Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1870-06-24


For the Rcowee Courier
A Word Picture OF Whitncr VAL
Icy and Its Surroundings.
EThe following sketch of tho delightful
country beyond us in North Carolina is for
warded by a "pen. picture" correspondent ::
Recently, I stood upon the summit of
lofty rock, from which was spread out before
me as map the Whitner Valley with its
lofty battlcments of ountains and rocks
fencing it in on three sides, while its fourth
angle is enclosed by range of low hills, the
highest being capped by the rock had Sc.
lcctcd as my stand point Tt is truly an
unique vale, seemingly scoopcd out by the
hand of Time from the towering rock cliffs
that now encompass it, where, shut out from
the world, it seems to rcposc amid its sublime
surroundings of grandeur and wild bcauty.,-
1t is in form an irregular parallclogrum, Gov
cringan area of perhaps fifteen hundred acres,
She most of which is heavily timbcrcd forest
land, consisting of meadow, and uplunds of
gentle undulation. Tho names of the cliffs
that encompass this vale and their respective
positions, arc, Sagy, (north,) Black Rock,
(east,) Foddcrstack, (wcst,) while its south
angle is enclosed by the range of hills before
named.
The day on which I assembled to my stand
point, south of the Whitner Valley, was the
18th of October, and never before did such
magnificent prospect burst upon my enrap-
turcd vision. It was o'clock in the after
noon. During the morning and forenoon,
the valley had been filled and darkcncd by
drizzling clouds that obscured the prospect,
but at noon, brisk northwest breeze had
sprang up and was sending the dense fog
that had filled the valley in heavy rolling
masses up the lofty walls of Black Rock and
piling it upon its top, where it for sometime
remained, as if held there by some attractive
power, and, to my fancy, seemed dark dia-
dem upon frownng brow.
The valley was now clear, and lay beneath
before me in prospective like bilowy sea of
glory, where all the colors of the rainbow and
all other conceivable colors seemed to ripple
on its surface like radiant waveets, and ilu.
mine the sheen Of the valley in strange, un-
natural light, as if it's source had been the
ghost of nauc. Tho cause of this was the
first frosts of Autumn had left its impress
upon the foliage of the trees of the forest,
and each variety of timber seemed !, have
dressed itsclf in that peculiar color common
to its genus; but all tinged with that sickly
hectic flush that preccdes decay-glowing
bright, but not life-like, and that imbucd our
spirits with pleasing, melancholy sadness,
that leaves our hearts vibrating batwixt JOY
and grief. Similar emotions we all have felt
after seeing the sun make clear and brilliant
set, and was painting the bright flush Of ex-
piring day upon the then canvass of some
heecy cloud. l repeat, similar emotions we
all have fet. Alas for the poverty of Ian
guage who can define them The gum
trees and andromedas were clothed in brilliant
rcd; the naples in bright carmine, shading
off, and intensifying into deep crimson; the
Spanish oaks (anumerous family were dressed
in light maroon the hickorys, poplars and
chestnGts wore garbs of such brilliant yellow
as to seem like patches of sunshine the so.
bcr ash trees stood like honest Quakers in
their plain garbs of grcenish. gray while the
tall spire-loped homlocks, with dropping
branches and fexile, spray.lke limbs, auiy
cred in the breeze, but defiant of Autumn's
frost and Winters snow to fade out the decp
verdure of their aromatic leaves.
Against now tho westward cliffs were
throwing their dark shadows across the lovely
valley, and creeping slowly up on the oppo
site sido Of tho prccipitous face of Black
Rock, whose top was still bathed in sunshine !;
but the thickening shadows suggested that it
was timo to cease labor, but my sketch was
,ncomplete. A few more strokes of the pen.
Gil in tho foreground, and the landscape pic
ture would have been finished. For instance
y w. Hills house, orchard and small farm.
beneath me at the base Of tho hill /; with a
lane beyond, running by gato that opened
on a path leading three hundred pacos across
q meadow to tho top of low round hill
where once stood q white cottage, the sum.
mer residence of the late Judge Whitner.
nought of which now remains savo solitary
stone chimney, which can servo no other use
than to revive painful memories in tho minds
\ sof, tile surviving members of that family of
Z times, in the "long ago," when the family
!, composed happy, social group around that
nov solitary hearth. stone. 10
He, who Pounds his hope for peace on ter.
Eestial joys, builds upon the sand,--
+.anInatablo :. as water" they won't stayl
Deceptive 40 brook they run to The sea.
wHtTHER vALLBY.
Valley Of Whitner! Child oftlle Mountains
+ I. How profopdthy reposc in thy cradle Of stone
while fann'd BY gephyrs that play over