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diff --git a/old/60051-0.txt b/old/60051-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index f82427e..0000000 --- a/old/60051-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,15043 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of Glimpses of America, by James W. Buel - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll -have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using -this ebook. - - - -Title: Glimpses of America - Our Country's Scenic Marvels - -Author: James W. Buel - -Release Date: August 3, 2019 [EBook #60051] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK GLIMPSES OF AMERICA *** - - - - -Produced by Richard Hulse and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive) - - - - - - - Transcriber Notes - - Missing punctuation and obvious typos corrected, other inconsistencies - in spelling and hyphenation in the original retained. - Italics are represented by underscores surrounding the _italic text_. - Underlined text is represented by asterisks surrounding the *underlined - text*. - Small capitals have been converted to ALL CAPS. - Descriptions have been added to illustrations with no captions. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: SHOSHONE TUNNEL, CAÑON OF GRAND RIVER.] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - *HISTORICAL FINE ART SERIES.* - - “GLIMPSES OF AMERICA” - A PICTORIAL AND DESCRIPTIVE HISTORY OF - Our Country’s Scenic Marvels, - DELINEATED BY PEN AND CAMERA. - - - By J. W. BUEL, - - Who, in a Special Photograph Car - and accompanied by a corps of accomplished Artists, - visited every part of the United States and Canada, - to picture and describe all the wonderful scenery found therein. - - PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE PICTURESQUE WONDERLANDS OF NORTH AMERICA. - - From Regions of Perpetual Ice to Lands of Perennial Sunshine. - - - PUBLISHED BY - HISTORICAL PUBLISHING COMPANY, - PHILADELPHIA. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: train car] - -The Engravings in this volume were made from original photographs, and -are specially protected by Copyright, and notice is hereby given, that -any person or persons guilty of reproducing or infringing the copyright -in any way will be dealt with according to law. - - Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year - 1894, by - H. S. SMITH, - in the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at - Washington, D. C. - All rights reserved. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - TABLE OF CONTENTS. - - - PAGE - - THE SUBLIMELY GRAND AND INCOMPARABLE SCENERY OF AMERICA.— - Picturesque lands and places of other countries—Engagement - of a corps of Photographers—Equipment of our Camera car—A - trip to the Rocky Mountains—Hasty resumé of the pictorial - districts visited—From summer climes to Alaska’s glacial - shores—Excursions by car, stage, donkey and foot— - Educational benefits of the tour—The work one of patriotic - incitement, 6-16 - - - CHAPTER I. - - AMONG THE WILD SCENES OF COLORADO.—Through the Gateway of - the Rockies—Wondrous visions—In the cañons of Bear Creek— - Colossal cleavage of Clear Creek—A submerged forest of - petrified trees—Among the clouds—Devil’s Gate to Bridal - Veil Falls—The Loop at Georgetown—Silver Flume—Cornucopias - of silver—Over the switchback to silver lands—Between - towering crags—Terrific convulsions of nature—Dome Rock— - Invocation of surging waters—The highest point ever - reached by rail—A marvelous tunnel—An astounding view— - Through Boulder Cañon and into North Park—A tour of Estes - Park—Visits to Long’s Peak and Bald Mountain—Wild game in - savage haunts—Climbing the American Matterhorn—Bewildering - prospect from the “key-hole”—A trip to Table Mountain and - examination of the glaciers—A journey through Middle Park— - A story of Grand Lake—Away up on a dizzy brink, 17-40 - - - CHAPTER II. - - MANITOU THE MIGHTY.—Twin cities that sit at the feet of - Pike’s Peak—A spell of wonderment wrought by the - eccentricities of nature—God’s acres of tumultuous stone— - The story of Major Pike’s discovery—The first ascent of - Pike’s Peak—The cog-wheel railroad to the summit—A trip to - cloud-land—The wonderful panorama to be surveyed from the - peak—A battalion of mountains in review—A storm on the - mountain—Ute Pass to Cascade Cañon—Rainbow Falls and Grand - Caverns—From the Cave-of-the-Winds down William’s Cañon— - Garden of the Gods—Nature in wild riot of gruesome forms - and sublime creations—Through Glen Eyrie and Monument - Park—Witcheries that confound imagination—A visit to - Cheyenne Cañon—Seven Falls—Entrancing hymns of nature— - Legends of the Manitou, 41-62 - - - CHAPTER III. - - GRAND CAÑONS OF WESTERN RIVERS.—A land of graceful, deep- - leaping waterfalls—A park of marvelous petrifactions—Buena - Vista, the beautiful view—Sportsmen’s Paradise—Through - Hagerman Tunnel to Mount of the Holy Cross—Grand River - Cañon—Sixteen miles of natural wonders—The Grand Cañon of - the Colorado—Major Powell’s Trip from Green River to Yuma— - A perilous journey richly recompensed—Flaming Gorge and - Horseshoe Cañons—Tossed by dangerous rapids into halls and - temples carved by Titans—In a chasm 7,000 feet deep— - Caverns of Enchantment and walls flecked with rainbow - colors—A borderland of phantasy—Cave habitations of an - extinct race—Story of the hunted refugees—Vermilion - Cliffs, Temples of the Virgin and Marble Cañon—Glories - that thrill the heart with ecstasy, and fill the soul with - reverence, 63-84 - - - CHAPTER IV. - - MARVELS OF THE GREAT DESERT.—Magnificence of the scenery - along Grand River—From mountain to plain—Beautiful Provo - Falls—Our great inland sea—Fruitfulness of Salt Lake - Valley—A wall of mountains around Salt Lake—Shores of - ancient Lake Bonneville, now America’s Dead Sea—Islands of - Salt Lake—The Mormon City and how it was founded—Red Butte - and Emigrant Cañons—Garfield Beach and Giant’s Cave—Echo - and Weber Cañons—Valleys of marvelous diversity—The - Devil’s Slide and the Witches’ Playground—Beaver River - Gulch and scenic wonders about Ogden—A trip across the - creviced lava fields of Idaho—The magnitude and awfulness - of Shoshone Falls—A second Niagara in the desert—Twin, - Cascade and Bridal Veil Falls—A realistic description of - this incomparable wonderland, 85-112 - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: CURRECANTI NEEDLE, ON CURRECANTI RIVER, COLORADO.] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - CHAPTER V. - - PAGE - - OVER THE HEIGHTS AND INTO THE DEEPS OF WONDERLAND.—Through - the portals of Black Cañon—Astounding views along Gunnison - River—Chippeta Falls and Currecanti Needle—A sight of - Fossil Ridge and the Cone of Ouray—The trip over Marshall - Pass—The terrible mightiness of the Royal Gorge—Hanging - Bridge—The tempestuously craggy route between Ironton and - Ouray—Marvelous engineering skill—Weirdly savage Animas - Cañon—A railroad balcony 1,500 feet above the river—A - flight high as the eagle’s—Kit Carson’s Exploits in Cañon - de Chelle—The awesomeness of Toltec Gorge—A parade-ground - of Nature’s Idols—Looking down upon the world—Blooming - flowerland of San Luis Park—Down through Comanche Cañon—A - side trip to ruined pueblos and cliff dwellings in New - Mexico—Something about an extinct race—The Grave of Kit - Carson—Some history of remarkable interest—The ancient - Pueblo Indians and their dwellings—Magnificent ruins of - the Casa Grandes—Montezuma’s Palace—Evidences of a walled - and towered city—Prehistoric man in New Mexico, 113-152 - - - CHAPTER VI. - - ACROSS THE CACTUS DESERT INTO CALIFORNIA’S GOLDEN LAND.—The - Zuni plateau—Approach to the Grand Cañon of the Colorado—A - scene of overpowering sublimity—A Mohave Village—Death - Valley—From sterility to fertility—Monterey and its - attractions—A visit to the Lick Observatory and the great - telescope—In and around San Francisco—The Seals’ Sporting - Grounds—The Mariposa grove of big trees—A trip through the - wondrous valley of the Yosemite—A stage journey through a - region of incomparable grandeur—Wonders and curiosities of - the Yosemite—Falls of extraordinary beauty and peaks of - amazing height—The Calaveras big trees—The journey from - Ogden to California—Across the great American desert— - Indian camps along the way—The Humboldt Palisades—Lake - Tahoe—The sad story of the Donner party—Along the lofty - crest of American Cañon—Giant’s Gap and Cape Horn—The - beautiful Sacramento Valley, 153-192 - - - CHAPTER VII. - - OUR JOURNEY THROUGH PICTURESQUE REGIONS OF THE NORTHWEST.— - Winter in vernal climes—A plunge into the Siskiyou Range— - the light that crowns Shasta’s head—Soda Springs that - titillate the palate like champagne—Exquisite Mossbrae - Falls—A glorious sight from Portland’s heights—Lofty peaks - of the Cascade Range—A trip up the Columbia—Pictorial - shores that lend charm to interest—Its dales, palisades - and waterfalls—A panorama of extraordinary grandeur—A side - trip to Crater Lake—Traditions of the Klamath Indians—The - most marvelous body of water on earth—Indian legend of - creation, the flood and repeopling of the world—Wondrous - visions on the lake—The core of a great volcano—A Siwash - legend of the Saviour—A voyage to Alaska—First sight of - the glaciers—In the land of icebergs—Description of Muir - Glacier—Birth of icebergs—History of the glacial epoch— - Facts and fancies about Alaskan natives—Their religion and - mortuary customs—Oh, glorious night of the North! 193-234 - - - CHAPTER VIII. - - ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS TO YELLOWSTONE PARK.—A detour on the - Canadian Pacific Railroad—Magnificent scenery along Fraser - River—Green lakes on mountain brows—Canadian National - Park—A glimpse of the Sandwich Islands through other eyes - than ours—Down the Yakimer River—Spokane and Palouse - Falls—Sights along Snake River—Pinnacle Rocks—Lost Falls— - Lakes of marvelous beauty and rivers of torrential flow—A - trip to the 12 falls of the Missouri—Our visit to - Yellowstone Park—The wondrous gateway to Gardiner Cañon— - Nesting place of the sentinel eagle—Mammoth Hot Springs - Terraces—Remarkable formations more beautiful than the - Cave of Stalacta—Springs glowing with brilliant coloring— - Terraces of petrified rainbows—Through the Golden Gate, by - deep cañon, lofty waterfall and far-soaring cliffs—In - purgatorial regions—Growling caves and spouting Geysers— - The Devil’s Kitchen and his Majesty’s Mush-pot—Along - Firehole River and into the Lower Basin—The land of - fearful surprises and volcanic energy—Yellowstone Lake and - its game-abounding shores—Death Valley and Petrified - Forest—Grand Cañon of the Yellowstone and its flowing - beauties—Tower and Yellowstone Falls—A grave-yard of - mammoth quadrupeds, 235-288 - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: CHIPPETA FALLS, IN BLACK CAÑON OF GUNNISON RIVER.] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - CHAPTER IX. - - PAGE - - AMONG THE WONDERS OF THE BLACK HILLS.—Beautiful Dells of the - St. Croix—Scenes of the last Indian uprising—The scenery - about Deadwood—Tumultuous wonders of Custer Park—Marvels - of Elk Creek Cañon—Harney’s Peak and Wedge Rock—Horseshoe - Curve—Keith’s Crystal Cave—A trip to the Belle Fourche— - Astounding wonder of the Devil’s Tower—A basaltic column - higher than the Eiffel Tower—Speculations concerning its - formation—Crow Butte and Signal Rock—A story of Indian - heroism—St. Anthony’s Falls—Charming beauty of Minnehaha— - Dells of the St. Croix—The Devil’s Fishing Place—Customs - of the Wisconsin Indians—Making a Medicine Man—Witchery of - the Wisconsin Dells—Cleavages of extraordinary curiosity— - Funeral ceremonies of the Ojibways—Wonders of Devil’s Lake - and Camp Douglas—Through the Straits of Mackinaw— - Picturesqueness of Superior’s Shores—Pictured palisades - and frozen waterfalls—Scenery along the north shore—A trip - down the Mississippi, 289-344 - - - CHAPTER X. - - SCENIC MARVELS OF THE GREAT NORTHEAST.—Mountain scenes in - the vicinity of Eureka Springs—Legend of the Starved Rock - in Illinois—Sublime glories and immensity of Niagara - Falls—Utilization of the waters—Some interesting - scientific facts—The Mohawk Valley and Leather Stocking - Stories—Magnificence of Watkin’s and Havana Glens—The - poetry of idyllic retreats—Down through the Thousand - Islands—Chateaugay Chasm—Cañons of the Ausable and - bewildering glories of the Adirondacks—Hunting grounds of - the great North wilderness—Scenes of incomparable - grandeur—Story of our tramp through the Catskills—A trip - down the Hudson—Places famous in American history—West - Point and its noted surroundings, 345-382 - - - CHAPTER XI. - - A PICTORIAL TOUR OF THE EASTERN STATES.—A trip through the - scenic regions of Canada—Torrential mightiness of - Chaudiere Falls—The falls of Montreal River—A trip through - Lachine Rapids—Something about the early history of - Quebec—Winter sports in Montreal—The home of Queen - Victoria’s father—Beautiful scenery in the vicinity of - Quebec—A journey through the New England States—The Green - Mountains of Vermont—Description of the White Mountains— - Singular examples of nature sculpturing—Ascension of the - highest peaks and bewildering views therefrom—The cog- - wheel railroad up Mount Washington—Sensations and charms - of the ascent—A typical village in a New Hampshire valley— - Vagaries and reveries of a poetaster—Wild grandeur of - Wild-Cat River—Afloat on the pretty lakes of New - Hampshire—From Maine to Boston—Historic places of - Massachusetts, and the stories connected with them— - Curiosities around Pittsfield and description of the - Shaker settlement, 383-414 - - - CHAPTER XII. - - ON HISTORIC FIELDS OF VIRGINIA AND PENNSYLVANIA.—From the - Blue Grass Regions to the Shenandoah—Scenery of the - Kanawha River and Blue Ridge Mountains—Marvelous Natural - Bridge of Virginia—Some remarkable scenes in East - Tennessee—Pen-pictures of some of the mountaineers—War - memories that are fast fading—The Great Smoky Mountains— - Portraitures of North Carolinians, and some typical farm - scenes—Scenery about Asheville—A tragic story of the - ascent of Mount Mitchell—A visit to Luray Caverns—Beauties - of the Under-world that dazzle with their splendor— - Descriptions of the subterranean chambers—Valley of the - Shenandoah—Memorable battle-fields—Down the Juniata— - Scenery of the Susquehanna—Visit to a land of waterfalls - beyond the Water Gap, 415-448 - - - CHAPTER XIII. - - THROUGH LANGUOROUS LANDS OF THE SUNNY SOUTH.—A visit to the - Gettysburg battle-field—Through the Wilderness of - Virginia—Scene of the closing event of the war—From - Fortress Monroe to the Dismal Swamp—Story of Nat Turner’s - Insurrection—A Dream of the Old Cabin Home—From Georgia to - the orange lands of Florida—Olden times in St. Augustine—A - boat journey down Indian River, into a land of perpetual - bloom—Visions of tropic beauty and luxuriance—A trip on - St. John’s River, and on the Ocklawaha—Alligators, snakes, - and other slimy things—Marvels of Silver Spring—’Way Down - Upon the Suwanee River—From Mobile to New Orleans—A trip - to Mammoth Cave—Descriptions of its subterranean wonders—A - tour of Wyandotte Cave—Magnificence of its halls, in which - the splendors of Aladdin’s Cavern are reproduced— - Conclusion, 449-503 - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: BERYL SPRINGS AND CLEOPATRA TERRACE, YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL -PARK.] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - GLIMPSES OF AMERICA. - - -The most interesting, because most diversified, country in the world is -America, and the center of that unexampled interest belongs to the -territory comprised within the United States. The castles of England, -crushed by the hand of time; the lochs and friths of Scotland, that -murmur to the sea their wails of the Viking invaders; the lakes and -heaths of Ireland, around which old legends hold perpetual carnival; the -Rhine of Germany, whose banks are strewn with the relics of feudalism; -the Bernese Alps, that flaunt their whitened locks like aged giants -taunting the walled cities about which the sound of battle still seems -to linger; the red glare of Vesuvius, wrestling with fiery wrath in mad -ambition to overwhelm the cities built upon her ashes; the roar and -blaze of Ætna, that growls with the voice of Polyphemus thirsting for -the life of Ulysses; the hills of Greece, on which a thousand gods held -council; the welling breast of Mother Nile, carrying to the sea -remembrances of her ancient children; the Holy Land, blooming with -sacred memories that fill the human heart with fragrance; the mighty -peaks of Himalayas, piercing the heavens with frosted heads and draped -with the fogs of centuries; the plains of Asshur, where Babylon stood, -and the wrath of God was kindled. All these, and more, speak with siren -tongue to lure the traveler and give him appetite for history. But, if -we except the associations which make these places of the Old World -memorable, the student of nature will find a thousand greater charms in -the picturesque, grand, marvelous and sublime scenery that diversifies -our own country. No picture has ever equaled the real, and no book has -ever vividly described the wonders that God has scattered over the -American landscape. We have had glimpses of mountain, plain, lake, river -and cañon, but they have been little more than shadows of the reality, -an intimation of a grandeur almost too great to depict. But as great -telescopes have brought within our vision surprising views of other -worlds, the rings of Saturn, the seas of Mars, and the burnt-out craters -of the Moon, so has inventive genius been active in delineating the -physical features of the earth, and through the perfection of -photography we are now practically enabled to take the world in our hand -and examine it with the same convenience that we can an orange. Travel -is no longer necessary for the masses in order to behold the marvels of -American scenery, for the camera has gathered them all and lays every -inspiring scene upon even the poor man’s table, to minister to the -delight of his family circle. But photography likewise blesses the -traveler, for study of the picture establishes acquaintanceship with -that which is represented, while accompanying description quickens his -understanding and gives a more intelligent conception of the pictorial -subject. - -It has been my good fortune to make many trips across the continent over -the various railway lines; and business and pleasure have taken me -during the past several years to nearly all the accessible parts of the -country, reached by rail, boat or stage-coach. Always an admirer of -nature, I have longed for the means to sketch or photograph the imposing -scenery which caught my enraptured eye as I hurried by. This ambition -prompted the really stupendous undertaking whose fruitage is now offered -to the public in all its delicious flavor, in the form of a book as -herewith submitted. - -How the photographic views herein reproduced were obtained may be thus -briefly told, and is well worthy the relation: This book was conceived -more than half a dozen years ago, but a press of other engagements -caused a postponement of any effort at its preparation until the spring -of 1890, when the publishers engaged a corps of artists, consisting of -three of the best out-door photographers in the country. A passenger car -was next chartered, which was remodeled so as to provide comfortable -sleeping quarters for the men in one end, a kitchen in the other, while -the center was fitted up as an operating-room for taking, developing and -finishing pictures. Three cameras, of as many sizes, were also provided, -with three thousand prepared plates, and a great quantity of -paraphernalia which might be found useful for the expedition. - -[Illustration: A FAMILY OF PUEBLO INDIANS, NEW MEXICO.] - -Thus equipped, our photographic party left St. Louis early in May, going -directly west to Denver, from which point we made excursions to all the -near-lying parks, thence to Manitou, and by way of the Colorado Midland -to Salt Lake. Our work about Salt Lake occupied considerable time, and -after leaving there we proceeded to Weber Cañon and then by way of the -Union Pacific to Shoshone Falls. We next returned by way of the Denver -and Rio Grande Railroad, making a sweep southward, through Ouray and the -Valley of the Gunnison, over Marshall Pass and to Pueblo by way of the -Royal Gorge. Our party divided several times in order to cover the -territory more expeditiously, and in making the trip into New Mexico one -part entered by way of Trinidad from Pueblo and the other traveled -directly south through Antonito, forming a junction again at Santa Fe. - -Some weeks were spent traveling off the line of road among the ruined -villages of the Cliff-Dwellers, and in photographing the more rugged -scenery of the Rio Grande River. Then we continued our journey westward -over the Atlantic and Pacific and the Southern Pacific Railroads to -California, where nearly three months were spent among the towns, -Yosemite Valley, Big Trees and mountains of that summer-land. On the -appearance of spring we traveled north by way of the California and -Oregon Railroad, still making side trips by stage-coach and wagon, to -Portland, from which point excursions were made up the Columbia and -Willamette Rivers. At Victoria, British Columbia, we took steamer for -Alaska, and returning we passed through the Cascade Range over the -Northern Pacific, working our way back east. But we continued to make -detours a long way off the main line of road, thus visiting the Falls of -the Missouri, the Black Hills, the Custer battle-field, Devil’s Tower, -and Yellowstone National Park, in which latter wonderland we spent two -weeks photographing its scenery and extraordinary formations. - -[Illustration: “WHALE-BACK” BOAT of the NORTHERN LAKES.] - -More than three-fourths of the grandest views were inaccessible by rail, -so other means of travel had to be adopted. Often it was by stage-coach, -but frequently donkeys were our sole reliance; and when these little -animals could not carry us to the most rugged points, we shouldered our -instruments and scrambled to the peaks and abysses of necessary -observation. The difficulties, dangers and hardships thus encountered -were both great and numerous, while the expense involved was so far -beyond our first calculations, that had it been anticipated in the -beginning the enterprise would certainly never have been undertaken. - -[Illustration: GOVERNOR’S RESIDENCE, PUEBLO OF TESUQUE, NEW MEXICO.] - -We resumed our eastward journey thence to Superior Lake, Dells of the -St. Croix, rapids of the Wisconsin, lakes and waterfalls of Minnesota, -the Upper Mississippi through Lake Pepin, and back to St. Louis, the -entire trip occupying more than eighteen months. - -[Illustration: THE URNS, MANITOU PARK.] - -Our camera car had served our purposes in a most gratifying manner while -making the long tour of the West, but in the eastern tour, which -remained to be performed, it was considered that the car would be of no -special advantage, since accommodations are so much more easily obtained -in the built-up sections of the East than in the thinly and sometimes -totally unsettled districts of the West, where in many cases our car was -our only shelter. The journey east was begun in October, from St. Louis -to Chicago, thence to Niagara Falls, and then up the St. Lawrence. Our -route next lay through the Green and White Mountains, and other famous -sections of the New England States; thence west into the Adirondacks, -Mohawk Valley and Lakes George and Champlain, then down the picturesque -Hudson into the Catskills. Continuing our journey southward, we visited -the points of grandest scenery in Virginia, North Carolina, and Eastern -Tennessee, and then proceeded on to Florida, where a part of the winter -was spent photographing everything worthy of a place in this volume. On -the return trip Mammoth Cave in Kentucky, and Wyandotte Cave, in -Indiana, received our attention, as well as other interesting places -along the way, and early in February our labors were ended by a return -to St. Louis to put the results in book form. Nearly all the descriptive -writing was done while our party was on the way, and while the -impressions produced by the glorious visions were fresh in the author’s -mind. This work, accordingly, is practically one of inspiration, the -whole constituting a story of extraordinary interest and a history of -incomparable value. - -[Illustration: ON THE OCKLAWAHA RIVER, FLORIDA.] - -Illustrations, however fine, whether of wood or steel, represent the -artist’s conceptions, dashed with an individual coloring that prevents a -natural reproduction. The painter sketches his landscape from a special -point of view, and working many days blends the sunrise with midday and -sunset, the mists of morning with the clouds of noon, thus striving to -please the eye rather than to truthfully present nature, without -artificial adornments. - -Photography, on the other hand, is the mirror which reflects nature in -all her changeful moods; the absolutely faithful reproducer of her every -aspect, exhibiting her in her every-day garb, noting the disfigurements -with no less fidelity than the sublime graces which she exhibits and all -the widely diversified physical features which render her countenance so -variable that admirer and scoffer alike find reason for urging their -claims. No other attempt has ever been made to so perfectly picture the -wonders of America, and the work has been so thoroughly accomplished -that it is confidently believed no one, however great his ambition or -lavish his expense, will be able to add anything to the completeness of -our undertaking, as here submitted. Whatever may be the measure of -deserving of the descriptive part of this book, certainly the -photographic illustrations are worthy of all praise as fulfilling the -conditions of masterpieces of American scenery, while the publishers are -entitled to most generous public recognition for conceiving and so -liberally endowing an enterprise, which has flowered in the fragrance -and beauty of this exquisite work. - -[Illustration: ON THE SUMMIT OF MOUNT TACOMA, WASHINGTON.] - -It is seemly to add that our tour was made wholly at the expense of the -publishers. Free transportation was offered us over all the railroads on -which we traveled, but all such courtesies were uniformly refused, -because an acceptance would have placed us under obligations to manifest -some favoritism, and thus interfere with the declared purpose of the -publishers to issue a work on American scenery in which the views and -descriptions should be given truthfully, and without partiality. We -therefore selected the routes which promised most satisfactory results, -without regard to personal convenience, having in view the ambition to -present and describe the most interesting, if not always the most -famous, scenery of our country, and in so doing produce a work of which -all Americans, like the publishers, may be justly proud. In this our -celebrant year such a book is particularly appropriate, and the hope of -the publishers, as it is of the author, is that our ambitious and worthy -enterprise may find a warm welcome at the fireside of every American -family. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: VIEW OF FORT WRANGEL, ALASKA.] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - CHAPTER I. - AMONG THE WILD SCENES OF COLORADO. - - “Go abroad - Upon the paths of Nature, and when all - Its voices whisper, and its silent things - Are breathing the deep mystery of the World, - Kneel at its ample altar.” - - -[Illustration: PIKE’S PEAK FROM COLORADO SPRINGS.] - -Enthusiasm sometimes exaggerates the reality, just as colored glass -confuses the sight; but when it serves to please without doing harm, the -fault may be pardoned. To the enthusiasm of the occasion, and our great -and unique enterprise, may therefore be charged the burst of admiration -that manifested our feelings, when, rolling along the prairies on the -Union Pacific R. R., we saw, rising far to the southwest, nearly one -hundred miles away, the broad shoulders of Pike’s Peak, breaking into -russet above the clouds and showing a head of saffron, mellowed by the -soft rays of a sun just falling into the deep valleys of the Occident. -It was the chief object to chain our attention for the while, and this -first impression awakened most delightful anticipations of the work -which lay before us. A few hours later we were in Denver, making final -preparations for a photographing tour of the picturesque West. -Fortunately, our arrangements were so nearly complete upon leaving St. -Louis that only a short stay in Denver was necessary, and it was with -eager desire that we had our car attached to a Union Pacific train and -started for the heart of the Rockies. The long range of mountains, -rising into sharp peaks, and again spreading their tops into truncated -cones, elbowing and pushing each other like a brigade in too close -quarters at parade-rest, are only fifteen miles from Denver, forming a -grand background to an immense expanse of prairie landscape. Starting on -the Colorado Central Branch of the Union Pacific, we soon pass through -the gate-way of the Rockies; thence on to Golden, a beautiful mining -town that nestles in the bed of a dried-up lake, and looks up with -pleasing satisfaction to the guardian gods of North and South Table -Mountains. Here a stop is made for a trip up Bear Creek Cañon, which is -reached by stage, by which conveyance the traveler is trundled into a -gorge of surpassing beauty and noble grandeur. Through this great gash -the water dashes, swollen by melting snows, and fed by a thousand -sources. On either side the frowning and dusky walls, weaving a tortuous -way like the path of a drunken giant, rear up their castellated heads -until they remind us of the walled cities of Jericho, over which -Joshua’s spies were lowered by Rahab. - -[Illustration: MARSHALL FALLS, CLEAR CREEK CAÑON.] - -Only a few miles from Golden is Clear Creek Cañon, another wondrous -cleavage wrought by water that goes tumbling through the passage with -rumble of breakers and roar of waterfall. The walls of the cañon rise -perpendicularly to varying heights of 500 to 1,500 feet, and at places -approach so near to each other that an observer looking upward from the -cavernous depths can see only a thin strip of blue sky. Away up on the -brows of the parallel cliffs are large trees that look like feather -dusters, and little streams of liquid silver appear in the distance to -be pouring their contributions from crevice and apex to swell the mad -creek that rushes with complaining voice down the age-swept gorge. Along -this water-bed was formerly the roadway, or trail, used by freight- -wagons and stage-coaches, but it is now become the exclusive -thoroughfare of the Central Branch, so that the magnificent view which -the cañon affords is before the eyes of railroad travelers. - -Less than three miles from Georgetown is Green Lake, an exquisite body -of water which has been very appropriately called the Gem of the -Mountain. Its translucent depths are animated by myriads of trout that -are tinged by the green waters to the color of emeralds, while away down -in its profound recesses is distinguishable a forest of stately trees -which has been swept into the lake by some glacial avalanche. Not a -branch appears to have been broken or a position disturbed, for the -trees stand boldly upright in all their original gracefulness, but -through calcareous depositions, that are a peculiarity of this lake, -they have been converted into stone. Thus it is a submerged forest of -petrified trees. - -Looking beyond the lake we perceive, some seven miles away, the famous -Argenta Pass, the summit of which is reached by the highest wagon-road -in the world, and from this elevation an almost boundless and -marvelously picturesque view may be had, stretching away to the west as -far as Holy Cross Mount, and eastward to the prairies of Kansas. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: A VIEW OF PIKE’S PEAK.] