Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1871-09-08
From ths Anderson Iatelligencer.
Home Views.


cheap and rapid transportation, soan longer
prevent .ass SSsliaE ssultiiudes, who are
permeatipg through every nook and corner Of
the widesworld in searcb OF novelty hoalth
and pleasure, from tur1ing their stcpsto the
ppw unknown, unvisited ,Sbut grand aud love.
~ scenery tosbe fouat in the Blue Ridge
nodntains of South Carolina, North Carolina
and Georgia. The completion of few more
railroads by the entcrprising people Of each
Of tho three States named above, will throw
open this terra incogaitd, teaming with beau.
", wealth and grandeur, to tho public, and
tho regret and wonder will be that it was not
earlier known and appreciated.
Within eight miles Of Walhalla, there rises
the. long, level ridge of mountain, some
1900 feet above the level of the SEQ, and 700
feet above the level Of the town itself, pre-
senting views at evory turn, Of unsurpassing
loyeliness, trapersed by streams and riyulets
pS ,pure, clear, 10y. water, groves Of magn6-
cent forest trees, beautiful sites for country
houses s-within few miles of streams
sbounding in fish and woods with deer and
Pheasapts, and yot not summer house ssecn,
and visitors arc as rare as Fifteenth Almond.
ments Now and then, it is said, q few curl.
ois people undertake to do the mountain and
tunnel in a day, and actually accomplish the
feat If the sweltering people from closely
packed cities and towns along tho Southern
seashore could only enjoy the braoing atmos.
sphere, the clear cold water. the luxurious
nights, by Cheap transit Of single day and
night, as. we hope soon will be realized, how
much both sections would be improved in all
that makes life enjoyable; !. but wo started out
to describe some Of tho diatinctive features of
this homo scenery, not to speculate 0, pbilos-
ophizc.
This mountain, yolept Stump House, 10.
geed about which we shall not tarry to relate
sor create, Isl but spur of the great Blue
Ridge mountains, and divides Oconee county
nearly in half, east and west each knob hav
ing a. distinctive name, as Underwood moan
tain, Poor mountain, &C., and is now most
easily. and pleasantly asccnded by a new oud
well graded road, constructed by Mr.. Steers,
contractor, under the direction of Mai Thos.
81 Lee, Engineer
N This road carries the visitors in view of
many extensive scenes Of mountain and val
10y, aud up rayincs remark able for the fertil.
ty, Of the soil and growth aud variety of tim.
Der trees. Hickory, white oak, black walnut,
locust and poplar, all abound, of astonish.
ing height; and size About half way from
tho base to the summit, this mountain, in the
early spring time, exhibits strange, though
beautiful condition Of hasty and luxurious
'vcrdure." Weeks before the valley below, o..
the heights above, show Indications Of return.
ingspring, in bud or foliage, this belt is Gov.
cred with gteen, and presents striking con-
trast with the bleak aud wintry appearance of
tho country around aud above. The erter
prising owner, Of these broad acres, Maj
Gisham, hns long talked Of planting this
southern belt in fruit trees, and should lie do
so and succeed, it would be another evidence
Of the existence Of that isothcrmel belt or
frost limo, SO long claimod by many as charac
tetistic Of our Southern range Of mountains
Upon the crest Of tlyu. mountain, and ex,
ding sask s5dr J6n namo han tWn 'si{egs {g
pany owps s'.scV"ls ~ Of my acres OF land
once covered With valuaolc tip Der trees now
Somewhat depleted by the use for fire. wood
and building material during the work on the
great tunnel, one mile in length passing un-
der the moutain. This land is eminently
fitted for country seats, and hotel during
the hot summer months, and is productive in
the cereals aud fruits. It is also runored
here, that this Company is now Offering to
give alternate lots to actual summer residents,
and fifty acres, with abundant building mate.
rial in wood and stone, to any responsible
company who will erect hotel for accommo-
dation of visitors during the summer months
This site, even now so accessible, with such
commanding scenery and hoalthful> at,nos.
phore, should at oncc be occupied and i'm.
.proyed,and opened to visitors the next season
~ But the uncompletcd Tunnel is the great
object Of notice, inquiry and remark Of the
very few who visit it, and of the many who
only have heard of this gigantic work, un.
dertaken by the little State of South Carroll
ma With its arched way driven through the
hardest granite for more than one-half mile,
its fouroshafts from the summit Of the noun
tain to grade, from 100 to $50 feet perpen.
sdioularly, it docs present bold and difficult
work to be encountered so long ago by hu.
man, hands, without the machinery aud appli.
ances of tho present day. But now that a
now line is discovered and located, scaling
the mountain heights without tunnel say.
mig a'few miles in distance, and over $780,.
1000 in cost over completing the old line, how
few Of those who are daily casting obloquy
and reproach upon those great men who orig.
mated the enterprise, for want Of skill, judg.
,inent and foresight, stop to inquire the rcul
causes which produced this change in the
kne, and Abandonment of the large amount
aof work already performed. How few know,
Of choose to consider, that the Engineer,
nearly. twenty years ago. was restricted to a
grade Of IS feet to the mile, and that it was
impossible to pass this mountain without
that tunnel After the location was made,
mann JsnE;nr,,;oloJ IL ,,..;n on., ..~Il.