
stitution-government’s famous
mountain forest expedition on
June 2,
It will be held in the confines of
the Vogel state park, at Neel’s
Gap, on the Appalachian Scenic
highway. This great paved thor¬
oughfare across the Blue Ridge,
connecting with North Carolina’s
splendid system of pavement just
south of Murphy, is one of the
many direct results of that remark¬
able tour that braved the perils and
hazards of slippery mountain sides,
swollen streams, valley morasses
and unblazed trails for a solid week
without missing a schedule.
The Constitution is naturally ap¬
preciative of the esteem of the peo¬
ple of the mountains for this pio¬
neer undertaking that seemed at
the time almost as menacing as
crossing the Atlantic with an air¬
plane today.
It brings back memories—
In the winter of 1921-1922, while
staff correspondent for The Con¬
stitution in Washington, I con¬
ceived the idea of'bringing the
northeast Georgia mountains to the
definite attention of the people of
America, through moving pictures.
Also, and particularly, to carry
the high federal and state officials,
interested in highway, forest and
recreational development, into the
almost inaccessible regions of north¬
east Georgia so that they might see
for themselves that no more beauti¬
ful mountain area existed in Amer¬
ica, or an area more deserving of
road and playground and rest-area
attention and stimulation.
I sought the good offices of Con¬
gressman Gordon Lee of the sev¬
enth, and Thomas M. Bell of the
ninth. And between us we soon
interested Thomas H. McDonald,
chief of the federal bureau of roads,
the national forester, Colonel W.
U. Greeley, the war department,
agricultural department, and even
the president, who designated a
special executive representative.
This done, the next step was to
interest Chairman Holder and
members of the highway board and
Chief Higway Engineer Neel.
They cooperated, wholeheartedly.
By the time the plan was com¬
pleted, and the weather—as we
thought—was propitious, we
moved out of Washington in a
special Pullman car, and were met
in Atlanta by a vertible conclave
of state officials, foresters and other
representative citizens numbering
several hundred.
The weather failed us.
It began to rain on the Monday,
June », that we moved northeast
from Brookwood station, but move
we did without a falter, several
hundred strong, with a motor cara¬
van a mile long.
“Let it rain!” Well, it rained.
The further we got the harder it
rained.
But undaunted we pushed ahead.
Gainesville by lunch. Helen,
Cleveland and the Bell ranchhouse
for night.
Then to Tallulah viaClarkesville,
aucfa swing through Habersham
and then on to Clayton for the
night.
On the way, at times, some cars
were limp on their sides, others
stuck in the mud, others ditched,
others drowned out in swollen
streams.
But, like the pioneers who turn¬
ed their faces to California’s gold
in ’49, we hung together rather
than facing the possibility of bang¬
ing seperately, and not a car was
missing iu tlw: second night’s
Devoted to the Agricultural, Commercial and Industrial Interests of White County
checkup.
In the meantime, McDonald and
District Forester Reed, and army
engineers and Georgia highway
officials had vied with all of the
others in marveling at Georgia’s
mountain beauty and visualized
opportunities.
“O, for accessibility through this
wonderful country?” It was
every tongue.
McDonald, the road chief of
America, mud-bedraggled and fa¬
tigued from pushing, pulling and
from even carrying underbrush for
temporary roadbuilding to permit
a cleavage for some distressed car,
stood in perfect amazement at every
turn in the forked trails.
With glasses he peered through
tlie mists in the gorges, the drip¬
ping green foliage of the mountain¬
sides, the cataracts, the rippling
streams, in the valleys, the oceans
ot laurel and rhododendrons, the
symmetry, the sublimity.
“ Wonder/ul,” he would mutter.
“Roads! Roads!! Roads!!!”
Reed, the forester, was bending
over his charts and maps to catch
the boundary lines of the Cherokee
and the Nantahala, planning future
campsites and the trails.
Once in a while there would be
an arrow of sunlight to siioot
through the clouds like an unex¬
pected Hash from the surface of *1
blackened sea—
And then the photographers,
some of them from the government.
Price of the Constitution,Buchanan
of the Pathe News!
How they would click and click,
and command for pictures of action
and for setting and backgrounds.
That was their business—
And they were on their jobs
either clicking cameras or heaving
at stuck automobiles.
