San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1883-10-11
HAYS COUNTY SCENERY.

TRIP TO THE PERDINALEs-DEAD
MANS HoLE-JACoB's WELL. ETC.
Hays county can boast of some OF the
grandost and most romantic natural
scenery to be found in Texas. We copy
the following interesting passages from
we'll written account of an excursion,
which appeared in the LoclShart Echo
of July2t, 1674.-ED. FREE Press.
"Ho! for the mountains" was the
gathering cry of q merry party Of excur,
sionist thaS LEFT our town On the 9Th OF
July for the hill country Of the Perdl-
males. Forty in all, their buggless,
hacks and baggage wagons, loaded with
eatables and voara bles, made display,
and their merry calls and shouts gay
confusion that brought The country
people to their doors en- n2asSe as they
passed. Dinner was spread at Pecan
Springs, ten miles on the way, and Ia the
afternoon we passed on through Noun
tain City, enjoying for miles the beautl-
full panorama of luXuriant fields, coy
homes, verdanS prairios and shady
groves that stretch in graceful undula-
tons far away to the east and south,
while through the timber frequent
glimpses of mountain tops kept our i'm
aeinations fixed on the point of desti-
nation.
Towards noon next day we came out
on the terraced hills and ridges that
form such a remarkable feature of the
landscape in that section. Not having
geological tnrn OF mind, l will not at
tempt to account for this peculiar lorna
ton, but to unaccustomed eyes ttorms
picturesque scene, 1t offers long, level
stretches of the smoothest road that was
ever seen in q mountainous country.
Occasionally we would leave a steep
rocky ascent or descent from one terrace
to another, and then the hard, smooth,
white road would follow the same level
for long distance. At the Cold Springs
on Jacksons Creek we found most
agreeable situation, there being an arbor,
barbecue pit and other convenlences
that lad been used for the accOmmoda-
ton of a camp meeting, which closed
Only a few days before We arrived,
Words would fail to express our enjoy
ment of the water. which was clear,
sweet and pure, and only few degrees
above the freezing point. Game SEEM
ed abundant, and we conteGtedly settled
ourselves to remain over Sunday.
In the afternoon most OF the party
walked half mile to picturesque gorge
in tie hills festooned with ferns, shaded
by overhaugiug trees and vatered by a
tiny. trickling spring. Monday morn
ing We were early on The way, aiming TO
reach the Perdinales river by noon, and
visit a pool called the Dead Man 5
Hole" en- route. Few of the party had
ever visited this spot, and there was
nothing in the approaches toexcite I'M
usual interest. Oar surprise and delight
were therefore all the greater when 1t
burst upon the view. Situated in the
rocky channel OF Falls Creek, a stream
nos much larger than our Lockhart
sprinv branch, Ii Is a deep. blue, dan
rcToGs looking pool Of water. Iti5 cir
cular in ioru1. abou: seventy five yards
In diameter, and is said 10 be bottom
less: with overhaugiug cliffs OF rock
sixty or seventy feet hiEh. aud at the
49, ~ the horse shoe curve tne cliffs
make the sircaun leap over the rocks,
making tsautiful fall eight C ten feet
IL W b. Al. arouG3 sbc edges CT tie