Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1857-08-22
Interesting Extracts,

=" A. T,p atrayeling correspondent of s
tho Spartanbury Cypress in passing through /
Pickens thus dots Iewr,. his Impressions of
wbh. he sNw: &A seI
g The District of Pickens interested me
very much. Its mountains, its beautiful
streams, aud its rich valleys render it .wor
thy of a visit from every lover of nature. -
Not much of the upland is under cultiya-
tion, the soil, though covered with luxu-
rious vegetation, being thin; aud this, |
leaving the forests untamcd and uninvaded, |
"ives wildnesS and freshness 10 the appear !
an.e of the country. The bottom lands, OF
which there is no lack, arc very rich, pro- /
duce abundantly, and are thic&ly settled.
An old genticuun, who knew the District
we'll, was accustomed to culogize it in these
words {" If you wish to breathe the phrcst
and most cxllilarating air that ever entered
and filled the lungs of man, SO to Pickens,
If you wish to drink the coolest and most
health-prcscrving water that ever gushed
from the bowels of the earth, 90 to Pickcns.
If you wish to buy the richest and most
productive landin the State, to Pickcns.
Lastly, if you wish to procure the bestwife
any country can afford, so to Pickens" To
this catalogue of projections you must per
NIT me to add with like commcndation,
the honey and the buttermilk.
Pickcnsvillc issa place of RevolutionN-
ry rcnown, and is possessed of uncommon
beauty. It's ten or Il dozen houses nestle
together upon the summitof high, though
gradual swell, beneath a clump of vencr;r-
Bic oaks. Except to the west, extensive
| lawns, covered with rich carpet of grass,
slope gently off from every side, and rise
1 again to oali-crowned hills. TO the west,
Immediately behind the houses, towers u
very lofty mountain spur, of conioal shape,
and densely wooded from the base to the
summit. We passed through this place
about sunset. The richest green met and
refreshed the eye on every side, the spur
was half in light and half in shade, while
the docp blue mountains rose and fell to
the north. thought that had seen few
lovclicr spots.
at some distance from the Jocasse Val
ley, to which we were bound, we met with
Nine Times, branch so named from me-
andering in such manner as to cross the
road nine times in less than mile. The
space thus marked is romantic beyond de-
scription. High spurs and ridges tower
beside the road, affording cool and de.
lightful shade, even without the aid of the
ovcrarchng and embowering trees. AS
we passed along, the mountain laurel hung
its beautiful bouquet of white flowers with,
in our grasp, and "swcet wild flowers" OF
every hue attracted our attention and excl
ted our cupidity at every step At first we
crossed little rivulct of crystal water, a
| few yards further it again presented itself
murmring over its pebbles with an increase
of water, and thus, at short intervals, il
continued meeting us like an old friend
each time much Increased in size, until, al
the ninth crossing place, we parted with c
creek of considerable width and depth Tho
mountain streams along our route pleased
me much, not only on account of thoi,
great beauty, but from the interest attach
{ ing to their names. Not far from Nine
, Times is Twelve Mile river, called so By al
, Indian squaw. Tradition teaches that tn,
Indians of the mountains had concerted ;
bloody descent upon the white settlers be
low, and that this woman determined t.
give intelligence and save the intended vic
: TINS Proceeding alone she marked ant
t named the streams that she crossed by thei
n distances from her point of departure, anc
4 posterity still preserves the names of On,
Mile, Six Mile, Twelve Mile, Fighter
Mile, Thrco-and-Twcnty Six-and- Twenty
and lastly, at the end of her toilsomc jour
: ney, Ninety-Six.
/, " A thing of beauty is a JOY forever"
: can never forget the lovely valley of th
Jocassee, nor cease to recall, with livel,
9 emotion, its beautiful pictures. The vale,
:, winds from the foot of the mountains in
{ southeasterly direction, for mile or two
! between lofty ridges The Whitewater an,
the Thomson, descending from tho noun
tains, unite their lmped waters tits head
n and, except where obstructing rocks pre-
n duce roar and foam, flow quietly an
: smoothly forward through level, unwooded
: and narrow bottoms, to join the ToxawaJ
q The mountain laurel grow densely aIon
). the banks almost ovcrarching the stream
!. and at this season of the year, their whit
:, flowers are scattered plontifully and i
!. snowy flakes over the dark 6g-like foliage
You enter the valley by fording Toxawa,
" and, in ndoing SO, meet with picture which
if you have nature in you, brings about
e haltinthe very middle of the river. Th
n water breaks in foam around you, from.
. Shoal few feet above, beyond which, fc
! at least fifty yards, the river is ole vast po
she'd mirror, undisturbed by single rippl
in its reflection of the sky, and the bcndin
n laurel. From the banks, on each side, til
A. level valley laud stretches away to ridgt
thof tower to tho akv t Tn tbe ho a L, s,,.,,,, :,