The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1874-05-20
STONE MOUNTAIN.
MCDOWEI.l. Co., y. G.,
N,r;l 1-Ip1 1874

tain asccnts and scenery:
STONE MOUNTAIN.
McDowELI Co., y. G.,
April 22nd, 1871.
As vou desired me to give 4 lcscrip-
ton of Stone Mountain, now rendered
somewhat notorious on account of IN
unusual "noiSc" and "shaking" in its
vicinity. will CRAFTY You; hnt rs L
full description Of this mountain and
its surroundings would, perhaps. be too
tedious. will give only / partial one.
Language fails to tell about mountains,
anil | think MI descriptive writings
about them mcagre: You should behold
with the natural eye to enjoy the scene.
In the first place, you must know, that
live lust ut the base Of Stone Mountain.
This mountain is situated in the western
portion of Mcdowell County, not far
from the Bald Mountain, rendered f;t-
nous on account of Harris View, the
Pinnacle and Chimney rocks, and other
natural curioSiticS. Stone Mountain is
only u continuation of Bald Mountain,
the latter being situated in Rutherford
County. These mountains run y. f.
On 18th April, about t o'clock p. NJ,
occurred. think, the loudcst explosion
| have rs Yet heard, and some say the
severest ''Sllaking;" the explosion SEEM
ed fur south Of Stone Mountain. The
shocks seemed to be more severe ut Old
Fort, - miles off, than here.
On the 18th made the ascent Of
Stone Mountain from the north side. +.
and B. going with !ne. A portion of
the ascent was very rugged and weari-
some, indeed, We had to wend our
way around Il great many large rocks; a;
the weather being somewhat lcaky and
the water secping from the earth above
Us, made the rocks. now green with
moss, somewhat slippery, and the foot
hold insecure, bnt by c!:nging to the
! bushes and slender twigS we generally
succeed, us the sailors would say, ''in
wcathering the storm, and righting
! ourselves on the top" Of the rocks
Thus we make our way until we came
to what the natives Gull the bald Rock"
This rock rises about 100 feet pcrpcn-
dicnlar, or nearly so. on the north side,
and slopes backward, is situated on the
pinnaciv Of the mountain. When YOU
once get on this rock, you can walk or
rest ut pleasure, for it seems to be Ill
mountain again; there are many other
! l:lrre rocks toward the y. T.. Rut the
difficulty is, how are we to got on top:
There are many creviccs, rock-holseS,
! and bouldrrS. that we seem to think,
'.time to stop but IN indeScrlbable in
! ward feeling ITO get to the top urges
rs forward, and We generally succeed
in getting up aftera slips slide, 4 dirty
kncr-;l bruised OF strained wrist, and
! | c:.me nenr saying :. broken jaw or a
skinned nose; but fortunately this did
not happen to lis, though claim Il good
handlc to my E!cc and Il jaw, not under
! tile medium size, and by dint Of hard
| struggling. clinging to bushes and
edres of rocks-a few grunts and
rrolns, we ut last reach the top. You
may well say rest. The scenery is fine
toward the north, though rendered 4
little painful by reason of the height.
The houses look like martin boNe$.-
We can see Broad river almost to its
source, vending its scipcntine way
mid shoals and through farms it looks
like = small branch. The view on the
north side is not ;ul extended one, the
valley Of Broad river so near its source
being very small. You can see many
mountains from this standpoint. There
is Round Mountain, Gloss. Pisgah, Mil
ler's, near YOU. and away off i'll the blue
distance you tan sec the Blue Ridge,
the Pisaclc. and Alitchell's Peak: from
whose tops, it seems, you can almost
touch the hand that made You" We
seemed to be above all sounds no
forest birds sang its sweet lay: nothing
hnt the hoarSe croak Of the raven could
b., heard; lonesome hare made his
apology to lis by bounding lightly away
through the laurel. Everything looks
winterv, no sweet flowers rs yet, had
bloomed; the house leaks grew proiuSc-
! " from the crevices of the rockS,-the
growth is mostly chcSnut, Now the
Clouds began to look more lowering,
y thick fog encircling the mountain
midway, hid the valley from onr View;
the rain began to fall; we commence
our descent. Getting down is rs bad rs
| going up; reversing the action OF the
muscles. Your knees become weak
and walking difficult; 1t length we
reach home, T.. and B. and very tired.
We look back toward the top OF Stone
! Mountain; We see only the mist like
white cloud envcloping the toD-llke
Sinai of old thought we.
Yours affectlonateIV,
}. NJ. SHUFORD.