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -But we have now reached the backbone of the divide and our train starts -down the western grade, circling like a hawk out of the sky. Over -immense fills, through deep cuts, across bridges, following a swiftly- -flowing stream, until at length we gain the level valley and go dashing -away to Graymont, on the way to Idaho Springs and Georgetown. To avoid -tunneling in crossing the divide, the railroad winds around the mountain -elevations, up a steep grade, over a way that has been blasted out of -the eternal rocks, until from away up the lofty sides the traveler may -look upon a scene of marvelous beauty and ruggedness that fades into -indistinctness miles below. Leaning out of the car window we view a -wondrous panorama, and pause directly to bring our cameras into use, -that the scene may be caught and held on paper. There on one side of the -depths is Devil’s Gate, in close proximity, as it seems, to Bridal Veil -Falls, where the clear mountain stream plunges over a precipice of great -height to join the gamboling creek that rushes away on its errand -hundreds of feet below. There, too, is a spider’s web of steel, eighty- -six feet high, that has served as a passage-way for our train across a -chasm 300 feet wide, whose bottom can scarcely be distinguished from our -lofty eminence; but we see that the track makes a complete loop, and -that the road parallels itself, at a constantly increasing grade, no -less than three times. All the while that we are winding around and -crossing our own track, Georgetown continues visible, but it is dwarfed -by the distance to the appearance of a prairie-dog village. - -[Illustration: CHALK CLIFFS, CLEAR CREEK CAÑON.] - -The picturesqueness of the route now changes from wild scenery of lofty -mountain and the dark awesomeness of deep cañon, to a park-like -landscape, through tillable lands, and on to Silver Plume, a great feat -of mining engineering, and beautiful beyond description. Gray’s Peak -rises like a giant phantom a few miles beyond, and becomes a charming -signet in the ring of park and town of Graymont that lies near its feet. - -Returning east a distance of twenty miles, a junction is reached at -Fork’s Creek, where another branch of the Union Pacific leads to Central -City and Black Hawk. Here a marvelous thing is to be seen: The two towns -are only a mile apart, measured by a straight line, yet so fearfully -rugged is the territory to be traversed that the distance by rail -between the places is four miles, and this interval is covered by means -of a “Switch Back,” so called because of the tortuous route and the -extraordinary grades. All along this vicinity are famous mines, and a -wealth of mining machinery, that converts the country into a maze of -industry, and the mountains into smoking mills and cornucopias of -silver. In this mountainous region all roads seem to radiate from -Denver, and hence to reach other charming scenery by means of our camera -car, it was necessary to return again for a trip to Gunnison, which is -on the South Park Branch. But in order to facilitate our work it was -decided to divide our party, so that one photographer might proceed to -Gunnison, while the other two took the northwest route to Estes and -Middle Park, where a larger amount of work was to be done, and which -could be reached only by stage. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: A VIEW OF PLATTE CAÑON.] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: ARGENTA FALLS.] - -Continuing our trip, therefore, towards the southwest, our first stop -was in Platte Cañon, which is twenty miles from Denver, and there many -exquisite views were taken. This cañon, formed by the Platte River, -resembles Clear Creek Cañon, but is longer and somewhat wilder. The -route is over Kenosha Hill, which is Alpine in its grandeur, and so -rugged that the road is as sinuous as the trail of a serpent. The cañon -spreads at places until it runs between gradually sloping steeps, but -again the walls draw closer, and rise perpendicularly to a sheer height -of a thousand feet, excluding the sunlight except as it is strained at -times through a narrow rift, until it looks like a pencil of light -cleaving the pall of night. What mighty forces were gathered here in the -age of the world’s infancy! what terrific convulsions and frenzied -spasms of nature that rent in twain the earth’s envelope and left cañons -and mountains where once were lake and plain! - -Along the way rushes the impetuous Platte River, that has torn and -eroded a great fissure through the rocks, and in so doing has left many -wonderful incongruities to mark its eccentricity as well as power. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: ALONG THE BREAST OF THE CAÑON WALLS OF THE RIO DE LOS -ANIMAS, COLORADO.] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: BRIDAL VEIL FALLS, NEAR DEVIL’S GATE.] - -Dome Rock is one of the conspicuous curiosities in the cañon, resembling -as it does, the top of a mosque that has sunk just behind the wall of -beetling cliff, leaving a graceful dome as its burial monument. But all -along, at frequent intervals, spires, with cathedral proportions, shoot -skyward, lending an appearance not unlike a vast row of churches, where -we may fancy nature worships, and the roar of waters is a perpetual -hymnal invocation. On the same route, fifty miles from Platte Cañon, is -the Alpine Tunnel, which is reached by the road winding about and upward -until a height of 11,600 feet is gained, when, suddenly, the train makes -an abrupt turn, and leaps into the very bowels of a mountain from which -it emerges after many minutes on the other side, and then descends -towards the Pacific. This tunnel is one of the most remarkable in all -the world. It is at the highest point ever reached by any railroad in -America, and in the center of its 1,773 feet of length is the dividing -line of altitude between the two oceans. The boring of this mighty -channel not only involved the naturally stupendous labor of digging -through a mountain, but the work was rendered a hundred fold more -difficult by reason of the rare atmosphere in which the workmen had to -labor. In addition to this, 70,000 linear feet of California redwood was -required for the inside bracing, and this had to be brought up the -mountain side on the backs of burros, the only animals of burden that -could make the ascent. It was a remarkable undertaking; its -accomplishment was very like a miracle. - -As we emerge from the tunnel, and creep around the perpendicular side of -the mountain on a roadway barely wide enough to accommodate a single -train of cars, a bewilderingly magnificent panorama opens to us. Away -towards the southwest, one hundred and fifty miles, we observe the lofty -and regular heads of the San Juan range, while a little further west we -are able to distinguish Uncompaghre Peak, that looks down with benignant -aspect upon the town of Ouray. There, too, is the green and happy valley -of the Gunnison, towards the end of which we see Elk Mountains and their -chief peaks, Mount Gothic and Crested Butte. - -At this great height the snow lies packed in the deep crevices all -summer through, while upon its borders may be seen beautiful flowers -nodding their bright heads in the delightful wind that plays about the -peak. Now we go down the mountain side with brakes set, marveling all -the way at the natural wonders which have been strewn by some Titanic -hand along the route. There, on the right, are the Palisades, which -might be called sculptured rocks, so graceful and artistic that they -appear to be the creation of the great Phidias, or pupils of his school. -Further on lies Quartz Valley, like a pearl nestling in depths far below -the angry waves of giant mountains. Now we cross Quartz Creek, where -nature laughs with blossoms and fruitage, through Uncompaghre, around -Hair-Pin Curve, with the Fossil range to our right, by Juniata Hot -Springs, and at length arrive at Gunnison. We are now in the midst of -the most magnificent mountain scenery, and in the heart of a great -mining country, where there is bustle above ground and activity and -visions of amazing wealth underneath. The town is at an elevation of -more than 7,000 feet, but many peaks rise high above it, from which -extensive views may be had of the Elk Mountain, San Juan and Uncompaghre -ranges, while to the southwest a beautiful valley stretches away to mark -the devious path of the Gunnison River. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: VALLEY OF THE GUNNISON, NEAR SAPINERO.] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: THE LOOP NEAR GEORGETOWN.] - -Having taken many views of this famous region, we turned back again to -Denver, and from that point of radiation started for North Park. Our -route was by way of Boulder, at which place we took the narrow-gauge -road for Fort Collins. A few miles from Boulder is Boulder Cañon, a -stupendous mountain gorge seventeen miles long, and in places the walls -rise to almost the incredible height of 3,000 feet. The falls of Boulder -Creek are not without interest, but the mightiness and awful grandeur of -the granite cañon weighs so heavily upon the startled perceptions of the -spectator, that even the roar of water-fall is scarcely heard, all the -five senses being concentrated in that of sight. The eye is set to -climbing these terrific precipices of stone; up, up, from niche to -niche, from wave upon wave of dizzy height, until it rests upon a world -on high that seems to lift its parapets to the sky and bathe its brow in -the azure of the heavens. Can it be that the little stream that runs -complaining along the ravine has eroded this mighty fissure? No, not -this alone, for water has been no more than a servant of other greater -forces that have torn the earth into clefts and upheavals. Bursting -volcano, denuding glacier, devastating deluge, and cooling fires of -internal furnaces that brought a collapse of the earth crust, have all -been agencies in this work of mighty disturbance. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: MARY LAKE AND LONG’S PEAK, ESTES PARK.] - -[Illustration: ENTRANCE TO ESTES PARK, FROM ROCKY POINT.] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: HIGH LINE CANAL, SILVER FLUME AND PLATTE RIVER.] - -The temptation is very great to step aside into Estes Park, and explore -Long’s Peak, which, though thirty-six miles distant, looms up in the -clear atmosphere like a frosty-crowned giant almost near enough to speak -to. But the rest of our party have preceded us and are no doubt in need -of photographic supplies, so we hurry on, pausing only long enough to -take a snap-shot at Boulder Falls. Reaching Fort Collins, we had the -good fortune to find the others of our party awaiting us. They had made -an extensive trip through Estes Park, and had a splendid lot of views as -a reward for their labors. It was fortunate, therefore, that we did not -stop, for we could have done no more than duplicate their work, and -repeated the experiences which they reported to me substantially as -follows: - -After dividing our party, as already explained, two of our photographers -followed the Colorado Central Branch of the Union Pacific to Loveland, -at which place they side-tracked our camera car, and having made -preparations for the trip, started west to make a tour of Estes Park, -their principal objective point being Long’s Peak. The park is -conveniently reached by a daily stage-line, which travels over a good -road and, with the exception of a few miles of level plains, traverses a -picturesque region, with mountains sweeping every side, the monotony of -which is relieved by many lakes, thirty-five of which may be seen from a -single station, scattered over the plain and bathing the foot-hills. The -road leads up Bald Mountain and Pole Hill to an elevation that brings -into view the valleys of three rivers, and from Park Hill the whole -entrancing scenery of Estes Park, probably the finest in Colorado, is -spread out in one unbroken and bewildering panorama of astounding -beauty. It is not all a vision of primeval nature, for the vast table- -land is abloom with fields of husbandry, and immense herds of cattle -give animation to the seemingly boundless pasturage. - -From Ferguson’s ranch there is a lovely prospect of Mummy range, with -its conspicuous peaks, aglow with the soft colors of sunset in the -evening, and mist-crowned in the early hours of the day. On the west are -the Front and Rabbit Ear ranges, whose inaccessible heights run up so -sharply to where storms have their breeding places, that they are -browned by exposure and look inexpressibly bleak. Here, on these wild -peaks, safe from human foes, bear and mountain sheep have their -habitations, and the caterwaul of the puma rings out upon the air of -lofty desolation as a warning to those who would attempt to gain their -savage haunts. - -[Illustration: DOME ROCK, BOULDER CAÑON.] - -Long’s Peak is hardly more than a half-dozen miles from Table Mountain, -measured by a straight line, but to pass from one to the other is very -difficult, except by a long detour, so that the open route is by way of -Loveland to Ferguson’s ranch, which is near the base of Long’s Peak, and -from which point the ascent is best made. The east side of the mountain -is precipitous and hence inaccessible; viewed from this side the peak -appears so lofty as to almost fade into the cerulean of sky depths, and -for this reason it has been not inaptly called the American Matterhorn. -Its apex, seen from below, bears a striking similitude to an impregnable -citadel surrounded by giant ramparts. - -The road from Ferguson’s passes Mary’s Lake, a lovely body of water, -thence over a hill to a forest that is begirt by Lily Mountain with its -monster cliffs impending from a height of 11,500 feet above sea-level. -The ascent may be made by horses as far as what is known as “Boulder -Field,” but from that point foot climbing is necessary. To secure the -finest view, a place called the “Key-hole” must be gained, and it is not -reached without great exertion of muscle and careful equilibrium while -passing along the ledges, since a false step may be attended by serious -result. Having reached the Key-hole, the sight that rewards the climber -is sublimely grand, for he is brought to face a vertical wall of sheer -2,000 feet, extending up to within what appears to be one or two hundred -feet of the apex. The altitude is so great that a finer prospect, -perhaps, never greeted human vision, for the world seems to be spread -out for examination. A little higher up the scene changes, but is -scarcely so beautiful, for every additional foot taken upward increases -the indistinctness of the valley below and the mountain scenery in the -distance. But by the aid of a field-glass we make out Big Thompson -River, Boulder Cañon, and some remarkable columnar cliffs that exhibit -fantastic shapes, sculptured by the erratic hand of nature. Mountains -appear like legions to the right, to the left, upon all sides, but we -are now above them all, and towards the southeast, sixty miles away, we -see a smoke-cloud that has formed from the Denver Smelters. Still -further southward are visible the hazy heads of Pike’s Peak and its twin -brother, Cheyenne Mountain, while a hundred miles north are dimly -distinguishable the range of bluffs east of the city of Cheyenne. - -After gaining the summit our party had a still better view, for a bright -sun had now come out from behind clouds that had before obscured his -rays, and so completely dissipated the misty atmosphere that the -panorama was greatly increased. They were lifted so far above the Front -range that beyond the divide there broke into view, in the far -southwest, the Mount of the Holy Cross, while beside it were the very -pale outlines of Jackson Peak, the two almost blending into one. - -[Illustration: BOULDER FALLS.] - -As they descended on the northeastern side, suddenly their sight was -arrested by a lake slumbering in a little basin that had been scooped -out of the granite sides of the mountain. It is almost immediately under -the vertical cliffs, and so clear that the observer seems to look -through it, as he would through a looking-glass, upon great walls which -appear below, but are in reality reflections of the precipice examined -when making the ascent. Lily Mountain was in bold outline on the right, -where reposed another lake of somewhat greater size, whose water -appeared to feed a stream that ran gamboling down a deep gorge into the -plain which it nourished. - -On every side there were evidences of glacial erosion, not only in the -form of bowlders and debris, but in lateral moraines, where the glacier -had left deposits, and in gorges where great granite blocks had been -tumbled, over which in places the water cantered and fell in beautiful -sheets. In one place, towards the base, were found many small aspen -trees cut down, and most frequently the trunks were divested of their -bark, and the tender limbs were missing. Investigating the cause, it was -directly discovered to be the work of beavers, several of whose dams -were perceived in a creek that ran through a beautiful meadow land, but -no one of the party was able to catch sight of the wary animals. - -Our party being satisfied with their trip in the park, and especially -with the ascent of Long’s Peak, where they had secured more than a score -of magnificent photographic views, returned to Loveland to be rejoined -by at Fort Collins, as will be presently described. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: MOUNTAIN OF THE HOLY CROSS, COLORADO.] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: GRAYMONT MOUNTAIN, MIDDLE PARK.] - -We tarried a short while at Fort Collins, then set off for Mason City, -eighty miles distant, the road to which leads through the world-famous -Cache La Poudre (Powder River) region. After leaving the south fork of -this stream we passed Monitor Peak, crossed the Big Laramie, and brought -up at Medicine Bow range. North Park proper lies west of the range, but -the physical features of the immediately eastern district are almost -identical, and to traverse the whole would have required more than a -month. The park is an elevated plain 9,000 feet above sea level, and -embraces an area of about 2,500 square miles. Properly speaking, it is a -fertile valley enclosed by spurs and branches of the Rocky Mountains, -and is so seldom visited that there are as yet no resorts for travelers, -and the stage is a poor reliance for reaching the most interesting -districts. We also experienced insurmountable obstacles, which compelled -us to abandon our purpose of making a tour of the park. The only -possible way of going through the district and to chief points of -photographic interest (pardon the expression) would have been by horses, -and these were not procurable because the country is devoid of -settlements; besides, we were unprovided with camp equipment. We saw the -mountains rising on every side into jagged spires, and occasional lakes -nestling on their bosoms, but they were inaccessible to us, and after -making so long a journey we were compelled to return without -accomplishing anything worthy to be narrated. Photographs of some -mineral springs bubbling up icy-cold in stony basins, wide stretches of -landscape, hemmed in by a wall of mountains, and some fine views of -scenery along the Cache La Poudre, was all the reward we had for days of -uncomfortable traveling, much of which was done on foot, and on horses -borrowed for short tours. We traversed enough of the district, however, -to satisfy us of its beauty and fertility, and that the region was a -vast game park, in which mountain sheep, bear, deer, pumas were -numerous, and ptarmigan abundant. We caught sight of several wild sheep -and had a far-away (not too far) look at a cinnamon, or grizzly bear, we -were not able to positively decide which, and not being equipped for -entertaining game of that character were indisposed to permit curiosity -to supersede judgment. - -Returning to Fort Collins, we retraced our route to Longmount, from -which point we determined to visit Table Mountain, near by, and Mount -Hallett, a little further towards the west. To carry this decision into -effect it was necessary to make some provision for conveyance and -camping, as the mountain cannot be explored in a day, and a few evenings -must be spent in camp in order to do the work satisfactorily. -Fortunately, supplies are easy to procure, and being fully provided, we -set out a merry party on a pleasant errand. We reached the foot of Table -Mountain towards the close of the day, and went into camp beside a -beautiful little stream that had its source somewhere up the gorge that -cleft one side of the mountain. At this point we were also able to take -some pretty views of the imposing scenery by which we were surrounded. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: SADDLE ROCK, AT THE SUMMIT OF THE PASS.] - -[Illustration: WITHIN THE GATES, GARDEN OF THE GODS.] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -Near noon of the following day we accomplished the ascent, and from that -vantage point surveyed a scene of bewildering grandeur. The wind, -however, blew a gale that made our position extremely uncomfortable, and -one of our party lost his hat, that was borne away and dropped into an -abyss of almost measureless depth. There were mountains to the west that -seemed to hang on the edge of the horizon, and down, far down, below us -was an immense expanse of bowlders that had evidently once been the -sport of a glacier. Indeed, the glacier was still there, a great solid -field of compacted snow that at midday hugged the shadow side of the -mountain, but was evidently moving gradually, imperceptibly, towards the -gorge. Water was pouring from the base and forming waterfalls, cascades -and swift streams, showing that heat radiation from the earth was -melting the glacier more rapidly than the sun’s rays. The effect was -extremely beautiful, for the afternoon sun was changing the edges of the -snow-pack into beautiful reflections of aqua-marine, and waves of light -shimmered above the glacier that made the ice coverlet scintillant with -color. - -[Illustration: TORREY’S PEAK, MIDDLE PARK, COLORADO.] - -Table Mountain is a truncated cone, from which fact it takes its name; -but it is deeply fissured on every side, and on the west side there is -an appalling gorge, over the edges of which, in places, colossal sheets -of ice impend, vast ledges they appear, threatening the vegetation far -down below, and rendering traveling along the slopes very dangerous. -Having photographed Table Mountain and the fine scenery that is -tributary, we descended and passed over to Mount Hallett, where we were -delighted to find views of yet greater grandeur. The way to this mount -is necessarily over Table Mountain and into Estes Park, the solid -ramparts of rocks which surround the park, as far as Willow Cañon, -preventing the access of pack animals. - -Gaining the base of Table Mountain, we followed up Timber Creek over a -natural roadway until the foot of Hallett was reached. The way was easy -and pleasant, being level and almost floored with moss and flowers, -while many species of birds flitted across our path, and in and out -through the trees and bushes, with voices of tuneful glee. - -As we ascended the mountain on the northeastern side, a magnificent view -was presented down a deep gorge. A little higher up, and as we veered -towards the west, we saw, a thousand feet below us, a deep, dark lake -whose sides were walled, giving to it the appearance of a crater that -had now become a lake basin. Still further up the steep, in a ravine, -was another lake, the edges of which served to mark both the timber and -snow line. Away off in the southeast was Long’s Peak, frowning in bleak -desolation above a lake that hugged its feet. On every side the scenery -was ruggedly sublime, while immediately at our right was a great chasm -with a vertical wall of stone fully one thousand feet high. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: THE GREAT WESTWARD FLOOD OF EMIGRATION—CROSSING THE -PLATTE RIVER IN 1868 (from a painting).] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -The timber was now below us, and our horses picked their way over an -indistinct trail through patches of snow. Occasionally, there were -suspicious places, where the snow was deeply impacted, which might -conceal a treacherous way, a chasm bridged with nothing more substantial -than cakes of ice. Yet, on this lonesome mountain, chilled by -perpetually arctic winds, swathed by eternal snows, and covered by giant -bowlders that menaced everything by their apparent instability, there -was no scarcity of animal life. The mountain rat, chipmunk, woodchuck, -Rocky Mountain sheep and a few lions make this uninviting region their -haunt, while ptarmigan, or mountain grouse, are fairly plentiful. One -enthusiastic photographer who climbed Hallett some years before, claimed -to have found a herd of mountain sheep so tame that he was able to take -their pictures, but none of us had such good fortune. - -[Illustration: FREMONT’S PASS, NORTH PARK.] - -At one point of the elevation we had an enrapturing view of Middle Park -and Grand Lake, whose waters looked like a vast sea of quicksilver, on -which the sunlight danced in a glorious reflection. North Park might -have been also visible from this same lofty point of observation but for -the intervention of Mummy Mountain, the monumental mark of Medicine Bow -range, far to the northwest, too distant for our cameras to reproduce -the view with satisfaction. - -Our visits to Table Mountain and Mount Hallett had proven so delightful -that our previously contemplated trip to Middle Park was now undertaken -with the most pleasant anticipations. Returning to Longmont, we -proceeded over the Union Pacific to Sunset, an arm of the road that -stretches out into the Front range until it fairly grasps the beautiful -scenery of that marvelously grand region. Georgetown would have been a -more convenient point of departure for Midland Park, but we chose to -avoid staging, and by means of pack animals to reach the park by the -quickest, even though it was a more troublesome, route. Middle Park is -separated from North Park by an east and west sweep of the great -Continental Divide, and like its northern sister is completely encircled -by lofty mountains, whose sentinels are Long’s Peak, Gray’s Peak and -Mount Lincoln, with elevations above sea level of respectively 14,500, -14,200 and 14,300 feet. The elevation of the park itself is about 7,500 -feet, and its area some 3,000 square miles, or about one-third less than -the State of Connecticut. It is drained principally by the Blue and -Grand Rivers, whose waters flow generally through smiling meadows until -they escape from the park. We traveled by horse through Berthoud Pass to -Hot Sulphur Springs, which is on a small tributary of Grand River, and -only about twelve miles from the south boundary of the park. From this -point we went to Grand Lake, the beautiful body of water that we had -seen from the heights of Mount Hallett. If the scene was grand when -viewed from that distant elevation, it was sublimely picturesque when we -reached its shores. The western shore line of the lake washes the -vertical base of towering mountains, which enclose it on three sides, -and throw their giant shadows into its pellucid depths, where -reflections of brown peaks mingle with the beautiful green of tall -tufted pines. Its bed appears to be a glacier basin, for all about are -cliffs that bear distinct marks of an ice deluge that thousands of years -ago, perhaps, invaded this retreat of nature and tore asunder the earth, -ground its way through stone, scoured the face of the mountains, and -scooped a depression in the plain. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: DODGE’S BLUFF, CAÑON OF GRAND RIVER.] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: GRAND LAKE, MIDDLE PARK.] - -Strange it is that near the shores of this lake the water is singularly -crystalline, while towards the center it is dark as midnight. The lake -is also a treacherous body, subject to appalling disturbments from -inrushing storms that first gather on the surrounding peaks and then -swoop down to break with sudden and appalling force upon its expansive -bosom. No wonder that from time immemorial, the Ute Indians have -regarded the lake with superstitious fears, and tell ghostly stories of -its treachery. Upon one occasion, as an old Indian related, a band of -Utes were encamped upon its shores, pleasantly and profitably engaged in -trout fishing. They had their women and children with them, and having -prepared for a stay of some weeks, they had rafts made of pine logs, and -it was from these they did their fishing. While thus engaged they were -attacked by a war party of Arrapahoes, their implacable enemies. The -Utes committed their wives and children to the rafts, which they pushed -far out into the lake, and then engaged with their ferocious -adversaries, whom, after a desperate battle, they repulsed. During the -fight, however, a storm arose on the lake, which quickly lashed the -water into such fury that the piercing cries of the helpless women and -children were scarcely audible above the breaking waves and screech of -savage wind. When the Utes turned from pursuing their enemies, they saw -that a more dangerous foe had attacked their helpless ones. The rafts -were quickly broken up by wild surges of the infuriated lake, and every -woman and child was swallowed up. The Indians, whose minds are -peculiarly susceptible to impressions of a supernatural character, were -prompt to attribute the calamity to a manifestation of the Great -Spirit’s anger, and since that fatal event they have regarded the lake -as being the haunt of water demons, and no Indian has since that -calamitous incident dared to venture upon its bosom. - -From Grand Lake we followed its outlet some twenty miles south, and -entered a beautiful valley of Grand River, where the grass was long and -green, the sky a beautiful indigo-blue, and the mountain scenery around -us was magnificent. A marvelously clear atmosphere made the distance -deceptive, so that peaks which were fifty miles away appeared to be -scarcely five. From one point of observation we swept the ragged horizon -with our enraptured eyes, and plainly perceived a battalion of well- -known mountains that locked their massive arms around Middle Park like -loving guardsmen. Roundtop lifted its head to gaze into the mysterious -depths of Grand Lake; and far beyond, Long’s Peak, the great gray -sentinel of Estes Park, loomed up like a cloud gathering inspiration -from the heavens. A little to the right, Elk Mountain projects its snowy -cap far into the sky and looks up into the face of its taller kinsmen. -Following the waving lines of peak upon peak, our eyes caught sight of a -pass through which a river had found its way, and behind the interval -were the faded fronts of Medicine Bow range. A little further to the -left there is another rent in the continuity of mountains, which closer -inspection discovers to us is Gore’s Cañon of Grand River, where it -leaves the park through a fissure made in the eruptive rocks quite three -miles long, and in places nearly 2,000 feet deep. So perpendicular are -these cliffs that a person standing upon the dizzy brink may drop a -stone into the rushing river below. - -[Illustration: GORE’S CAÑON, MIDDLE PARK.] - -If we look towards the southeast, across a stretch of sage-brush, we see -the peak of heroic Powell, the most majestic elevation in the Park -range, singular not only by reason of its cloud-piercing height, but -also because it looks through the hazy distance like a mountain of -sapphire, while behind it are lofty stretches of peaks with straggling -locks of white, where snow has gathered in the wrinkles of their cheeks. - -Our rambles through Middle Park had been so pleasant that it was with -some reluctance we turned our steps eastward again, to pursue the work -of photographing scenery in more southerly fields. We reached Sunset -after an absence of twelve days, and were soon after switched on to the -North Branch of the Union Pacific for Denver. Thence, our route was -south to Colorado Springs and Manitou, where, as the following chapter -will show, we repeated our delightful experiences in Middle Park, and -saw even greater wonders. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: IN THE CAÑON OF GRAND RIVER, COLORADO.] