The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1871-09-21
For the anderson MteYiqencer.
Home Views.
10 w.

wherever attempts are made to pass these
seeming natural barriers, the same paths ana
trails but follow the indentations made by Ma
ture herself The ancient Indian trail from
Charleston to the mountains passed along at
many points the same as the Greenville d Co
lumbia Railroad, viz, Ninety Six, Greenwood,
Honea Path, to old Fort George, on the heowee'
thence by Oconee, over the mountains, to Clay
ton and the head springs of the little Tennes-
see. At or near Clayton they diverged down
the Tennessee and across to the Hlwassec,
whilst cross trails went southwark to Augusta
and Savannah. We left Clayton with all Its
quiet comforts, on the Hiwassee trail, and COM
meuced the gentle ascent of the west branch
of the Sticoa creek. For four miles we had
succession of pleasant valleys and farm houses,
until we commenced the rise OF the hills be-
tween Sticoa and her neighbor on the west side.
We found the same rich mountain sites, cool
water and delightful atmosphere; but soon we
commenced the descent to other streams and
farms. and found ourselves on Timson's creek,
and going down at more rapid rate. Here
AGAIN. the monstrous timber trees surprised us.
Vast numbers of the largest specimens of all
the kinds useful in agriculture and the arts,
and no one to put them into form and shape
But stop. at sudden turn Of the road, we came
across a man, young and athletic, irving
shingles or boards from tree-and such tree
He had sawn off three or four cuts, "a inches
long, and was irving away. Now we venture,
if he has finished these blocks, and intends to
rive up the whole tree, he is there yet, and will
perhaps be there until the end of the year.
For that tree would make boards enough to-to
cover the accounts of the city of New York,
or the defalcations of our Radical officials.
The stream grows in volume and the farms en-
large, until we arrive at the Tallulah river
On the bank, just at the crossing, we find a
merchant with his solitary store house. We
look in-see Northern sheetings and home
spuns hardware, spades and shovels, with ham
dies from southern ash, and few spinning
wheels, certainly made at home.
The Tallnlah river here is gentle, quiet,
murmuring stream, strangely in contrast with
its terrific, boisterous, foaming leaps and dashes
few miles below We cross at beautiful
shallow ford, turn up its green banks, and i'm
mediately find Dicks Creek, of which we had
heard before and rather dreaded. In few
miles, on each side of the road, the great heaps
of quartz, rock, sand and gravel indicate a
search for gold, and farther on, the muddy
stream, and splashing noise of rockers and
fumes, with the stream carried in successive
terraces, until it is high up, on the sides of the
hill, introduce the visitor to the busy scenes OF
the celebrated gold mine, now being worked on
lease by Col. Hanson. We hear the usual
marvellous reports of nuggets and rich yields,
but have no time to experiment or verify, for
Dicks Creek has to be run out to its very
spring before we can turn down into the lovely
valley of Hiwassee. But we did notice, at this
very point, with all the appliances of gold dig
gers around us, that here was large and ex-
tensive area of rich alluvial soil, more than
one hundred acres, which perhaps, if skilfully
used in agricultural purposes, would yield more
than the gold fields, so pertinaciously worked
by the enterprising lessee. But that is his
business, not ours, for We are mere passers-by.
After leaving these extensive gold fields, we
approach point where the water is taken for
all these washers and fumes, and we enthusi-
asticaly believe that we are near the summit
of Dicks Creek. But not so-we ascend
great hill, and then we find the road beautifully
graded along the side Of considerable noun
tain. with these huge timber trees in full view,
hickory, poplar, locust, birch, walnut, the creek
(Dicks) tumbing and dashing and foaming
hundreds of feet below, and then we come out
into valley and see the mountain still above
us. We ascend, come to magnificent orchard
of peach and apple trees, all laden with fruit
-stop-and regret that We had not with us
pocket barometer, to show the clcyation-but
here it is, fruit in the greatest abundance. a
short drive, and we are on the summit, dividing
the waters of the Atlantic from the Gulf Of
Mexico.
After leaving Clayton this morning, the
number and beauty of the branches we were
crossing, induced Master Frank, who was with
us, to keep count; and at this point II miles
from Clayton, he reported IS streams, and only
numbering one crossing of Dicks Creek, al
though that stream was crossed II times in Z
miles. To this day Frank cannot exactly make
up his mind whether it was the road or the
creek which was so crooked.
But we have left that stream behind us, and
now are descending the Hitowcr, (perhaps
Etowa,) branch of the Hiwassce. We strike
it at its head, and meet with the scenes of val
legs and hills, the valleys gradually opening
and widening and the settlements more fire.
qucnt. In passing over one of the spurs or
hills iutting into the valley, We hear Il crash,
small scream, and down comes the carriage.-
l.. L Il. l...I 4