The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1892-04-13
at the place so well known as the
pic mic peH3unds.

after refreshing ourselves VIII acool
drink Of water from one of the
springs which issues from the side of
the mountain, we began to ascend the
middle peak of the three peaks which
comprise the mountain Onour way
up the mountain we examined the
rocks and found them to be wholly
of plutonic origin, composed chiefly
of quartz, feldspar, mica and horn
blende, with a great abundance OF
iron difused through them. While
some of US were thus engaged in
speeding the rocks with the aid of
our mi~scroscope, others were equally
as busy in viewing the surrounding
country by the aid Of the telescope,
but on account of the hazy atmos-
phere, we were not able to see very
far with our telescope. Thus we
went over to the side, kept busy ex-
amining the different specimens of
rock, and advancing theories as to
their origin and formation and con-
versing about their constituent parts,
while DR.. Holland was kept busy
making explanations of the different
specimens which were carried to him
for that purpose. w then made
our way over the eastern peak and
on this peak we came to the Indian
grave, thus known by tradition. At
ter examining this so called Indian
grave and not finding anything Of
special interest, we proceeded to the
place where men once sought for
| cold, but in vain. When we had
closely examined the iron pyrites Of
this cavity, we went down on the east
end of the mountain to the creek
where we observed some very beauti-
full outcroppings of sandstone and
states.
The hour for dinner now having
arrived, we returned to the springs
where we had left our retinue, and
there spread out the delicious eata-
ables which had been prepared by
our good boarding house p%roprietors
for our use on this occasion. All the
delicacies requisite for a good pic
mic dinner were there spread before
US, and after enjoying them to our
utmost satisfaction, being somewhat
fatigued from climbing the mountains
we sat down for about an hours rest.
We then went over the east end of
the middle peak, and thence on the
western peak; this being the highest
and steepest Of the three peaks. W.
enjoyed ourselves for a short while
rolling huge stones down this great
precipice. Having descended the
coming around on the north sue NC
explored one of it's traverse valleys.
On the south side of this valley is a
cave which, after a close examination,
we named the yellow violet cave"
from the numerous plants of this
specie which grow around it. Then
weagain returned to the springs, and
after resting q short while we pro-
ceeded on our way backto Newberry,
leaving one of our Seniors behind
who, being so near and wishing to go
home, andthus impelled by alonging
to see his girl, could not suffer the
loss Of this opportunity. We were
accompanied on our way back byDr.
Sidney Black who graduated this
spring at the Medical College of
Baltimore. When we were back at the
college we were kept busy along while
giving an account of our tour and
the result of our Investigations to
our fellow students. o.
The Little Mountain is aprotuber-
ance on or near the line between Lex
ington and Newberry counties, and
is evitably the result of an upheaval
caused by lateral pressure, as shown
by the cleavage structure Of the
rocks, and was formed at the end of
the tertiary or the beginning Of the
quarternary period. As we have said
the rocks are wholly of plutonic
origin, and are principally granite,
syenite and diorite in kind. In some
of these rocks feldspar is the pre-.
dominant mineral and forms what is
known as posphyritic granite; IL
others the beautiful and glittering
transparent laminal of mica, which
constitute the syenitic granite, are
easily perceptible. Such is the form
alton of the Little Mountain, but
rock are being rapidly di~sintegrated
by the incessant action Of aqueous
and atmospheric agencies. Soil is
thus being rapidly formed, but il
some places is as fast carried away
We could very easily observe the
hand of nature at work in the de
composition of the rock, and the
time will come, unless counteractine
agency interposes, when this huge
mass of stone will be transformed
into soil. The mountain is alst
clothed in beautiful verdure. Ont
the herbs, q cure for a rattlesnake