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - CHAPTER II. - MANITOU, THE MIGHTY! - - -[Illustration: THE SEAL AND BEAR, GARDEN OF THE GODS.] - -The glory of Colorado, in the splendor of its waterfalls, the -awesomeness of its mountains, the wealth of its mines, and the -picturesqueness of its natural parks, is by no means confined to those -Rocky Mountain districts which we have just pictured and described, for -greater marvels remain to be spoken of, and pictorially represented. -Returning to Denver, our tour took us southward, across a plain that -hugs the gnarled bosom of the Continental Divide, by the pearl of Palmer -Lake, and on to Colorado Springs and Manitou, the twin cities that sit -at the feet of Pike’s Peak. Here we are compelled to pause in a spell of -mighty wonderment before the amazing prodigies of a riotously eccentric -nature, that bursts into an exuberance of dashing cascades, top-lofty -mountains, darkling cañons, gruesome formations, monolithic spires, -babbling brooks and magnetic springs. Here are God’s acres of tumultuous -stone, grand, amazing, chaotic, aberrant; a pantheon of forces, a Jovian -council, a mythologic assemblage that sits like a Sanhedrim on the -issues of Titanic upheaval, erosion, conglomeration and elemental -disturbance. There, rising like a giant specter above its lesser -brothers, and dipping its hoary head into the milky baldric of the -heavens, stands Pike’s Peak, the grand old sentinel of millenniums, with -sides gashed by tumbling cataracts and yellow with quivering leaves of -the frosted aspen. So lofty that the stars can almost whisper to it, and -the clouds, when tired of sailing through the sky, circle and settle -upon its peak, while eternal night sleeps undisturbed, save by the -lion’s call, in the deep gorges that split its base. - -The first white man who caught sight of this towering mountain was -Lieutenant Zebulon Pike, who was sent out by the Government in the year -1806 to make an exploration of the Territory of Louisiana and the -Provinces of New Spain, a district now characterized as the great -Southwest. From his diary of Saturday, November 15th, 1806, we quote the -description of his discovery: - -[Illustration: THE STALACTITE ORGAN, GRAND CAVERNS.] - -“Passed two deep creeks, and many high points of rocks; also large herds -of buffaloes. At two o’clock in the afternoon I thought I could -distinguish a mountain to our right, which appeared like a small blue -cloud; viewed it with the spy-glass and was still more confirmed in my -conjecture, and in half an hour it appeared in full view before us. When -our small party arrived on the hill, they with one accord gave three -cheers to the Mexican Mountains.” - -On the 26th, following, this intrepid explorer attempted an ascent of -Cheyenne Mountain, ten miles to the east of Pike’s Peak, from which to -make an observation of the more lofty eminence, which he thus describes: - -“Expecting to return to our camp that evening, we left all our blankets -and provisions at the foot of the mountain, killed a deer of a new -species, and hung its skin on a tree with some meat. We commenced -ascending; found the way very difficult, being obliged to climb up rocks -sometimes almost perpendicular; and after marching all day we encamped -in a cave without blankets, victuals or water. We had a fine clear sky -while it was snowing at the bottom. On the side of the mountain we found -only yellow and pitch pine; some distance up we saw buffalo, and higher -still, the new species of deer and pheasants. - -“Thursday, 27th November.—Arose hungry, thirsty, and extremely sore, -from the uneveness of the rocks on which we had lain all night; but we -were amply compensated for our toil by the sublimity of the prospect -below. The unbounded prairie was overhung with clouds, which appeared -like the ocean in a storm, wave piled on wave, and foaming, whilst the -sky over our heads was perfectly clear. Commenced our march up the -mountain and in about an hour arrived at the summit of this chain; here -we found the snow middle-deep, and discovered no sign of bird or beast -inhabiting this region. The thermometer, which stood at nine degrees -above zero at the foot of the mountain, here fell to four degrees below. -The summit of the Grand Peak, which was entirely bare of vegetation, and -covered with snow, now appeared at the distance of fifteen or sixteen -miles from us, and as high again as we had ascended. It would have taken -a whole day’s march to have arrived at its base, whence I believe no -human being could have ascended to its summit. * * * * The clouds from -below had now ascended the mountain, and entirely enveloped the summit, -on which rest eternal snows.” - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: CATHEDRAL SPIRES, GARDEN OF THE GODS, COLORADO.] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: JUMBO TUNNEL, GRAND CAVERNS.] - -Being convinced in his own mind of its inaccessibility, Lieutenant Pike -contented himself with the above brief notes in his diary, little -thinking that his name would become perpetuated in the discovery, and -that for all the ages thereafter Pike’s Peak would be one of the most -famous of American mounts. - -Not again was the lonely desolation of the mountain, or the marvelous -scenery about its base, disturbed by the invasion of explorers until, -forty-one years later, Geo. F. Ruxton came as a hunter to view its -grandeur and make his camp within its game-haunted shadows. Soon -afterwards gold was discovered in the vicinity, and then quickly -followed a rush of adventurers whose hardy spirit accomplished that -which Pike was fearful to undertake. An ascent of the peak was now made -and the altitude ascertained to be 14,174 feet above the sea level. - -Simultaneously, through the exploration of industrious prospectors, all -the many amazingly curious formations which now render the region one of -incomparable natural marvels were discovered, and the settlements of -Manitou and Colorado Springs were presently made. - -Pike’s Peak has been, since the time of Ruxton’s ascent, an object of -great interest to travelers, and as early as 1852 a rough foot-trail was -established to the summit, which was greatly improved twenty years later -so as to admit the passage of vehicles. In the meantime, the towns of -Manitou and Colorado Springs had grown steadily and the number of -visitors increased until some one conceived the idea of constructing a -railroad from the base to the summit. This idea was seized upon by some -eastern capitalists in 1884, and a large capital being subscribed for -the purpose, the work of building this unique road was begun. The -original company, however, met with difficulties which they were unable -to overcome for lack of capital, and in 1888 a second organization, -under the title of Manitou & Pike’s Peak Railway Company, succeeded the -first corporation, and adopting what is known as the Abt Cog-wheel -System of Mountain Climbing, renewed the work thus interrupted. As the -higher altitudes were reached the air became so rare that labor was -extremely difficult, so that the strongest men were unable to exert -themselves for more than a few minutes at a time. In place of wagons -burros were employed to carry on their sturdy little backs all the -needful materials of ties, rails, tools and spikes, up the steep -mountain side, and without them the obstacles would have been -insuperable. But thus the work went on until the 20th of October, 1890, -when the last spike was driven and the highest railroad in the world -received its finishing stroke. Special locomotives and cars were built -and by the use of cog-wheels the pinnacle of Pike’s Peak was thereafter -to be gained comfortably, if not swiftly. The length of the road leading -to the summit is nine and one-quarter miles, and at times the grade -seems positively appalling (being 25 per cent.) as the noisily-laboring -engine pushes the passenger coach up the devious way, over great -bowlders that have been flung down by some Titan from immense heights -above; under overhanging brows of threatening cathedrals of stone; over -mad-dashing waterfalls; through ever-green forests of silver pines, then -into groves of dwarf aspens, until at length the route reaches up and on -above the timber line. The steepness of the way still continues, but -there are no longer abutting rocks, nor rush of water; the mountain now -becomes a measureless pile of broken stones, between which the chipmunk -and woodchuck play hide and seek; mists of clouds begin to gather, the -snow line shows itself beyond the breath of summer, and a cold wind -rushes around the peak making sport of the enterprise that invaded their -frigid solitude. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - THE CARRIAGE ROAD UP PIKE’S PEAK.—Since the completion of the cog- - wheel railway to the summit of Pike’s Peak, the older carriage road - is not so much used as in former times; yet it is still preferred by - many tourists who travel for pleasure or to gratify their love for - the grand and the beautiful in nature. Those who have the time to - adopt this slower method of climbing the mountain will be richly - repaid for their trouble in the glorious view that bursts upon them - at every turn of the winding way. A journey over this carriage road, - either up or down, is an event to be remembered throughout the - remainder of one’s lifetime. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: TEMPLE OF ISIS, WILLIAM’S CAÑON.] - -After two hours of pushing and climbing the train ceases its deep -respirations and stands seemingly exhausted before the stone observatory -that crowns the peak. Ah, now what a view, when the clouds pass away and -the sun bathes with golden splendor the panorama that lies in the -greater charm of indistinctness many leagues below! Towards the west and -south and north is a mighty army of mountains, in companies and -battalions, bold, rugged, majestic; always standing in review before the -Captain and Creator of worlds who seems to have halted His regiment for -inspection before an impending battle; while away towards the east -spreads the fading prairies, losing themselves in the horizon; and down -below, in a long stretch of landscape, is Colorado Springs, with its -intersecting streets looking like a corn-field, and its smoke-stacks -like scare-crows. - -At other times a terrible snow-storm may be raging on the peak, while -summer sunshine bathes the plains below; or, standing under the arch of -a clear sky, the summit visitor may see the rolling clouds gathering -into scrolls of darkness, and the livid lightning running through the -storm that is breaking in torrential rain away down the mountain side. -So that winter and summer, storm and sunshine, have their eternal -meeting place on the age-swept breast of this giant peak, and at this -trysting place of the extreme seasons is one of the most beautiful lakes -that ever nestled in the bosom of a mountain. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: THE JAWS OF CLEAR CREEK CAÑON.] - -[Illustration: WILLIAMS CAÑON, NEAR THE CAVE OF THE WINDS.] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: PILLAR OF JUPITER, WILLIAM’S CAÑON.] - -One of the most picturesque, grand and charming routes in the world is -Ute Pass, which starts out of Manitou and climbs around mountains, -through cañons, and emerges into a roadway that leads direct to -Leadville. The most beautiful section of this pass, however, is in sight -of Manitou, where it rises with bold precipitation around the mountain -side and passes Rainbow Falls, which has a perpendicular descent of -seventy-five feet, and looks down into Cascade Cañon, that is weirdly -wild and awesomely imposing. The beauty of the pass is not more in the -rugged margin, bordered with precipice and waterfall, than in the -marvelous coloring of the roadway and abutting rocks of sandstone which -at a distance appear like the petrified primaries of the rainbow wrapped -around the mountain. - -As the road winds upward a mile from Manitou, a branch strikes off from -Ute Pass, and continuing another half mile around and up the mountain -the visitor finds the way abruptly terminated by the entrance to a giant -cave known as the Grand Caverns. Like most places to which visitors are -attracted by flamboyant advertisements, these caves are not so wonderful -as they have been represented, yet they possess considerable interest. -The corridors are spacious and comparatively level, with here and there -formations of stalactites and stalagmites of considerable beauty, though -never large. Each compartment has been given a romantic and attractive -name intended to increase the imagination, and give support to the -marvelous tales with which guides entertain visitors, such as Canopy -Avenue, Alabaster Hall, Stalactite Hall, Opera House, Concert Hall, -Jewel Casket, Bridal Chamber, etc. The one principal object of interest -in the Grand Caverns—a curiosity indeed—is what has been denominated the -“Grand Pipe Organ of Musical Stalactites,” a formation which gives forth -a great variety of sounds, capable, under the skilful touch of a player, -of producing really ear-entrancing music. An “organist” is employed to -entertain visitors by performing many familiar instrumental pieces, -which, emanating from such a strange instrument, and echoing through the -torch-lighted chambers of the grotto, produce a charming effect not -easily forgotten. - -In another compartment, particularly dark, if not noisome, and -partitioned off by a grating to prevent profanation, are deposited some -very ancient skeletons, which are said to have been found inurned here -by the original cave discoverer in 1881. The photographer, by a trick, -has pictured these bones as gigantic in size, whereas in fact they are -slightly smaller than those of modern men. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - TRIPLE FALLS, CHEYENNE CAÑON, COLORADO.—It would be exceedingly - difficult to find a more gloriously beautiful scene than the one - depicted by the photograph on this page. The pleasure of beholding - it is also greatly increased by the assurance that it is absolutely - true to nature, for the camera cannot misrepresent. Cheyenne Cañon - is one of the wrinkles that sears the face of Cheyenne Mountain, - some five or six miles east of Pike’s Peak, and both cañon and - mountain are even more celebrated than their famous neighbor for the - wildness and picturesque beauty of their scenery. This region is the - Switzerland of America, except that its scenery surpasses that of - Switzerland in the same proportion that America is larger and - grander than the sturdy little republic of the Alps. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -A half-mile further around the mountain, towards William’s Cañon, and -approached by a long stair-way that leads down to a dusky, rock-hewn -platform, is the entrance to the “Cave-of-the-Winds,” as unforbidding a -place as Mephistopheles himself could choose for his abode. This cave is -nothing more than a tunnel, too narrow to admit the passage of a fat man -without squeezing, and with ceilings so low as to compel a person of -ordinary height to keep a stooped position. It is up and down steep -stair-ways, across chasms of uncertain depths, and over obstructions -which are quite enough to exhaust the visitor before half the cavern is -traversed. The stalactites that are found here are very small, but often -clustered in resemblance of chrysanthemums and other composite plants. -Like the Grand Caverns, every little chamber in the Cave-of-the-Winds is -designated by some curious or charm-impelling name, such as Cascade -Hall, Canopy Hall, Boston Avenue, Diamond Hall, Hall of Beauty, Dante’s -Inferno, Crystal Palace, etc.; while the coral-like stalagmites are -represented by the tricky photographer as being of imposing size and -bewildering splendor. - -[Illustration: ANVIL ROCK, GARDEN OF THE GODS.] - -Emerging from the stifling, half-artificial Cave-of-the-Winds, and -passing down the hill a few yards, a magnificent view of William’s Cañon -bursts upon the enraptured vision of the spectator, the contrast from -the dismal and disappointing cave lending additional sublimity to the -scene. The south entrance to this herculean gorge is within a short walk -of Manitou, and at the very door-way the walls rise up perpendicularly -to a stupendous height and in fantastic forms that positively bewilder -with a grandeur and beauty almost unexcelled by any scenery in the -world. This gigantic gash in the mountain is evidently the effect of -erosion, the result of a rushing torrent that drove down for centuries -through the pass until it wore out a bed hundreds of feet deep and then -found other outlet, or became absorbed in the process of drying-up which -the world is undergoing. High upon the sides of this wondrous channel -may be seen the distinct markings of glacial drift in deposits of shell- -fish and bowlders, while in the bed there are fragments of tufa, -betraying the action of volcanic fires which burned out ages upon ages -ago. - -Two miles north of Manitou, and reached by a perfect roadway, over which -carriage driving is a supreme pleasure, is the gate-way to that -chaotically curious and fantastically marvelous district known as the -Garden of the Gods. I know not who gave name to this region of grotesque -formations, but its appropriateness lends belief that it was christened -by one who had in mind the heroes of some eastern mythology, the -Assyrian or Chinese, or the witchcrafts of the Samians. The Greeks, the -Romans, and Egyptians conceived their gods as physically perfect, -symmetrically beautiful; the idols of these people could never have -suggested the wild, distorted, conglomerate forms that are marshalled in -this garden of sweet confusion. Yet, the Greeks personified evil in -horrid forms, and we have here their conception of deep iniquity done in -nature’s sculpturings. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - RAINBOW FALLS, UTE PASS.—Winding its serpentine way up the side of the - mountain to the right of Pike’s Peak, is Ute Pass, along which a - carriage-way has been made. The scenery is incomparably grand and - beautiful. The pass has been cut in the side of the mountain by - centuries of washings from the little stream that seeks its level by - this course, breaking into numerous waterfalls and lending an - additional charm to the picturesque surroundings by the music of its - rushing waters. Rainbow Falls, so splendidly reproduced on this - page, is one of the most celebrated and inspiring of the numerous - cataracts to be found in this locality. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: TOWER OF BABEL, GARDEN OF THE GODS.] - -The old legends tell us of the Sabbat, a nocturnal assembly at which -demons and sorcerers celebrated their revels, and to the imaginative -mind, stored with remembrances of the tales wherein are described the -riot of nameless things and loathsomely fearful personages around the -throne of Satan, it is easy to fancy this spot as the assembling place, -and the strange forms of stone, that sit like dumb monstrosities waiting -the call of a master, as the bodies of maleficent devils petrified in -the very midst of their orgies. There on that mound squats old -Sagittary, the man-beast who shot arrows of lightning from his bow, -until he was struck down by a bolt of his own forging. A little beyond -is the foul witch Sycorax, the dam of Caliban, whose raven wings shelter -a demoniac progeny. In that depression, which looks afar like a seething -quagmire, sits Abaddon, the promoter of wars, combustions and plagues, -his face awry with fretful anxiety to renew his course of destruction. -Behind a mound, that may well be called a breastwork, stand Ægæon, -Cottus and Gyges, the brother triplets, each with a hundred arms and -fifty heads, who made war upon the Titans and then stormed Olympus with -stones plucked from the core of Ætna. Still further up the hillside, -protruding from a gash in the side of a giant bowlder of red sandstone, -is the distorted face of Hagen, that demon dwarf of a single eye, whose -devilish claws tore out the heart of Siegfried. Everywhere, to the right -and left, are these garish and ghastly remembrancers of the tales that -make children crouch closer to grandmother’s knees, and people the -darkness with forms infuriate. But the comical side is not wanting; for -nature is protean in this godless garden of quaint conceits done in -stone. If we have cause to laugh, it is at the Brobdingnagian frog that -we see to the left of the door of the garden, sitting beneath a -mushroom, with his gaze towards the mountain. But there is a whole -settlement of giant fungi, each capable of giving shelter to a pond-full -of modern-day frogs; and we can only explain the absence of other -representatives of the croaking batrachia by the possibility that the -one who has his home under the petrified umbrella was a political boss -in his time and compelled all his followers to remain out in the rain -when the big wet spell set in. On the first rock that we pass as we -enter the garden, is the perfect outline of a stag’s head, with antlers -laid back and nose high, as if startled by the sudden baying of the -hounds; while a few yards within the entrance is a huge stone of two -hundred tons weight perched like a spinning top upon the shoulder of -another, so nicely balanced that every wind seems to threaten its -stability, and yet centuries have failed to disturb its equilibrium. -Still further on, and to the left, are to be seen a duck complete in all -its outlines, and as demure as though she was hatching a brood. Then in -succession is shown an alligator stretched out at full length, taking a -siesta as natural as though it had life. Next in this procession of -statuary wonders are Punch and Judy, peaceful folks in vermilion -raiment, with faces full of righteous satisfaction, as if they were on -their way to church. Punch’s cap is a little the worse for the long -service it has seen, and Judy has a rent in her gown, but they affect no -false pride and are evidently content with their fortune. Why should -they not be happy, when within a few yards of them there is a poor old -washer-woman bending over a tub, and a child tugging at her skirts? -Certainly by contrast their lot is infinitely more bearable. And the -washer-woman has been at her hard task as long as Punch and Judy have -been on their way to the meeting house. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - OBSERVATORY ON THE SUMMIT OF PIKE’S PEAK.—The Observatory is built of - stones collected from the immediate vicinity. It occupies the - highest point on the mountain, and was erected by the Government as - a home for the officers who are employed in taking meteorological - observations. It is a stormy region, and a place of unrest. Many - tourists assert that snow falls here every day in the year, but - while this is not literally true it is always cold enough to snow, - even when the valleys at the foot of the mountains are sweltering in - an August sun. The altitude is so great that tourists frequently - faint before reaching the top, and in other instances blood is - forced from the nostrils and mouth by the terrible pressure of the - atmosphere. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: UTE PASS, NEAR MANITOU.] - -As we advance further into this museum of wonders, and turn our eyes -away from the imps, reptiles and broad-smiling people of stone, our gaze -is arrested by still stranger freaks of nature. There, before us, in -awful sublimity, is the red sentinel who guards the north portals of the -garden, flanked on either side by cathedrals and fortresses of amazing -size, and aflame with brilliant coloring. There are thin slabs of -sandstone standing on edge and lifting their heads a hundred feet high, -on which the gods or witches have sculptured images of birds, animals, -and moving caravans. A herculean lion is crouching on the peak of one, -looking towards the north, where a bear and seal are eyeing each other -from a lofty perch, uncertain of their safety, and undetermined whether -to attack or retreat. Away up on the pinnacle of another peak sits a -little old man in a rusty coat, but semi-respectable in a plug hat, very -intently contemplating a coach-and-four driven by a pioneer stage -engineer muffled to the chin in a shag overcoat, and bowling along over -the dangerous comb of the Tower of Babel. Turning to look back, our -sight is arrested by the towering form of Pike’s Peak, and a view that -is incomparably and overwhelmingly grand. - -Leaving the Garden of the Gods, and passing massive hills of gypsum, -virgin in their whiteness and soft velvety reflection, the roadway north -lies through a large prairie-dog village, where scores of wish-ton- -wishes, of Indian name, scamper through the grass and lift themselves -into comical postures on their little mounds to watch the carriage roll -by. To the left is Glen Eyrie, where a few disaffected gods seem to have -started a small, independent park of wonders, chief of which is Major -Domo, a monolith of red sandstone thirty feet in circumference and more -than one hundred feet tall; a frowning shaft with slightly inclined -head, as if threatening the lesser forms about its base. - -Five miles still beyond, nature has opened another museum of surprises, -which some human invader has named Monument Park, but which might better -be called Fiddler’s Green, or the Devil’s Ante-Chamber, for tradition -tells us that the former place is located just five miles this side of -Hades, and that all fiddlers en route stop there twenty minutes for -refreshments. This assembling place of monstrosities; this parliament of -satyr, sibyl, succuba and grim-visaged ogres, is rarely visited, not -particularly because the sights superinduce nightmare, but probably -because it is at the end of a long and dusty way, and the gruesome -formations are not numerous. The views which delight those who love to -fellowship with the incongruous and distempered products of nature, are -pillars of white—almost calcareous—sandstone which the wind and sand -have eroded into fantastic and outre shapes, leaving a top layer of dark -limestone to complete the multitude of strange images. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - GATEWAY TO GARDEN OF THE GODS.—The next best thing to seeing a thing - itself is to see its counterpart in a good photograph. Any one who - has ever looked at an object through a camera will realize the force - of this assertion, for a photograph is a perfect reproduction of the - view as it is reflected in the camera. There cannot be any - misrepresentation. Hence a good photograph is far more valuable than - a painting or a drawing, let the latter be ever so well done, for - the best artist that ever lived cannot draw or paint a scene just as - nature made it. We see these facts clearly illustrated in this - beautiful photograph. Every line, crevice and indentation of the - huge rocks is brought out and stamped upon the printed page, while - in the distance we observe the snow-covered summit of Pike’s Peak - just as thousands of tourists have seen it with their natural - vision. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: THE DUTCH WEDDING, MONUMENT PARK.] - -Here we find the Devil’s Anvil, apparently used by his swarthy majesty -in the dim ages in fashioning his roasting spits. And near by is a -concourse attending what is known as The Dutch Wedding, where all the -goodly company are disattired outrageously, for not one has a stitch to -his or her back. But they are more decent folks than old Mother Grundy, -who stands in a nook to herself, trying to gossip with her shabby -surroundings, and looking for all the world like a hag who has lost her -teeth through salivation. Not far below her is The Idiot, as repulsive -appearing a fellow as ever violated the laws of nature, and who might -well be the offspring of a harridan like Mrs. Grundy. But there are -other shapes and misshapes scarcely less wonderful; and if the visitor -is at all imaginative, they take forms that are variable and astounding. -Doré never pictured creatures of his fancy more weird than the wind- -sculptures of Monument Park. - -Turning back, and passing south of Colorado Springs some four or five -miles, we are brought again into the Rocky range and enter at one of the -Cheyenne Cañons, between beetling brows of tremendously high cliffs, -through which a mad-dashing water-course has eaten its way. Whether we -visit North or South Cañon, the view is augustly sublime and awful in -its grandeur. We stand in the bed of the gorge and gaze upward on either -side to a dizzy height, where the eagles float lazily about, just below -the level of the summit, and build their nest upon the breast of the -escarpment because the apex is sky-piercing in its loftiness. Yet -tumbling down from that great eminence, where the gray spires of the -peaks are dwarfed by distance until they grow thin as needles, is a -stream of water, fed by springs that lie in the lap of still taller -mountains in the rear, rushing in tumultuous flow until it breaks into -seven waterfalls, and then checks its pace as it joins the river that -runs on to the sea. A stair-way has been built alongside of the falls, -by which the visitor may mount to a height of two hundred feet, and then -stand upon a platform and watch the play of leaping waterfall as it -breaks into rainbows and mist below, and hear its ceaseless song of -praise mingling with the echoes that sport between the cañon walls. They -who can feel no inspiration under the moving power of Cheyenne Mountain -are hopelessly prosaic, who close their ears against the most entrancing -hymns of nature. - -It is not strange that the simple people who were reared centuries ago -in this cradle of natural wonders entertained strange conceptions of the -curious formations and mighty mountains that distinguished their -surroundings from other places. Indeed, it would be matter for surprise -had the primitive tribes of this region left no legends telling how -Manitou, the Great Spirit, had upheaved the peaks, fashioned the -grotesque images, scooped out the cañons and set his sign of ever- -flowing mercy in the welling spring and roaring waterfall. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - BALANCED ROCK, GARDEN OF THE GODS.—Balanced Rock is one of the most - remarkable curiosities in the Garden of the Gods. It is an immense - stone, weighing thousands of tons, balanced upon so small a pedestal - that it seems as if the hand of a child could push it over, and yet - the winter storms and the summer cyclones have raged around it for - centuries without shaking it from its solid bearings. Nature does - many things more wonderful than art or ingenuity of man can devise, - and this is one of them. If Balanced Rock were the only curiosity in - the Garden of the Gods it would be worth a trip there to see it, and - as many of us are not able to bear the expense of such a trip it is - gratifying to have within our reach, almost without cost, the living - image of these wonders of nature. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: THE DEVIL’S TOOTH, CHEYENNE CAÑON.] - -[Illustration: VULCAN’S ANVIL, MONUMENT PARK.] - -Among the several traditions which are preserved, we have the fragments -of the following, which appear to have been left by the Toltecs, who -undoubtedly at one time had their dwelling place in the Manitou -district: A certain tribe, whose name is forgotten, living somewhere on -the great plains towards the east, were driven from their homes by a -mighty flood, and hearing that lofty mountains lay several days’ journey -towards the setting sun, they fled to these for refuge. Having thus -escaped the fury of what they believed was an angry god, and found -safety under the benign shadow of Pike’s Peak, they came to regard it as -the dwelling place of Manitou, and instituted a form of worship as an -evidence of their gratitude. The climate being healthful and the region -abounding with game, this tribe prospered and so increased in power that -they made war on their less fortunate neighbors and reduced them to -slavery. In other ways they so offended Manitou that, having once saved -them from a deluge that drowned a large part of the world, he would now -punish them with another flood visitation. And so the windows of heaven -were opened, and the rain poured down in such volume that the valley was -soon overflowed, and the rising waters began to rapidly climb the -mountain sides. Perceiving that the deluge was an infliction sent upon -them for their sins, the tribe gathered all of their possessions and -with them hastened to ascend Pike’s Peak—which no one before had ever -attained—to make an offering to the Great Spirit of all that they had, -with the hope of propitiating his anger. All the members of the tribe -succeeded in reaching the summit, where they prayed so fervently that -the heart of Manitou relented and he consented to save the people by -admitting them into heaven. But he would receive none of their earthly -possessions, and these were accordingly thrown down and in time were -changed into stone, so that by the accretion of the burdens thus -rejected, the mountain became much higher than nature had formed it. The -deluge was finally assuaged by a dragon which Manitou unchained from a -huge rock in heaven, where it was kept prisoner, and sent down to drink -up all the water. This dragon never came back to heaven, for after -abating the flood it was turned into stone and laid on Cheyenne -Mountain, where its crocodilian form may still be recognized by an -observer stationed at Colorado Springs. