Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1913-09-03
TRIP INTO THE MOUNTAINS.
s. X. Dendy, ST., Writes of Pleasant
Time Up In the Hills.

Mrs. A. l.. Whitmire, Mr.. and Mrs.
w. G. Russell and Mr.. and Mrs. Balls
Nicholson, where my wife and | spent
the last ten days most delightfully."-.
We rusticated, ruminated and recre-
ated to our hearts content. We
spent most of the early mornings
casting our fish hooks and lines in
the beautiful waters of the two
prongs of the grand Chattooga. We
were very successful in landing the
sluggish mud cat, the red and blne
old-time horny-heads, the red and
yellow-breasted sunperch, and last.
and best of all, the beautiful brook
tspeckled) trout-the gamest of all
the hsh we have ever caught. Thanks
to that noble old sportsman, Gen.
wade Hampton, for stocking these
clear, cold mountain streams with
this handsome, wiry trout, that his
friends and fellow-men might con-
tinue to enjoy this invigorating
sport long after he should have cross
ed over the river of life. Peace to
his immortal soul.
This writer has enjoyed for the
past fifty years all the noble sports
allotted to man in these grand noun
talns. Many of my old friends who
once participated in the enjoyment
OF these pleasant scenes have passed
away and will never again answer
to the sportsmans and soldiers roll
call. can say most truthfully that.
never in all of my life, have | had a
more pleas9pt outing than | had the
past ten days with these good friends
those dispensers Of Old-time Sou
thern hospitality. | feel delicacy
IN saying how much provender we
consumed at each meal Our break
fast menu was sliced ,canteloupe.
sliced tomatoes, baked apples, q large
ham dish heoned with all kinds of
brown, fried fish, home raised NUT
ton chops, home raised ham, brown
baked cornbread, loaf bread and bis
cult, delicious honey, elegant coffee.
butter and milk, the clearest spring
water. Mrs. Whitmire and her sis
ter, Mrs. w. G. Russell, and Mrs. M.
l.. Alexander, of Ardmore, Okla, are
the most expert cooks in all these
parts. Evan Nicholson Is the finest
fish cleaner in the country. He keeps
them in the cold running water, and
ne knows when and where to cut. He
is an old-time hunter, an historic
conversationalist of ability-fuent
on the past events of this locality.
He Is also fine artist-cuts in wood
and chisels in stone. Many are the
names he has carved in wood and
stone. He has carved the names of
his entire family and some friends
on a wide-spreading beech tree.
which looks to be 100 feet high, with
outstretchel limbs pointing to the
SKY; mas cut in stone his own foot
prints and the foot prints of his
faithful deer hound. These are truly
footprints in the solid gray rocks
or time will be there for genera
tlons yet unborn to see, long after
this noble friend has crossed the
great divide. Mr.. Nicholson has cut
and carved out a beautiful mark ali
MS oWn-not as large as the great
National Yellowstone Park, kent m
by the government, where the gels
ers are spouting all kinds of bad
water, but his is cut out, with
hatchet, among the ivy, the beautiful
and the climbing, cling
ing vines. He has seats placed in it
FOR the weary and for those desper-
ately in love; has built it near a
beautiful, splashing waterfall. There
Is no finer water in any park in all
America, If as good; the floor is one
lovely carpet Of green moss; a fine
Oathlng pool at the foot of the falls.
IT Is lovely place to be, and near
this beautiful park looms up old
Oakley Top mountain; just up the
river one can see old Fork noun
tain, to the left historic Pine Noun
tain. Here one is entirely out of the
sound or railroad, out of sound of
cotton mill whistle, and one seldom
hears the pumping auto-all is
quiet, grand, sublime. In all these
picturesque surroundings, in stream
and forest, God In His goodness and
mercy has created a limitless food
supply for all mankind.
Now we go back to the house and
again enjoy most bountiful meal,
and then some Of 1.-The girls" would
play AZ, and some would be needle
liking, and Alfred and | would light
our pipes Of peace and smoke to our
heartS content. After smoking
uncle Evan would bring out his fid-
die (not violin). | just had to play
everything from the Arkansas Tray
eler to Walls Of Jericho, and all en-
joyed these old tunes.
In this mountain country Nature
has been prodigal in her gifts and
lavish in her smiles. Did you ever
hear the solemn chimes Of old st.
Michaels church bells in the historic
city of Charleston? If so, | feel sure
you felt kind of sadness; | always
felt that way while they were strik-
ing their solemn tones. Go back
with me in your childhood recollcc-
tions to these majestic, vineclad
mountains, and listen to the Chin
ing OF the distant COW bells. the colt
bells, the sheep bells, the hoot of the
owl, the sad, the shrill croaking of
the blue-black raven, the bird spoken
OF in Scripture; listen at the solemn
rumbling, rushing, plunging water
falls! These are solemn chinn an- az