Again, the rain! And then the
plunge ahead!
Interesting? Intensely! It kept
everybody happy. It gave every¬
body a vision and a will.
The mountains had to be de¬
veloped !
Wednesday—
Clayton to Highland, a tteady
climb over an Indian road that ran
through War Woman creek, some¬
times high enough to float a tug¬
boat, and sometimes barely rippling
in summer laziness
It looked now like our Waterloo.
But it wasn’t. With four pairs of
trusty mules imported from Beck’s
farm on top of the hill every car of
the caravan was out long before
uightfal).
In a veritable downpour with the
thermometer dropping like Moun¬
tain Dew into a thirsty stomach we
pulled into Higland around 9
o’clock in the evening.
Everybody in Highland was up.
A great concourse of people from
Asheville and other western North
Carolina cities and towns had ar¬
rived to meet U6.
Then a banquet, and then to bed.
How sweet the thought!
Thursday evening the sun was
out brightly and we turned back to
Dillard, and to Clayton, through
the forest trail, and by Mud creek
falls.
Eighteen miles to Dillard by the
shorter route!
Gordon Lee shifted from a heavy
car to a Ford.
Tom Bell shifted over from his
own car to the Constitution’s path¬
finder,
Mrs. Bell caught up the army
engineers in her car.
All along the line went the order
to change riding companions.
Two miles, fine! And then
trouble began. Eighteen cars were
in a moment stuck in one line,
with others cutting their own paths
along the wooded trail sides.
We found a teamster with a pair
of mules trying to make Dillard for
a load of groceries.
He was commandeered at $3 a
CLEVELAND, GEORGIA, MAY 20 1927 .
haul, with everybody in reach, up
to the knees in mud, pushing, tug
E'”R
Ten hours later the 18 miles had
been negotiated. Later, the lucky
teamster bought out the grocery
store he had been heading for.
Clayton was made for late sup¬
per.
The photographers had done
good work as the day had had oc¬
casional spasms of sunshine.
Friday morning, raining and for¬
bidding, with the great East and
road through the beautiful
IHawassee and Young Harris val¬
leys to Blairsville to be negotiated,
“It can’t be done!” The natives
shook their heads with doleful notes
of warning.
“Never quit on a Friday,” I
said. “We will try it if we run
off the fill into Burton lake.”
Every person in the party said
“yes.”
Charlie Barrett, the head of the
National Farmer’s union, laughed
optimism into the camp by explain¬
ing that we could at least get to
the headquarters of Burton and go
fishing.
Congressman Larsen buttoned
his raincoat tighter and said, “I
am ready, boys.”
McDonald said he had once
swum eight miles up the Colorado
river against the current. He was
ready for anything.
Holder and Neel and the high¬
way bunch were just as game.
The army engineers had boots
up to their waists. They said they
would walk if necessary.
The foresters said they were used
to rafts.
So off we were! .
We got through finely. That
was tlie second best day’s sun in
fact we had, and one of the most
picturesque.
Standing on the top of the Track
mountain late in the afternoon, as
the angled sunlight filtered from
the West the beautiful Hiawassee
valley below, Thoma? II. McDon¬
ald broke into an ectasy of enthusi¬
asm as he shouted :
“I was born in the Rocky Moun¬
tains, and spent several months in
Switzerland—but, that is the most
beautiful scene I have ever wit¬
nessed.”
At Blairsville, the home of Bon
nell H. Stone, the forester, who
had been our intrepid, uncom¬
promising and tireless spirit in the
entire expedition, we were told that
we were “bottled up.”
Our Saturday schedule was to
divide into two groups, one tocros^
Tesnatee gap, and the other to
cross Blood mountain at Woody
gap, tlie two expeditions to con¬
verge at Dahlonega Saturday night
for dinner.
Saturday morning it v* as raining,
and natives of Blairsville said it
would be foolhardy to attempt
either route, and especially the
the Blood mountain gap.
The lattar had no road, only a
trail, and tfiat full of ruts, holes,
streams, and even young trees iu
places.
No one had attempted to travel
it by motor, or other than by horse¬
back.
“We will make them both,” I
said. And we did.