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: MAJOR DOMO, GLEN EYRIE.] - -[Illustration: NEEDLE ROCKS, GARDEN OF THE GODS.] - -The two photographs on this page furnish us additional evidence of the -wonders and beauties of the scenic region embraced by the Garden of the -Gods and that immediate locality. There is no other place in the world -like it. Nature has run riot here in the manufacture of strange and -curious things. But the names which have been bestowed by chance upon -these curiosities are not always appropriate. Needle Rocks, for -instance, hear a much stronger resemblance to the ruins of some ancient -cathedral than they do to the useful and pointed instrument whose name -has been unadvisedly bestowed upon them. It is quite probable, however, -that the bold pioneer who first beheld and named them was more familiar -with needles than castles and cathedrals, and we can afford to let the -misnomer pass with the assurance that it was given in good faith, and it -certainly does not lessen the pleasure of beholding the object. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: MEDICINE ROCK, MONUMENT PARK.] - -In after times, a new tribe came into the valley, and finding it -fruitful and inviting, they established their homes and prospered so -well that they soon grew mighty. For a long while no people were so -grateful and devout, so worshipful and kindly as they; but power always -begets arrogance, and in time these favored people became filled with -conceit and began to esteem themselves as the equals of Manitou and to -defy his power. This so offended the Great Spirit that he sent a mighty -host of monsters out of the north to punish the vain bigots who thus -contemned him. But some of the priests of the people had remained true -in their devotion, and these now interposed with Manitou and made many -offerings and sacrifices to appease his wrath. They so far prevailed -that many of the people also purged their hearts of all iniquity, and -Manitou was propitiated. As the host of monsters came swooping down, -like an army of invincible Centaurs, suddenly Pike’s Peak appeared as if -on fire, and the face of the Great Spirit was visible above it, shining -with a splendor greater than the sun. On the next instant that invading -army of satyrs and gorgons was changed to stone, and it is their bodies -that stand, and lie, and posture in strange incongruity in the Garden of -the Gods, Glen Eyrie, Bear Athol and Fiddler’s Green. - -Many other legends are told to account for the singular formations, but -none are so old and often repeated as the one here related. The region -was certainly regarded by the early people who occupied it as possessing -supernatural features, a fact attested not alone by the traditions so -carefully preserved, but by rude carvings found on pieces of shale dug -up in the valley, and winged images carved from gypsum, which appear to -be very crude representations of a conception of preternatural -creatures. These relics, however, are very few, and by many are -pronounced spurious, so that it would be treading on doubtful ground to -attempt to introduce evidence of the faith imposed by the Toltecs in -such legends, or how they sought to perpetuate them. It is sufficient, -therefore, to accept the curiosities that are in this wonderful garden -merely as strange freaks of nature, without considering the tales handed -down from a questionable source, pretending to show that the formations -are the results of supernatural causes. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: THE IDIOT, MONUMENT PARK.] - -[Illustration: MOTHER GRUNDY, MONUMENT PARK.] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: PHANTOM FALLS, NORTH CHEYENNE CAÑON.] - -[Illustration: CASTLE FALLS, NORTH CHEYENNE CAÑON.] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: HELL GATE, AUSABLE CHASM.] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - CHAPTER III. - THE GRAND CAÑONS OF WESTERN RIVERS. - - -[Illustration: CRYSTAL FALLS, CASCADE CAÑON.] - -Having pretty thoroughly photographed the region roundabout Manitou, we -hitched our camera car to a train on the Colorado Midland and started -westward for Salt Lake, and to embalm the scenery that lay between. The -way led around the base of Pike’s Peak, passed Cascade Cañon, and along -Bear Creek, the road doubling upon itself and twisting around in the -most tortuous course imaginable in order to get through the mountain -defiles. Every foot of the route is grand, for there is no point that -does not offer a view of scenic splendors beautiful, awesome and -sublime. So rugged, tumultuous and wonderfully aberrant is the way, that -the road plunges through no less than eight tunnels in traversing as -many miles, and thus the traveler is whirled through the heart and arms -of the mountains. The approach to Green Mountain Falls is up a valley -which spreads out into a fascinating landscape, where the green of the -meadowlands is set in a brown frame of sky-piercing peaks and impending -cliffs. Fontaine River refreshes the glade that opens through the -towering range, and a little way from the town the water goes leaping -down Foster’s Falls in a sheet of liquid crystal. It is from this -cascade that Green Mountain Falls takes its name. But besides this deep -dash of broken water, there are many other beautiful falls in the -vicinity which have served to make of the place a popular resort, -indeed, one of the greatest in Colorado. - -Onward we speed through valleys aflame with flowers and noisy with the -laughter of gamboling streams, until, seventy miles from Colorado -Springs, we plunge into a gorge known by its length as Eleven-Mile -Cañon. It lies directly in the way to South Park, and is wonderful not -so much for its darkling depths as for its marvelous petrifactions and -other natural curiosities; its great masses of granite that have broken -away from the peaks above and become a wall to the turbulent torrent -that has cleft the mountains on its bridleless way to the sea. Thence -our train winds around, up hill, past lakes, trout streams, and ranches, -until we stop a while at Buena Vista, where the train pauses on the side -of Gold Hill Mountain, fully one thousand feet above the town. From this -natural observatory a beautiful view is had indeed: Below is the madly- -rushing Arkansas, and the silvery Cottonwood Creek that joins its waters -with the river at this point. Buena Vista is in a valley that glows like -an emerald in the sun, across which rises a giant bank of mountains -known as the Saguache range, in which we distinguish the collegiate -trinity of mounts Harvard, Yale and Princeton, each being above 14,000 -feet, and the former the second highest in the Rocky Mountains. Snowy -and Sangre de Cristo ranges are also visible from this point, while -eleven miles up Cottonwood Pass is Cottonwood Lake, a very gem set in a -wilderness of snow-covered peaks. It is the same distance from Buena -Vista to the summit of Mt. Princeton, reached by an easy wagon road, and -on this lofty pedestal the observer sweeps the horizon with enraptured -vision that commands a view of Salida, Poncha Pass, the wide expanse of -South Park, and grand old Pike’s Peak one hundred miles away; Twin Lakes -are twenty-five miles to the north, near Buffalo Peaks, where the -sportsman finds a paradise and the health-seeker is exhilarated with -balsamic winds; while all around, whichever way we look, the omnipotence -of the Creator is exhibited in the mightiness of His handiwork as -displayed in the weirdly broken landscape of jocund mountain peaks, -bowlders of granite torn from the great heart of the earth, babbling -streams, tumbling water-falls, and teeming valleys. - -[Illustration: THE BEARS’ CAVE, NEAR GREEN LAKE.] - -After leaving Buena Vista the route was along the Arkansas River, -through somewhat less rugged scenery, and on by Leadville, a city whose -life is drawn from the bowels of the mountain. The whole territory is -speckled and dotted with engine houses, and derricks, and flumes, and -cavities, where the cupidity of man has laid a tribute upon the -everlasting hills, and is collecting it by the sweat of his brow and the -exercise of his genius. - -The road continues to rise until we reach Hagerman Tunnel, a mammoth -passage-way bored through solid rock. Its length is 2,164 feet, and to -provide perfect ventillation the cut is eighteen feet wide and nearly as -many high. The grade is a continually ascending one from Colorado -Springs to this point, where an altitude of 11,530 feet is reached, and -the slope towards the Pacific begins. Just as we emerge from Hagerman -Tunnel, Loch Ivanhoe bursts into glorious view, a silvery sheet that -wraps the cold feet of Snowy Mountain, while off to the left, like a -sign of hope to the Christian traveler, is the Mount of the Holy Cross. -This wonderful peak has become a veritable shrine, visited as it is by -thousands, whose reverent feelings it never fails to excite. The -mountain obtains its name and reputation from the clefts on its northern -side near the summit, which are in the form of a cross and in which the -snow lies at such a depth that summer suns never melt it. The height of -this peak is 14,176 feet, but though not so lofty as some others in -Colorado, it is apparently more exposed and holds the snow longest, the -summit being nearly always covered. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - PORTAL OF GRAND RIVER CAÑON.—Grand and Green Rivers form the Colorado - River, and all are rich in scenery of the most splendid and imposing - character. A fine example of the beautiful and the grand blended and - combined is seen in the photograph on this page. This is the gateway - or portal, as it is aptly named, to other views equal in all - respects to this one. A tour through this region is worth the toil - and effort of a lifetime, and yet how few there are who can afford - to spend their accumulations in giving to themselves such a supreme - pleasure. But the camera overcomes the difficulty, giving us mirror- - like reflections of these majestic wonders, in which we behold them - as perfectly as if we were there in person. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: SYLVAN FALLS, CASCADE CAÑON.] - -The next point of interest on the way to Salt Lake is Glenwood Springs, -situated at the junction of Grand and Roaring Fork Rivers. This place -derives its importance from its numerous thermal springs of great -remedial virtues, and the beautiful adornments which a lavish but well- -directed use of money has provided. The situation, too, is one of great -natural picturesqueness, as the scenery rivals that about Manitou. -Glenwood Springs is located at the head of Grand River Cañon, which -extends a distance of sixteen miles through colossal mountains, the -palisades of which rise in serried ranks and terminate in towering -columns and gigantic turrets frequently 2,000 feet above the bed of the -river. It is through this tremendous chasm that the railroad runs, so -that travelers have a perfect view of the Titanic scenery from the car -windows, as they are whirled through it. Three miles from Glenwood -Springs is No Name Cañon, while further up the stream is a tremendous -fissure which admits the river, and on account of its wildly savage -appearance is called Grizzly Cañon. Ten miles more towards the river’s -source is Dead Horse Cañon, which may be gained only at the expense of -most laborious effort, for the trail is over great bowlders and along -crumbling walls which frown far above the roaring waters below. But away -up in this darksome retreat of nature, where the lion and bear have -their haunts, is Meteor Falls, that leaps almost out of the mouth of the -cañon and hurls its waters down a precipice nearly one hundred feet -deep, and then spreads through crevices of the rocks into a score of -separate streams. Not far distant is Alexander’s Cave, which, though not -so well known, is much grander in size and more curious with stalactite -formations than those near Manitou, which have an undeserved fame. From -the summit of a mountain just east of Glenwood, and reached by a walk of -three miles, an immense expanse of charming scenery is viewable. For -seventy miles towards the east extends the snow-crowned chain of the -Continental Divide, while towards the north, like a babe sleeping to the -lullabys of a brooklet’s voice, lies the White River plateau. Southward -the observer’s vision swings across the valleys of Roaring Fork and -Crystal River to the Elk range, and then sweeps around to the west, -where it lingers on Book Cliffs, ninety miles away, which gleam with -scintillant beauty, and inspire with a grandeur that fills the very soul -with wondering ecstasy. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - BOOK CLIFFS, WALLS OF GRAND RIVER CAÑON.—It would be a difficult thing - to find a more beautiful picture than the one that embellishes this - page. It is gloriously beautiful. The camera has done its work so - well that the very reflection of the sun’s rays and the soft glimmer - of the summer air are shown as perfectly as they could be seen with - the natural eye. In fact it has been said, and truly so, that the - camera is a good detective, for it discovers objects which are - invisible to ordinary human sight, and prints them indelibly upon - its sensitive plates. Hence good photographs, like those in GLIMPSES - OF AMERICA, are in many respects more desirable than a visit to the - scenes themselves. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - THE GRAND CAÑON OF THE COLORADO. - -[Illustration: TRIPLE FALLS, CASCADE CAÑON.] - -The tumultuous anarchism of nature, the wild riot of natural forces, the -savage disarrangement, the chaotically indefinable throes of internal -madness that characterize the region, suggests other wonders of eruption -and erosion, the dissolution and disorganization which have been wrought -along the water-course and which has gnawed its way through these -everlasting—nay, it would appear, transitory—mountains. The first -travelers that fought their way into these vastnesses of cañon, roaring -peak and soughing forests, carried back to civilization wondrous tales -of the things which they had seen, and though discredited as the -conceptions of perfervid imaginations, others were stimulated to seek -the proofs, and confirm the theories that were offered by adventurous -gold-hunters. The Government itself, unconscious of its own possessions, -joined in the search for the wondrous evidences and sent expeditions -into the Rocky Mountain regions to make topographic and geologic -investigations, the results of which were to increase surprise. -Operations in the west, chiefly against the Mohave Indians, made it -necessary also for the Government to ascertain the most convenient -routes for the transportation of supplies to the military posts in New -Mexico and Utah, and in this search the Colorado River became an object -of special interest, because if navigable it presented the easiest way -to the seat of war. In order to determine the question, an expedition -was despatched by the Secretary of War, in 1858, under the command of -Lieutenant J. C. Ives, chief of topographical engineers. An iron -steamboat fifty feet long was built in Philadelphia, which, being in -sections convenient for transportation, was shipped by way of Panama to -the Gulf of California, and put into service at Fort Yuma, at the mouth -of the Colorado River, for an ascent of that stream. - -The expedition thus conducted by Lieutenant Ives resulted in the -exploration of a large territory which was before his advent therein a -_terra incognita_, except that it had been partially traversed in 1540 -by a few Spanish explorers, acting under orders of the Viceroy of New -Spain, whose reports, however, were so crude as to be almost valueless. -Ives succeeded in ascending the Colorado a distance of 425 miles in his -steamboat, which he concluded was within seventy-five miles of the head -of navigation during the most favorable season. The practical results -were not of very great value, but his reports were extremely -interesting, chiefly for the descriptions of marvelous scenery which -they contained. Or, as he writes, “The region explored after leaving the -navigable portion of the Colorado—though, in a scientific point of view, -of the highest interest, and presenting natural features whose strange -sublimity is perhaps unparalleled in any part of the world—is not of -much value.” - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - NEAR HANCE’S CABIN, GRAND CAÑON OF THE COLORADO.—The Grand Cañon of - the Colorado, in Northwestern Arizona, is the supreme natural wonder - of the world. It is formed by the Colorado River cutting its way - through the high plateau of that region. It is not a mountainous - district, but a level plateau, and for this reason the tourist sees - no indication of the wonders soon to be unfolded to his astonished - vision until he is right upon the brink of the awful chasm which - gashes the earth in many places to a depth of more than one mile, at - the bottom of which the river writhes and dashes like a tortured - serpent. The towering cliffs on either side reflect all the colors - of the rainbow, and when they are illuminated by the noonday sun the - scene is indescribably beautiful as well as grand. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: TEN-MILE PASS, NEAR KOKOMO, COLORADO.] - -Subsequently the Government determined to effect an exploration of the -headwaters of the Colorado, and to this end Major J. W. Powell, chief of -the U. S. Survey Corps, was sent out in charge of a party of a dozen -equally intrepid men, with instructions to descend the stream if -possible. To accomplish his purpose Major Powell provided four -staunchly-built row-boats in which he and his party debarked at Green -River Station, on the 24th of May, 1869, to run the gauntlet of cañon, -maelstrom, rapids and waterfalls in the Green and Colorado Rivers. It is -to Major Powell’s report that we are indebted for descriptions of the -terribly sublime scenery of these two streams, which surpass in wonder -every other region on the globe, and to the photographer of that -expedition we make our acknowledgments for several of the views which -are here reproduced. Mr. W. H. Jackson, who was for a long while -attached to the survey corps as photographer, has also kindly furnished -us with a number of exquisite pictures of the more accessible cañons of -the Colorado, and to him, therefore, credit in large share must be -given. Our own party, while thoroughly equipped for photographing -regions contiguous to railroads, was unprepared for making a trip down -the most dangerous of rivers, and we have accordingly been compelled to -rely for our photographs of the Green and Colorado Cañons upon the work -of those above credited. Condensing as much as possible the elaborate -and entrancing report of Major Powell, as it fills a very large volume, -his explorations may be thus hastily described: - -Almost from the beginning of the trip, the scenery was delightful, -variegated as it was with high-reaching cliffs dyed in great variety of -colors, and long lines of mountains stretching away into an infinity of -distance. The blue sky above, green shades of forest pines along the -side, empurpled clouds catching the tints of a rising and setting sun, -and lines of buff, red and brown, marking the strata of the banks, made -a picture which no painter has the genius to reproduce. Green River -enters the Minta plateau by the Flaming Gorge, and after reaching the -heart of the chain turns eastward, then southward, cutting its way out -by the splendid cañon of Lodore. Then following the base of the range -for a few miles a sudden caprice seizes it. Not content with the -terrible gash it has inflicted upon this noble chain, it darts at it -viciously once more and cuts a horseshoe cañon in its flank 2,700 feet -deep, then twists and emerges near the point of entrance. Thenceforward -the river runs a tortuous course of 300 miles through gently inclined -terraces which rise gradually as the stream descends. Further down, the -Kaibab (Buckskin) Plateau rises to contest its passage, and a chasm -5,000 to 6,000 feet is the result. The whole province is a vast category -of instances of river channels cutting through plateaus, mesas, and -terraces where the strata dip up-stream, as will be more particularly -described in the summary of Major Powell’s hazardous explorations. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - GRAND CAÑON OF THE COLORADO, NEAR THE TEMPLE OF SET.—This splendid - photograph will convey to the mind of the reader a good idea of the - awful grandeur of this locality. The picture is taken at the bottom - of the cañon, beneath the overhanging cliffs which rise - perpendicularly for thousands of feet, and between whose jutting - crags the sun can penetrate only when it is at the meridian. It is - well to contemplate such scenery, for it shows us our own littleness - and impotency in the midst of the fearful and resistless forces of - nature which God has set in motion. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: KAIBAB PINNACLES, GRAND CAÑON OF THE COLORADO.] - -Sixty miles from Green River the expedition floated into Flaming Gorge, -a chasm fifteen hundred feet in depth, through which the water poured in -swift measures and gave intimation of a more impetuous course further -down. But undeterred the gallant party proceeded, through Red and -Horseshoe Cañons, where the walls drew closer and big bowlders in the -stream caused the water to boil with such ominous signs that portage -around the obstructions was necessary. Thereafter the way became more -difficult, for to dangerous rapids were added lofty falls, while along -the vertical walls in places there was scarcely a space to set foot. -Frequently the only possible means of passage was by lowering the boats -by ropes attached to stem and stern, which taxed the strength of the men -as well as the staunchness of the crafts. Time and again, in running -rapids, the boats were capsized, but being built in water-tight -compartments they righted themselves and were a refuge for the men, who -clung to the sides until they drifted near the shore. - -At one place, which Major Powell named Disaster Falls, one of the boats -was swept over a fall and carried down to a rapid, where, striking -broadside against a bowlder, it was broken in two, leaving the three -occupants adrift to battle with the surging waters. Their escape from -drowning was almost a miracle, due to good luck and the extraordinary -efforts of their brave comrades. In this spot the walls were more than -3,000 feet high, and drawn so near together that only a thin strip of -sky was visible, which at night-time appeared to rest on the jagged -edges of the cliffs. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - PYRAMID PEAK, IN GRAND CAÑON OF THE COLORADO.—We have on this page a - general view of some of the rugged and imposing scenery of this - region. The space is too limited, however, to show the towering - heights of the cliffs to the right, which, when viewed from this - standpoint, seem to bathe their faces in the blue vault of heaven. - Along these cliffs, in many places, are found the deserted homes and - the ghastly relics of an ancient race of men, long since perished - from the face of the earth. They made their dwelling places in this - rugged and secluded region as a protection against wild animals and - still wilder savage men, but with all their precaution they were - unable to shield themselves from the fury of their enemies, and - another chapter of mystery and sorrow is thus added to the history - of man. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: HORSESHOE CAÑON, GRAND CAÑON OF THE COLORADO.] - -Sixteen days after their departure from the starting point, the -adventurous party were swept into Lodore Cañon, which extends its -colossal walls along twenty-four miles of the river, sometimes in the -form of hanging cliffs, tousled and gray with stunted vegetation, and -rising nearly three thousand feet above the stream, and again in -beautiful terraces of red sandstone that spread upward till they are -lost in the Uintah Mountains. - -It was not until two months after leaving Green River Station that the -explorers approached the junction with Grand River. As they dropped out -of the winding gorge whence they had descended, they caught a view of a -wondrous fissure, down which poured a rushing stream which appeared to -issue from the very bowels of the earth, so bottomless seemed the -channel. It was Grand River, which, in many respects, is the counterpart -of its sister stream, having the same features of waterfall, rapid, and -awesome cañon, into which the sunlight falls only at midday, and where -night-birds are on the wing almost constantly. It is a fitting thing -that these two remarkable rivers should mix their fretful waters and -flow on together in a perpetual quarrel, through arid plains, until they -end their differences in the Gulf of California. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - ECHO CLIFFS, CAÑON OF GRAND RIVER.—The resounding cliffs on either - side of the valley so beautifully photographed on this page, give - name to the locality. The echo is one of the finest known in any - region of the world, and the place will some day become as famous as - similar resorts in Europe, which attract thousands of visitors every - year. The scenic regions of our country are so vast, so diversified, - so grand and so beautiful that the time is not far distant when - pleasure seekers, and those desiring rest and recreation from the - toils and worries of business will turn their footsteps in this - direction, rather than toward the less attractive and more distant - wonders of Europe. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: CLIFF RUINS IN THE CAÑON.] - -[Illustration: JURASSIC TERRACE OF THE CALAB, GRAND CAÑON OF THE -COLORADO.] - -The Colorado River is formed by a union of the Grand and Green Rivers, -the former taking its rise near Long’s Peak, and the latter having its -source in the Wind River Mountains of Wyoming, within a few miles of -Fremont’s Peak. The two streams form a junction near a point known as -Fort Morrison, in southeast Utah, at the head of the most appalling -gorge in the world, called the _Grand Cañon of the_ _Colorado_. The -scenery along both the Grand and Green Rivers is inexpressibly sublime, -rising into towering buttes out of the plains; soaring to the clouds in -the form of mountains; revelling in the wildest disorder of landscape, -and the most turbulent panorama of mad-dashing streams between walls of -amazing height; but the wild passions of both rivers seem to be united -with more than double intensity when they mingle their waters and thence -become one turbid flood gnawing a way through the southwest desert. How -hard it is for the inexperienced eye to catch a mental view of the -tremendous chasm of the Colorado, however realistic a descriptive writer -may paint it, for height and depth almost lose their significance when -we apply the terms to dizzy crags above, and the dark lonesomeness of -Plutonian recesses beneath. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - BUFFALO BILL AND PARTY AT POINT SUBLIME, GRAND CAÑON OF THE COLORADO.— - During the summer succeeding his triumphal tour of Europe, General - W. F. Cody (Buffalo Bill), accompanied by a party of friends, - visited and explored the famous Grand Cañon of the Colorado. The - photograph on this page represents the party at lunch on Point - Sublime. Buffalo Bill is a warm friend and admirer of the author of - GLIMPSES OF AMERICA, and loaned this photograph to him for - reproduction in this work. It was taken by the special photographer - who accompanied the party on the tour referred to. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: SKULLS OF THE CLIFF DWELLERS.] - -The region through which the chafing waters of the Colorado run is -forbidding in the extreme, a vast Sahara of waste and inutility; a -desert too dreary for either vegetable or animal life; a land that is -haunted with wind-storm, on which ride the furies of desolation. But -there is in its very bleakness and consumptive degeneracy something that -appeals to the observer; a sympathy is aroused that stimulates -contemplation of the wondrous works of Deity, of the omnipotent hand -that sows seeds of plenty in one place and scatters tares of poverty in -another; that makes the valleys to laugh with verdure, and the plains to -wail with nakedness. In this sterile domain, this borderland of phantasy -and reality, nature is so distraught that the supernatural seems to hold -carnival, and in the forms which we here behold there is constant -suggestion of chaos. The earth is parched to sterility, and yet there -are abundant evidences that in centuries long ago this same land was -abundantly blessed with an amazing fertility. Depressions ramifying the -region are the dry beds of what were once water-courses, and the whole -plateau is garish with rocks over which life-giving floods once poured -their vivifying nourishment. But the friable nature of both soil and -rock has given way before the action of the river, which has constantly -deepened its path and drained the moisture from the earth. Now it is -like the Moon, a parched district, save for the single stream which, -instead of supplying sustenance, is eating its vitals. The channel is -worn more than 5,000 feet deep, with stupendous banks terraced and -wrought into shapes most fantastic, and at places diabolic. Imagine a -chasm that at times is less than a quarter of a mile wide and more than -a mile deep, the bed of which is a tossing, roaring, madly impetuous -flood; winding its way in a sinuous course along walls that are painted -with all the pigments known to nature! What an imposing spectacle; what -a scene of awesome grandeur; what a sublime vision of mightiness! But -the geologist sees in the crags and precipices, the strata and bed of -that brawling stream, the handwriting of nature, the easily decipherable -physical history and geology of the land. The antiquarian and -ethnologist, following after, translate the relics of rude habitations -found along the cliffs, and the skulls fortunately recovered from the -ruins, into a story of the ancient people who in the long centuries ago -dared to make their homes in these almost inaccessible fastnesses, -driven to such refuges by the ruthless hand of persecution. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - HANCE’S TRAIL, GRAND CAÑON OF THE COLORADO.—Between the beetling crags - and along the serpentine windings of the river, we obtain in this - photograph a fine view of some of the wonders of the Grand Cañon. - The beauties of the scene would be largely enhanced if the varied - hues of the red and orange and amber tinted cliffs could be painted - by the camera with the same accuracy that it gives to all the other - surroundings and characteristics of the picture. This much to be - desired result is largely accomplished, however, in the splendid - colored photograph of a similar scene in this connection, and which - in fact gives a better idea of the splendors of the Grand Cañon than - any photograph in a single color could convey. