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WCU - Canton Champion Fibre Company

A haven for whittlers

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  • This 12-page undated book written by John Parris was originally published in the Asheville Citizen Times. Parris describes retreat life at the Sit 'n Whittle cabin located on Lake Logan in Haywood County. In the 1930s, Reuben B. Robertson created a unique compound called Sit 'n Whittle village consisting of a main lodge and 6 log cabins that served as an executive retreat for Champion Paper Company.
  • I THE WORLD IS MADE AND REMADE WITH A JACK KNIFE AND A PINE STICK. IT IS GOOD TO Sit'tt'W~ A Haven J oA Wh.i__t;U_vw 6y John Pa!Ul.i.A A .!Lack ot w~ 1 krU..vVJ, 6.11.i._ght_ a.-1 a new dime and --1hMp a.-1 a beM ~ claw, han!:JA on ffie poAch waLL ot ffie hunched-yeaA-oLd (a6i.n ot handhewn Lo!:JA· NeaA ;lo hand .-1i..:f.A a bUAheL bMke;t ot w~ 1 ---1lick--1. A haLt do5en Aocki.nff ch~, ffie kind f]Aandpa tavoAed toA a --1peil ot AeAtiul ~eliin 1 , ~.tand al.onr; .the edr;e oi .the poAch. The Aoch.vw l.ooh. ou.i ac;z.o~~ .the l.ah.e .to .the moun.ia..in oi heml.och. and ~pAuce wheAe .the wind ii_ddLeA a lullaby. Al.on~i_de .the Aach. oi w~n 1 h_ni_veA a hand-Aou.ied boaA.d ~i_gn ex­. iendd an invila:Li.on .to ~il-n-wh.i..:lil.e • .9-rwi_de .the cabin, on .the man.iel. above .the bi_ff ~.tone i~epl.ace, hwop .the ca.Jl.ved ii_ffUAeA oi a moun.iai..n iami.l'f i_n aLL .the ~pew o i a va.ni.Ah­inr; way oi Liie - iAom mdh.inr; .to ii_ddLe-plaljinr; - ~ AeAWUZ.ec.ied fuour;h .the ~hilled handd oi !YlaA.cU4 !YlaJz.iin and ~~on Wade. BeLow .the i~eboaA.d, on a pi_ece oi wood ~ve.ted i_n.io .the ~.tone, .theAe ~ thM l.er;end: "The woAld iA made and Aemade Wi_.th_ a jach.h.ni_ie and a pi_ne ~lic.h. . .9-.t ~ r;ood .to Sil-n-Wh.i..:ul.e. " - 2 - Thvz.e M.e }l_ocking- chai.Jw hvz.e, .too, and a hea!l..ih 6i..g- enough- .to ac­commoda. ie a half do~en wh.i...tJJ.vw M.ound i.M edg-e. App}l_op}7_i_a.tel_y enoug-h_, .th.,w whil­llvz. '4 haven .tucked away among- .the hemlock and 4p}l_uce and pine on .the we.-1.i foM of .the P i..g-eon iA known M "Su-n J)Jh.i...tJJ.e. " .9n ano.thvz. .ii..me .the old cabin wM pa!l..i of a ~ea.i log-g-i_ng- .town hvz.e in .the ~. A .ii..me when .the ax and .the cA044 -cui. 4aw held 4way. R.euben B. R.o6eA..1..4on 4alvag-ed il when (hampi..on Papvz. and Ji..6}7_e (ompany cl.o4ed down .the 4awmi..l.l 4ome 30 yeall/.J ag-o, wiped ou.i all 4i..g-rw of .the .town, and b}l_oug-h.t .the fo}l_e4.i 6ack in all i.M g-1. O}l_Y • He made il a place whvz.e a man could 4il-n-wh.i...tJJ.e, .teil .tall .tale.-1, fo}l_g-e.i wha.ievvz. i.Aouble.-1 .tha.t mi..g-/z_.t nag- .the mi..nd, 4ing- .the old 4 onf]A, - 3 - l.iA.ten .to .the CAy at .the tJ..ddLe, .the hum at .the wi..nd, o/1.. jU-d.t do /.! ome /l.eAZ­tul /.! e.lii..n 1 wi...th old tJU.encf.1. .9-n a way, al.be.U. unin.tenLi...onal., he hM .twm.e d .the cabi..n i..n.to /.! omeJ.lu.nff o t a /.Jh/U.ne .to R.