The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1871-09-07

miles from his residence, to report to his neigh
bors the personal appearance and cIIa@cterls-
tics of our rulers We remember to having
heard his account of his interview with Coz.
Stephen ID. Miller, at Halls muster ground,
some miles south of Walhalla. He was intro |
duced by Gov. Earle, then Inspector General,
and us full of fun and mischief rs any boy OH
the grounds. "Wcll, Governor" says Lowry,
''ton't think hard of me staring at you, and
taking your measure from head to foot, Ia wo-
man would have said "stock," for when get
home, ! will be nearly as great Il man us you
are, for my ncighbors for ten miles round will
come to see me because have seen a live Gov
crnor, and have got to tell them how you
look, and every word you said. If [ don't, 4
they will send some other man next time, and
don't want to lose my reputation. any more
than Won do, SO talk and look your best" Gov
Miller was 50 taken with the old mans candor
and naiyety that he said to him: "Mr. Lowry,
AM greatly pleased with your country up here
and would like to spend summer among your
people. How is board? What would J. have
to pay per month for board; food and lodging?"
swell" says Lowry, common board can be
had for fifty cents per week; but if you want
rcal good Hciag, it will cost you sixty-two and
one half cents per week" "Well, says the
Governor, "Mr Lowry, what do you call real
good Hei"g" Now" says old Lowry, "who
ever heard such question from a Governor?
Why, man, don't you know that it is fried chick
en- and coDce ecery Sunday morning for break
fast' Humph L thought every lad knew that" !"
Poor old Lowry, he has passed away, with his
sterling honesty and simplicity-drowned in the
little stream that had murmurcd so many years
before his door, in winter freshet-washed
away, as many of the usages and customs of
those times, and now, old field pines grow where
his house was. These red and golden apples
arc no longer seen or tasted, and the entire
magnificent possessions are barren waste
showing that the fruits of ab>entceism are seen
and felt elsewhere than in Ireland.
One other reminiscence of Milestone creek
and valley, and We will also pass on to other
scenes. Milestone muster ground and voting
precinct, in former times, was q place of inn
portance to the unfortunate persons who were
candidates for popular votes and favor in times
gone by Here some so or 100 free and indie
pendent characters mustered and voted. Long
ago, when Warren r. Davis was the idol of all
these mountain people, and represented them
so ably in Congress, land en- passant, is said to
have given by his ready wit and humor all his
celebrity to Davy Crockett bevy of candi-
dates 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 a company
muster at Milestone. The day was cold, rainy
and generally goomy-no one came out, gen
eral fash-not even the customary jug OF whis-
key, in the bush. The candidates loitered,
talked to each other, and finally started on their
winding way back to old Pendleton. In long
line stretched out, they were in melancholy
mood, doing the wretched passes OF Stump
House Mountain Uncle Jimmy was ahead
he stopped, and hailed his next neighbor -
iWarren," says he "do you ever read the BIZ
ble?" No response. "Wcll, it is narrated in
some book, thought you knew, having been to
Congress, that Absalom was the first man who
ever kissed the people for .heir tavors, !. e.,
votes, and hope he is in h-ll for it now. At
all events, Warren, it is the last time time I'll
ever ride over these Id roads for Milestone
votes" And it was. He was elected and
served that term, but he never was q candidate
again.
But let us leave this pretty valley, and so on
The roads fork, one by Earlcs ford, and the
other by new wire rope ferry lately erected by
you will wish you had taken the other As we
could not travel boin at the same time, We chose
the lower route, by the ferry and Dicks Creek
tunnel. And after traversing the magnifcently
timbcred tract OF land above described, down
the Milestone with its falls and water power
enough to drive many spindlcS, we arrived ut
the clear and limpid waters OF the Chatuga
and found Il safe and pleasant transit over.
The Chatuga at this crossing is about 100
feet wide, bold rushing stream, with extensive
water power for machinery, above and below
Indeed a very short distance below occurs what
is known here as the Narrows the stream being
compressed in q space of 10 feet, with lofty
precipices on each side and the current drawn
through with such power and speed Us to dash
to pieces the RATS and timber in times of fresh
cts. Deer have been known to plunge i'll when
hard pressed by dogs, but were never seen
more On both sides of the stream iron ore
abounds and Just in sight is q granite quarry,
with u tram road leading to the site OF the rail
road bridge, half mile above. After ascending
quite q young mountain, the waters of Dicks
E 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 busily en-
gagged in cutting through the hills and leyeling
the hollows for the track of the railroad. We
would like for the oldest inhabitant to tell us
who this Dick was after whom WAS called this
creek, and another to be spoken of hereafter,
each presenting formidable obstacles in the
way of railroads, or any kind OF road. AS
cending still, We pass by the house and capa-
cious stables and stalls of Mr.. Steers, contrac.
tor, with wagons and carts, and implements
generally, strewn around, and approach the
summit A large number of operators are at
work in the western portal and have advanced
half way through the tunnel, the whole length
being about one half mile. the rumbling
sound of the blasts, in the bowels of the earth,
the constant passing in and out of the cars, on
wooden rails, the tumbling off of the rocks on
an embankment near by, III! denoted life and
activity, and this tunnel is no longer in the
way of completing the whole road in two years
A Short distance from this point, we came upon
a spring of the very coolest and purest water,
gushing out from the side of the mountain; ;
and were so impressed with its quality, that we
forthwith opened bottle of Geo SUMMERS