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: ROTARY SNOW-PLOW.] - -In many places, Major Powell found overarching cliffs, formed by the -river in making a sharp bend eating away the shale and gypsum of the -base. Occasional inlets were observed, cut by creeks that have been -dried up for ages; and following up one of these deep aroytas a little -way, he came to a natural stair-way of small and regular terraces that -led up fully 500 feet, to an oasis of vegetation, out of which burst a -spring that lost its waters before they had run a hundred feet down the -parched cliff. Just below this point a beautiful glen was found, where -the walls of the cañon appeared to almost meet above the deep and quiet -river, which, though narrowed, had an unobstructed channel. The cliffs -were of a marvelous beauty, appalling in height, but as variegated as a -bed of poppies, with their strata of white, pink, saffron, gray and red. - -Passing out of Glen Cañon, the party came directly into the jaws of -another chasm, where the river had excavated an amphitheater of mammoth -proportions, and then plunged into a gorge where both the walls and bed -of the stream were of marble so pure that they shone with an iridescent -splendor, and the now lazy river reflected its walls until looking down -was gazing into the heavenly depths. Just below was Cataract Cañon, the -entrance to which was indicated by a lofty cliff that, from a distance, -shone like a crystal mountain, but which, on closer inspection, was -discovered to be the source of many springs whose waters glinted in the -sun like jewels. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: PORTION OF THE ANCIENT PALACE AT CASA GRANDE, ARIZONA.] - -[Illustration: PART OF THE ANCIENT CITY WALL AI CASA GRANDE, ARIZONA.] - -The ruins of the ancient city of Casa Grande, in Arizona, and others not -less wonderful in the same region, prove that this portion of our -country was once inhabited by a powerful and numerous race of people, -who possessed a civilization and knowledge of the arts on a parallel -with Babylon and Assyria. The walls of these ruins are built of adobe, -thick and strong, and guarded with buttresses and towers to meet and -repel the attacks of an enemy; but their age and the date of their -occupancy cannot be determined. They may be a thousand years old, and it -is just as probable that they date back two or three times that distance -into the unknown past. Their origin is a profound mystery, and must -always remain such. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: BRIDAL VEIL, SHOSHONE FALLS.] - -In many places the arid desolation which was noticeable in the upper -portion and on the plateau, and which stretched away on both sides, was -broken by patches of vegetation, and the appearance of side gorges in -which creeks were still contributing to the river. Storms were not -infrequent, too, and these occurring where the cañon walls were a mile -high and close together, produced an effect that was almost supernatural -in its awfulness. Every obscuration of the sun brought dense shadows in -the chasm, which were split in twain by blinding flashes, while the deep -thunder echoed sharply between the cliffs, producing a roaring sound -that was almost deafening. Such rain-storms, however, were invariably -confined to the immediate vicinity of the cañon, the territory lying two -or three miles east or west continuing parched, with hardly a cloud -above it. Even more remarkable than the stupendous walls which confine -the Colorado River, are the ruined cave habitations which are to be seen -along the lofty and apparently inaccessible ledges, in which a vanished -race long years ago evidently sought refuge from their enemies. These -caves are no doubt natural excavations, but in many instances the mouths -are partially walled and otherwise fortified. They were reached by very -narrow, precipitous and devious paths, and being extremely difficult to -attain by the occupants themselves, presented an impregnable front to -invaders. But the security which such cavernous retreats afforded was -purchased at great cost, for we wonder how the inhabitants managed to -exist, situated as they were in a desolate country, where there was -great scarcity of both vegetable and animal life. Perhaps the most -strikingly beautiful sections of the Grand Cañon are the Vermilion -Cliffs, and the Temples and Towers of the Virgin, the one fading into -the other. Vermilion Cliffs are a great wall of remarkable height and -length of persistent proportions, and so ornate with natural -sculpturing, and rich with parti-coloring, as to justify the most -extravagant language in describing them. Each of the several terraces -has its own style of architecture, and yet they contrast with one -another in the most harmoniously artistic manner. The Elephantine ruins -on the Nile, the temples of Greece, the pagodas of China, and the -cathedrals of Southern Europe, present no more variety of pleasing -structures than those encountered in descending the stair-way from the -high plateaus to the deep Cañon of the Colorado. As we pass from terrace -to terrace, the scene is constantly changing; not only in the bolder and -grander masses which dominate the landscape, but in every detail and -accessory as well: in the tone of the color-masses, in the vegetation, -and in the spirit and subjective influences of the scenery. The profile -of the Vermilion Cliffs is very complex, though conforming to a definite -type and composed of simple elements. While varying much in different -localities, it never loses its typical character. The cliffs consist of -an ascending series of vertical ledges, rising story above story, with -intervening slopes covered with heaps of rocks, through which project -their fretted edges. The composite effect given by the multiple cliffs -and sloping water-tables rising tier above tier, is highly -architectural, and shows in striking contrast with the rough and craggy -aspect of the cliffs of other regions. This effect is much increased by -the aberrant manner in which the wall advances in promontories or -recedes in alcoves, and by the wings and gables that jut out from every -lateral face. In many places side cañons have cut the terrace platforms -deeply, and open in magnificent gate-ways upon the broad desert plain in -front. We look into them from afar, wonderingly and questioningly, with -our fancy pleased to follow their windings until their sudden turns -carry them into distant, unseen depths. In other places the cliffs verge -into towering buttes, rearing their unassailable summits into the -clouds, rich with the aspiring forms of a pure Gothic type, and flinging -back in red and purple the intense sunlight that is poured upon them. -Could the imagination blanch those colors, it might compare them with -vast icebergs, sent from the face of a glacier and floating majestically -out to sea. - -Grand, glorious, sublime, are the pictorial cliffs of vermilion hue; yet -a more magnificent spectacle is presented by an unfolding of the -panorama that stretches southward, revealing as it does the heavenly -crowned and resplendently painted temples and towers of the Virgin. Here -the slopes, the serpentine ledges, and the bosses of projecting rock, -interlarded with scanty soil, display all the colors of the rainbow, and -in the distance may be likened to the painter’s palette. The bolder -tints are of maroon, purple, chocolate, magenta and lavender, with broad -bands of white laid in horizontal belts. The cañon proper is 7,000 feet -deep here, but less than two miles beyond it stands the central and -commanding object of this sublime painting, the glorious western temple -that looms up 4,000 feet above the rapid river. This, however, is only -the foreground of a matchless panorama, for right opposite are a mighty -throng of structures wrought in the same exalted style, separated by two -principal forks of the Virgin, known as the Parunuweap and the -Mukuntuweap, or Little Zion Valley. At one point the two side cañons -swing around and form a junction, where the walls break into giant -pediments covered with the most remarkable and picturesque carvings. The -sumptuous, bewildering and mazy effects are boldly discernible; but -detail is lost when attempt is made to analyze it. The flank of the wall -receding up the Mukuntuweap is similarly sculptured and decorated for -two miles, and then changes into new kaleidoscopic forms still more -wonderful and impressive. A row of towers half a mile high is sculptured -out of the palisade, and stands in relief before its face. There is an -eloquence in their forms which stirs the imagination with a singular -power, and kindles in even the dullest mind a glowing response. Just -behind them, and rising a thousand feet higher, is the eastern temple, -crowned with a cylindric dome of white sandstone. Directly in front is a -complex group of white towers, springing from a central pile and -mounting to the clouds. The highest peak in this cumulus mass is almost -pure white, with brilliant streaks of carmine descending its vertical -walls, while the truncated summit is a deep red. - -Nothing can exceed the wondrous beauty of Little Zion Valley, which -separates the two temples and their respective groups of towers. In its -proportions it is probably equal to Yosemite, but it very far exceeds -that natural wonder in the nobility and beauty of sculpturing. We are -not surprised that a Mormon zealot gave to this cañon the name of Little -Zion, since the scenery is so imposing as to immediately and powerfully -suggest those “houses not built with hands.” - -Far to the westward is to be seen the last palisade, lifting its -imposing front behind an army of towers and domes to an altitude of more -than 3,000 feet. Beyond it the view changes quickly, for it passes at -once into the Great Basin, which to this region is another world. - -The passage of the Grand Cañon of the Colorado, that most fearful, -colossal and extraordinary chasm in all the world’s surface, was -completed on August 29th, the perils which beset the explorers being -constant and the hardest work unremitting. Nor was it accomplished -without great sacrifice. The dangers so increased that three of the men -deserted, whose fate, however, was most tragic, for they were shortly -afterwards murdered by Indians. Starvation threatened the party, for -repeated capsizing of the boats resulted in the loss of nearly all their -provisions, while exposure brought on illness, so that the men were in a -desperate situation when they finally emerged from the jaws of the cañon -and found succor among some hospitable Indians. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - FALLS OF THE PARUNUWEAP.—The Parunuweap is a wady, or dry bed, during - a great part of the year, but which carries in season much of the - rainfall of southwest Colorado into the San Juan River, and thence - into Colorado River. Throughout a great part of its length the bed - of Parunuweap is a cañon of enormous depth and precipitous sides, - into which, at frequent intervals, streams that are suddenly swollen - by heavy rains pour their overflow. The illustration above shows one - of these temporary falls, flowing in large volume over a precipice - of the cañon that is nearly perpendicular and quite 200 feet high. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - CHAPTER IV. - MARVELS OF THE GREAT DESERT. - - -[Illustration: TWIN LAKES, COTTONWOOD CAÑON, UTAH.] - -Grand River valley is followed by the railroad from a point about forty -miles north of Leadville for a distance of nearly two hundred miles, and -until State Line is reached, when the road cuts across the plains of -Utah, which are relieved by little diversity of landscape until Mount -Nebo, of the Wasatch range, breaks into view. The scenery along Grand -River is, however, extremely beautiful, being very rugged and at times -mountainous. The road leads through several cañons that have very high -vertical walls, around ledges, over bridges, and takes an occasional -plunge into the midnight of tunnels bored through solid granite. The -landscape which meets the traveler’s vision when he reaches Utah is very -different from that which characterizes Colorado, the difference being -apparent almost when the border is reached. After passing the plateau -the route is by Provo Lake, where the region becomes broken, and near-by -are lofty ledges, over one of which rushes a pellucid stream that is -formed by melting snows from the adjacent mountains. Provo Falls is a -beautiful sheet of water, dashing down a height of forty feet and then -spreading away until lost in Provo Lake. - -The Wasatch range is now plainly visible, coasting the eastern shore of -Great Salt Lake, and winding around to the southwest until they enclose -a valley that by Mormon industry has been converted into a veritable -paradise, ramified as it is by canals that render it prolific with -nearly everything that fertile soil can produce. - -The Wasatch range forms one of the most important topographical features -of the Cordilleran system; in fact, it marks the central line of -elevation of this great mountain region, and is the dividing ridge -between the arid interior basins of Nevada and the high and relatively -well-watered plateau country that drains into the Gulf of California. -All the mountain formations here are on a scale of universal magnitude, -while in their structure are to be seen the effects of dynamic forces, -which have folded and twisted thousands of feet of solid rock as if they -were as pliable as so many sheets of paper. To the westward the range -presents a bold, abrupt escarpment, rising suddenly out of the plains of -the Utah basin, and attains its greatest elevation within a couple of -miles of its western base. To the eastward it slopes off very gradually, -forming a succession of broad ridges and mountain valleys whose waters -drain into the Great Salt Lake through cañons and gorges cut through its -main western ridge. The altitude is from 10,000 to 12,000 feet above sea -level, so that snow is continuous on the summits, while a condensation -of the eastward moving atmospheric currents, produced by the chill on -the mountain peaks, furnishes a constant supply of water to the mountain -streams, and from which the valleys derive their exceptional fertility. -A view of the range, as observed from one of the islands in Salt Lake, -presents a mountain wall more than 100 miles in length, of delicately -varied outline, the upper portion wrapped in a mantle of snow, but -dotted with patches of pine revealing all the intricacies of its rocky -structure, and cut through at short intervals by deep cañon gashes of -rare grandeur and beauty. A striking feature is presented in the old -lake terraces which mark the former beach-line of ancient Lake -Bonneville, of which the uppermost is 940 feet above the level of the -present lake, and can be traced with few interruptions from one end of -the range to the other. Lake Bonneville was formerly the great inland -sea of which Great Salt Lake is now a part. It covered nearly one-sixth -of what is now Utah territory, and there is evidence that it was -connected with the sea by an arm extending to the Gulf of California. -The upheaval of mountains through volcanic action reduced its bed and -gradually confined its waters to the lower basin of what afterwards came -to be known, because of its saline waters, as the Great Salt Lake. - -[Illustration: BLACK ROCK, GREAT SALT LAKE.] - -As early as 1689 mention was made of this remarkable lake, which was -somewhat indefinitely located and described by Baron La Houtan, “lord- -lieutenant of the French colony at Placentia, in New Foundland,” in a -work which was first published in the English language in 1735. But -though known at such an early day, it was not until 1849 that a survey -of the lake was made by Howard Stansbury, captain of topographical -engineers, U. S. A., though General John C. Fremont circumnavigated it -in 1844, giving names to its several islands and prominent points. The -settlement of Mormons in the Salt Lake Valley, near the shores of the -lake, served to bring the Dead Sea of America into prominence, and to -this fact was largely due the action of the Government in ordering a -survey of the great basin to be made. The lake was found to be nearly -eighty miles long by fifty broad, and to contain such a quantity of -salt, sulphates of silver, chlorides of magnesium, potash and alum, that -its solid contents were about four times greater than that of ocean -water, while its specific gravity almost equalled that of the Dead Sea. -Having no outlet the lake has a fluctuating level, dependent upon the -amount of inflowing water and solar evaporation, which varies each -season, but though theoretically the lake ought to be diminishing, the -fact remains that it is rather increasing, showing marked encroachment -on the eastern shores, while on the west there is an apparent recession -of its waters, a peculiarity not easily explained. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - UTALINE, OR LINE OF DIVISION BETWEEN UTAH AND COLORADO.—It was a - poetic as well as an artistic idea that led to the marking of the - division line between Utah and Colorado upon the everlasting hills. - It is a place of interest to all tourists, who never fail to comment - upon it and admire the execution of the idea as the trains pass by. - A path has been worn on the rocky side of the hills by the numerous - tourists who have personally visited the place, and in the - photograph we see an enthusiastic traveler returning to the waiting - train after satisfying his curiosity. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: THE TEMPLE, SALT LAKE CITY.] - -There are a number of islands in Salt Lake, the two largest being -Antelope and Stansbury, which rise abruptly to a height of 3,000 feet, -terminating in rocky ridges that range north and south, and from which a -marvelously beautiful view is had of the surrounding scenery, varied by -towering peaks, boundless plains, fields of grain, irrigating ditches, -prosperous farm houses, and away to the southeast a delightful vision of -Salt Lake City. Other islands in the lake are those known as Gunnison, -Fremont, Carrington, Dolphin, Black Rock, Mud, Egg, Hat, and several -others that are so insignificant as to appear to be unworthy of any -name. The total area covered by the lake is about 2,500 square miles, or -nearly 400 square miles more than the State of Delaware, and its -elevation above the sea is 4,000 feet. - -But if Great Salt Lake is one of the prime curiosities of America, its -municipal namesake may well claim the distinction of being one of the -artificial wonders of our land. Salt Lake City is the sublime result of -Mormon persecution, having been founded by that alien sect in 1847. The -history of their expulsion from Nauvoo, Illinois, and Gallatin, -Missouri, is familiar to every school-boy, yet there will ever linger -about the story of their flight, across the winter-swept plains of Iowa -and the icy prairies of Nebraska, to the desert lands of Utah, a glamour -of romance, second in interest to that of the exile of the Acadians, as -told by Longfellow in _Evangeline_. - -In this valley of desolation, as it then appeared, Brigham Young, the -Moses of his people, founded a city and re-established a hierarchy which -has persisted and prospered to a degree that invites the world’s -amazement. By industry as remarkable as it was well directed, the desert -was converted into an oasis, and the bare earth, with its poverty of -sand and sage-brush, was made to cover its nakedness with the green -vestures of almost unexampled fecundity. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - PROVO FALLS, NEAR PROVO CITY, UTAH.—There is perhaps not in the whole - world a more beautiful sheet of water than Provo Falls. It plunges - over a precipice forty feet high, striking boulders on the way that - break it into jets and misty lace-work which reflect and re-reflect - the sun’s rays in a thousand brilliant and ever-varying colors and - tints, until the beholder is entranced with the loveliness of the - vision. During the wet season, when the volume of water is greater, - the falls are even more beautiful than they are represented in this - photograph, but under the most adverse circumstances they are lovely - enough to satisfy the most critical taste. Provo Falls constitute - one of the chief attractions of Utah scenery. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -The town thus established under harsh conditions grew into the stature -of a city, whose very isolation seemed to contribute to its prosperity. -For the first score of years the place was in nearly all respects one of -refuge, where the church was dominant and where priestcraft and polygamy -were the two institutions upon which the life of the sect depended. We -are not surprised, therefore, to find that the first great building -erected in Salt Lake City was a tabernacle, with a seating capacity for -12,000 persons, the largest hall without pillar supports in the world, -and that next to this a tithing house was built, for it was a principle -with the Mormons that the church should be supported by levies upon the -communicants of one-tenth of their annual profits, whether such earnings -came from the soil, merchandise or the trades. Then followed the -building of an endowment house, where the rites of the church were -celebrated; and besides a residence for the president or chief priest, -there was erected a structure known as the Bee-Hive, for the -accommodation of Brigham Young’s harem, also an assembly hall, and -lastly a Grand Temple, costing nearly $3,000,000, which, after twenty -years, is just now approaching completion. - -[Illustration: BEE-HIVE HOUSE, SALT LAKE CITY.] - -The City of Salt Lake, with a population of 44,000, is about seven miles -from the southeastern shore of the lake, is beautifully laid out with -streets 132 feet wide, the gutters of which are kept clean by the -constant running of pure water through them, brought down from the -Wasatch range and conducted thence through a myriad of ditches to -irrigate the soil. - -Salt Lake City is one of the chief military posts of the United States, -and Fort Douglas, situated about five miles from the city, on a gently -sloping hillside at the termination of Red Butte Cañon, is a delightful -place and commands an unobstructed view of the entire valley. A mile -toward the south is Emigrant Cañon, from which point it is said the -Mormon pioneers first caught sight of the verdureless plain which they -were destined to convert into a very Eden of productiveness. One of the -greatest attractions in the neighborhood of the city (about eighteen -miles distant) is a noted bathing resort called Garfield Beach which, -during the summer season, is visited by thousands of persons who there -indulge the incomparable luxury of a bath in the marvelous Dead Sea of -America. The water is so buoyant that those who have not mastered the -art of swimming find equal sport with those who are most expert, for -they can lie on the delicious waves and be rocked like a child in its -cradle, without putting forth any effort whatever. Just back of -Garfield’s Beach is a great cavern in the Oquirrah Mountain side known -as the Giant’s Cave, the entrance to which is some 300 feet above the -lake level, though it is plainly evident that in former years the -opening was submerged. When the cave was discovered, in 1860, it was -found to contain several complete human skeletons, recklessly disposed, -as though they were the victims of slaughter or starvation. It was a -custom among the Utes to place their dead in caves and in hollows among -the rocks, but the irregularity of the positions of the skeletons found -in Giant’s Cave lends plausibility to the belief that the remains are -those of a band of Indians who, having taken refuge there, were -exterminated by their more powerful enemies. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - DOUBLE CIRCLE, NEAR EUREKA, UTAH.—This photograph is interesting to - lovers of mountain scenery as well as railway engineers. The distant - hazy mountains form a soft and beautiful background, with their dark - sides and white, snow-crowned peaks; while in the foreground we - behold as fine an example of railroad engineering as can be seen - anywhere in the world. In climbing the mountains it is necessary for - the tracks to wind and zigzag and cross themselves back and forth, - until the train which first passes beneath the bridge a few minutes - later dashes across the top of it a hundred feet or more higher up. - It is exceedingly interesting to occupy a point where the whole - scene is in view and watch a train pursuing its devious way around - and over this portion of the track. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: BRIGHAM YOUNG’S GRAVE, SALT LAKE CITY.] - -About forty miles north of Salt Lake City, and on the main line of the -Union Pacific Railroad, are two remarkable chasms known as Echo and -Weber Cañons, which are not only sublimely grand by reason of their -lofty and often vertical walls, but are also marvelously curious on -account of the weird formations which distinguish them. The first one -reached on our trip from Salt Lake was Weber Cañon, which invites -attention and admiration not so much by beetling cliffs as by its great -variety of scenery and the kaleidoscopic changes which appear at every -hundred yards of advance into it. The cañon is not always narrow, nor -are the walls invariably high, for there is a succession of all kinds of -mountain scenery, including stretches of beautiful meadow land and -fertile fields wrapped about the feet of giant peaks; colossal gate-ways -leading into dark defiles; mighty summits breaking way through -cloudland; slopes covered with pine and aspen; and ridges that appear to -have been fashioned by gods of war into towers, bastions and crenelated -battlements. Weber River has forged its way through this chasm, and -along its sinuous and rocky bed the railroad runs, sometimes cutting -under an overhanging ledge, again almost scraping the sides of the walls -that swing so near together, then leaping out of night-infested chasms -into broadening valleys that are green and russet with prolific -fruitage. While admiring the peaceful landscape and contemplating the -happy environments that render the valley a place of delightful -habitation, our dreamy reflections are suddenly disturbed by a sight of -what seems to have been most appropriately named The Devil’s Slide, a -formation whose singularity entitles it to consideration as one of -nature’s marvels. The hill upon the side of which this unique wonder -occurs is about 800 feet high, composed of a dark red sandstone, whose -face has been scarred by some internal disturbance that has caused to be -cast up from the base two gray parallel walls of white sandstone, which -rise to a varying height of twenty to forty feet above the general -surface of the hill, and are not more than twenty feet apart. This -remarkable slide begins at the summit and continues to the base, where -it is reflected in the clear waters of Weber River, opposite Lost Creek, -producing a vision that is weirdly grotesque and sublimely curious. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - CASTLE GATE IN PRICE’S CAÑON, UTAH.—We observe in this photograph not - only a castle gate but the castle itself, with its battlements and - buttresses, as natural and picturesque as any of the ruins that lend - their attractions to mediæval Europe. The scene is a grand one as we - observe it from the railroad tracks, and to this grandeur there is - added a vision of indescribable loveliness when the surrounding - country is viewed from the dizzy heights of the castle walls. Such a - view is one that never can be forgotten; it impresses itself upon - the mind as a permanent and lasting memory. All tourists who have - been this way will instantly recognize their old friend, the castle - gate, in this splendid photograph. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: JOSEPHINE FALLS, BEAR CREEK, UTAH.] - -“Echo Cañon,” says an English traveler, “is a superb defile. It moves -along like some majestic poem in a series of incomparable stanzas. There -is nothing like it in the Himalayas that I know of, nor in the Suliman -range. In the Bolan Pass, on the Afghan frontier, there are intervals of -equal sublimity; and even as a whole it may compare with it. But taken -for all in all—its length (some thirty miles), its astonishing diversity -of contour, its beauty as well as its grandeur—I confess that Echo Cañon -is one of the masterpieces of Nature.” - -One of the first objects which claims particular attention near the -entrance to the cañon from the west is Pulpit Rock, which is near the -village of Echo. This projection receives its name from its suggestive -appearance as well as from the popular tradition that Brigham Young -occupied it to preach his first sermon in Utah. The rocks and precipices -which line the way are variegated with subdued tints, heightened by the -pronounced coloring of the mountain vegetation that covers the slopes -and spreads out in occasional level tracts at the base. Remarkable and -often fantastic formations diversify the cañon, which for their fancied -resemblance to artificial things have received such appellations as -Steamboat Rock, Gibraltar, Monument Rock, etc. Our further advance -brings into view towering cliffs that seem to be suspended from the sky, -and again the walls reach over the way like mighty claws, and exhibit -their serrated peaks in a series of ruins that in the distance conjure -the imagination and present a vision of monoliths, temples, galleries -and castles, such as bestrew the old world. Hanging Rock and Castle Rock -are two specially bold promontories that give suggestion of Nilotic and -Rhenish ruins, a verisimilitude that is intensified by the knowledge -that when Johnston invaded Utah in 1857 the Mormons fortified many of -the cliffs of both Weber and Echo Cañons, the fading wrecks of these -structures being still visible. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - MOUNT NEBO, WASATCH RANGE.—Mount Nebo is about sixty miles almost due - south of Salt Lake City, and about twenty-five miles south of Provo. - Its snow-covered summit may be seen for a hundred miles or more, for - the atmosphere of this region is so clear that the vision has almost - an unlimited range. This mountain, as well as many other points and - places in Utah, was named by the Mormons on account of its fancied - likeness to its celebrated Old Testament namesake. It is one of the - finest mountain scenes in the whole Western country. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: PULPIT ROCK, WEBER CAÑON.] - -Church Buttes and The Witches present a strange conglomeration in -uniting religion with superstition, for they appeal to the two strongest -attributes of human nature. From the west the “Witches” first come into -view, a group of fantastically-wrought images that appear like chaotic -creations, the rock-carved dreams of distempered boyhood, the feverish -personations of old Granny Bunch’s tales. There they stand, like an -assemblage of weazened and wrinkled wizards plotting some scheme of -diabolism, though everlastingly anchored to the eternal hillsides, -where, like Giant Grim, they can do nothing more than make faces at -passers-by. - -Church Buttes are more harmonious in their outlines, as well as massive -in their proportions, simulating as they do cathedrals and meeting -houses, some with towers and spires, and others of less ostentatious -architecture, but all bearing some intimation of a worshipful purpose. -But these curious efforts of nature are not confined to the cañons -named, nor a limited district, for directly north of Green River, and -reached by a Government trail leading to Yellowstone Park, are what are -known as the Bridges and Washakie Basins of Bad Lands, a region that is -remarkable for its capricious formations, the results of upheavals, -glacial scouring, and erosions by wind and water. This district of -marvelous forms is a part of Fremont county, covering an area of twenty -by twenty-five miles. The country is a mixture of limestones, shales and -calcareous sandstones, with occasional green clays, marls, and whitish -sand, the latter often drifting into long dunes. Towards the south end -of this dry valley there is a chain of bluff escarpments, extending -about fourteen miles, and it is in these escarpments that the most -remarkable examples of Bad Land erosions are to be found. The ridges -rise 300 feet above the valley and present a series of abrupt, nearly -vertical faces, worn into innumerable architectural forms, with detached -pillars standing like monoliths some distance from the walls. Along the -dry ravines the same curiously picturesque forms occur, so that a view -of the whole front of the escarpment, with its salient angles, bears a -striking resemblance to the ruins of a fortified city. Enormous masses -project from the main wall, the stratifications of cream, gray and green -sands are traced across their nearly vertical fronts like courses of -immense masonry, and every face is scoured by innumerable narrow, sharp -cuts, which are worn into the soft material from top to bottom of the -cliff, offering narrow galleries which give access for a considerable -distance into this labyrinth of natural fortresses. At a little -distance, these sharp incisions seem like the spaces between series of -pillars, and the whole aspect of the region is that of a line of -Egyptian structures. Among the most interesting bodies are those of the -detached outliers, points of spurs, or isolated hills, which are mere -relics of the beds that formerly covered the whole valley. These -monoliths, often reaching 100 feet in height, rise out of the smooth -surface of a level plain of clay, and are sculptured into the most -surprising forms, surmounted by domes and ornamented by many buttresses -and jutting pinnacles. