Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1899-08-30
NO. So.

out saying. Standing on the banks
of some of these charming rivers that
used to be their happy hunting
ground, and letting their language mel
lifuently and melliduously escape our
lips; how sweet and smooth and
unctious it runs. Ariqua- Zelleecoah,
Swannanoa-T -Tochsoortee. Their in
Vulnerable contests with the white
man and with the white mans power
full ally-frewater-have long ago de-
populated these entrancingly interest
ing regions of their original inhabi-
tants, and made these poetic lands
more prosaic by taking away from them
a most interesting and lovable back
ground. But enough of romancing.
Standing at the very entrance of this
romantic, picturesque valley are stone
portals of colossal gateways that rear
their majestic heads skyward, which
often are lost in cloudland. These huge
barriers stand as it were at the very
foot of the street. The eastern end of
this mountain chain ends brusquely and
abruptly, and at a distance greatly re-
sembles mans head. 1t recalls old
Cesar's Head, laurel crowned, and
stands as an everlasting sentinel of
these peaceful lands. On this particu-
lar evening it was simply magnificent.
The play of the sun through the clouds
cast upon it lights and shades of the
most weird and fantastic colors. For
minutes its straight, precipitous sides
were enveloped in such somber sadness
as to give its massive fanks titanic
grandeur. On a sudden these deep
shades would vanish and the old glad
iator would smile brightly upon you.
All the grim forbiddingness would
melt away and. the laurel-crowned
head would be enveloped in all the
glory of hoary old age. The valley
varies in breadth, but is enclosed by
steep craigs and precipitous heights.
Its entrance is rather wide; but it
gradually becomes narrower and mar
rover until it ends in funnel shaped
opening in the vicinity of the Esmer-
aida Hotel. 1t is well.wooded and
well-watered and the drive along its
length is full of beauty and loveliness.
1t is also we'll supplied with "road
houses" as some of the "bonifaces"
object to the style-hotel. On your
right, as you drive up, stand out with
statuesque distinctness, needing no en-
bellishment of art, Bald mountain,
Chimney Rock and other heights.
Some of these bluffs or cliffs rear them
selves in solid masses of rock, with
perpendicular sides, steep and inacces-
sible. The names given to these are
suggested and suggestive of their ap-
pearance, tho it must be must be con-
fessed that at times the aid of guide
is required to trace out the particular
confguration. An earthquake or per-
haps some volcanic eruption that visit
ed these parts in years gone by has
left indellible impressions upon some of
the peaks. Their almost straight, per-
pendicular walls are SCARED and CASH
ed with gullies and crevices, and they
stand guard, as far as they themselves
are concerned, over scenes of desola-
ton. AS a general rule, however,
these mountains are particularly we'll
wooded. The view from the steps of
the Esmeralda hotel is simply grand.
In the narrowest part of this valley
has been erected sweet, rustic hostel
ry. In front of it, not more than 25 or
80 yards away, is the Broad river,
from the banks of which these tall
cliffs rise in an almost straight line for
over 1000 feet. From their base right
up to their summit they are densely
wooded with luxurious forest trees.
Like silver thread the water seems to
spring from the topmost edge and to
be carried away in spray before it
reaches the bottom. The rear of the
hotel is also 1anked with high ridges.
They have more slope to them than
those in front. The scenery here is
extremely captivating. The river is
damned with huge brown boulders,
and the water escapes through very
narrow channels. There are shallow
and deep pools, through which the
current seeks a level down deep
ravine, clothed principally with pine
and oak. The cascades or pools are
sometimes deep-sre almost invariably
round. They vary from Is to 20 feet
/ in diameter, and in keeping with the
romance of this region some of them
are of fabulous depths. We have here
tradition-the isothermal belt-no
dews, no frost, which would certainly
make it an ideal place of residence all
the year round.
Apart from the natural advantages
which this region undoubtedly posses
ses from the scenic point of view, you
know also that it is not mere inhuman,
|implacable, indominable nature which
so stupendously engirdles this valley,
for you see from coigns of vantage,
even in the mighty hills, little cleared
patches that are the homes of men
the homes of primitive people who
seem to be raised above the pettish-
ness of civilization, which has be-
come over-inquisitive, artificial and
trivial. Their ancestors lived when
Pan made music in their forests, and
some of the spirit of their ancestors
still abides with them. Strange, an
tiuue men are the dwellers of the
mountains, with much of the world
old paganism, and the dread of the
wood gods in their hearts. To these
men a walk up the mountains of some
10 or 12 miles is pleasant bit of ex-
else, while the creature of our new
civilization pants and blows as a por-
noise. when he has laboriously under