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Show Mission President Relates Experiences in Southland dam near Chattanooga, but also I the Norris dam, about 2 6 miles north of Knoxville. We shall be greatly Impressed with the beautiful beau-tiful setting and surroundings. I imagine that even James F. Win-gate Win-gate would cut a class in physics to cast his line in the beautiful lake back of Norris dam. The city of Norris, nearby, is an ideal summer sum-mer camp. The following figures give a graphic picture of the size of the dam: Maximum height, 2 65 feet; length, 1872 feet; thickness at base, 20 4 feet; reservoir area, 34,200 acres; power installation, 132,000 horsepower. Without even a chance for a swim, a boat ride, or a fishing experience, ex-perience, we must leave the Norris dam and lake and move rapidly to Kingsport, Tenn., a thriving industrial indus-trial city, where the Eastman Kodak Ko-dak company has a great plant (Continued on Page Six) Travelogue On South Central States GwenByWm.T.Tew,Jr. Review of Industrial Activities, Historical Sites and Beauty Spots Are Outlined by Former Springville Man In an interesting manner, William T. Tew, Jr., : president of the Southeastern States mission and a ; well known former resident of this city, relates in the following letter some of his most recent experiences ) while traveling through the mission district: Louisville, Ky., June 16, 1940. npar Friend Harrison: i impressive appeals that one can expect to experience. Back over the centuries one's mind travels to ancient Greece, recalling the grandeur ot that old world empire. em-pire. Immediately there appear in one's mind and imagination such characters as Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Aris-totle, and Alexander the Great who conquered the world and then wept because there were no more worlds to conquer; yet he never conquered or controlled himself. How often the'little world of "self" goes unconquered and uncontrolled! It is difficult to pull away from Nashville, the city of colleges and beautiful homes. But we must be going. Taking Highway No. 41, we start for Chattanooga, right on the state line between Georgia and Tennessee. The scenery along the way is beautiful and inviting. We pass through Monteagle, a renowned re-nowned summer resort, high up in the mountains. We cross over Signal Sig-nal Mountain, used to advantage in Civil War days. Crossing the Tennessee river from the north we are soon in the center of beautiful beau-tiful Chattanooga. Being hot and sultry, we seek relief on Look-Out Mountain. On the sides and summit sum-mit of this embattled old mountain moun-tain we find one of Chattanooga's exclusive residential sections. The scenery and atmosphere are inviting. invit-ing. An incline railway, the steepest steep-est in the world, is used for business busi-ness as well as pleasure. This railroad is nearly one mile long. It is controlled electrically by means of regular rail tracks and large cables. Steep as it is, the claim of never an accident induces in-duces many to make the round trip for 40c. Look-Out Mountain is 222 5 feet above sea level, only half as high as Main street in Springville, yet here in the South, it is a real mountain. On its northern north-ern rim is Point Look Out, of strategic stra-tegic value in the Civil War. Here rise many -confederate and other monuments to the memory of point near Paducah. Ky., where it enters the beautiful Ohio, thence on toward Cairo, 111., where the Ohio joins the Mississippi. From there on to the Gulf of Mexico, Mex-ico, the great "Father of Waters'' the Mississippi carries the burden bur-den of all waters of central United States. The great drainage shed of the Tennessee river and its tributaries tribu-taries has, in past years, been denuded de-nuded of timber, and has been subjected to the ravages of erosion and floods that have wrought havoc to great areas of fertile farms and homes, as well as industries. in-dustries. "The Pattern of the Tennessee Valley is an extreme example of a familiar U. S. story. First, the settlers pushed out the Indians; then, when it was safe, the big planters squeezed out the settlers, and the lumbermen stripped the forests and the coal operators skimmed the cream of the mines. Now they are all ruined and the people must pay the bill a bill that need never to have been presented." pre-sented." The T. V. A. has three main objectives: ob-jectives: 1. Flood control. 2. Navigation. Navi-gation. 