San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1878-09-07

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Lockhart Echo of July "a. lS14.-ED
FREE Press.
"Ho for the mountains" was the
gathering cry OF merry party OF ex'
eursionsits that left our town on the
.,th OF July for the hill country OF the
Perdiuales' Forty in all, their buggie,
hacks and baggage wagons, loaded
with eatables and wearables, made .
display, and their merry calls and
shouts q gay confusion that brought
the country people to their doors en-
masse as they passed. Diuner was
spread OF Pecan Springs, ten miles on
the way. and in the afternoon We pass
cd on through Mountain City, enjoying
for miles the beautiful panorama OF
luxuriant fields, coy homes, verdant
prairics and shady groves that stretch
in graceful fluctuations far away to the
east and south, while through the
timber frequent glimpses OF mountain
tops kept our imaginations fixed on the
point Of destination.
Towards noon next day we came out
on the terraced hills and ridges that
form such remarkable feature OF the
lapdsoape in that section. Not having
A geological turn OF mind, l will not
attempt to account for this peculiar
formation, but to unaccustomed eyes 1t
forms picturesque scene 1t offers
long, level stretches OF the smoothest
road that was ever seen in a. mountain
GUS country. Occasionally we would
leave Il steep rocky ascent or descent
from one terrace to another, and then
the hard, smooth, white road would
follow the same level for q longdistancc.
At the Cold Springs on Jackson's
Greek we found a most agreeable sit
uation, there being an arbor, barbe-
cue pit and other. conveniences that
hal been used forthe accommodation OF
a camp meeting. which closed only a
few days before we arrived, Words
would fail to express our enjoyment Of
the water, which was clear sweet and
pure, and only few degrees above the
freezing point. Game seemed abuu-
uudant, and we contentedly settled
ourselves to remain over Sunday.
In the afternoon most OF the party
walked half a mile to a picturesqe
gorge in the hills festoOned with ferns.
shaded by overhanging trees and wat
cred BY tiny, trickling spring. Mon
day morning we were early on the way
aiming to reach the Perdinales river by
noon, and visit pool called the Dead
Mans Hole" en- route. Few Of the
party had ever visited this spot, and
there was nothing in the approaches
to excite unusual interest. Our sur
prise and delight were therefore all the
greater when it burst upon the view.
Situated in the rocky channel of Falls
Creek, stream not much larger than
our Lockharl spring branch, it is u
deep, blue, dangerous looking pool of
water. 1t is circular in form, about
seventy. five yards in diameter, and is
said to be bottomless with overhanging
cliffs of rock sixty or seventy feet high
and at the apex of the horse shoe curve
the cliffs make the stream leap over
the rocks, making beautiful tall
eight or ten feet in width. All around
the edges OF the cliffs the,water trickles
out, watering n luxuriant growth of
ferns, that form a. beautiful and
graceful contrast to the gray of the lime
stone, and falling on the surface OF the
pool like q continuous shower OF rain.
The surface under the cliffs is crusted
with stalactites in great variety, and
OF all sizes, shapes and colors, some II
pure white crystalized formation, 9TH
ers gray, some tipped with moss over
which the carbonate of lime is incrust-
cd, and others OF the most delicate
iilagree work. On the northeastern
side large portion Of the cliff has at
some time given way and fallen into
the water the upper surface of which
is several feet above the water, and
affords an opportunity tor examining
the face Of the cliff. Going several
hundred yards behind the pool the
party found a point at which they
could descend into the gorge, aud by
clambering over immense cypress logs
and roots and crossing the little stream
several times. we made our way to the
lower edge Of the pool and climbed up
on the rocks. The view from this point
surpassed that from the top OF the
cliffs, and the overhanging rocks cast
a shadow far out into the water.
From the level of the pool the chan
mel runs ON down between the high
cliffs, End the water winds is way
,mong the rocks. with a merry ripple
rs if it felt no horror at running from
pool with such CHASTITY title. One
II our party ventured into the water
n a dilapitated raft, and being very
arm from exefc Sc took the crampI
his arms and had considerable dll-
-ulty in getting out. He succeeded
getting near enough to the bank to
,rh pole. aud was drawn out.
ere being no shade for a camp, We
uct1n,ly lett this beautiful place and
al IL II.