McDonald, Reed, several others
and myself—McDonald personally
choosing it—started out across
Blood mountain at 8 o’clock in
light cars.
I sent our Packard pathfinder
over the other route.
After an all-day fight, sometimes
literally cutting a mile of road
ahead of us, building pontoon
bridges, and filling ruts that would
drop a car almost out of sight, we
reached the top of the mountain at
9 o’clock that night.
Then supper with Mr. and Mrs.
Woody, the former the ranger, a
fine type of hardy woodsman who,
Illue liidge Dots
Rev. S. S. Crumley filled his ap¬
pointment at Mt. Pleasant Sunday
Prof. W. L. Ashe, of Drhlonega,
Was in thit section last Sunday.
The singing at Mt. Peasant last
Sunday by the Hefner Brothers
and others was fine.
Prof. F. A. Jarrard, of Roberfs
town, has been elected teacher at
Robinsville, N. C.
Mrs. C. A. Allen, of near CleveJ
land, and Mrs. J. C. Allen gave us
a pleasant call Sunday. The for¬
mer Mrs. Allen stated that her hus¬
band was at Vanderbilt.
Day Your Subscription Now
Mr. Dave Westmoreland, ol
Nacoochee Valley died at his nome
Friday night after an ilness of
several months. He was interred
in Nacoochee cemetery Saturday.
Tom Watson Ashe, the little son
of Mr. and Mrs. J. D. Ashe, died
Saturday night after an illness os a
few days. He was interred in
Cleveland cemetery Monday.
Mrs, Torn Fisher died at her
home in Cleveland Saturday night
after an illness of several months.
Mis. Fisher leaves a husband,
several children and a host of re¬
latives to mourn her departure.
Her remains were interred in
the Mt. Pleasant cemetery Monday
on horseback, had met us and join
in tire fight to carry our cars over
the mountain.
We descended the mountain by
.Woody guiding us down the trail
by the light of burning fires.
We rolled into Dahlonega shortly
before midnight.
The other wing of the expedition
was there.
Sunday the trip back from Dah¬
lonega by the Cuinmings-Alplia
retta route was more easily made—
And thus tlie expedition ended
without a mishap, without friction,
without a discordant note, without
one unhappy memory for anyone.
It cost the Constitution a great
deal of money.
It had nothing to exploit except its
faith in Georgia, and its earnest
desire to be of constructive service
in the development of as great and
beautiful a mountain area us there
is itr this county—to help tire
national welfare of as good a peo¬
ple as there are in the world.
And then the aftermath—
Work began at once. The for¬
estry department got busy. One
year later the same road that it
took us ten hours to negotiate in
1922 I drove over in high gear in a
little more than an hour.
The great scenic highway across
the Blue Ridge, costing a million
dollars, is one of the great highway
engineering feats of the nation.
Well was the gap named after
Warren Neel.
Tire East und West road for Blue
Ridge to Blairsville is all paved or
graded and surfaced.
The highway along tlie Tallulah
route, from Clayton to Clarkesville,
is under paving contract.
And so on along every road and
trail wp traveled. The federal bu¬
reau of roads, the state highway
department, the federal forestry
service, have all done finely coor¬
dinated service.
After five years!
Now the citizens of the northeast
mountains, joined in by those of
Rome and other northeastern sec¬
tions, desire to pause and take
stock, and on June 2 declare again
and show formally their appreci¬
ation to the Constitution for that
memorial pioneering expedition.
We are personally proud that
results have followed.
[PRICK $ 1.50 A YEAR IN ADVAN< E
Commencement Time
Commencement is commencing and
we are nearly ready for the fun. We
think it is going to be bigger and better
and more marvelous than ever.
If you like anything being ready and
happen to need a pair of silk hose, a
hat, a silk dress or a pair of shoes. We
have them at lower prices than you
find elsewhere.
Boys if you need a straw hat we have
them at reduced prices.
Come in and look ’em over.
Whitmire 8 Head
Always at Your Service
Cleveland, Ga.
I
i
Ninth District Kuril Carriers To Meet
in Cleveland May 30
Everything is most ready for the
Ninth District Rural Carriers con¬
vention to meet in Cleveland Ma\
30, the. except the dinner and that
will he ready on that day fur the
ladies are waiting and fattening
1 heir chickens so that the mail men
will have a big feed.
