San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1884-10-16
Notes Of Travel.

Notes OF Travel
Eprroa FaEr PrEssi Having recently
made trip TO Dripping Springs and viein-
ity. viii by your permission note few
things connected Herewith, which j hope
may not prove embarrassing 10 the readers
Of your paper. WI
On Thursday evening September 20, In
company with Mr.. Alex Driskiil. rode out
Of San Marcos sn.route for the above named
place. We jonrneyed that evening about
aix miles, and spent the night with mine
host Col JackmAn. Here We foand genuine
hospitality and oompanionship the most con-
genial. After pleasant night spent here
ws babe goodbye to the Col and his fam
lily. and started on our twenty or twenty
Ave mile ride. Our hrst stop was ut the
house of Mr.. VIM. Good. We did not
meet Mr. Good, but were introduced to hs
wife, whom we found TO DO very pleasant
indeed. Here too We found genuine white
squirrel. lately captured and presented to
Mrs. Good. From thence We moved on
over hills, through valleys, down ravines
and across Onion Greek TO the house OF Mr..
Speed, whom We found to be an er-Ken-
tuckian. Here we took dinner, and found
genuine los-cabin hospitality. Thence on to
Walnut Spring, which brought us to within
about mile OF our destination. Walnut
Spring Is at the head OF a gorge, gulch or
canyon, which terminates very abruptly.
Imagine yourself In q narrow gorge about
thirty or forty feet deep. Az you go up 1t
Il ends very suddenly. There befors you
are semicircular layers Of rock rising one
above the other, thus forming almost nat.
ural amphitheatre. As you look upward
you see near the top bold stream of water
gushing from between the rocks, and come
dashing and splashing to the bottom. Such
is Walnut Spring. Here we paused to
slake our thirst. I would here say that
there are several such goIges around Drip
ping Springs In them, too, during the
drouthy season, is to be found about the
only water for stock. To reach this water
you must ride down very rough and irreg-
ular bride path which runs obliquely down
the side Of the gorge. After you have per-
formed this feat few times you begin to
feel as though you could almost equal Gen.
Putnam's famous ride. The romanticness
of the feat and the picturesqueness of the
scenery is greatly enhanced when it is per-
formed and seen by moonlight, as was done
by US. But to return: From Walnut Spring,
we journeyed leisurely to the town, which
we reached little before shutdown, Friday.
Dripping Springs is not very large place.
It boasts several stores, post Office, a
blacksmith shop, q hotel, a commodious
school house, and well kept and we'll at
tended school. I remained in and around
Dripping Springs for nearly week, enjoy
ing the company of its citizens, whom I
found to be sober, industrious and clever.
enjoyed my stay amongst them very
much. While here I went up on Wallace's
Hill, on the top of which is the beginning
of Dripping Springs Cemetery. The Hill is
about mile east of town, and is from one
hundred to one hundred and fifty feet high.
From its summit you obtain glorious birds
eye view of the surrounding country. To the
east the white rocky road to Austin winds in
and out among the hills until it is lost in
the distance. Far to the North are Single
Hills. Thence West and South the eye
sweeps vast region, rolling and undulating
in almost endless variety. IT'S most glo.
rious view. While here We also went one
day about six miles northwest and dined
with Mr.. Grow. On our return we went
up to school house, and on entering found
two young ladies from San Marcos engaged
in school teaching. After a brief chat we
we returned to the Springs.
The time of our depart ure from the
Springs having come, we babe farewell to
the inhabitants thereof, and turned our
faces westward. A few miles journey
brought us to what might be called the
''hill country" proper. Here you are nearly
always considerably elevated, while the
view is simply grand. Here hill after hill
seems linked in an endless chain, while here
and there lonely peaks, like silent sentinels,
lift their heads far above the surrounding
knobs. Limited space forbids anything
like an adequate description of this roman
region. will say however that I climbed
to the top of several of these lonely peaks,
that from thence might view the landscape
DER. The first to be assembled was Gain
or's Hill, about four miles west Of Dripping
Springs. These hills seen at distance
seem very regular in shape, but closer
view dispels such an idea. They are indeed
TO me) very peculiar in construction. They
rise as it were by regular terraces. As you
ascend you come to an abrupt elevation or
terrace from eight to ten feet high and very
steep. Once on top of this you, you have q
level walk of about one hundred feet to the
next terrace; and SO on to the top of the
mount We managed to ride to within
four terraces of the top, thence dismount-
ing we finished the ascent on foot. The top
of Gainors Hill is said to have once been
a point from which the willy Indian swept
the country with his eagle eye in search of
intended victims. Be this true or false. GER
tain it is that from thence a fine and most
extended view is obtained. Dripping
Springs and Single Hills to the east, un-
known hills to the north, Blsnco Hills to
the west the Backbone, Twin Sisters, Lone
Man. ETC., to the south and southeast, all