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - OLDEST HOUSE IN SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH.—Whether or not this is actually - the oldest house in Salt Lake City might be a disputed question, for - when it comes to ancient things, or to the oldest inhabitant, we - generally find that there are several claimants for the honor. But - we can say with sincerity and truth that this is one of the oldest - representative houses of the Mormon capital. It is one of the better - class, erected immediately after the city was laid out, and it has - been occupied continuously ever since. The house and its - surroundings have an air of quiet restfulness that is exceedingly - inviting, and a tired man could sleep like a new-born infant under - the board roof with the rain pattering down upon it. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: WITCH ROCKS, WEBER CAÑON.] - -Clarence King, U. S. Geologist, in a monograph on the Bad Lands, says: -“It is not altogether easy to account for the peculiar character of this -erosion, resulting as it does in such singular vertical faces and spire- -like forms. A glance at the front of these Bad Lands shows at once that -very much of the resultant forms must be the effect of rain and wind- -storms. The small streams which cut down across the escarpment from the -interior of the plateau, do the work of severing the front into detached -blocks; but the final forms of these blocks themselves are probably in -great measure given by the effect of rain and wind erosion. The material -is so exceedingly fine, that under the influence of trickling waters it -cuts down most easily in vertical lines. A semi-detached block, -separated by two lateral ravines, becomes quickly carved into spires and -domes, which soon crumble down to the level of the plain. It seems -probable that some of the most interesting forms are brought out by a -slightly harder stratum near the top of the cliffs (like the strange, -and often uncouth, examples in Monument Park, Colorado), which acts in a -measure as a protector of the softer materials, and prevents them from -taking the mound-forms that occur when the beds are of equal hardness.” - -As we follow down Green River, the same effects are observable in the -vertical bluffs which extend along the shores, images to which fancy has -given such names as the Devil’s Tea-pot, the Giant’s Club, Vermilion -Cliffs, and many others, for the geologic structure is the same through -nearly the whole of southeast Wyoming. But the so-called Bad Lands are -not wholly confined to Wyoming, for they are met with in both North and -South Dakota, west of the Missouri River; though for beauty and -magnitude, those of Wyoming are incomparable. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - MORMON TITHING HOUSE, SALT LAKE CITY.—This is one of the houses - occupied by Brigham Young during his lifetime as a residence and for - office purposes. We presume from the name that it was also the - appointed place for the payment of tithes by his devoted followers, - and if this is true we can safely estimate that many millions of - dollars were carried through its gates and deposited in the coffers - of the Church as a tribute from ignorance and superstition to the - superiority of cunning and avarice. The Mormon leaders have all been - shrewd money getters and have not overlooked themselves while taking - care of the interests of the Lord. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: HANGING ROCK, AMERICAN FORK CAÑON.] - -From Green River Station we doubled our track and returned to Ogden, -where we took some very beautiful views of Ogden Cañon, the Narrows, -Adam’s Falls, and the mountains that soar very far skyward at the city’s -rear. But our stay here was limited to two days, when we took the Oregon -branch of the Union Pacific for a visit to Shoshone Falls, on Snake -River, which for size as well as magnificence takes a position second -only to our world-wonderful Niagara. - -Directly after leaving Ogden the road enters the valley of Bear River, -which it follows as far north as Weston Falls, a distance of about -seventy-five miles. The scenery along this part of the route is almost -as rugged as that of Weber Cañon, being a succession of cañons and -lovely stretches of level lands brought into the highest state of -cultivation by Mormon industry. At Pocatello the road branches, one of -its iron arms extending northward to Helena, while the main line turns -westwardly to Oregon. The district which it penetrates after leaving -Pocatello is desert-like and devoid of interest almost to the western -limits of Idaho, if we except the point where the road crosses Snake -River. Here the American Falls go brawling and boiling over immense -basaltic rocks that are struggling with the impetuous stream, and whose -tops are flecked with tufts of foam thrown up by mad-dashing waves. But -the waters have not yet worn a chasm through the desert, which spreads -away on either side a level plain, until forty-four miles distant the -dreary monotony is broken by three buttes that rise into view out of the -uninviting landscape. We now enter a region that is somber beyond all -power to describe; a wretched desolation that is relieved by no -vegetation save of sage-brush, which straggles through little rifts in -the earth and barely lifts its head above the surface. These are the -lava beds that extend from Beaver Cañon all along the north side of -Snake River, until they lose themselves in the stream where it turns due -north and draws a boundary line between Idaho and Oregon. The land -appears to have been cursed with such a fire as destroyed Gomorrah, for -the eye wanders over nothing but the fiery sputa of volcanoes, that, -having wrought the fullest destruction, were in turn destroyed. -Everywhere we look there greets our vision waves of lava that lashed the -earth until, tired of their devastating work, they became congealed, or -were arrested by the hand of omnipotence. But between the knolls of -scoria are occasional depressions, which are cross-seamed and cracked -until in many places the fissures are hundreds of feet deep, apparently -extending in depth to the very vitals of the earth. Some of the crevices -are only a few inches in width, while there are others several feet -broad, into which creeks have lost themselves, and lead into bottomless -pits. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - THE DEVIL’S SLIDE, WEBER CAÑON.—This great natural curiosity is in - Weber Cañon, about forty miles north of Salt Lake City. It is - composed of two parallel walls of white sandstone, thrown up by some - ancient convulsion of the earth, which stand out in bold contrast - with the dark red sandstone of the hill. The “Slide” is nearly 800 - feet in length, the walls rising to a varying height of twenty to - forty feet above the general surface of the hill. A few feet to the - left of the “Slide” there is another wall of similar formation, but - almost covered by the accumulated washings of centuries. It is a - pity that so remarkable a curiosity should have received so profane - an appellation; but we presume there would be no regrets if the - devil should be required to take a hasty run down the top of the - ragged and jutting walls of his famous slide. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: TEA-POT ROCK, GREEN RIVER.] - -It is a little more than one hundred miles from Pocatello to Shoshone -Station, at which point we left the train, and by private conveyance -struck across the lava fields, a distance of twenty-five miles due -south, over the dustiest wagon-road that mortal ever traveled. The way -is like a switch-back, up and down over sharp waves of lava, with -desolation and discomfort obtrusive companions, and nothing rising above -the dull undulations except a purplish tint in the horizon, marking with -faint intimation a range of mountains one hundred miles away in Utah. -For more than four hours we traversed this wearying stretch of parched -and begrimed desert, without a sign of the river, until at length -turning the base of a higher ridge we came suddenly upon the brink of a -tremendous chasm, and there, 1,200 feet below our feet, was the river -which we had journeyed so far to view. Long before reaching this -objective point, we had heard a deep, rumbling noise that seemed to -emanate from the earth’s internals, but now, with astounded sense of the -awful, we beheld the cause. There before us was the vexed waters of a -large river pouring over two precipices, the first 82 feet and the -second 210 feet high, producing by the final plunge a colossal caldron, -from which the mists rose up in boiling clouds that ever and anon hid -the falls from sight. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - PULPIT ROCK, ECHO CAÑON, UTAH.—This singular overhanging rock, with - the reading stand in front, has been known as Pulpit Rock since the - early days of Mormonism in Utah, owing to the fact that it was used - by Brigham Young as a pulpit in the delivery of his first sermon - within the present limits of that territory. But it is not for this - reason that we include it in GLIMPSES OF AMERICA, for we have no - sympathy whatever with Mormonism or its doctrines. The rock is one - of the prominent curiosities of Utah, and as such it is here - represented. The surrounding scenery is very beautiful, with - glimpses of the winding river and the rolling hills as a background. - It is a favorite resort for tourists, both on account of the scenic - beauties and the healthfulness of the pure western air. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: MAIDEN OF THE BAD LANDS.] - -A glance at this tremendous waterfall more than compensated for all the -annoyances and discomforts that we had endured. It was a scene of -positively bewildering majesty; a vision of the incomparably grand; an -object lesson teaching the mightiness and mysterious ways of God. In the -deep diapason of its voice we recognized nature’s hallelujah, and the -thunderous boom of its plungings was like a chorus of invocation welling -from a million throats. Its lovely grandeur, bursting out of the heart -of desolation, is the personification of powerful, awe-inspiring -sublimity, an exaltation of deity, an inspiration to the soul, a very -glorification and apotheosis of nature. - -[Illustration: WITCH ROCK, BAD LANDS OF WYOMING.] - -Pausing on the bank to contemplate and measure the colossal wonder of -the falls, we saw the emerald stream gliding along as placidly as though -its mission was one of peace; nor was there any appearance of danger to -the ferryman, who operated his boat by an over-head wire cable stretched -from bank to bank, only 200 yards above. The quiet flow, however, was -better understood when we learned that the river here is 200 feet deep; -a very ocean filling a mighty chasm; an inundated cañon whose volume of -water equals that of a dozen Niagaras, for this tremendous gorge extends -a distance of eighteen miles, and its bottom lies under the river 1,400 -feet below the brink. - -Shoshone Falls proper are 950 feet wide at the point of precipitation, -but only a few yards to the rear of it are Bridal Veil Falls, whose -width is 125 feet, and which constitute the first plunge or precipice, -which in turn is broken into a series of minor cascades, known as Bridal -Train and Natural Mill Race Falls, the divisions being produced by the -interposition of Eagle Rock and Bell’s Island. One mile and a half below -the cataract are Cascade Falls, while three miles above are Twin Falls, -which leap down a height of 180 feet, thus showing that there is a space -of nearly five miles in which the tremendous chasm has been torn by -convulsions which most probably occurred after the river was turned into -its bed. An exquisite word-painting by the journalistic pen of Hon. C. -C. Goodwin is here reproduced: - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: MONUMENT ROCK, ECHO CAÑON.] - -[Illustration: GIANT’S CLUB, GREEN RIVER.] - -These two natural curiosities, the one in Echo Cañon and the other near -Green River, have been well named, for a glance at either immediately -suggests its proper use. Their immensity can be estimated by the size of -the man who stands at the foot of the Club, who, although he is taller -than the average of his race, is hardly able to reach to the first -wrinkle on the giant’s weapon. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: BANKS OF SNAKE RIVER.] - -“The lava beds of Idaho are a marked feature of that Territory. Starting -near the eastern boundary, they extend southwesterly for a long -distance, and are from 300 feet to 900 feet in depth. This mass was once -a river of molten fire, the making of which must have succeeded a -convulsion of nature more terrible than any ever witnessed by mortals, -and long years must have passed before the awful fiery mass was cooled. -To the east of the source of the lava flow, the Snake River bursts out -of the hills, becoming almost at once a sovereign river, and flowing at -first southwesterly and then bending westerly, cuts through the lava -fields nearly in the center of the Territory, reckoned from east to -west, and about forty miles north of its southern border, and thence -flowing with great curves, merges finally with the Columbia. The two -rivers combined make one of the chief waterways of the continent, and -here and there take on pictures of great beauty. Never anywhere else was -there such a scene; never anywhere else was so beautiful a picture hung -in so rude a frame; never anywhere else, on a background so forbidding -and weird, were so many glories clustered. Around and beyond, there is -nothing but the desert—sere, silent, lifeless—as though Desolation had -builded there everlasting thrones to Sorrow and Despair. - -[Illustration: BAD LANDS OF WYOMING.] - -“Away back in remote ages, over the withered breast of the desert, a -river of fire, 100 miles wide and 400 miles long, was turned. As the -fiery mass cooled, its red waves became transfixed, and turned black, -giving to the double-desert an indescribably blasted and forbidding -face. - -“But while this river of fire was in flow, a river of water was fighting -its way across it, or has since made war and forged out for itself a -channel through the mass. This channel looks like the grave of a volcano -that had been robbed of its dead. But right between its crumbling and -repellent walls, transfiguration appears. And such a picture! A river as -lordly as the Hudson or Ohio, springing from the distant snow-crested -Tetons, with waters transparent as glass, but green as emerald, with -majestic flow and ever-increasing volume, sweeps on until it reaches -this point where the display begins. - -“Suddenly, in different places in the river-bed, jagged rocky reefs are -upheaved, dividing the current into four rivers, and these, in a mighty -plunge of eighty feet downward, dash on their way. Of course the waters -are churned into foam, and roll over the precipice white as are the -garments of the morning when no cloud obscures the sun. The loveliest of -these falls is called “The Bridal Veil,” because it is made of the lace -which is woven with a warp of falling waters and a woof of sunlight. -Above this and near the right bank, is a long trail of foam, and this is -called “The Bridal Trail.” The other channels are not so fair as the one -called “The Bridal Veil,” but they are more fierce and wild, and carry -in their ferocious sweep more power. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - WEBER VALLEY, AND TUNNEL THROUGH GRANITE WALLS, UTAH.—We have a - beautiful landscape and a grand mountain view combined in this fine - photograph. The rugged wall of granite, through which the railroad - tunnel has been cut, forms an appropriate frame for the picture of - the peaceful valley and the winding river. The place has a restful - look, inviting to the weary worker who seeks rest and health away - from the noise and hustle of city life. Here, shut in by the - surrounding walls, and with rod in hand, one could sit upon the - banks of the mirror-like stream and imagine himself out of the world - and away from all its cares and worries. It seems almost a pity that - the demands of modern commerce should require the cutting of the - hill and the breaking of the solitude by the screaming of the - rushing locomotive. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: PETRIFIED TREES OF THE BAD LANDS.] - -“One of the reefs which divides the river in mid-channel runs up to a -peak, and on this a family of eagles have, through the years, may be -through centuries, made their home and reared their young, on the very -verge of the abyss and amid the full echoes of the resounding roar of -the falls. Surely the eagle is a fitting symbol of perfect fearlessness, -and of that exultation which comes with battle clamors. - -“But these first falls are but a beginning. The greater splendor -succeeds. With swifter flow, the startled waters dash on, and within a -few feet take their second plunge into a solid crescent, over a sheer -precipice, 210 feet to the abyss below. On the brink there is a rolling -crest of white, dotted here and there, in sharp contrast, with shining -eddies of green, as might a necklace of emeralds shimmer on a throat of -snow, and then the leap and fall. - -[Illustration: BEAUTIES OF THE BAD LANDS.] - -“Here more than foam is made. Here the waters are shivered into fleecy -spray, whiter and finer than any miracle that ever fell from an India -loom; while from the depths below, an everlasting vapor rises—the -incense of the waters to the waters’ God. Finally, through the long, -unclouded days, the sun sends down his beams, and to give the startling -scene its growing splendor, wreathes the terror and the glory in a -rainbow halo. On either sullen bank the extremities of its arc are -anchored, and there in its many-colored robes of light it lies -outstretched above the abyss like wreaths of flowers above a sepulchre. -Up through the glory and terror an everlasting roar ascends, deep-toned -as is the voice of fate, a diapason like that the rolling ocean chants -when his eager surges come rushing in to greet and fiercely woo an -irresponsive promontory. - -[Illustration: CEDAR CAÑON, BAD LANDS OF DAKOTA.] - -“But to feel all the awe and to mark all the splendor and power that -comes of the mighty display, one must climb down the deep descent to the -river’s brink below, and pressing up as nearly as possible to the falls, -contemplate the tremendous picture. There, something of the energy that -creates that endless panorama is comprehended; all the deep throbbings -of the mighty river’s pulses are felt, all the magnificence is seen. In -the reverberations that come of the war of waters, one hears something -like God’s voice; something like the splendor of God is before his eyes; -something akin to God’s power is manifesting itself before him, and his -soul shrinks within itself, conscious, as never before, of its own -littleness and helplessness in the presence of the workings of Nature’s -immeasurable forces. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - THE BLUFFS OF GREEN RIVER, UTAH.—If the traveler should come suddenly - in front of the towering bluff to the right, with its striped and - pillared front, it would require no great stretch of the imagination - for him to conclude that he was sailing up the ancient Nile and - viewing the ruins of Thebes or some other of the great cities that - flourished with life and commerce many centuries ago, but now sit in - solemn silence contemplating the glory of the dead past. This scene - is a very striking one, and the splendid photograph does it full - justice. It stands on the printed page just as nature made it, - solemn, grand and silent. There is something really sphinxlike in - the wrinkled front of the large bluff in the foreground. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: MOYEA FALLS, IDAHO.] - -“Not quite so massive is the picture as is Niagara, but it has more -lights and shades and loveliness, as though a hand more divinely skilled -had mixed the tints, and with more delicate art had transfixed them upon -that picture suspended there in its rugged and somber frame. As one -watches, it is not difficult to fancy that, away back in the immemorial -and unrecorded past, the angel of love bewailed the fact that mortals -were to be given existence in a spot so forbidding, a spot that, -apparently, was never to be warmed with God’s smile, which was never to -make a sign through which God’s mercy was to be discerned; that then -omnipotence was touched, that with His hand He smote the hills and -started the great river in its flow; that with His finger He traced out -the channel across the corpse of that other river that had been fire, -mingled the sunbeams with the raging waters, and made it possible in -that fire-blasted frame of _scoria_ to swing a picture which should be, -first to the red man and later to the pale races, a certain sign of the -existence, the power, and the unapproachable splendor of Jehovah. - -“And as the red man, through the centuries, watched the spectacle, -comprehending nothing except that an infinite voice was smiting his -ears, and insufferable glories were blazing before his eyes; so, through -the centuries to come, the pale races will stand upon the shuddering -shore and watch, experiencing a mighty impulse to put off the sandals -from their feet, under an overmastering consciousness that the spot on -which they are standing is holy ground. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - SHOSHONE FALLS, IDAHO.—Shoshone Falls are in Snake River, in the - southern part of Idaho, and they constitute one of the greatest - curiosities of our western country. In some respects they resemble - Niagara, and have accordingly been designated as the Niagara of the - west. The place is rapidly becoming a popular resort for tourists, - and this popularity will greatly increase as it becomes better - known. The surrounding scenery is beautiful, consisting of prairie - valleys fringed with distant mountains. A splendid description of - the Falls is given on page 110 of GLIMPSES OF AMERICA. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: THE FERRY AT SHOSHONE FALLS.] - -[Illustration: NATURAL BRIDGE, SHOSHONE FALLS.] - -“There is nothing elsewhere like it, nothing half so weird, so -beautiful, so clothed in majesty, so draped with terror; nothing else -that awakens impressions at once so startling, so winsome, so profound. -While journeying through the desert, to come suddenly upon it, the -spectacle gives one something of the emotions that would be experienced -in beholding a resurrection from the dead. In the midst of what seems -like a dead world, suddenly there springs into irrepressible life -something so marvelous, so grand, so caparisoned with loveliness and -irresistible might, that the head is bowed, the strained heart throbs -tumultuously, and the awed soul sinks to its knees.” The time is fast -approaching when the sublime glories of Shoshone Falls will be -appreciated by tourists, and by that large class of summer vacationists -who are always searching for sights and places that will drive away the -_ennui_ from which they chiefly suffer. The beat of ocean billow, the -roar of waterfall, the stretch of landscape from lofty mountain peak, -the lonely quietude of glen and wilderness, each have their votaries; -but about Shoshone’s chasm there is more to charm than all of these, for -the very desolation of its environments adds fascination to the wild and -tameless scenery of the falls. The poet and the painter find here an -inspiration for their genius; while the most prosaic spectator is -thrilled by the matchless grandeur, the majestic awfulness of a mad- -cantering river plunging through a gigantic rent, and over a precipice -so high that the waters are scattered into mist and dissolve in rainbows -when they meet the seething caldron below. It is a strange exhibition of -nature’s power and freakishness, a manifestation of mysterious force, a -blending of results precipitated by vomiting volcano and an irresistible -flood of waters, the joining of rivers of fire with streams breaking -over the barriers of mountains and pouring down upon the plains. -Considering the surroundings, the bleak sterility of what appears to be -a boundless extent of lava fields, and the mighty, awe-compelling -avalanche of waters that cleaves it, Shoshone Falls is perhaps the most -remarkable waterfall to be found anywhere on either continent, a wonder -in which Snake River has an almost equal part. Indeed, this -extraordinary river exhibits many equally astonishing features along its -extreme length, for while a greater part of the stream flows through a -belt of scoria, the lower portion is a succession of waterfalls, second -only to those of Shoshone. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - CHAPTER V. - OVER THE HEIGHTS AND INTO THE DEEPS OF WONDERLAND. - - -[Illustration: UNAWEEP CAÑON.] - -Having satisfied our curiosity and embalmed the views of Shoshone Falls, -as here presented, our party of photographers and historiographer -returned to Colorado over the same route that we had come, but at Grand -Junction we proceeded southward over the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad to -Gunnison, Ouray and Tulleride. At Grand Junction, Grand River divides, -the southern branch of which is called Gunnison River, and takes its -rise in the Sagauche and Elk ranges; and it was along the valley of this -south branch that our route lay. It is characteristic of Colorado rivers -that all of them flow through large fissures, and a majority have cleft -the mountains into mighty chasms, thus producing the matchless scenery -which has helped so much to make the State famous. It fortunately -happens that the most picturesque places in the west are either directly -upon the lines or in the near vicinity of railroads, for necessity has -compelled their construction along the river valleys, since there are -few other passes in the mountains, and no other routes so feasible. - -[Illustration: TOADSTOOL ROCK, NEAR GUNNISON.] - -The scenery along the south branch of Grand River is very similar to -that which we have described on the main stream, and leaving Grand -Junction we almost immediately entered the Unaweep Cañon, thence in -succession Puniweep and Escalante. The road leaves the valley of the -main stream at Delta, and follows a smaller branch (Cedar River) a -distance of fifty or sixty miles, until Cimarron is reached, below the -southern terminus of the Mesa Verde. In this interval, and running along -the north side of the Mesa Verde—Green Plateau—is the Grand Cañon of the -Gunnison, a cleft in the earth that is magnificently imposing, -possessing as it does many of the characteristics of Grand River, though -the walls are of limestone and hence not so precipitous, as being more -easily eroded than granite, the base of the walls are cut until in many -places they shelve far over the stream, while at frequent intervals the -river is broken by cascades and waterfalls, those of Chippeta being -particularly beautiful. - -[Illustration: BOX CAÑON FALLS, NEAR GUNNISON.] - -Black Cañon, which begins near the town of Cimarron, is another wild -gorge, through which the river glides with stately and uninterrupted -majesty, a deep crystalline stream, until it passes Currecanti Needle, -when the smooth flow is interrupted by bowlders which convert it into a -rapid. Currecanti Needle is an object which excites the almost reverent -wonder of every beholder. It is a symmetrical cone of red basalt, -resting its feet in the Gunnison River and shooting up to an amazing -height, its summit terminating in a spire that pierces the clouds, while -its body is as variegated with bright colors as was Joseph’s coat. On -each side of the stream the bluffs reach up 2,000 feet, but the needle -soars very much more loftily, a great sachem among the stone giants that -stand in colossal files along the river. Near Sapinero, which is at the -eastern end of the cañon, the walls draw so near together that the light -of day is almost entirely excluded, but at places where the sun is -admitted they sparkle with dazzling lustre, caused by reflections from -the mica of which they are largely composed. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - EAGLE ROCK, SHOSHONE FALLS.—The photograph on page 111 gives us a fine - front view of Shoshone Falls, while on this page we see them from - the side and just above the final plunge. The principal attraction - in this picture is Eagle Rock, which occupies a prominent position - in the foreground. On the top of the rock there is an eagle’s nest, - from which many a young brood has taken its flight, for from all the - indications the nest has been in existence for centuries. It is a - fitting place for the fearless bird of freedom to rear its young, - safe from the raids of wild animals and on the very brink of the - dashing and roaring waters. Nothing but an eagle would dare approach - such a place. