The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1882-02-09
A Wonderful Tree.

why men occasionally see sea serpSnta
and other snakes is plain enough but
what Is there in Jersey cedar to ac.
count for the following from the Clinton,
n. j., correspondent of the Philadelphia
Times. He says
| "A farmer living near Schooley Noun
tain has greatly excited his neighbors
by an account of wonderful tree which
he discovered several years ago, and
which he has been watching ever since.
he says for three years it has gone
| through the cold weather without she'd
ding leaf. 1t is q maple tree, and its
sap makes very good maple sugar.
| "The farmer noticed it first while fol-
lowing the trail Of fox up over the
mountain early in December, 1878. All
the other trees, even of the same species,
were entirely bare, while this tree had
not, to oil appearances, lost single leaf.
There were no dried leaves underneath
1t, and the leaves on the branches were
all green. 1t was with great difficulty
that a leaf could be pulled from the
twlg to which it was fastened, and O
strong breeze, which was blowing at the
time, had no effect upon the leaves. So
astonished was the discoverer at the
phenomenon that he forgot all about the
fox no was after and the cold character
of the day, and spent several hours ex-
amining the tree. H
&C He went home greatly puzzled, and
returned several days later with q clergy
man living in the vicinity. They de-
| teTmlned to mark several of the leaves
and see how long they remained where
they were. They also resolved to keep
the thing secret and watch its progress
until spring: This they did. When
April arrived the leaves which they had
marked were just as green and fresh as
IN Decent ber, and the tree itself was not
affected in the least by the severity of
the weather and the many windy blasts.
1.-The bark was tapped every week and
yielded plentiful supply of sap !:
enough okeep both the farmers and min
lster's families In syrup all winter long.
The same has been tried ever since not
leaf has fallen, to the best of their be-
lief, since the day the tree was first
noticed, and the sap has flowed with the
same regularity and profusion,
"As far as can be ascertained, there ia
no cause for the mysterious vitality of
that particular maple. There is nothing
In the sod or sub-soil to render growth
more available or make the trunk and
branches better able to stand the storms
and cold weather.
"A number of people have lately WIS.,
tied the curiosity, but each one comes
away perfectly mystifed. At the pres
ent time not another tree on the whole
mountain, with the exception of several
eVergreens near the hotels, has O leaf ON
1T, and the trunks and branches stand out
bleak and bare. This maple is in an
exposed spot, unprotected from the
winds and surrounded by rocks. just
why it is as it is battles the ingenuity OF
oil beholders. Even the regular Decem.
ber fox hunt is cast in the shade by this
perpetually green maple tree"
Walter Scott on the Literary Profes
sion. .'.
The following characteristic postcripi
to an unpublished letter of Sir Walter
SCOTS has been placed at our disposal
by the courtesy Of the correspondent ia
whom it was addressed. 1t gives in q
forcible form SCOTS weli-known opinion
OF literature rs profession. 1t is dated
February Q, 1928, when Scott was hard
at work on "The Fair Maid of Perth ~
"Will you excuse my Offering piece
of serious advice? Whatever pleasure
you may find in literature, beware OF
looking to it as profession, but seek
that independence to which every one
hopes to attain by studying the branch
of industry which lies most within your
reach. In this case you may pursue
your literary amusements honorably and
happily, but if ever you have to look to
literature for On absolute and necessary
support you must be degraded by the
necessity of writing whether you feel in
clined or not, and besides, must suffer
all the miseries of precarious and de-
pendent existence"
This letter was addressed to the Rev.
Charles Room, under the impression that
Mr.. Room, then O young man, proposed
making literature profession This
however, was not the case, as Mr.. Room
was at that time preparing to enter the
Christian ministry.