Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-01-05
CHAPTER I.
A Topoaraphieal Discourse.

A Typographical Discourse
The belt Of mountains which ira
verses the state of Virginia diagonally
from northeast to southwest 1t Will
be seen by an inspection Of the map, Is
composed Of a series Of parallel
ranges, presenting a conformation
somewhat similar to that which may
be observed in miniature on the sea-
beach, amongst the minute lines Oh
sand hillocks left by the retreating
tide. This belt may be said to COM
mence with the Blue Ridge, or more
accurately speaking, with that inferior
chain Of highlands that run parallel
to this mountain almost Immediately
along its eastern base. From this re-
gion westward the highlands increase
in elevation, the valleys become mar
rover, sleeper and cooler, and the land
scape progressively assumes the wilder
features which belong to what Is dis
tinctly meant by "the mountain coun-
try"
The loftiest heights in this series are
found in the Allegheny, nearly one
hundred and fifty miles westward from
the first thread Of the belt; and as the
principal rivers which flow towards the
Chesapeake find their sources In this
overtopping line Of mountain, 1t may be
imagined that many scenes Of surpass-
ing beauty exist In those abrupt soli-
tudes where the rivers have had to
contend with the sturdy hills that ma
ture had thrown across their passage
to the sea.
The multiplication of the facilities
of travel which the spirit Of improve
ment has, Of late years, afforded to
this region; the healthfulness, or,-to
use a term more german to its ex-
cellence-the voluptuousness Of the cli-
mate, and the extraordinary abundance
of waters Of the rarest virtue, both for
bathing and drinking, have all con-
tributed, very recently, to render the
mountains of Virginia notorious and
popular amongst that daintily obser-
want crowd Of well-conditioned people
who yearly migrate in quest Of health,
or OF a refuge from the heats Of sum-
mer, or who perchance, wander In pur-
suit of those associations Of hill and
dale which are supposed to repair a
jaded imagination, and to render 1t ro'
mantle and fruitful,
The traveller of either Of these de-
scriptions, VINO holds his journey east
ward, will find himself impelled to halt
at Charlottesville, az a pleasant rest
ing place in the lap Of the first noun
tains. where he may stop to reinforce
his strength for the prosecution OF the
rugged task that awaits him. His
delay here will not be Improbable,
This neat little village is not less re-
commended to notice by its position In
the midst of a cultivated and plenti-
full country, than by It's contigutty to
the seats of three presidents Of the
Union: and especially, by its immedi-
ate proximity to Monticello, whose
FURNISHED dome twinkles through the
crown Of forest that adorns the very
apex Of its mountain pyramid, and
which. as it has now grown to be the
Mecca Of many a pilgrim, will of It
self furnish sufficient inducement for
our travellers tarrying. An equal at
traction will be found In the Univer-
sity Of Virginia, which at the distance
of one mile, in the opposite direction
from that leading to Monticello, rears
its gorgeous and fantastic piles Of mas
sive and motley architecture-a lively
and faithful symbol q speak 1t rever-
ently) Of the ambitious parti-colored
and gallican taste of It's illustrious
founder.
From Charlottesville, proceeding
southwardly, in the direction Of Nell
son and Amherst, the road lies gener-
ally over an undulating country, form
ed by the succession of hills constitut-
ing the subordinate chain Of mountains
which 1 have described as first in the
belt. These hills derive a beautiful
feature from the manner in which they
are communicable use a military
phrase-by the Blue Ridge, which, for
the whole distance, rests against the
western horizon. and heaves up its
frequent pinnacles amongst the clouds,
clothed in all the variegated tints that
belong to the scale of vision, from the
sombre green and purple Of the nearer
masses, to the light and almost IN
distinguishable azure of Its remotest
SUBMITS.
MI tY,fn TNfi nf
gushing rivulet, which hurries from
the neIghborboring mountain into the
close wales that intercept the road,
communicates a trait Of peculiar In
terest to this journey, affording that
pleasant surprise of new and uneX-
pected scenery, which more than any
other concomitant of travel, wards off
the sense of fatigue. These streams
have worn deep channels through the
hills, and constantly seem to solicit the
road into narrow passes and romantic
dells. where fearful crags are seen top
pling over the head of the traveller and
sparkling waters tinkle at his feet; and
where the richest and rarest trees of
the forest seem to have chosen their
several stations, on messy bank or
cloven rock, in obedience to some mas
ter mind intent upon the most taste
full and striking combination Of these
natural elements.
A part of the country embraced in
this description has obtained the local
designation Of the South Garden, per-
haps from it's succession Of fertile
fields and fragrant meadows. which
are shut in by the walls of mountain
on either hand; whilst still more re-
mote but adjacent district of more rug
ged feature bears the appellation of
the Cove, the name being suggested by
the narrow and encompassing character
Of the sharp and precipitous hills that
hem in and overshadow a rough and
brattling mountain torrent, which is
marked on the map as the Cove creek
At the period to which my story
refers, the population Of this central
ato.-tot 30 VIRGINIA exhibited hut few