Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1910-11-29

The half has never yet been told OF
Stone mountain.
The geology books give it's picture. it's
dimensions, estimated weight. designate
1t the biggest single lump OF rock In
the world, speculate on its geological
origin, and pronounce 1t among the
greatest natural curiosities of earth
But they leave out the best part, for
they don't tell a one of the many le-
gends that render it's history as fasci-
mating as q romance.
In these modern, matter-of-fact times
the grand old rock is looked upon as
n tremendous marvel of nature, and
that's about all. How much more inter-
ssting was the regard in which the
Indians held 1t. Tradition says that back
in the days when Georgia was wilder
ness and the stately red-skinned warrior
roamed at will, there was a rude stone
temple on it's summit erected in honor
of the Great Spirit, and thither the dee
yout aborigines journeyed from many
distant territories to worship and propi-
tiate the god of their happy hunting
grounds.
After them came the early settlers, to
whom the mountain was sight worth
travelling distances to see, even though
travelling was labortous and fraugnt with
danger on every hand.
And after the settlers came the
wealthy planters Of colonial days, and
here again, says tradition, the noun
tain enjoyed an era of popularity that
it hasn't boosted since the railroads
brought 1t close to the most remote.
ONCE A PLEASURE RESORT.
For In those days 1t was a pleasure
resort, famed throughout the length and
breadth of colonial Georgia, and IN the
idle season the planters and their fam
lilies made long trips in picturesque car
riaRes and pitched their camps in the
grove near the spring at its eastern
base. Some built substantial cottages
of logs and pine poles and board shin
giles. where they lived for weeks at q
time, exploring the infinite wonders or
| the great stone mountain and resting in
the cool shadows of the forests that tow
| cred around It,
And in the colonial days there was
great tower on the top Of the mountain,
erected for the pleasure-seekers. 1t stood
five stories in height. There are Few
people living yet who remember now
| it looked. The first floor was a spacious
dancing hall, they say, and the second
was a billiard room: on the third a
MACE where refreshments were made by
the negro servants; and on the fourth
sort of observation room; and on the
| fifth a telescope owned by rich planter
| from southern Georgia.
A man by the name of Aaron Cloud
had the tower built, using giant oxen to
drag the timbers to the top of the noun
| tain. They were shod with steel shoes
split to fit their hoofs, so they might
| scale the heights without a slip. Inc
tower stood for many years, and was
| finally blown down during storm
On the north side of the mountain
which is called the steep SIDE, thls
same man Cloud had a narrow roadway
blasted out of the solid rock, and along the
edge he set up an iron railing. Thls was
one of the favorite places of the noun
tain in colonial days. The people would
walk around the roadway and gaze awe
stricken over the edge of the perpendic-
| ular cliff, 800 feet high. Down this preci-
pice when 1t is raining hard the water
pours and tumbles In mighty cascade
On the side of the mountain next to the
town Of Stone Mountain, are the remains
of an old fort and rude line OF breast
works Tradition says they were erect
ed by the explorers who followed DeSoto
through Georgia, as a refuge in case they
| should ever be set upon by tribe of
/ Indian warriors.
| On the south side of the mountain the
solid rock is cleft in the shape of huge
cross which can be seen for miles 1t is
/ 100 feet long and 80 feet across, and the
rock is split to a depth Of ten feet. Many
people believe tnat appeared dl the hOut
/ of Christ's crucifxion.
| There are many stories OF the original
| ownership and sale of the mountain. One
is that a man named Beauchamp ex-
changed it many years ago for an old
/ gray horse. Congressman -. w. b. Dent
| once owned ii. .
| The present owners. the Messrs. Ven
able, came into possession of it in COM
paratively recent years. 1t is now valued
/ at 1000 900. 1t is 200 feet high, seven
miles around the base, and covers 1900
1 acres. There is rock enough in 1t to
build a wall ten feet high, two feet thick,
| and millions of miles long.
| few years ago the Venable Brothers
blasted a hole so feet deep in the side of
| the mountain, near the base. and into
this a tunnel 80 feet deep was blasted
out Enormous quantities of powder,
tons and tons of it, were packed in there
and exploded, in the hope Of dislodging
| some of the great boulders that appar-
emily cling to the mountains side by the
slightest hold But not a one of them
| so much as tumbled.
But wonderful as it Is, Stone Mountain