The Kennesaw gazette. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1886-189?, August 01, 1886, Page 4, Image 4
4 Historic “Rocky Face Ridge,” And Its Treasures. It has been known for a long time that Rocky Face Mountain, in "Whit field. county, Ga., affords some of the grandest scenery that is to be found on any mountain in Georgia. Large rocks stand like huge sentinels all over the craggy steeps, while on their gray, mottled sides, droop ferny sprays, bright hued mosses, and crisp, curled lichens. Far as the eye can reach, range on range of mountains rise, melting away in the distance like banks of heavy clouds. Looking to the east, you be hold Cohutta, with its deep gorges and lofty peaks. To the west Lookout Mountain rises in one mighty unbroken mass. Fertile valleys lie on either side, with neat farm houses and fields of waving grain. About four miles northwest of Dal ton, Mill Creek Cap cuts through this gigantic, palisaded ridge. This gap is very narrow in some places, and its steep sides rise almost perpendicularly. Mill Creek, which rises at the foot of Rocky Face Ridge, flows northward for several miles, runs through this gap, and reaching the more open country eastward, within a few miles, flows into the Connasauga river. The Western & Atlantic Railroad also runs through this gap, and tourists over this favorite line are delighted with the wild and picturesque scenery shown in the gorge. At Mill Creek Gap occurred several hotly contested fights between the Federate and Con federates in 1863 and 1864. Extending along Rocky Face is an unbroken line of breast-works built by the Confederates. The minnie balls, wedged here and there in the crevices of the rocks, and the broken shells found there, will, for years to come, bear evidence of a time that “tried men’s souls,” and a nation’s strength and resources. Geologists and mineralogists have passed along and lingered on this moun tain. Rich veins of iron ore have been dis covered, which, on being tested, made the finest steel. Not until recently have other devel opments been made which are of strik ing interest to this section. An Englishman, of thirty years ex perience in coal mining, has within the last month, with the labor of a few hands, developed what he believes to be an inexhaustible bed of coal of the finest quality. A company is now being formed for working this mine. It is within one mile of the track of the Western & Atlantic Railroad. On the opposite side of the track, within a short distance of it, mineral springs of various kinds have been discovered. These springs are now being visited by many from different parts of the coun try. A gentleman, who has visited most of the noted watering places in the United States, says the medicinal vir tue of these springs equal, if not ex ceed, any he has ever found. THE GREAT KENNESAW ROUTE GAZETTE. The coal mines and mineral springs are within two miles of Tunnel Hill, Ga., which is located on the Western & Atlantic Railroad. Any one wish ing to visit either place will find a good hotel at Tunnel Hill, and conveyances to carry him to any point desired. Tunnel Hill is “no mean village.” It is noted for good health, pure air, fine mountain scenery, good society, and is a pleasant place for the weary traveler to stop for rest. These medicinal springs are in the gap of the Blue Ridge that divides the waters. The close proximity of the springs to the Western & Atlantic Railroad makes it an easy task to run the water in pipes to the road, and, as a countryman remarked, with little. trouble and expense travelers on the Great Kennesaw Route can be furnish ed with this pure medicinal beverage gushing from the Blue Ridge Moun tains. From the Southern Industrial Record. “ War Scenes on the W. A A.” 5 A greater hit, in its way, was never made, than Joseph M Brown, general passenger agent of the Western and Atlantic railroad, has made with his Mountain Campaigns in Georgia, or liar Scenes on the the IF. A A., which the Record has previously noticed. Mr. Brown did not hash up a dish of stale matter, illustrated with old ad vertising cuts; but he spent months and money, getting accurate informa tion. He engaged first-class artists, and with them, visited those scenes of such thrilling interest, from Lookout Mountain, near Chattanooga, to “Leg get’s hill,” near Atlanta, and they sketched and photographed, and, from accurate descriptions, filled in battle scenes. The most careful and pains taking maps were made, and correct portraits of distinguished generals en graved. No pains or expense was spared to make the Mountain Cam paigns in Georgia perfect. How well Mr. Brown succeeded is told in the many letters he has received from dis tinguished commanders of both sides, commending his work and congratu lating him upon its great success. The great attention the book has directed to the scenes of absorbing interest, re curring upon almost