The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1871-11-04

Aon -. Dasio WaS tAe luOi OF atl these
mountain people. and represented them
said to have given by his ready wit and
humori all his celebrity to Dapy Crock
ett.) bevyo of candidates for the State
Senate and Legislature. among whom
was the venerable, and popular James
Griffin. otherwise known as Uncle Jim
my, rode over fifty miles to attend
company muster at MILESTONE. Tho
day was cold. rainy and generally gloomy
no one came out. general fash-not
even the customary jug Of whiskey in
the bush. The candidates loi.ered,
talked 20 each other, and finally started
on their winding way back to old PEN
dleton. In long Hne stretched out, they
were in melancholy mood, doing the
vrotched passes OF Stump House Noun
tain. Unole Jimmy was ahead he
stopped and hailed his next neighbor:
warren" !, says be. ''do you ever read
tue Bible" No response. "Well, it is
narrated in some book, thought you
knew, having been to Congress, that
Assa!om was the first man who over
kissed the people for their favors. /. e..
votes, aud 1 hope he is in h-ll for It
now. At all events, Warren, it is tho
last time lit ever ride over these id
ronds Tor Milestone votes." And it was.
he was elected and served that term, but
he never was candidate again.
But let us leave this pretty valley, and
go on. The roads fork-one by EnrIe's
Ford, and the other b5, new wire rope
ferry lately erected by Mr.. Steers. It,,is
SAID, whichever road you take, you will
wish you had taken the other. As we
could not trnvcl both ut the shnde time.
we chose the lower route, by the ferry
and Dicks Greek Tunnel. And after
traversing the magni6centIy timbered
tract OF land above described, down the
Whetstone, with its falls and water
power enough to drive many spindies,
We arrived at the clear and limpid waters
et the Chatnga, and found safe and
pleasant transit over.
~ The Ohatuga at this crossing is about
lUO feet wide, q bold rushing stream.
with extensive water power for ma
chinery, above and below. Indeed. a
very short distance below occurs what ia
known here as the Narrows, the stream
being compressed in q space of ten feet.
with lofty precipices on each side, end
the current drawn through with such
power and speed as to dash to pieces the
rats and timber in times OF freshet.
Deer have been known to plunge in
when hard pressed by dogs, but were
never seen more. On both sides of the
stream. iron ore abounds, and Just in
sight is granite quarry. with q tram
roud lending to the site of the railroad
bridge, half mile above. After ascend.
Ing quite yonng mountain, the waters
OF Dicks Creek are reached, which you
follow up for two or three miles to the
Eastern portal of Dicks Creek Tunnel:
all along in full view of the road, hands.
carts and cars are bnsily engaged in cut
ting through the hills aud dwelling the
holtows for the track of the railroad
We would like for the oldest inhabitapt
to tell ms who this Dick was after wlon
was called this creek, and another to tie
spoken OF hereafter, each presenting for
ml1i5!e obstacles IL the way of rnil.
roads, or my kind of rond. Ascending
still, we pass by the house and capacious
stables and stalls of Mr.. Steers, con-
tractor, with wagons and carts, and i'm
plements generally. strewn around, and
apprnach the summit. A large number
OF operators are ut work in the Western
portal. and ii"vs a;lvauca;: half %s7
through the tunnel, the whole length
being about onc-half mile. The ram
bling sound Of the blnsts, in the bowels
OF the earth, the constant passing in and
out OF the cars, on wooden iruiis, the
CumDnng on Of the rocks on an embAuk-
ment near by, oil denoted life and
nctivity. and this tunnel is no longer ia
the Way Of completing the whole road in
two years. A short distance from this
point, we came upon spring of tue very
coolest aud pnrest water, gushing out
from the side Of the mountain; aud were
80 impressed with its quality, that we
forthwith opened bottle of Geo. Syn.
mers' 1885. and drank to his, and the
owner OF the springs. health. Turning
from the spring, we were surprised ut
the beautiful view Of mountain and val
ley, and discovered that some pioneer
had before ps enjoyed the delightful
water and charming scenery, for near by
was the remains of q human habitatior.
and worn fields. with few old apple and
peach trees, on their last legs. Being
little cnrions, we asked passer-by who
was the owner Of SO many acres. such
water and this lovely landscape. He re-
piled, that be did not know the owners
name, but he lived ut Anderson, and he
heard thst he was 30 engrossed with
making tiles, and raising imported hogs,
that he could not take time to improve
~, .l,1n