The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1921-08-27
Mountain Climb
ers at Tryon
Mr.. Dabbs Recounts Expert.
ences in Scaling the Sum-
mits of Tryon and Warren
Mountains

Chimney Rock and the tops OF
Tryon and Warrior mountains.
Some account Of these trips may
be of interest to some of your
stay-at-home readers.
Our home is about 1000 feet
from the top Of Warrior mountain.
So on Wednesday afternoon T. w.
Jr., Mrs. E. w. Jr., her brother.
Lorraine Glasscock. Mcbride
and the girls and the writer started
up the mountain just back Of the
house. Two bush knives to cut the
trail. Several hundred fe-: un We.
crossed the survey Of the Southern
Railways line to avoid Melrose
grade. 1t was pretty stiff climb
ing. So steep we had 20 cull UP by
bushes and ZigZag around rocks
as big as house. until we reach
ed Mr.. Fishers pasture fence that
semeed to be at the Top Of the
mountain, but we found it much
more tiresome in the open woods
Of the pasture than in the sleeper
part and the thicker growth. Many
splendid views Of the foothills to
the southeast and Of the noun
tains to southwest and north, we
had through open places in
the trees. After we had explored
the very top, said to be $500 feet,
we started down the north slope.
We soon found spring and follow
ed it's water course finding two old
stills that had been destroyed sew
eral years, and came out to civili-
cation at Mr. Fishers. near the
Howard Gap road. Here we rested
awhile and drank of his fine water,
and then took the road back nome
around the eastern and southern
slope Of the mountain.
The difference in the natural
growth Of the southern and north
ern slopes Of the mountains is mar
velous. On the north the trees are
scrubby and broken topped-on the
south big, tall and tropical in ap-
pearance. Some as big as any in
the Wateree or Black River
swamps. And the ferns and under
growth waist to shoulder high.
When we got back what was our
amazement to learn that Mrs.
Furnnan and Alice, the maid, had
followed us. 1t was growing dark.
We did not know whether to take
our trail up or go back by the road
to Mr.. Fishers. But before the
search really began they came
down from the steep trail, having
decided at the pasture fence near
the top that our party was too far
ahead to overtake, they returned
the nearer and sleeper way.
Next day the roads had dried suf-
fciently from the Monday and
Tuesday rains for seven Of us to
take the trip to Chimney Rock. By
way of Columbus, the county seat,
n miles and Mill Spring, II miles,
it is 80 miles from here 20 the
Chimney Rock. From Mill Spring
to the W'ilmington-Ch -Charlotte-Ashe-
Vile highway the road is bad. And
the highway from that point to
Bat Cave is not good by any means.
But from Bat Cave where we leave
the Asheville highway for the
Observation-Disclosures Highway
or back we had good roads.
I will not attempt to describe
Chimney Rock. It is so popular
that 10000 people have passed
through the style since July 1st,
and there must have been a thou
sand there Thursday Miss Hood
from Sumter and Mrs. W. S.
Haynsworth from Florence We're
the only persons we knew. The
place is so big and cars were COM
ing and going so there was never
any part crowded.
Yesterday we went by Saluda
and then to the top of Tryon
mountain by way Of the Howard
Gap road. 500 yards from the
electric transforming station, right
in the gap, we found the monu-
ment to Capt. Howard who with
his trusted Indian guide Skyuka
administered a crushing defeat to
the Indians in 1776. There are sew
eral Indian graves nearby, and
near Mr.. Fishers about half mile
distant. The monument was erect
ed by the J. O. {. a. NJ, Tryon
lodge in 1909, is about 4 feet square
at the base and 10 feet high OF
broken rock picked up on the
grounds with two bronze plates
bearing the inscriptions, and is by
the side Of the old road, but some
distance from the new road that
reaches the gap by easier grades.
Leaving the battlefields we cross
ed a gap into the heart of Tryon
mountain. Looked at from the
railroad or even from Saluda
which gives d good view OF
Rciks Haven, one would never guess
there is a wonderful valley in the
western end of Tryon mountain.
The road winds around this valley
and long before the top is reached
wonderful vistas Of lowlands and
mountains are obtained from time
to time. Kicks Haven is a we'll
! built home on a splendid terrace
facing the west with open views to
south and north that is SO far the
finest that l have yet seen.
We tramped about half mile to
the very peak, $500 feet: there we
ate our lunch and then by a grad
uaI descent along the wonderful
comb Of the mountain for a half
,,,;1o ;,,r+ lilo nornh of a house we