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: PROFILE ROCK, NEAR OURAY.] - -From Gunnison the road follows Tomachi Creek eastward, passing over a -country devoid of particular interest, except as views are afforded of -high mountains in the Fossil Ridge, Sagauche and Sangre de Cristo ranges -far away, until the ascent of Marshall’s Pass is begun. The road now -rises rapidly until it crosses the Rocky Mountains, at an elevation of -11,000 feet. But the ascent is indirect, in a serpentine course close to -the cone of Mount Ouray, which penetrates the depths of heaven, to a -height of 14,000 feet; so lofty that the sun shines brightly upon its -snow-covered summit, while the earth below is wrapped in the sable -garments of deepest night. Round and round, but in an ascending circle, -the laboring train makes its toilsome way, until we see the tracks below -us looking like a succession of terraces. At the apex we run through a -long tunnel of snow-sheds, through openings in which a view may be had -of the extinct crater of Ouray, while a hundred miles away towards the -south, and across a wide expanse of plain, the frosted ridge of Sangre -de Cristo is clearly visible through the tenuous air. The ride over this -great mountain is one of the most delightful and picturesque in all the -world, and leaves an impression which is as charming and fadeless as the -memory of a boy’s first triumph. After passing down the mountain side, a -short run brings us to Poncha Junction, at the entrance of the Valley of -the Arkansas, and a few miles further Salida is reached, a splendid -little town that is begirt with mountains, but reposes like a jewel in a -green sea of amazing fertility and beauty. As we rush eastward down this -lovely valley, some wondrous sights are viewable from our car. On the -right the Arkansas River bowls along close by the track, while far -beyond the horizon is belted with the Sangre de Cristo range. On our -left our eyes are gladdened with the sight of three bristling peaks, -known as Harvard, Princeton and Yale, which rise above their more humble -brothers in the Park range. The scene now undergoes a quick change, for -the valley becomes rapidly narrowed by the mountains drawing together, -as if to bar our passage; but as their seared sides and snowy crests -become more distinct by a closer approach, the scenery increases in -interest until soon it develops into positive grandeur. At Parkdale we -observe that the sloping sides of the mountains are becoming more abrupt -and rocky, until five miles beyond, the gigantic, the marvelous and the -terror-inspiring Royal Gorge bursts full upon our amazed and startled -senses. The colossal peak has been cut in twain; sliced by the -persistent waters of the Arkansas, that with remorseless jaws have eaten -through the heart of the giant mountain that lay down in its way; and -there the great gash breaks before us, into which the ravening river -rushes, with a growling voice and imperious dash, as reckless as a -bandit, and impetuous as a fiery youth. Pines and aspens struggle up the -mountain sides, but where the waters have split a way there is nothing -save vertical walls of stone that soar up, up, so high that it wearies -the sight to travel to their summits. There are seams and depressions in -their awful cliffs, and projections and cavities that show imprints of -the teeth of frost, and away up on these eagles have found resting -places, and built their eyries where only the storm-god can reach them. -Distance, as expressed in feet on paper, conveys scarcely an idea of -mountain height or cañon depth, for the awesome presence is lacking. But -the height of the walls of the Royal Gorge, or, as it is sometimes -called, the Grand Cañon of the Arkansas, is 3,000 feet, or more than -half a mile, while the chasm is only fifty feet wide where the river -rushes through, and but seventy feet at the summit. Three Eiffel towers, -set upon top of each other, would hardly reach the crown of these -tremendous cliffs, around the crests of which flying eagles look like -flies lazily swimming in a haze of distance. In order to avoid cutting a -road-bed through the base of the perpendicular cliffs, which come very -close together, an iron bridge has been thrown around the defile and -suspended by anchoring its sides in the granite walls, so that it has no -pillared supports, for none are needed. Upon this suspended bridge, -which runs parallel with and over the stream, every passenger train -stops for the space of several minutes to give opportunity for an -inspection of the Royal Gorge, which is most appalling and wonderful at -this point. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - MOUTH OF GRAND RIVER CAÑON.—In this photograph we see the beginning of - the magnificent scenery of Grand River Cañon in Colorado and Utah. - It is the doorway or portal to a series of the most splendid views - to be found anywhere in the world. No one can realize the true - grandeur of this western scenery without beholding it, and the next - best thing to seeing it in reality is its reflected image in this - series of matchless photographs, taken specially for this work. The - camera is a mirror in which the objects are reflected true to - nature, and this reflection is caught by the rays of the sun and - printed indelibly and beautifully upon the pages of the book. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: CASCADE AT OURAY.] - -[Illustration: LEANING TOWER, PERRY PARK.] - -The eastern end of the gorge is at Cañon City, and after leaving this -place the valley widens rapidly and spreads out into an arid plain that -joins the prairies of Kansas. The change from a weirdly wild and -savagely astounding cañon, to the pale landscape of a verdureless -desert, is very sudden, and there is no variation in the passionless -monotony of alkaline plain that lies between the mountain and Pueblo, a -distance of forty miles. The Arkansas loses much of its volume and -activity in struggling through the parched lands, becoming a listless -stream, and murky with sediment that is gathered from its fast-washing -banks. - -We had to double upon our route very often in order to reach the -numerous points of interest and charming scenery which is accessible by -railroad, but in many cases much time was saved by dividing our party, -though we refrain from wearying the reader with the uninteresting -particulars of these movements. In the present instance, however, two of -our photographers, with the camera car, proceeded southwest from Pueblo, -over the Denver & Rio Grande R. R., to Wagon-Wheel Gap, while the others -of our party returned, by way of the same route we had just traversed, -to Montrose, thence to Ouray, and from that terminus, by stage, to -Ironton, a distance of seven miles. From this latter point they followed -the sweep of the same road, called the Rainbow route, around to Alamoso, -where a junction was made with the two photographers on their return -journey from Wagon-Wheel Gap. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - THE TRAIL ALONG THE BREAST OF SAN JUAN MOUNTAIN.—It appeared to many - impossible to connect the towns Ouray and Silverton by stage road, - on account of the tumultuous mountains, riven by mighty chasms, and - scarred by eroding streams, that lay between; but skill, patience - and great expenditure of money accomplished what was undertaken with - misgivings. A roadway was blasted and carved along the rocky breast - of the peaks; chasms were bridged, rents were filled, and our - photograph shows a portion of the result, a wildly picturesque stage - road, over which it is a delightful experience to travel. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: TWIN FALLS, NEAR AMES, COLORADO.] - -The journey south from Montrose is along Uncompaghre River—every little -stream is called a river in the far west—which, like many other streams -we have described, has worn a deep bed, in which it is now confined by -high walls of polychromatic colors, very beautiful to see. From the -occasional rises over which the road passes, very lovely views are to be -had of Horse-Fly Peak on the west, and the rather gentle elevation of -Tongue Mesa on the east. At Dallas the scenery becomes much more rugged, -and thence to Ouray, and Silverton, which is twenty miles from Ironton, -the landscape is tumultuous; for nature is here in strange derangement, -not to say chaotic dismemberment. It appeared an impossible feat to -connect Ouray and Ironton by a stage-road, so tempestuously craggy is -the interval, rent as it is by mighty chasm and spurred by amazing peaks -of stones piled up into vast pyramids of confusion. But engineering -skill dominated even here, and not only was a wagon-road cut through -this chain of obstacles, but a narrow-gauge railroad was successfully -constructed between Ironton and Silverton. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - MOUNT ABRAM.—The hoary head of Mount Abram rises high above its - Titanic, yet less lofty, brothers that compose the mountainous - battalion of the San Juan Range, in Southern California. This sky- - assailing peak lies near the splendid toll-road between Ouray and - Silverton, and attains an elevation of 14,235 feet; high enough to - receive the first assault of every storm; where the cold is so great - that the apex is perpetually wrapped in a thick mantle of snow. A - part of the toll-road is shown in the photograph, creeping around - the steep slope, where a false step might result in a plunge over a - precipice hundreds of feet high. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: JAWS OF DEATH, ANIMAS CAÑON.] - -The approach to Ouray is by a way impressively magnificent, through -rifts in castellated walls that are rich with the primary colors, and -lofty enough to bathe their crests in the clouds. There goes the river, -like a belated business man trying to overtake time, roaring, fretting, -panting, with hardly enough space between the escarpments to admit its -passage. Along, and over and around this mad-dashing stream the road -winds, up and down, in and out, until the points of the compass lose -their bearings, and swing around in distraction. - -Ouray lies at peace with the world, in a basin whose sides are like a -giant’s punch-bowl, only that the confinement is by a succession of -mountain ranges piling up behind each other until the highest attain an -altitude of 14,235 feet, and hold perpetual carnival with the snow- -storm. That little basin seems to be the paint-pot of the Titans, and -the mountains their mixing-boards. Letting our sight travel slowly up -the soaring slopes, every step of the way is one of beauty. Clothed with -a luxurious growth of yellow aspen, the brown of oak, the deep green of -spruce, and the silver sheen of mountain pine, the picture needs only a -frame to make it perfect. And there above is the thing desired; for -where the timber line ends, the flaming colors of red, orange, purple, -gray and brown stone begins, rising ever higher until they fade away -behind the mists that gather about the peaks. - -As we proceed on the way to Silverton the road inclines through forests -whose autumn tints keep the eye dancing with admiration, and having -descended two thousand feet, the mouth of Bear Creek is reached, where -it rolls along a terrible cataract, known as Bear Creek Cascade. A -little further on, we dash out upon a bridge which spans a dizzy height, -for, there below us, the raging creek plunges over a precipice 275 feet -high, and is dashed into vapor upon the rocks. It is a startling sight -to behold the surging waters, and watch the mad plunge that falls into a -caldron as angry as ever witches stretched hands about. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - MOUNT OURAY, COLORADO.—Mount Ouray, like Pike’s Peak, holds the - honorable distinction of lifting its head so high as to be always - covered with a sheet of snow. Its peak is more than 14,000 feet - above the level of the sea, and there it rests in lofty grandeur, - looking down like a white-robed priest upon the little valleys - nestling at its feet. It is a beautiful sight to stand at the foot - of this mountain and watch a railroad train dashing back and forth, - here and there, and zigzagging hither and yonder with no apparent - purpose, but always climbing higher and higher, until it goes out of - sight behind a ridge or through a tunnel, sending back a white flake - of steam as it whistles good-bye. When you go to Colorado don’t fail - to visit Ouray. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: EXCAVATIONS in the CLIFFS, MANCOS CAÑON.] - -[Illustration: RUINS OF CLIFF DWELLINGS IN MANCOS CAÑON.] - -Thence onward we pursue our exciting ride, with mountains on either -side, by the Needles, Sultan Peak, silver cascades, until soon we reach -the Valley of the Animas, and are presently hurled into the wildly weird -and awfully sublime Animas Cañon. A very suggestive name was given by -the early Spaniards to this stream: Rio de los Animas, signifying the -_river of lost souls_, for nothing could be more gruesomely somber. The -cañon proper is about fifteen miles long, and lies between Rockwood and -Durango, and is a cleavage that separates the San Juan and San Miguel -ranges. The walls are perpendicular, and the passage so narrow that the -sunlight can hardly get through. The railroad runs along the breast of -the solid rock walls, on a ledge or balcony that had to be cut in the -sheer escarpment, 1,500 feet above the river, but the top of the -frowning enclosure is still 500 feet higher. Sitting at the car window, -the traveler looks down into what appears to be an almost bottomless -gulch, and sees the beating waters swirling in pools, and tossing in a -terrific tumult that fills the cañon with deafening roar. While the -river here is a succession of cataracts, there are waterfalls on either -side, leaping down from bordering cliffs and joining hands with the -impetuous river. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - WEST SIDE OF MARSHALL PASS.—The summit of Marshall Pass has an - altitude of 10,852 feet. From this point a magnificent view can be - had of the Sangre de Cristo range extending to the southeast. The - pass itself is a scenic and scientific wonder; grades of 211 feet to - the mile are frequent, and the ascent and descent are made by a - series of the most remarkable curves. The streams from the summit - flow eastward into the Atlantic and westward into the Pacific. The - tracks are so winding that passengers on ascending trains frequently - become puzzled, and imagine that they are moving in a circle without - a definite purpose, but when the train reaches the top and dashes - over the divide, the object of its devious course is revealed, and a - feeling of exhilaration succeeds that of doubt and uncertainty as it - darts down the opposite side with the swiftness of an eagle. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: CALCAREOUS CLIFFS OF GRAND RIVER.] - -A few miles from Los Pinos Cañon and Toltec Gorge is the bustling town -of Durango, which is the supply depot for the San Juan mining district. -This place received a great impetus by the reported discovery of rich -placer gold mines in southeastern Utah, in November of 1892, and at this -time its future appears to be very promising. The region is altogether -one of extraordinary interest alike for the miner, tourist and relic- -hunter, for thirty miles west of the town are the picturesque ruins of -very ancient cliff-dwellers, who, in the early centuries, excavated deep -recesses in the perpendicular walls along the Rio Mancos, and there made -their homes. Evidently they were of the same race, and no doubt were -contemporary with those who fled from the Spanish persecutors and took -refuge in artificial caves in the Grand Cañon of the Colorado. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - ROYAL GORGE, CAÑON OF THE ARKANSAS RIVER.—Mighty cleavage, wondrous - chasm, tremendous gash, is that marvelous rent in the Park Range - known as Royal Gorge, through which the Arkansas has cut its way, - leaving precipitous walls 3000 feet high, upon the upper breasts of - which eagles make their secure eyries. This amazing fissure is less - than 100 feet wide at the top, and so narrow at the base that to - avoid tunneling the engineers of the Denver and Rio Grande Railway - built a hanging bridge, with fastenings in the walls, for a roadway - through this awful pass, under which the confined river flows with - dreadful roar. A view of this astounding cañon is one of terrific - grandeur, of sublime mightiness, of inspiring yet awesome wonder. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: PHANTOM CURVE.] - -Southwest of these now vacant cave dwellings, in the northeast corner of -Arizona, is a short branch of the San Juan River, known as the Rio de -Chelly, which runs through a cañon celebrated in the history of Indian -warfare as presenting the most serious obstacles encountered by -expeditions under Colonel Sumner and General Canby. The region, and -particularly De Chelly Cañon, was the stronghold of the Navajoe Indians, -who rendered the defile almost impregnable. Time and again efforts were -made by large bodies of troops to force a passage, but as often they -were driven back by the Indians hurling stones down the thousand feet of -perpendicular height. The rear was likewise protected by remarkable -ruggedness of the approach, and an army sent against them was thus held -at bay by the Indians for several months. Kit Carson was finally given a -commission as colonel and sent against the defiant marauders with a -force of five hundred men. Understanding all the difficulties of the -situation, he so disposed his army as to hold the Indians within their -lines of refuge, and choosing winter as the best time for action, laid a -siege that effectually cut off all communication. Aid from the outside -being thus prevented, and all supplies shut off, the Navajoes were -presently reduced to such straits that after three desperate but futile -efforts to escape, the entire band surrendered. - -After passing through Animas Cañon, on the eastern journey, the scenery -continues impressively beautiful, for several pellucid streams are -crossed at points where they have cut deep furrows in the earth, and -eaten their way through opposing mountains. At Ignacio we met with the -first considerable number of Indians seen thus far during our trip. This -place is the headquarters of the Southern Utes’ reservation, and was -named after their chief. Twenty miles beyond we cross the Rio Piedra and -enter the valley of the San Juan, which is followed for nearly sixty -miles, and until Navajo is reached, where another small band of -miserable-looking Indians have their quarters, and besiege incoming -passenger trains with importunities that travelers almost invariably -generously respond to. Now we are running along the borders of New -Mexico, a line of demarkation indicated by the San Juan range that lies -north of us, while southward stretches away the undulating and arid -plains. At Amargo we are met by another band of Indians, whose sullen -countenances and bedraggled appearance plainly show them to be Apaches, -whose numbers, however, are now so reduced that the murderous raids -which made the tribe celebrated in the early annals of the far west, are -not likely to be repeated again. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: TRAIL OVER THE SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS.] - -[Illustration: CREVICE CAÑON, NEAR OURAY.] - -Many persons have read of mountain trails, but comparatively few have -seen them or realized the dangers that attend a passage over them. The -splendid photograph of the trail over San Juan Mountains, on this page, -will therefore be a subject of interest to all. This is a picture of the -real thing, as it exists in nature. - -Crevice Cañon, near Ouray, Colo., the companion picture, is another of -nature’s wonders that will arouse the curiosity of every reader. It -seems impossible that so small a stream could have carved its way -through such an obstacle, but it has left the marks of its power in the -granite walls of the opposing mountain. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: ANTELOPE PARK, NEAR TOLTEC GORGE.] - -We cross the Conejos range at Cumbres, at an elevation of 10,000 feet, -and after traversing a lower range of the San Juan we again strike the -Los Pinos River, and, taking a turn around Prospect Peak, come in view -of Toltec Gorge, one of the most fearfully grand cañons in the world. -The mountain is pierced by a tunnel near its summit, which is approached -by a balcony trestle, on which the east-bound train stops several -minutes to permit the passengers to gaze into the dreadful depths of the -chasm over which they hang. For it must be understood that the road-bed -is built here upon a trestle that has all its fastenings in the -perpendicular walls, and without any support beneath, so that to one -looking from the car window the train appears to be suspended in mid- -air, 1,000 feet above the rolling waters below. - -The gorge is 1,200 feet deep, and besides being narrow, the walls are -perpendicular, so that daylight tarries but a short while in its -profound recesses. As we pass the Toltec Gorge, Phantom Curve is -approached, and from the grandeur and awesomeness with which the great -abyss impressed us, our interest is quickened and spell-bound by objects -that at once excite wonder and curious amazement. We are suddenly -introduced to forms more strange than monstrous, more remarkable for -their incongruity than significant for their grandeur. The chisels of -nature’s sculptors, frost, water, storms, ice and decay have wrought -many astounding things in stone, which rival in grotesque eccentricity -the queer figures that render famous the Garden of the Gods. Passing -this parade-ground of nature’s idols, we strike the Big Horn Curve, and -twist like a contortionist in making a devious descent, that winds and -winds until at last we reach the feet of the Sangre de Cristo range, at -Antonito. Thence our direction was due north, over a level country, -until we reached Alamosa, where, as per arrangement, we met the others -of our party on their return from Wagon-Wheel Gap. Here we received -reports of the trip from Pueblo, and tarried a while to write up our -journals, pack our negatives, and prepare for the journey that by a long -sweep was to take us to the lands of the Pacific. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: DEER PARK CASCADE, ANIMAS CAÑON.] - -[Illustration: OURAY AND SILVERTON STAGE-ROAD.] - -All over the central and western portion of Colorado we find a -succession of beautiful and magnificent scenery, mountains, waterfalls, -cañons, landscapes of surpassing loveliness, and everything to charm the -eye and please the most diversified taste. The region about Ouray is one -of the most picturesque in the entire State. The mines are among the -richest in Colorado; and the hot springs, added to its other -attractions, make this locality a famous resort. A good idea of the -grandeur of the scenery is conveyed in the photograph of the stage road -from Ouray to Silverton, which occurs on this page. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: LAKE BRENNAN, IN SOUTH PARK, NEAR PLATTE CAÑON.] - -The trip southward from Pueblo possesses comparatively little interest -until Cuchara Junction is reached, where one branch of the Denver and -Rio Grande Railroad starts directly west, while the other continues -south to Trinidad, and there forms a junction with the Atchison, Topeka -and Santa Fe Railroad. - -At Cuchara the scenery changes from waste plains to a tumultuary -landscape similar to sections which we have just described. The road -follows the valley of Cuchara for a distance of twenty miles, and then -begins a rapid ascent towards Veta Pass, which is, in some respects, -more wonderful than even Marshall Pass. In one place the grade is 216 -feet to the mile, so steep that two locomotives are required to haul -even light trains, and so serpentine that to passengers the cars appear -to be moving in a circle. When the summit is reached, an altitude of -9,400 feet above sea level has been gained, and there is a panorama -presented that it seems almost sacrilegious to attempt to describe. Away -to the south rises up, like monsters plucking stars from the sky, the -Spanish Peaks, whose frosted heads are often hidden by clouds that -gather about them; towards the west, dim with distance, is seen the -commanding form of Sierra Blanca, whose crown is the very heavens; and -northward, La Veta Mountain, stupendous and sublime, stands like a -grizzly sentinel, surveying the lesser wonders of nature and protecting -them against the fierce storms that beat the bronzed breasts of the -Rockies. Muleshoe Curve, over which we made the approach up Dump -Mountain, is plainly visible, as are the numerous tracks that gridiron -the slopes, and the waterfalls that play hide and seek along the -mountain sides. Looking down we see the fast-receding banks and almost -perpendicular cliffs, and the giant bowlders that have been hurled from -the summit into the abyssmal depths a mile below, gathered into dams to -impede the flow of waters. The view towards the east is unbroken, and -there, spreading out like the lap of bounty, we watch the green prairie -running away from the mountain base to meet the horizon. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - CITY OF OURAY, AND OURAY MOUNTAINS, COL.—If one should search the - world over he could hardly find a more picturesque location for a - city than this. It is a perfect picture, with framework of snow- - covered mountains, and the music of dashing streams and laughing - waterfalls. The city of Ouray has a population of about 3000, and - was an active business centre previous to the depressing times in - mining interests. It is still a resort for health seekers and - tourists, and must always remain so on account of the excellent - medicinal properties of its hot springs and the splendor and beauty - of its surrounding scenery. The city nestles in a cozy valley at the - foot of the mountain, down the sides of which races the little - stream that breaks into such a splendid waterfall near the base, as - seen in the background of the photograph. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: MAIDEN HAIR FALLS, NEAR DUMP MOUNTAIN.] - -Crossing La Veta’s lofty pass, the descent is rapid and tortuous, until -a level is reached in the San Luis Park, which is abloom with the -glories of cultivated fields, and animate with grazing herds. This great -park, that covers an area equal to the State of Connecticut, was, in the -early years of the world’s life, a vast inland sea, though its elevation -is now more than 7,000 feet. The earth has absorbed nearly all its -waters, though San Luis Lake still lies near its center, shining like a -sheet of silver, and is fed by thirty mountain streams. All around this -lake, whose length is sixty miles, is a waving savanna of luxuriant -grasses, which form the frame of as pretty a picture as the eye of man -ever wandered over. - -As we proceed westward from La Veta Pass, the landscape becomes somewhat -tame, though when we reach Fort Garland the grandest view is obtainable -of Sierra Blanca Mountain, whose peak is at an elevation of 14,500 feet, -the second highest in America. We cross San Luis Park, and having again -reached Alamosa, continue on towards Wagon-Wheel Gap, by way of the -picturesque valley of the Rio Grande del Norte. Though while en route we -pass through no wonderful cañons, the way is full of interest and -beautiful scenery. The river, in places, spreads out into a noiseless -and sluggish stream, while again it is contracted by narrow walls into -cascades and roaring waterfalls of exceeding magnificence. Especially is -this true when we draw near to Wagon-Wheel Gap, where the walls are not -only narrow, but rise into palisades of great height and beauty, and at -one place, for the distance of half a mile, there are cliffs that soar -skyward and lean towards the river, making a rocky canopy above the -roadway that hugs the rushing stream. - -We are now in the famous Creede mining region, where, besides silver to -lure the avaricious seeker of riches, there is much to excite the -admiration of the tourist and lover of nature. La Gorita Mountains lie -towards the north in vast banks of haze, and the southern horizon is -broken by the San Juan range. Here, also, is a region of surprising -springs, where boiling-hot and ice-cold waters gush out of neighboring -hills, and in places actually strike hands to neutralize each other. -Creede, which is ten miles from Wagon-Wheel Gap, is a typical mining -camp, full of excitement and all the concomitants of a new and rich -discovery, though it is rapidly acquiring civilized ways. Willow Gulch -is the scene of greatest activity, and there is now to be obtained, for -a fair equivalent, everything from bad fighting whiskey to a spring bed, -though the latter is still a scarce luxury, particularly in the -immediate vicinity of Willow Gulch. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - ANIMAS CAÑON.—Animas Cañon is on the Silverton branch of the Denver - and Rio Grande Railway, just beyond the station of Rockwood and - about 470 miles from Denver. The gorge is formed by the breaking - through the mountains of the Rio de las Animas Perdidas, or River of - Lost Souls, as it is appropriately termed in musical Spanish. The - railroad tracks are laid along a shelf cut in the solid rock wall of - the cañon, 500 feet below the top of the mountain and 1000 above its - foot. The grandeur of the scene may be inferred from this - description. It requires a steady nerve or long practice in - traveling over such places to enable one to look down this frightful - precipice from the car windows, and it is no unusual thing to - observe timid tourists hugging the inner side of the coaches as they - dash by this dangerous spot. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: CLIFF DWELLINGS IN THE RIO MANCOS CAÑON.] - -After our meeting and short stay at Alamosa, our party again divided, -two of our photographers going south from that point, over the New -Mexico extension of the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad, to Santa Fe, -while the other proceeded east to Cuchara Junction, thence south to -Trinidad, and from that place he went by way of the Atchison, Topeka and -Santa Fe Railroad, to Santa Fe, where our party again united. - -The route directly south from Alamosa is across a well-watered country, -but there is nothing of particular interest in the way of scenery until -the town of Barranca is reached, where the road strikes the Rio Grande. -Out of a level plain the train now dashes into deep gorges, and winds -along the banks of a stream that is justly celebrated for the wild and -rugged pageantry of mountains which it pierces. Comanche Cañon bursts -into view, a glorious revelation of chaos, whose cliffs of marl and -basaltic rock have tried in vain to arrest the energy and daunt the -skill of civil engineers. As a consequence, their sides are rent and -bored into cuts and tunnels, until the mountains of stone are made to -acknowledge man’s sovereignty. - -Fifteen miles south of Barranca is Espanola, a quaint old Spanish town, -whose chief interest, however, lies in the fact that it is the nearest -railroad point to some of the most interesting pueblos and cliff ruins -that are to be found in New Mexico. The Indian adobes in this vicinity, -which claim the largest attention of the anthropologist, are those of -San Juan, Santa Clara and San Idelfonso, all situated within three or -four miles of Espanola. At Santa Clara are also the ruins of cliff -dwellings, relics of the habitations of a race that exists no longer, -save in uncertain traditions. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - THROUGH THE BLACK CAÑON OF GUNNISON RIVER.—A deep and majestic gorge - is Black Cañon, a vast rift in the mountain range where a mad river - goes cantering through, here mild flowing where the cañon spreads, - there tumultuous and impetuous where the great bluffs push their - rugged feet against the stream and narrow the channel. Black Cañon - is so called because at places the walls run up vertically and - almost touch their heads, so nearly excluding the sunlight that the - gorge is quite dark even at noonday, inexpressibly sombre when the - sky is overcast, and weirdly awful when storms break, or night - shrouds it with a pall. Photographs cannot be satisfactorily made of - the dark places in the cañon, and the view herewith accordingly - pictures the end near Cimmaron Station. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: WEAPONS AND UTENSILS OF THE CLIFF-DWELLERS.] - -The little knowledge that we have respecting these ancient people is -derived from the investigations of the late James Stevenson, chief of -the Hayden Survey, who explored the cliff and cave dwellings of Arizona -and New Mexico. His labors were rewarded also by the discovery of two -perfect skeletons, in the Cañon de Chelly, which proved to be those of -prehistoric inhabitants. He also, by patient study, obtained a very -thorough knowledge of the religious mythology of the Zunis, and secured -a complete collection of their fetich-gods, besides familiarizing -himself with the manners and beliefs of the Navajoes and Moquis. We hold -him in remembrance for his pioneer as well as scientific services. It -was Stevenson that made the first survey of Yellowstone Park, who traced -the Columbia and Snake Rivers to their sources, and who was the first -white man to climb the Great Tetons, in Wyoming, and reach the Indians’ -sacred altar, which has been kept inviolate for centuries. - -The six ancient pueblos, which are still inhabited by Indians, were -discovered by the Spaniards only forty-eight years after Columbus first -landed on San Salvador, and they are thus entitled to rank among the -earliest discoveries of this character ever made. In the neighboring -cliffs are numerous cave dwellings equally prehistoric in their origin, -but which Mr. Stevenson explored with the most valuable results, -enabling him to determine the habits and peculiarities of these archaic -people. On the west side of the road, and bounded by Caliente Creek, is -the black Mesa, a curious elevation that might once have been an island -in the ocean that covered this region when the world was young. Towards -the east, and in bold view, is the Taos range, which merges into the -Culebra range further north, and thence into the Sangre de Cristo. -Between the railroad and the Taos Mountain, lies the town of Taos, in a -beautiful valley, watered by branches of the Rio Grande. It is a quaint -old place, composed chiefly of two great adobe buildings five stories -high, surrounded by prosperous ranches and crumbling pueblos, and is -celebrated as having been the home of Kit Carson, and the place where -his body reposes. His grave is marked by an imposing monument erected to -his memory, as a mark of gratitude for his intrepid services, by -citizens of New Mexico. The place is accordingly something of a shrine, -but is not much visited, because it is about twenty-five miles from the -railroad, except on the 30th of September of each year, when it is the -scene of a great festival, at which thousands of people gather. A more -beautiful and fertile spot, however, is not to be found anywhere in the -west. