Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1874-03-19

LETTER FROM ALABAMA.

S,,,,>-,> \I,h.m. March II 1871.
w,u1y how MANY reader. Of the E.x,NIr-
~ have. ever p;,,rd over the Nashville. and
,.h,,,,r,,,,, r,.,l h,,vr.u Chartauuura and
Stevenson. Alabama. such a< have. w!l re-
member thc fine scenery a!on. tine route.
1,.,r;r., rha,,,uun.a. YOUR tram sweeps
,,,urJ the b.~. 81 /, mkuni mulntan. hpr.
l,.riu, Tru,r.,,,, river then ,hmt< "lf to the
s,u,l.wr,l, barely touching Il Wee corner Of
Grnrsia climbs lttrco,n monn''n ata heavy
.ra,r: darts through Il short tunnel ; then
wh.rI> ,iown the other side, crossing thr gulf
of ltunninr later creek "n an ron brlG' one
hundred and forty feet high; then on down
the side Of the mountain, until it strikes Tenn.
r->cr river again ut ~hrImr,lnI. 1t is wild
ride NIrunlaiu, seem to loom ny before you
anil then run rapidly away, until lost in the
blue ,limnr<< Of distance. Occasionally, YOU
see the great river as it circles about among
the hills. the yellow waters kissing tn" willows
that hang over ir> banks. Leaving She'll
mound, vnu leave the river aSan, and iIhd II
at Bridgeport, AIabama where the road crosses
it ON Il bridge nearly Il mile long. Then Il
tcn.mi!rs' rifle throls III the poor hills of north
Alabama brings You 10 StrvrIiS"n
\ curious country Is this YOU see in Il two
hours ride Il rough, b"Id picturesque, pccu'
liar, ronrantir country. ltthc hills could talk,
and the rock,ribbcl mountains disclose their
hidden history, how much We would know
that is no; in books. Then, indeed, wonl"
the wiS,l MI of the wis" appear as toollShne>S
the far night OF time would be illuminated
and We should almost catch L glimpse OF the
infinite.
Running Water is the Indian name tor Il
small stream which courses through Il deep
gulf near the foot of Racco"n mountain
Along it, will AMI romantic banks III the o','-
ell time, the Indians canlpel' Ill" 'n' f"'''
implement, employed by them in warfare arr
disclosed at almost every turn OF the husband
mans plow. Here IT wa> that near hundred
years ago, the battle OF tunn'IS water was
fought, and many Of the savascS sent to the
happy hunting ground l"or, unfortunate
unclrIzcd people. Let Us nope th"s I''u III
the next world the peace "hlch Is "c'''c" '"''''
here.
Shrlmounl i so named on account OF the
great beds ol river mu>ell-shclls which abound
all around there. " to how so many nap
pcncd to BE- just at that place, and no where
else, for miles up and down the river, various
opinions are atoat but it is probably the work
Of the Indians. Half I mile from here Is the
famous Nickaack cave, one Of the largest IN
the United States. The mouth OF it would
take in the largest church III orkvlIle. lhc
further end has never been discovered. 1t
has been explored nine miles, and farther than
that, no human eye has seen, so tar rs We
know. Duringthc war 4 Federal lieutenant
and two privalcs undertook to explore 1t.
! They never came out alive. lh''r oc''''
bodies were found months attcr"arh ny 9'uth-
crn soldiers, who campcd near the place. The
poor fellows had lost their light, and wandered
about in the dreadful darkness until death
from fatigue and starvation put an end to
their suIltringS.
The name of the clvr-Nirkalack- may
strike the rr,lcr as peculiar. 1t Is In the
early settlement Of the country, negro, aS-
sisted by conlirlcratcs, carried on a heavy
robbery business in this section OF country
! He was brave, bold and brazen; IN tact, IL
wicked 4 nero as history gives any account
Of He would knock man down tor dol
lar and Il half, and kill him for two dollars
At least, :" We learn from tradition "l'h""5h
| don't believe it. lhIs negro name wis
jack, and from that the cave WIS 'a'''u "''
gro Jack cave "hlc' III c'"' 81 "a '''',., "'"'
boiled down by the E'sl'sh tongue u ->''N"'
jack.
! This letter would not be complete without
saying something Of Stevenson, although the
f,ct that there is nothing to say, may interfere
with the length of my observations. IL was
+ an important point during the war; ou' ms
subsidized into Il railroad eatlng-h"uSe ana
three or four groceries, tanked ny Il 'c"
country stores and indifferent Residences.
! on can get Il square meal hcre' VI 'o"'''
one either 'or sc''''s ',''' '','~' "'> r. "' -"
innovation OF the 'i'''e'''''''.e' I"" , y, ''|
dollar for haSl' anu So'ne'h,'s "'u ''''e' y,
done about 1t. ha' seriously IL s'''
sign t. see the calIns-houseS coming 0'"" u
s'vcnty-tve cents. One d"l,.r was r0''SE!
Srvcnty'hve cents Is only nall roo'efy' We
can stand that.
have been in Alabama c"nS'"efaoly our
ng the past eight or ten MONTHS and the re-