June 30?, 1945

                                                30 June 45
Dear Folks:
            I decided to stay in Ashville, N.C. to-nite. I got here about 8 P.M. and decided I had had enough of mountain driving for one day. The highway 70 between here and Knoxville comes right over the mountains. The road was paved but boy what turns and grades! This town is in the foothills on east side of main mountains. The road had a detour between Lebanon and Carthage, Tenn. It was a natural rock road with the rocks sticking up from the road about 3 inches. I averaged 20 mph over that. Most of natives had good cars and many had R.E.A. T.V.A. has some big dams in Tenn. hence all the juice. Saw corn growing on hills that a wagon wouldn’t stick on. I’ll bet if you took some of these hill people and stood them on some flat ground they would fall on their face. After driving in the mountains awhile you can’t tell whether you’re going up or down hill except for the way the car pulls. Greenville is about 2 hrs. from here.
                                                John