The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-08-07
NACoOCHEE IND ITS SURROUND
INGS.
,raox AN OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT.

tRROM AN OCCASIONAL OORRB6PON6ENE.I
NAooouHEE VALLEY. Ga, August. 1869.-
Home again Yes, alter long years OF desolat-
ing war, find myself once more at my old
home iu the mountains of Georgia, in the sweet
Yale Of Nacoochee,
"wnere the sepbsss perfumed as from the spice Is
.lands,
Mount up from The valley to eelcome the morn.
Where the asle robs the Seplyrs to elad1en tae
win sweetness that cen to proud Yonah is besne.
Ills valley of peace itch 10 every soft feature,
In sunshine or shade. In Its own verdant green,
Ills aeorsas's Eeera, most lovely oy nature
Carved out of q chaos ef Wild mountain scene.
The meaning Of the sweet Indian word 'eNa-
coochee"i is Evening Star" The nane was ap-
piled to beautiful daughter Of Cherokee
obief. In my rambles Of twenty thousand
miles, have fouud no country to me more
lovely than Naccochee and its surroundings.
Not even the tropical valleys OF The Weet In
dies, with theh majestic palms, fragrant flow
ers and fruits; nor Italy with ats Vine-cad hill
and groves Of olive and orange; nor Switzer-
land with it's silve1y lakes, fertile valleys,
mountain gorges and snow-capped alps.
Through the charming valley Of Nacoochee
the picturesque Chattahoochee Winds It's way.
Broad fields Of Indlao corn and fo.ering mea-
dow lands skirt it's banks. Not even thirty
years exile from this mountain home Lessee os
The throbbipgs of my heart as 1 return to it,
and the return to Nacoochee at this time is
made doubly interesting as brought with me
two sisters who had been absent nearly score
Of years. That white house peeplng out OF
sister) is the homestead in which my parents
of precious memory lived and died. The grand
old oaks which have withstood the storms
of q century-the trees under which we 10
childhood frolicked, are still green and annually
send forth their autumn fruit. The little Lom.
bardy poplars planted by tiny hands have
grown to be lofty trees. The modest Metho,
Olln thundered forth their youthful eloquence.
and where Richardson, Askew, Glenu. and
other sainted ministers. preached in the prime
oftheir manhood. And there too is the mound
on which made my first adventure in aeri-
culture. It was the custom Of my father, as a
means of encouraging his sons to habits OF
industry, to give to each small portion OF
Their owr. Ny broad acre began at the loot
and ended at the summit Of the Indian mound;
it was too steep and rugged to be cultivated
BY the plough; had to rely entirety upon
the hoe.
Having pitched my crop, the tender plants
sprsng forth from the rich soil. My hopes ran
high at the prospect OF bountiful yield.
Alas for human hopes and expectations. the
scorching suns OF July came, hut not drop of
rain. While my fathers we'll cultivated fields
below in the moist valley we're fresh and luxu-
RANT, mine on the mound began TO wilt ana
droop. The prospect Of becoming bankrupt
f,rmer daily became more manifest. As l
stood gazing on my blighted prospects. and
thinking what should be done, nv eye fell
noon The beautiful Chattahoochee. which makes
nearly q circuit around the mound. At the
sight Of this mountain rlvulet hope revived. I
saw that success was now within my grasp.
No time was lost in applying to each thirsty
hill of corn the refreshing water which was
brought in bucket from the Chattahoochee by
the light Of the uoon. This timely application
OF water which failed to fall from the clouds,
dollars. To this circumstance, though trivial
in ITSELF as it may seem to your readers, /
attribute much Of my success in after life.
This small capital OF ten dollars va, what
had to begin life with. after walk OF one hun
dred and fifty miles from Nacoochee to An:
eusta. Ga. in 1885, In the rough path OF
Commerce which have travelled many long
wears, have encountered scorching dIoughts,
financial panics. desolating wars. and steep
covered With thorns and thistles. At
times felt that the burdens and diff ,ulties
bad to overcome were greater than could
hear. and often was tempted to falter by the
Vay; but in these trials always remembered
the small firm on the Nacooehee mound, and
the lesson it taught me. which was, first to
have faith and o general reliance in Providence
but never failing to use ell the means merci-'
ful Providence placed within my reach. have
learned from hard. experience that sue
cess means toll. ererev, watchfulness, order,
Justice, sobriety and economy.
In this dav men are not fed by ravens, but
are commanded to earn their bread by the
sg n. or tbs brew-a commandment some peo-
pie find very hard to obey. G. w. W.