Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1857-06-03
s sis miles East Of Tunnel Hi T6e scenery here


is romantic and beautiful. The Tamossee Knob,
Oconee Mountain, and other heaven reaching emf
nences are all in full View It issaid that tbe In
dians usedforperly to. come even from Alabama
to this point for epurposeof trahacking with the
palc.faces This trade enabled the man who first
opened store here to aniass great riches; but he
and two of his sisters killed themselves by drink
ing liquor, and now their memories are covcfed
over with the slime of infamy.
For long time the Northern boundary of South
Carolina did not extend beyond the 0conce.Sta-
tion anterior to the. acknowledg of our In:
dependence by the mother country, all that portion
of South Carolina North of Due West in Abbeville,
and Wes. of the Saluda was owned and occupied
in part, by the Cherokee Indians. But prelimina-
RIGS Of peace had scarcely been concluded, before
the Cherokecs ceded to us part OF their hunting
grounds, and thus the limits of Adbeville were en-
tended Northward to line drawn directly from
Tugalo river to the Sauda,- and crossing the heo-
wee at the mouth of Little River only few mi eS
below the present site, Of Pickcns Court House.
q have this information from one Of the first set
tiers of this country But this state Of things ex
isted only year or two at the extreme. The
boundary was extended still further Northward to
the Oconee Station, and the whole region of coun-
try from that down to the present Abbeville line
became Pendlcton District.
By special invitation of friend at Tunnel Hill,
I spent some time there in looking around at the
of tln
tractor, George Collycr, is strikngy displayed at
every point Near the Eastern approach You sec
little stream arrested in its wild career down the
mountains side, and made to send fresh air by
means of ,Dater-blast, through long tube to the
operatives in the tunnel. This current Of air not
only affords relief to the toiling miners, but serves
to drive out the smoke arising from the blasts. l
could see that the cavern here had heightened
great deal since my visit in February last AT
shaft No. l, there is an ingenious contrvance for
bringing out the smoke, (the same thing is to be
seen at shafts No and ~ A long fue connec-
ted with the shaft terminates at the surface in
little house, which is made air-tght except small
opening at the top. At the proper time, a fire is
kindled in this little house, and as flames can no
more exist without air than animals, the conse-
uuence is the air, together auith the smoke, is drawn
up from the depths of the shaft. The horse gin
used here does not always perform as well as the
steam engines. On one occasion, whenerery thing
was in readiness for a blast, the man at the bot
tom of the shaft gave the signal for being drawn
up out of danger, and the horses were started
round in a brisk trot as usual. When the bucket
was about half way up, one of the ponies tripped
and fell to the ground. Meanwhile the explosion
took place and the rocks made the bottom of the
huge iron bucket rattlemo frightfully. They say
tho man thus exposed who hallooed murder Justify,
but fortunately he escaped without any greater in
Jury than his fright. They arc tunnellng in No l,
and about 10 feet of rock have been excavated.
At shaft No. 2, the piles of fragmentay granite at.
ford proof positive that the work here is steadily
progressing. But as this shaft has to be sunk
22G feet, it will probably not be brought down to
grade before the latter part Of this year. At No.
g. there is q steam engine thirty feet long with
mining pump connected, and having capacity to
drain two such shafts. But little was done here
last winter on account Of the unusual quantity of
water and the detention Of the engine by ice and
ship-wrcck. They will soon be down to grade in
No.. 4. Not long since reservoir was encountered
here which threw up the water with such force as
to knock heavy drill out of the workman's hand.
Before the last man was drawn up, the water rose
8 or4 feet in the shaft. But this collection OF
water has been exhausted, and it is now nothing
more than an ordinary spring. At the Western
portal, was pleased to see that some native labor
several whites and two darkies headed by an old
Cornish mncr-had been brought into the service.
The operatives are making most excellent head
way on this part of the work.
a word as to the condition of those engines on
the mountain. They are working with the utmost
smoothness and regularity and look as bright as
any engine We ever see in a steamboat. The en-
faithful performance of duty. It is fact worthy
of remark, that under the present ".Administra-
tion " at Tunnel lIii not single fatal accident
has occurred In contrast with this, scientific
occurred, on an average, every two weeks Oh that
department Of the Baltimore g. Ohio Road, where
he was formerly stationed. The hands at the Tun-
mel are prone to indulge in jollifcation, whenev
er they get their money, which happens every two
months But last payday, as l was happy to
learn, there was much less drinking and confusion,
than on former occasions. There is now an eff
cient Magistrate ON the Hill, and the owners of
whiskcy wagons will have to be very cautious how
they deal out their vile stuff.
But am multiplying words to amost unreason-
able extent II nothing happens, will be more
brief next time E. h.
For the Advertiser
THE CITY OF BRUNSWICK.
Mr. EDlToR:-Haying heard great deal about
the City of Brunswick and its prospects, We made