~el.l. BcvJ.ow, who/.Je kni..veA have been U-ded to/1. wh.i..:u.linff ni..~ on .to 190 yeaA4. Had BcvJ.ow Lived i..n ecvzl_i_e/1. .ti..meA he would have been made .the· pcdA.on 4 ai..n.t o t wlu.:u.l.vw . [ven 40, i:heAe a/I.e tol.k.4 4;Li)_j_ a/tound who a/tffue .tha.t when il comeA .to wlu:u.1i..n. 1 kni..veA .the BcvJ.ow can 1.t be bea.t. And bei..nff a wh.i..:u.linff man, R.euben R.o6~on hM 4een .to il .tha.t a flood I I 4Zock at BcvJ.ow kni..veA iA kep.t on ~ hand, jU-d.t i..n caAe a man 4kouM up wi..J.h._ ~ oui a kni..te. Na.tUAaily, ~ neve/1. happerw excep.t when a non-wlu.:u.l.e/1. comeA ~ way and hM .to be i..nhwduced i..n.to .the wlu.:u.l.vw 1 - '1- - I I ciAcle. And il ~ a 4 wz.e .i..h..ing- i:h.ai once he ~ 4ai in on a ulu..i.iJ..i.n 1 -n-yall.l1i.n 1 4e44i.on you 1ll. neveA caich. lu.m ag-ai.n wi.;;t}wut a kni..ie. A4 any old-.ti.me wh.i.J.:U..eA will :lell. you, w~ 1 make--1 io.lt peace oi mi.nd. Ti.me wM when eveAybody wh.i.J.:U..ed. But il 14 been dying- out and wh.i.J.:U..vw aA.e becomi.ng- ieweA and ieweA. (_j.~tandpa alwafP 4ai..d: 115 how me a ulu..i.iJ..i.n 1 man and .9- 1 ll. d II name you a con:len:le man. (_j.~tandpa Li.ved :lo be almo4:l a hund.!ted. He wh.i.J.:U..ed ali fz.iA Li.ie. And no.i..h..ing­eveA 4eemed :lo boi:h.eA h.i.m. TheAe aA.e old-.ti.mvw 4:li.ll. aA.ound who aA.g-ue i:h.ai iolk4 had a beileA Li.ie when i:h.ey di..d a bil oi w~g- wi.i:h. a g-ood BaA.Low kni..ie. Jo.~t w~g- and g-ood :lalk g-o hand in hand. (_j e:l a ~o up o i old -.lime wlu.:u.lvw - 5 - :lo9-ei.h.eA and conve.JWa.J..i.on neveA l.af!A. A.-1 l.on9- M t.h.e w~ 1 -4li~ hol.d out. t.h.e :lal.e.-1 ii.ow. [ven .-1vunorw. (fAandpa U4ed :lo 4a!f t.h.ai man!f a man had pAeached a 4e/Lmon wlu.l.e wW­. tl..i..n9- on a .-1lick. 'JLl.-1 9-ood M an!f !fOU eveA heaAd i/Lom a pul.pil, 11 he .-1a.id. "Some even beileA. 11 H eAe cd Sil-n JJ//u..;uLe t.h.e :ial.k i/.J U4 ual.l.!f o i t.h.e ol.d daff1 and t.h.e ol.d waffd and o i t.h.e new daffd and t.h.e new waffd· .9-:l '4 a mi.xtwz.e oi 6ot.h.. The kind o i :ial.k t.h.at 9-oe.-1 will w~ 1 and a 6l.a~9- iiAe on t.h.e heaAJ.h.. The kind oi :ial.k t.h.ai 6indd ioi.~ cl.o.-1e :lo9-ei.h.eA and l.eave.-1 t.h.em happ!f and con:len:led and t.h.ankiui. io/L knollli._n9- one anoi.h.eA when t.h.e iiAe hM bwz.ned :lo a bed oi coai.A and t.h.e pocke:iknive.-1 - 6 - Tiu.A 4.iO/L!f oi A Haven io/L Wlu...tilvw i-4 /Lep.!U.n.i.ed w.ilh .the kind peJZ.rn...i.A--1i.on oi .the A--1hev.il.le (i.li5en and /J'k. 9ohn P~. - 8 - c Hamilton, Ohio Pop&, lttt. Mills at: Canton, North Carolina Houston, Texas and Hamilton, Ohio

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Canton Champion Fibre Company

When it opened in 1908, the Champion Fibre Company was the largest pulp mill in the world. For 60 years it was under the leadership of Reuben "Mr. Champion" B. Robertson and was a...

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