every mile of the W. & A. railroad,infalliably marks its success. If you are going to travel between the northwest and Atlanta or Florida you should by all means go over the Western and Atlantic Railroad through the wild and historic scenery at and near Allatoona Pass, and amid the Allatoona Mountains. The Western and Atlantic Railroad passes through scenery which must always be im pressive to lovers of the gospel as it penetrates the mountain fastnesses at and near Allatoona Pass, and every lover of the stirring song, “Hold the fort, for I am coming !” should travel through the scenes where the moun tain signals were exchanged just be fore the famous battle of Allatoona. Sam Jones, the evangelist, lives on the Kennesaw Route. Written for the Kennesaw Gazette. Demoralized at Kennesaw. Comrade, that’s faulty Them words you say, Got to assault, eh! Johnston to-day. Chas’d him ! that’s sin, Call this a chase? Fought since we Hank’d him From Rocky Face! Lord! what a muscle He’s got, you bet! Ain’t, in a tussel, Wallop’d him yet. Two to one on him Still he ain’t skeer’d Johnston, dog gone him ! Boys, I’m afeard. Where Oostanaula, Coosawattee, Swift Connasauga, Rivers join, three, There at Resaca ’Mong the hills hid, We made attack —ah ! Sorry we did. Adairsville, Lay’s ferry, There we had lights, He look’d ugly, very, From Cassville’s heights. Next at New Hope,sir, ’Mid the woods thick, While we did grope, sir, He made us sick. From Allatoona We Hank’d him out, Then—but no sooner — All gave a shout. Now at Kennesaw — What’s that you say ? “Round him our ranks draw, Brought him to bay,” “Bay,” yes, three weeks now So he’s been held ; His claws ev’ry day show The cat can’t be bell’d. Got to attack him Right here this morn ? Let us git back, .Jim, Wish I wern’t born. Johnston been tackled At Kennesaw ; Fool’s goose has cackled, Lord, ain’t I raw. Drubbed us —1 guess so ! Don’t we all look it! Routed, yes, jesso, Squire, you may book it. What’s that ?— don’t do it, Cap., you’ll get hurt, Goin’ to renew it? Gosh ! I’ll desert. The Western and Atlantic Railroad runs through the wild and picturesque scenery among the Allatoona Moun tains after going northward through Allatoona Pass. There are few more charming spots in the south, if you take the rugged and striking landscape into considera tion. A wild country this is to travel through in a palace car in times of peace. How impressive, therefore, it must have appeared to the tens of thousands of soldiers who fought and flanked each other through this coun try in the days of ’64! The Western and Atlantic railroad runs more passenger trains over the same rails than any other railroad in the South. B» / ‘ A Wv\ N V \ / /1 A / Z \ / y B \ / 'A fSj •'thebimejtWg THE SIDETRACK. A School Boy’s Composition, f The Sidetrack is a very useful thing. Pa once bad a pet rooster. He would fly upon bis knee and crow when he wanted corn. I mean the rooster would. I seen two trains a coming to wards one'another yesterday, and I thought they was a going to run to gether and have a smash up, but one of them got into the sidetrack and the other kept on over the main line that is fastened to the sidetrack, and they didn’t have no trouble. Sister Jane was a reading to me about a wild horse that tried to stomp on a rooster ; but the rooster crowed and jumped at him and the wild horse he got scared and galloped away. A policeman told a engineer that he was a going io have a accident, but the engineer said “Oh, no, I’m on the sidetrack.” “Oh, well,” said the policeman, “I wasn’t a notic ing that. If you are on the sidetrack you are all safe.” They say that folks are happy who ride on the sidetrack. The histories tell us that the Roman empire conquered the world. I guess the world must have got even with it and conquered the Roman empire, for there ain’t no Roman empire now and there is a world. In fact there is two worlds, for Columbus discovered a new world. As there ain’t no account of a sidetrack ever being licked, maybe if the Roman empire had have had a sidetrack it would have kept on a con quering the world. Ladies have trains to their dresses, but them trains don’t run on a side track, so men get their feet tangled in them and stumble and then sometimes they sware. Uncle Perkins he said that a coach whip snake could go as fast as greased lightning, and beat anything a run ning; but Pa says a coachwhip snake can t run as fast as the trains on the sidetrack do. I don’t think Uncle Perkins meant to tell a story; but I am sure Pa knowed what he was a talk ing about. I wish I had a gote. A blind man was a grinding a hand organ once, and a billy gote seen him and thought the man was a daring him for a fight, and he run and butted him and his organ over. 6 Another billy gote he once chawed up Aunt Agnes’ straw bonnet, and Aunt Agnes she was so mad that she went and got some hot water and throwed it on him and the billy gote