ASHEVILLE 129 
own unique children, by name Felix Walker, wholse 
fluency of speech had earned for him the popular 
title of " the old oil jug." Being patriotic as well as 
fluent, Mr. Walker sang praises of Buncombe County 
in season and out of season, and, having been sent 
as first Member of Congress from that district, he 
arose to address the House. Here was his chance, 
and although he had nothing of importance to say, 
he ambled on until many members left the hall, when 
he kindly told the survivors that they might go too if 
they liked, as he would speak for some time longer, 
apologetically explaining that "he was only talking 
for Buncombe." 
The new road not only gave a great impetus to the 
commercial development of Asheville, but brought 
to the mountains the wealthy aristocrats of the low- 
lands, who came each summer to enjoy the climate 
and scenery of the mountains on the estates they 
acquired and beautified in that lovely land, the 
greatest number and the finest of these estates 
lying, as we know, at Flat Rock. But while the city 
visitors came in pomp up the mountains in the en- 
chanting spring and went back in the glorious 
autumn, the merchants of Asheville and the other 
mountain settlements went down in the late fall on 
horseback, their wives and daughters accompanying 
them in carriages, a train of loaded wagons bearing 
the produce of the mountains to be exchanged for 
the luxuries of the city. While the men attended to 
business, the other members of the family enjoyed a 
few weeks in the delights of city life, when all went 