3. Power. In all there are to be eleven great dams built, some of which are to serve for storage and power purposes, the remainder remain-der for storage, power, and navigation. navi-gation. The latter type provides for a great power house in one end of the dam and a lock in the opposite op-posite end to lift the lower boats and barges from one level to another. an-other. For a distance of around 600 miles the Tennessee river is converted into a navigable inland lake, with a depth of no less than nine feet, accomodating freight vessels from the Great Lakes and the Gulf of Mexico, a sight quite unique to the rural settlers on their little mountain and valley farms. Along with these dams for Flood control, power and navigation, mu-1 nitions plants, fertilizer plants, pleasure resorts, fishing, and educational edu-cational regions have been created, creat-ed, and more will follow. Perhaps reforestation is one of the greatest great-est salvaging features of this great regional project. "Some 84,-000,000 84,-000,000 seedlings have been planted plant-ed on 60,000 gullied, abandoned acres. Most were planted by CCC boys, 5,000,000 by the farmers. T. V. A. nurseries produce 24,-000,000 24,-000,000 seedlings annually. According Ac-cording to University of Tennessee estimates, some 14,000,000 acres have lost from 75 to 100 per cent of their top soil." Compare this with only 8,000,000 acres of crop land reported in 192 9. We shall have the pleasure of visiting not only the Chjckamauga 1 Just three years ago tonight, in the midst of a torrential down- pour of rain, a weary group of travelers drove into St. James i Court and stopped at the head- quarters of the East Central States mission. For six long days we, as part of a family, had been driving from our home town in the Rockies. We were welcomed by the mission office force and by our two daughters, Merlene and Helen, who had preceded us f - heroes in that fratricidal struggle strug-gle that almost severed our beloved be-loved nation. From this point of vantage we get a marvelous view of the city and of the famous "moccasin bend" in the Tennessee Tennes-see river. Leaving this point we go to the extreme southern end of the "mountain and cross over the Georgia-Tennessee line. Here we come into full view of one of the South's most exclusive hotels. From this mountain, on a clear day, we may view seven states: Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, Virginia, Vir-ginia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Car-olina, and Kentucky. The Lookout Mountain hotel serves the elite class of people from all over the South and from other states. A beautiful swimming pool and outdoor out-door dance floor add much to the entertainment of the guests. Wistful as we may be, we cannot can-not linger longer lest we are forced forc-ed to pass by many other interesting interest-ing landmarks. Ten miles away is located beautiful Chickamauga Park. It is in Georgia and comprises com-prises 55 62 acres of virgin soil and forest. On this noted battlefield battle-field in the sixties of the last century cen-tury the soldiers wearing the Blue and the Gray met in deadly grapple, thousands of them making mak-ing the supreme sacrifice. Beautiful Beauti-ful drives make a veritable network net-work of retreats to many elaborate elabor-ate monuments and tablets which have been erected by the various states to the memory of their heroes. These government-built boulevards are shaded on both sides by native timber, mostly the long-leaf pines and white oaks. Just to the north of Chickamauga Chicka-mauga Park is located Fort Oglethorpe, Ogle-thorpe, named after George Oglethorpe, Ogle-thorpe, who settled Georgia. It is a Regimental Cavalry Post, the best cavalry training camp in the United States. In the eastern part of Chattanooga is located the National Na-tional cemetery, where over 18,-000 18,-000 white markers bear silent witness wit-ness to the folly of war. We shall have just enough time to pay a brief visit to Chickamauga Dam on the Tennessee river. We are now right in the midst of the famous T.V.A. project. Perhaps just a word here by way of explanation ex-planation will not be out of place. The Tennessee river drainage shed covers an extensive territory. The Powell and Clinch rivers, tributaries tribu-taries to the Tennessee, rise in southeastern Kentucky. These rivers merge just above Norris dam -to form the Clinch river. The Holston river also rises in southeastern south-eastern Kentucky. It flows southwest south-west through Tennessee and joins the Little Tennessee river, and from there on the stream flows on in a westerly direction and joins the Clinch river. These two rivers merge and form the Tennessee Ten-nessee river which flows on down through Tennessee into Alabama, thence in a northwesterly direction direc-tion through the corner of Mississippi Mis-sissippi back into Tennessee, thence almost due north through Tennessee and Kentucky to a about three days. Our family was once more united with the exception excep-tion of our daughter, Naoma, who was then in the Eastern States serving as a missionary. Four years ago this coming October was the last time we were all together. So much for some thoughts that are coursing through my mind tonight to-night as I once more travel back in memory over the recent years. My experiences have come and some of which I chronicled for you gone during the past three years, in my letter of May 3, which you so graciously published in the Springville Herald. For the regular regu-lar weekly arrival in our