Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1889-09-26
1t was much feared that our horses
would be unable to get over these.

would be unable to get over these
obstacles and still more that our
! tUuucth would be able 10 follow them.
But on We go, over the top Of this
immense "joggling board," and there
begins q conflict for life. Joggled
and jostled, bounced and pitched
we endeayor to grasp everything
within our reach to maintain our
equilibrium. During these acrobatic
contortions we are calmly and seri-
ously debating which Of the alterna-
tiyes it would be better to take,
either to be killed by being thrown
through the top of the vehicle or to
meet with the same fate by being
thrown through the sides. But
presto!. ono immense bound and
we are landed safely on terra it,naa.
We were told that these kind OF
road beds are not uncommon in this
section Of country. Perhaps 50. But
thcy are novelties to us, but such no.
veltics we do not care to tackle again.
A very modest young lady by our side
modestly informed us that they are
called "kiss-mc- -quicks" by the ma
tives. If this be so, it would not
require any very great stretch of
imagination to make these roots of
the hemlock and rhododendron par
tice2's c''inatnis to the oscplatory
freaks which the meaning of these
words would seem to imply. But
on we go. a few miles further or
and we come to a dead halt. A bar
rier in front, huge boulder on our
right and an immense precipice close
OH our left. The CONSERVATION de-
picted upon the countenances of our
party clearly indicate that we are
lost. Then an exciting scene en-
sues. Some of our party get mad.
Then some very harsh and angry
words are hurled at the proprietor
for sending a driver who had never
been over the country before. But
all is over and we are rapidly. retro
grading our path. The kiss-me-
quicks are left far behind and again
our beautiful mountain road turns
again abruptly to the right and now
we know we are on the right road.
-Four miles of gentle ascent brings
us within 100 feet of the goal of our
aspiration.
To attain this, however, we find
that it will be necessary to do some
prccipitous climbing among the
clcfts of the rocks. We therefore
prepare for it and take a lunch near
beautiful spring of pure water.
We will mention en- 7oassant for
the benefit of the future hunting
tourist that three cub bears were
killed a few days subsequent to this
visit within stones throw of this
spring. We saw the carcasses of
the little bruins ourselves in the vii
lagc.
The ascent is made and $3.50 finds
us, field glass in hand ready to take
in our beautiful panorama. We
have spread out before and beneath
us $4,000 acres of the beautiful cove
of Whitcsidc. We arc now stand
ing on the verge of a precipicc 1000
feet high, below us and under our
feet is long fringe of gigantic hem
lock, chestnuts and oaks dwarfed to
mass of green shrubs. AS our
range of vision ascends and takes in
large scope of field, the human
figure becomes indisccrnablc. The
cultivated field, the hamlet, the
green groves, the roads crossing and
rccrossing, the sinuous and tortuous
windings of the Keowee, reflect back
to us through the rays of q beautiful
August sun the varied hues and con-
yentional tints of the topographer's
brush. AS we still further enlarge
our field vision these objects become
moro and more indistinct, the tints
more mellowed, until finally this por-
ton of our beautiful picture vanishes
into the bluo haze of the distant
mountains.
On our extreme left, Grimshaw's,
one of the most attractive and pic
turcsquc spots in the valley, looms
up not far from our background.
The tinkling bells of the browsing
herds of cattle and sheep in it's green
pastures of grassy slopes is heard
and give a charming pastoral scene
that is enchanting. On our right
the strong outlines Of the little vii
lagc we left SO early in ,hc morning,
is distinctly visible.
The lofty and isolated peaks of
IIogsback, Chimney Top and the
Devils Court House, fill up the in