They will assemble in the Cleve¬
land High School auditorium at to
A, M., Monday, 30, and render
their program and transact their
usual business.
Dinner will he spread at Ilird
man Park at 12 o’clock by the
ladies of Cleveland and this vicin
ity.
The program is as follows :
Song, America. Invocation.
Hon. l’lios. M. Bell will introduce
the speakers. Welcome address
beliall of city, Col. C. II. Edwards.
In behalf of post cilice, Mr. Alex
Davidson. Music by Messrs.
Cooper and Richardson. Response
to welcome address, Mr. E. J.
Hamrick, Orange, Ga. Music by
Mr. A. W. Ivy String Band of
Gainesville, Route 6. Address,
Mr. J. W. Pickens, Gainesville,
Music by Cooper and Richardson.
Address Hon. A. S. Hardy, post¬
master, Gainesville. Music, by A.
W. Ivy String Bind. Address,
Hon. Sam Tate, Tate, Ga. Music
by Cooffer and Richardson. 11 145,
pictures to he taken by Mr. Carroll
Burell, Winder, special representa¬
tive for Atlanta Constitution.
12 :oo, dinner. 1 :oo, 1 ‘. M., busi¬
ness session. Music by A. W. Iv\
String Band. Unfinished business.
Reading of minutes. Report of
resolution committee. New busi¬
ness. Place for 1928 convention.
Election of officers. Song, God
Be With You. Benediction.
The officers are :
W. R. Green, president. Canton,
Ga.; O. W. Hudgins, secretary,
Flowery Branch, Ga. ; J. E. Pratt,
vice-president, Lawrenceville, Ga.
CARD OF THANKS.
We want to thank the dear peo
ple of Blue Creek and Cleveland
for their kind help and sweet sym¬
pathy in the loss of onr precious
Tom Watson. And last but not
least the loving little children who
came to shed innocent heartfelt
tears for our darling. May Heav¬
en’s choicest blessings attend you
every one.
Mr. and Mrs. J. D. Ashe and
Sllliscrihp For The Courier
CIRCUIT NOTES
The second quarterly confeience
d Cleveland Charge will he held
it Loudsville church Saturday tin;
21st, Don t tail to hear Rev. !,
G. Logan, presiding elder, preach
it 11 o’clock and of course you wi:l
want to take dinner with us. Then
you will want to stay for the busi¬
ness session just after dinner.
Preaching again at Loudsville
again Sunday at 2 :30 P. M. Mt.
Pleasant 4 P. M., and Cleveland
n A. M. and 8 P. M.
Plans are being made fer a great
day at old Mossy Cieek the 51I1
Sunday. Everybody, whether you
attend Sunday Sfcliook any where or
not, is invited to attend this etti
Sunday meeting. It is being pi,
dieted by some t/iat this will he the
largest gathering that has ever
gathered at this old historic church.
We are arranging for one of the
best programs possible. Col. G.
W. Westmoreland, of Jefferson,
an old White County boy, will lie
one of the speakers. Also C ,i.
Ben Gaill ird, of Gainesville, is on
tlie program and several otlieis of
this same raek and file. We are
expecting Rev. J. II.' Allison,
another While County boy, now
one ol the leading preachers of the
Methodist Church.
There is a treat iu store for all
who attend. Fry a few chickens,
hake a tew cakes and bring them
dong and let’s all enjoy the day
together. Every Sunday School
in the Charge is expected to he
present and lake part in the pr< -
gram.
We have had nearly 400% ii -
crease throughout the whole Charge
in the Sunday School enrollment
during the three montits campaign.
Wonderful! Wonderful!
The program will begin at 10
o’clock.
'I’iie foil iwing is added to the
above program by request of Mr.
Henry Allison: Misses Fannie
Hamilton and Maude Henson will
sing a duet.
NACOOCHEE NEWS
Commencement begins at Na¬
coochee Inslit ute Thursday night,
May 19th at 8 P. M.
Thursday night, primary depart¬
ment, Friday night, musical recital,
Saturday night, home coining
night, Sunday morning 11 o’clock
commencement sermon, Sunday
night, Bible night, Monday night,
senior play, Tuesday night gradu»
ation exercises.
i