home of this welcome visitor we desire to sincerely thank you. I also trust that my letter of May 3rd, published pub-lished in your paper of May 16th, was read by our many friends in and around Springville, the city of my nativity. How true are the lines of the poet, "Be it ever so humble, hum-ble, there's no place like home." There is just something about the lay of the country, the mountains, moun-tains, the streams, the pure crystal crys-tal water, the fresh air, and above all else, the people, in the midst of whom one is reared, that gets into one's blood; and no matter how one tries, it seems impossible to get rid of it. And as a matter of fact who wants to get it out of the blood stream? So many people do not realize what we have in our little, valley to make life sweet and worthwhile until they have had a chance to roam. In his little book, "You Can't Live Your Own Life," Edgar A. Guest very feelingly says, "Life, with all it brings of joy and care, is not easy to take apart. We cannot know how much a man's life is his own and how much is due to the influence influ-ence of others. He would be poor indeed who had only his own strength with which to fight and his own resources to call upon for happiness." I desire to express right here and now that our friends and neighbors, even though some are no more than chance acquaintances, have been very important factors in our lives. We do think of you often. We do appreciate you. In continuing our tour of some of the places of interest in the five states composing this mission, I must first remind you that we were visiting the Parthenon and its art gallery in Nashville, Tenn., when we closed the last letter. Such artists as Redfield, Lee, Browne and Knox have their canvases can-vases there. The Parthenon, under un-der the glow of powerful floodlights, flood-lights, presents one of the most Southern Tour Related By Mission Head (Continued from page three) employing 6,000 men. One of our vi-ry finest friends is manager of two largo cafeterias in the Eastman East-man plant. He appreciates very much our visits. His wife and family fam-ily are members of the Mormon church. We are surely going to enjoy our lunch with him. The finest food prepared in the most modern way is always an assumed pleasure here. We move rapidly now and, after af-ter passing through part of Tennessee, Ten-nessee, we enter old Virginia. Our minds go back to our early school days when we were taught to sing Carry Me Back to Old Virginny." The highway we are following leads into North Carolina. We are rather thrilled to pass through a part of the Blue Ridge Mountains. By twilight we have arrived at Mt. Airy, N. C, where is located one of the largest granite quarries iu the United States. In one of nature's own air-conditioned cities of the South, Mt. Airy, we spend a very pleasant night. Here we have a large branch of the church. As we continue our tour we follow fol-low Highway 52 which takes us down through the Piedmont section sec-tion of our country. A great many factories, cotton and silk mills are found on every side for long distances. Tobacco, cotton, corn, and small grains are grown on the hillside farms. The fall line provides pro-vides for water power. Great tobacco to-bacco warehouses are found in almost al-most every center of population. In Winston-Salem great warehouses ware-houses and cigarette manufacturing manufactur-ing plants are located. It is difficult diffi-cult to get a good wholesome breath of air as we pass on between be-tween some of these large buildings build-ings where literally thousands of men, women, boys and girls spend their time in the employ of these tobacco industries. After we leave the fall line area and approach the vast level or gently rolling coastal plain, we are impressed with the marvelous agricultural wealth and resources of North Carolina, perhaps per-haps the richest agricultural state The morning breaks and we find ourselves traveling northward for a short idstanco on the west bank of the Pasquatank river, when suddenly our guide makes a sharp turn to the right. We follow a narrow, wooded dirt road to within with-in a few feet of the river. Here our eyes suddenly open upon a scene we have all read about, but have never seen before the home of Old Blackbeard, a pirate in early American history. A brick home, built of brick shipped from Engalnd, with a tunnel from the basement to the water's edge. Is Well, Harrison, I thought I could guide our group through most of the principal places of interest in-terest during this brief travelogue, travel-ogue, but I find I have run out of time. If you think the readers of the Herald will be interested in these rambling descriptions, and if you have room, you are free to publish them. If not, I know there is room in your waste paper basket, bas-ket, and it will not offend me in the least. Hello to all our friends and neighbors in Springville and Ma-pleton. Ma-pleton. Sincerely, WM. T. TEW, JR. the habitation of this old sea pirate. pi-rate. Of course the home has been reconstructed and revamped, but it serves to carry us back into the days when life on the sea was just as uncertain as it is today. Perhaps the most unique, historical his-torical entertainment that is staged stag-ed annually in this country is the pageant of the "Lost Colony." Our trip would always have at least one keen regret if we failed to see this great outdoor reenactment of the first attempt, by the English, to settle the New World. The setting set-ting for this pageant is the little town of Manteo on Roanoke Island, Is-land, located between the banks and the mainland in Dare county, N. C. The great amphitheatre has a natural setting, equipped with all the colonial trimmings necessary neces-sary to fit the occasion. In 1585, Sir Walter Raleigh planted an English colony on this spot. The settlement was abandoned in 1586. The following year, however, Raleigh sent another colony under the leadership of John White. In 1587, Virginia Dare, the first white child of English parentage, was born on the Island. White returned to England for supplies and upon his return to America every trace of the colony had disappeared. dis-appeared. No member of it was ever found, no clue to their disappearance, disap-pearance, only the word "Croa-tan" "Croa-tan" carved on a tree. The site of Old Fort Raleigh, is now preserved in the Fort Raleigh Ra-leigh park. All of these early settlement set-tlement scenes are reenacted in this great pageant, "The Lost Colony." Not far from Roanoke Island is the testing field for aircraft, where the Wright Brothers gained gain-ed their fame. A beautiful monument monu-ment marks this site of their experiments, ex-periments, i in the union. ' We shall be interested in a short pause at the city of Durham, N. C. Here the Duke family, wealthy and prominent, have endowed the renowned Duke university. The setting and surroundings of the university on the west campus are all impressive and inviting. The chapel stands at the head of the main axis of the west campus and dominates the group of university buildings. The style of architecture architec-ture of the chapel is English Gothic. The tower is patterned after af-ter the Bell Harry Tower of Canterbury Can-terbury Cathedral. It will seat 2,2 00 people in the nave and 150 in the choir. In very few places in America will we find such a glorious display of stained glass windows as we may feast our eyes upon here in the chapel of Duke university. The subjects of the windows are characters and stories stor-ies from the Bible. The total number num-ber of figures in the windows is between eight and nine hundred. The number of pieces of glass used in the windows is probably over a million. Seven colors were used in the composition of the windows: the primary colors were yellow, ruby and blue, and the secondary sec-ondary colors were brown, white, purple and green. All of the ruby glass and most of the blue glass was made in the United States. The other colors were imported from France, England and Belgium. Bel-gium. Behind pipes and carved oak screens, the chapel organ is lodged lodg-ed in spacious chambers on either side of the chancel. The organ includes 136 stops, 121 voices, and 121 ranks, making a total of 7,-791 7,-791 pipes, exclusive of the harp and celesta of 61 bars and the chimes of 2 5 tubes. Before we leave we must take the elevator to the top of the belfry bel-fry tower where we get a beautiful beau-tiful view of the entire campus, of the city of Durham, and of the country around for a distance limited lim-ited only by our own inability to see farther. In this tower is located lo-cated the carrillon. Of the fifty bells, the largest, G natural, weighs 11,200 pounds, and measures meas-ures six feet nine inches at the mouth. The carrilon was cast by John Taylor and company of Loughborough, England, bell founders foun-ders since the fourteenth century. What a wonderful inspiration all this, and much more about Dike university is to us who, to a degree, appreciate education and things of beauty. But our time is limited, so we must move on. Thirty Thir-ty minutes of driving brings us to Raleigh, the capital of the state of North Carolina. We drive j around the capitol and on over the coastal plain until we reach the little town of Hertford on the Perquimans Per-quimans river, as it enters an arm of the Albemarle Sound. It is night and a full moon casts its silver streak on this tranquil strip of water. Here we learn to our joy that the author of "Carolina Moon" got his inspiration for his song. No wonder! Even we may relax for just a moment and revel, in imagination, in romantic scenes along the shore line and in small pleasure craft on a night like this. Nowhere is the moon more beautiful than in North Carolina as it casts its silver streak across the many waters of various kinds on the Atlantic coast line of this famous state. We are to spend the night at Elizabeth Eliz-abeth City with some of the South's most hospitable folk. My, I how we do enjoy these people! |