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - LAKE SAN CHRISTOVAL IN THE LAP OF OURAY MOUNTAINS, COL.—This lake is a - basin of pellucid water formed by the drainage of the surrounding - mountains. It is transparent as crystal, and being well filled with - mountain trout and other species of game fish, is a favorite resort - for lovers of the piscatorial sport. The tourist will find it one of - the chief attractions of this delightful region, rich in scenic - wonders and charming landscapes. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -Comanche Cañon is entered just above Embudo, by way of which the Denver -and Rio Grande Railroad enters the Rio Grande Valley. The gorge is so -rugged that it was necessary to make a great many deep cuts in the walls -of marl and basalt, so that the way through the cañon is more -picturesque by reason of the engineer’s work than nature designed it. - -[Illustration: THE GRAVE OF KIT CARSON, AT TAOS.] - -Nearly midway between the pueblo ruins just mentioned and the city of -Santa Fe, along the Rio Grande, is the Cañon Diabolo, a chasm that is -not strikingly deep, but sufficiently weird to justify the Satanic -appellation. High up in the walls, particularly near Espanola, are -relics of a vanished race, in the form of excavations which once served -as habitations, though evidently they were difficult of access. The -appearance of these rock perforations are very similar to those on the -Rio Mancos, and in the cañon cliffs of the Colorado; so nearly -identical, in fact, that Stevenson expresses the belief that they were -made by members of the same race, who took refuge in these caves when -driven from their pueblos. At Santa Fe, a short stop was made to await -the photographer who had passed around by Trinidad. The trip which he -had made was in every respect as interesting as that which we had taken -over the direct southern route. Upon passing beyond the Sangre de Cristo -range eastward, the scenery grows tamely monotonous for a time, for the -landscape is tiresomely level. But before reaching Trinidad, another -agreeably surprising change occurs, as the Raton range breaks into view, -and presents a kaleidoscopic variety of beautiful scenes. Trinidad lies -at the foot of this range, and though it may not be described as a city -of great architectural magnificence, certain it is that few places can -boast of greater interest to the tourist. It was, long ago, the most -important point on the old Santa Fe trail, and its ancient adobe houses -were objects of endearment to the hearts of freighters, because they -offered both refuge and refreshment after the perils of a dangerous -journey. Though a great change has taken place since the railroad -reached the town, it is still a typical Mexican city, which even the -electric light cannot convert. Passing over the border into New Mexico, -the scenery is varied and pleasing, but never grand. Instead of an arid -region, however, the country is diversified, for all of the northeastern -region is abundantly watered by creeks flowing towards the southeast, -with occasional rivers, like the Canadian, Cimarron and Pecos, -intersecting the railroad. On both sides of the road there are numerous -knolls, called mesas, and craters long since burned out. The ascent of -Raton Pass, sometimes called the “Devil’s Way,” affords many exquisite -views, of which the Spanish Peaks, one hundred miles to the north, are -chief, for the atmosphere is so clear and rare that they appear as -distinct as though the distance were scarcely one-fourth so great. Upon -gaining an altitude of 7,700 feet, the road enters a tunnel on the Raton -Crest, and after a half-mile run emerges on the New Mexico side, where -the sunlight appears to be intensified and the warmth of perpetual -summer holds sway. The next considerable town reached after leaving -Trinidad is Las Vegas, which reposes on a branch of the Pecos, the -center of a great many sheep ranches, and it is wool that gives it chief -importance. Six miles north of the place is Las Vegas Hot Springs, a -sanitarium of much note, located in a region of considerable beauty. -They are at the mouth of a small cañon which leads up to the Spanish -Range, and thence joins the Rocky Mountains; the waters range in -temperature from boiling hot to almost freezing cold. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - TOLTEC GORGE OF THE LOS PINOS, COL.—This is one of the most inspiring - views in all Colorado. It is on the Silverton branch of the Denver - and Rio Grande Railway, 309 miles from Denver City. The road - traverses the verge of the great chasm, the bottom of which is 1500 - feet below. The photograph was taken at the bottom of the cañon, and - away up near the top may be seen a passing train, which at so great - a height looks like a child’s toy. A little mountain stream meanders - through the chasm, gently murmuring and singing as it makes its way - over the rocks, but when the snows melt and the rains fall it - becomes a mad, roaring, rushing torrent, tearing the sides of the - mountain and tossing great boulders about as if they were made of - straw. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: CAVE DWELLINGS in the CAÑON DE CHELLY.] - -[Illustration: A RELIC OF THE CAVE-DWELLERS.] - -At a station called Lamy, there is a branch of the Atchison, Topeka and -Santa Fe Railroad, leading north eighteen miles, to the ancient and -interesting city of Santa Fe, celebrated in American history as being -the second oldest town in the United States. The place contains much to -entertain searchers after relics of the past, and here we find the links -that bind the old Spanish invaders with the civilization of to-day. -Settled by Catholics, it still retains the characteristics impressed -upon it by the Franciscan fathers, and remains true to the faith in -which it was first baptized. It is the seat of the archiepiscopal -diocese, and the Cathedral of San Francisco is the largest church -edifice in the territory, as well as the oldest, the original part, -which still remains, having been built as early as 1622. - -Old as the town is, Santa Fe is the Phœnix that rose from one that was -very much more ancient, for the site was, in the ages that are very -remote, occupied by an Indian pueblo, the ruins of which are still to be -seen in what is known as the “Old Home.” But the most curious and -attractive object within the city is the Governor’s Palace, a long, low -building erected in 1598, a summary history of which is thus presented -by Governor Prince: - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - LA VETA PASS, COL.—Over this famous pass the railroad makes its way - into San Luis Valley, and we have here a combination of the wonders - of engineering skill with a grandeur of view unequaled in any other - part of the world. The maximum grade is 237 feet to the mile, and - the altitude at the summit is 9393 feet. Two of the largest - locomotives are required to draw an ordinary train over the steep - grades, and even with these the ascent is labored and tedious. From - the top of the pass a view is obtained of such surpassing grandeur - that no language can picture it. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: ABANDONED CAVE HABITATIONS OF THE CLIFF-DWELLERS, NEAR -ESPANOLA.] - -“Without disparaging the importance of any of the cherished historical -localities of the East, it may be truthfully said that this ancient -palace surpasses, in historic interest and value, any other place or -object in the United States. It antedates the settlement of Jamestown by -nine years, and that of Plymouth by twenty-two, and has stood during the -292 years since its erection, not as a cold rock or monument, with no -claim upon the interest of humanity except the bare fact of its -continued existence, but as the living center of everything of historic -importance in the Southwest. Through all that long period, whether under -Spanish, Pueblo, Mexican, or American control, it has been the seat of -power and authority. Whether the ruler was called viceroy, captain- -general, political chief, department commander, or governor, and whether -he presided over a kingdom, a province, a department, or a territory, -this has been his official residence. From here Oñate started, in 1599, -on his adventurous expedition to the Eastern plains; here, seven years -later, 800 Indians came from far-off Quivira to ask aid in their war -with the Axtaos; from here, in 1618, Vincente de Salivar set forth to -the Moqui country, only to be turned back by rumors of the giants to be -encountered; and from here Peñalosa and his brilliant troop started, on -the 6th of March, 1662, on their marvelous expedition to the Missouri; -in one of its strong-rooms the commissary-general of the Inquisition was -imprisoned a few years later by the same Peñalosa; within its walls, -fortified as for a siege, the bravest of the Spaniards were massed in -the revolution of 1680; here, on the 19th of August of that year, was -given the order to execute forty-seven Pueblo prisoners, in the plaza -which faces the building; here, but a day later, was the sad war-council -held which determined on the evacuation of the city; here was the scene -of triumph of the Pueblo chieftains as they ordered the destruction of -the Spanish archives and the church ornaments in one grand -conflagration; here De Vargas, on September 14, 1692, after the eleven -hours’ combat of the preceding day, gave thanks to the Virgin Mary, to -whose aid he attributed his triumphant capture of the city; here, more -than a century later, on March 3, 1807, Lieutenant Pike was brought -before Governor Alencaster as an invader of Spanish soil; here, in 1822, -the Mexican standard, with its eagle and cactus, was raised in token -that New Mexico was no longer a dependency of Spain; from here, on the -6th of August, 1837, Governor Perez started to subdue the insurrection -in the north, only to return two days later and to meet his death on the -9th, near Agua Fria; here, on the succeeding day, Jose Gonzales, a -Pueblo Indian of Taos, was installed as Governor of New Mexico, soon -after to be executed by order of Armijo; here, in the principal -reception-room, on August 12, 1846, Captain Cooke, the American envoy, -was received by Governor Armijo and sent back with a message of -defiance; and here, five days later, General Kearney formally took -possession of the city, and slept, after his long and weary march, on -the carpeted earthen floor of the palace.” - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - WAGON-WHEEL GAP.—Wagon-Wheel Gap is in Rio Grande County, Col., in the - southern part of the State and near the head of the Rio Grande - River. Hot Springs, famous for their curative qualities, are located - here. The scenery is exceedingly picturesque, and the place has - become a favorite resort for health and pleasure seekers. It is said - to be the best place for trout fishing in the West, and this fact - largely increases its popularity with tourists. It is 310 miles - south of Denver, and is reached by the Creede branch of the Denver - and Rio Grande road. The elevation is 8448 feet. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: SPANISH PEAKS, FROM LAS VEGAS, NEW MEXICO.] - -Santa Fe now has many things that belong to the present age: street -cars, electric lights, etc., but she is, nevertheless, still a place of -adobe houses, before which there is ever a varied commingling of -Americans, Mexicans and Indians. She is also the center of archæological -interest, for besides the ancient objects which are to be found within -her urban limits, there are villages near-by which present all the -aspects of the aborigines, practically as they appeared to Cortes and -Coronado. These adobe places and their inhabitants are called pueblos, -because that is the old Indian name signifying _town_. The pueblos in -New Mexico are nineteen in number, and while varying in size, they are -very similar in appearance, showing, as they do, no variation of -architecture. The houses were built to accommodate from one hundred to -several hundred persons, as the Pueblo Indians were communistic in their -manner of living. Instead of being one or two-story structures, like the -present style of Mexican and the old Spanish adobes, the houses were -built one upon another, in a succession of terraces, sometimes five or -more in number, the upper stories being accessible only by means of -ladders. The most noted of these pueblos are Taos, Laguna, Acoma, Santa -Clara, Zuni and Santo Domingo. Albuquerque was also originally an Indian -pueblo, built upon a slight elevation of rock, and the place still -contains several clusters of square, flat-roofed adobe houses, arranged -in terraces, as before described. The walls of these strange dwellings -are very thick, and the interior is gained, not through doors, but by -entrance-ways cut in the roof, which is reached only by ladders. The -Pueblo Indians have been pronounced by many ethnologists to be the -oldest race now living on the continent, though many others regard them -as being the descendants of the Aztecs, whose ancient kingdom of Cibola -extended from Colorado and Utah on the north, to Central America on the -south. The capital of this extinct empire is supposed to have been -situated in Penal county, Arizona, the ruins of which are traceable -along the Gila River, in what is known as the Casas Grandes. Remarkable -stories have been told of the relics of this ruined city, enthusiasts -often describing them as equal in grandeur to the prostrate columns and -mighty archways that speak in imperishable stone of the magnificence of -ancient Egyptian cities. The Montezumas were supposed to have held their -court in the splendid stone palaces whose relics lie scattered through -the Casas Grandes, and whose carvings and hieroglyphics seem to attest -the departed glory of a once mighty people. These famous ruins are -twelve miles north of Florence, a station on the Southern Pacific, and -are in a region of great picturesqueness, which is traversed by a good -wagon-road running along the Gila River. The route is through an arid -plain, in which the only vegetation is mesquite and cactus, but the -parched desert is gracefully confined by a beautiful and opalescent -range of mountains, while overhead is a sapphirine sky more brilliant -than ever hung over Italy. The river margin is like a blue wave, colored -as it is by the tossing heads of wild lilac flowers, which find -protection from the beating sun under the waving branches of banks of -willows that stoop low to drink from the river. There, under the shadows -of the Tucson Mountains and the Sierra Catarina range, are the colossal -ruins of the Casas Grandes. The buildings, of which confused heaps are -all that now remain, were of irregular style, but of some architectural -pretension, for the walls were constructed of concrete, moulded into -blocks nearly three feet square. The principal structure, which has long -been called Montezuma’s Palace, was about sixty feet long by fifty -broad, and stood five stories, or forty feet high. For windows there was -a square aperture over each door, wholly insufficient for either light -or ventilation, though the ancient Indians were not partial to either, -apparently preferring darkness; and living in the closest communal -state, they appreciated fresh air like they did the storm and cold, only -when it was on the outside. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - LOS PINOS VALLEY, LOOKING WEST.—This beautiful photograph gives us a - splendid view of cañon, table-land and mountain scenery. It is - rugged and picturesque, with a fringe of distant snow-covered - mountains as a central background. From the high table-lands to the - right, a view of surpassing grandeur and beauty bursts upon the - enraptured vision, repaying the tourist for all his pains in - climbing to the exalted heights. Here the atmosphere is always cool - and invigorating, and the weariness and lassitude of a warmer and - more humid climate are not experienced. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: MEXICAN OVENS, USED PRINCIPALLY BY THE PUEBLO INDIANS.] - -Occasional pieces of copper are found in the Casas Grandes ruins, but no -iron, and the cutting instruments of the original occupants were made of -obsidian, as were their arrows. Pottery still strews the ground about, -but there are no evidences to support the old legends of magnificence -with which early travelers invested the so-called palace. But there are -plainly to be seen ruins of a great wall that once enclosed the city, on -which were sentinel towers rising several feet above the main wall, thus -proving that this was not entirely a land of peace, nor do appearances -indicate that it was one of plenty. The Apaches, no doubt, harried the -less war-like Moqui, who were at last driven southward, and left ruins -of similar cities along their gradual retreat from Utah to Mexico. -Professor A. L. Heister, the antiquarian, who has made a long and -patient investigation of the pueblo ruins in southwest New Mexico, thus -writes of his discoveries: - -“Within a radius of five miles of St. Joseph, New Mexico, I have -discovered several hundred ruins of the habitations of prehistoric man. -In these ruins—the walls of which are built of undressed stone and -cement—are found the remains of huge cisterns; walls of fortification; -queer implements of bone and stone; beautifully designed, carved or -painted pottery, together with odd and artistic pictures, characters and -symbols cut upon large rocks in cañons near, and with such nicety of -taste as serve to strike the beholder with wonder and admiration. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - ADOBE VILLAGE OF PUEBLO INDIANS, NEW MEXICO.—The word pueblo in - Spanish means village, and this term was applied by the early - Spanish explorers to several powerful tribes of Indians whom they - found living in adobe villages like the one so beautifully - photographed on this page. They had evidently occupied such abodes - for centuries before the Spaniards came, and they have not departed - from the custom up to the present time. As the increase of a family - requires more room, additions are made at the top of the house, and - thus we find their homes built in tiers, one above the other, the - upper stories being reached by rude ladders, as shown in the - illustration. The baking oven, seen at the left of the photograph, - is a village institution, and it has been adopted almost universally - by the present rural population of Mexico. The Pueblo Indians are - rapidly disappearing, their entire number being now less than 1000. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -“The ruins are generally found on high ground, and are composed of from -two to several hundred rooms, averaging about eight by ten feet, and six -to eight feet in height. In some cases the buildings have been two -stories high. There has been a side entrance to all of these rooms, but -these openings, from some cause, have been carefully walled up. - -[Illustration: SCENE ON THE GREAT AMERICAN DESERT.] - -“These people were larger than those of to-day, some of them being fully -eight feet high. I am led to believe their average height was not less -than seven feet. They buried their dead in the ground floors of their -rooms, with the heads towards the east, and, as a rule, their pottery, -trinkets and personal ornaments with them. In excavating these ruins, -one is constantly impressed with one paramount wonder—their great age. -Huge pine trees, three and four feet in diameter and 100 feet high, -flourish upon the walls and in the rooms of these habitations of -forgotten man. The infilling of drift and the increase of surface, -caused by vegetable growth and decay, is very slow, and has been -estimated by some geologists to average about one foot in eighty years. -Admitting this to be near the truth, our surprise knows no bounds when, -on sinking directly under these giant trees, we pass through from six to -ten feet of vegetable mold, then encounter from one to three feet of -clean-washed sand and gravel, then a solid earthen floor covered with -ashes, charcoal, bones and fragments of broken pottery. Yet still below -this are the skeletons of human beings, surrounded by their pottery, -weapons and ornaments of stone, bone and copper. My own opinion is that -these people were either Aztecs or Toltecs. They were sun-worshipers and -well advanced in carving, painting, building, weaving and agriculture. -They flourished many centuries in Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, Mexico, -Central and South America, and were exterminated either by famine, -flood, disease or volcanic action at least 1,000 years ago. - -“In the eastern part of this (Socorro) county are the ruins of an -immense city known as the Grande Quivero, covering two by two and one- -half miles square. Its walls are, in some places, eight feet thick, -forty feet high, and 700 feet long. A great aqueduct carried water to -the city, but to-day there is no water within forty miles of this -ancient wonder. It stands silent and alone in the sunlight and -moonlight, and where once the love, industry and skill of an unknown -race made thousands of beautiful and happy homes, the coyote, bat and -snake now hold sway. When and by whom it was built was a mystery to the -Mexican people more than 300 years ago.” - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - THE PUEBLO VILLAGE OF LA GUNA.—This is one of the most important of - the Pueblo settlements in New Mexico. It is situated in the midst of - a rich valley, which, by means of irrigation and rude methods of - cultivation, produces abundant food for the unaspiring inhabitants. - The reader is referred to page 150 of this work for a very full, - graphic and interesting description of the Pueblos and their - customs, together with a history of their probable origin and - descent. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - INNER COURT OF A PUEBLO TOWN, ARIZONA.—In two preceding photographs we - have had very fine general views of Pueblo villages, and in this one - we are shown the interior or court, formed by the surrounding - houses, where much of the domestic work is performed. It is a - dreary, desolate-looking place, but decidedly better than the - average of the homes of savage or uncivilized peoples. The sun-baked - mud houses are certainly preferable to an ordinary Indian wigwam, - and we are sure the baking ovens would produce sweeter and more - wholesome bread than the roving Apaches or Sioux are accustomed to. - In fact, the houses, the ovens, and even the dress of the forlorn- - looking woman indicate the beginnings of civilization. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - CHAPTER VI. - ACROSS THE CACTUS DESERT INTO CALIFORNIA’S GOLDEN LAND. - - -[Illustration: NAVAJO CHURCH, NEAR FORT WINGATE.] - -Leaving Santa Fe, we continued our journey westward over the Atchison, -Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad, and striking the Rio Grande a short -distance south of White Rock Cañon, followed the bank of that stream -through some very handsome scenery until we reached Atlantic and Pacific -Junction. Thence for a while the route was through an arid section, -where alkali and musquite abounded; an unchangeable waste of black -sterility; a country so level that the laying of a railroad track was -attended by no difficulties, but keeping it clear of sand is a work of -great perverseness. We were now on the line of the Atlantic and Pacific, -which crosses a branch of the Rio Grande at Rio Puerco, and soon after -follows the valley of that stream for about sixty miles. Laguna is on -the way, and north and south are mesas, dry lakes and lava beds, but -there is no picturesqueness of landscape. South of Fort Wingate, just -east of the Arizona border, is the Zuni Plateau, in which several old -ruins are still to be seen; but if we except the Indians, who exist in -the most miserable condition, and old ruins and craters of extinct -volcanoes, the region is without interest, and has few features worthy -of the photographer’s art. - -After reaching Arizona, the road passes through a corner of the Perco -and Zuni reservations, and follows the old trail leading to Prescott. -Immediately south of Flagstaff, and in sight of that place, are more -ruins of cliff dwellings, built in the banks of Walnut Creek, but so -faded as to be scarcely distinguishable now. We are now in the Cactus -plain, where immense stalks of that curious vegetable growth rise to the -dignity of branchless trees, prickly and often grotesque. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - THE NEEDLES ALONG THE RIO GRANDE.—The Needles are a part of the Rocky - Mountain chain, and they derive the name from their sharp-pointed - and splintered pinnacles, in which respect they differ from all - other mountains in America. Their peaks tower into the regions of - perpetual snow, which cools and tempers what would otherwise be an - almost intolerable climate. The Needles first come into view after - emerging from the western extremity of Animas Cañon, and their white - turrets are then visible for many leagues as the train glides along - parallel with them. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: THE OLD SPANISH PALACE, SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO.] - -[Illustration: OLD CHURCH OF SAN MIGUEL, SANTA FE, N. M., BUILT OF ADOBE -IN 1550.] - -These are two interesting buildings photographed on this page. The -Palace, so called, has no very palatial appearance, but it has a record -as a government building which many a palace might well be proud of. It -has domiciled a long line of governors, both under Spanish and American -rule, and is still occupied for this purpose. It fronts the plaza or -public park, a portion of which is shown in the picture, and a brilliant -scene is witnessed here on a summer’s afternoon when the officers of the -garrison stationed here, with their families and visiting friends, -gather under the shade of the trees to listen to the excellent music of -the military band. The old adobe church is probably older by at least -two centuries than any other church house in America, and a few years -ago, when the writer was there, it was still used for religious -purposes. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: NATURAL BRIDGE, NEAR MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA.] - -At a little station called Peach Springs, the road draws very near the -Hualpai reservation, and is within less than a score of miles of the -Grand Cañon of the Colorado; but, though short, the way is a difficult -one, over parched sands and an eye-wearying desolation, until within -four or five miles of the cañon, when the approach to water is indicated -by a gradual increase of vegetation, which, however, never becomes rank, -even along the river-shore. A stage-line is now running from Flagstaff, -which, though not so near as Peach Springs, offers a much easier route -to the cañon. The trip from Flagstaff is made in twelve hours, and, by -comfortable stages, the traveler is taken to one of the most imposing -points in the cañon (Marble Cañon), where the descent is sheer 6,000 -feet, and a panorama is afforded of frightful chasm, curiously chaotic -walls, strange formations, and mountains breaking one behind the other, -like waves on the ocean, until sight fades into the perspective of -distance. Here terror and sublimity, in a marvel of natural extremes, -have formed perpetual alliance to excite amazement in the mind of every -visitor. - -We cross the Colorado at Powell, where, to the south, are Red Rock -buttes, and to the north are the Needles, the latter being hills that -run up into sharp peaks, and then fall away to join a long stretch of -plain. Black Mountains run parallel with the river on the north, near -the foot of which, but on the river-shore, is a Mohave village, a -settlement of that miserable remnant, who from a powerful people have -degenerated, through oppression and decimation, until they are scarcely -a degree removed from the Digger Indians. The reservation proper of this -tribe is, however, near the Navajoes, in the northeastern part of the -territory. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: A CENTURY PLANT IN BLOOM, CALIFORNIA.] - -[Illustration: A CACTUS FENCE IN ARIZONA.] - -Immediately before blooming, the century plant puts out a long stem or -shoot, as seen in the photograph, upon which the flowers appear in due -course of time. The event is such a rare one as to be quite a curiosity, -and as comparatively few of the readers of this book will probably ever -be so fortunate as to see the real plant in bloom, they will all the -more appreciate this beautiful photograph.—In many parts of Arizona, New -Mexico and Mexico the cactus plant is made to do service as a fence -around gardens and small fields. The variety generally used for this -purpose has a broad, thin blade, resembling an ancient broadsword, and -these grow so close together, with sharp needle-pointed thorns shooting -out in every direction, that no living thing can pass through or between -them. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: THE GREAT TELESCOPE, IN LICK OBSERVATORY.] - -Crossing the Colorado, we strike the desert district of California, -which extends through the counties of San Bernardino and Kern, a -distance of nearly three hundred miles. Adjoining these two counties on -the north is Inyo county, into which the Carson and Colorado Railroad -extends southward as far as Owen’s Lake. This county is remarkable for -embracing a region of extraordinary wonders, greater, indeed, in several -respects, than any other district in the world. In the northern part is -a marvelous depression, 159 feet below sea level, and nearly 150 miles -in circumference, known as Death Valley. It is distinctly a volcanic -region, in which, however, the fires are long since burned out, leaving -the desert a vast field of cinders, so parched that no drop of water -exists within its borders, though rivers of lava ramify it in every -direction. Many have perished in an effort to cross this fiery plain; -and looking across it from the margin, the observer sees a shimmer in -the air, as if a furnace were in active blast beneath. Here the -temperature rises to 122 degrees, and the air hangs in a hot envelope, -lazily swinging to and fro, rising and falling in waves of heat, and -making the sands blaze with an almost blinding light. Scorched, burned- -out and furnace-like though the region be, it is, nevertheless, the -abode of life, but no less curious than is the valley itself. The -centipede, scorpion and horned-toad find here a congenial habitation; -and, strange to say, a species of kangaroo-rat is peculiar to this -cursed spot, burrowing in the hot sand and feeding on insects. - -Thunder-storms beat around the valley, but no drop of rain ever moistens -its burning lips. The dryness of the air is such a preserver of dead -bodies that decay is impossible, and the animals that die within its -borders are mummified until they become like parchment. This cursed -spot, sown as it is with dragon’s teeth, is not entirely without its -attractions, though they are as dangerous as were the soft, lute-like -voices of the Sirens. It is the field of wonderful illusion, from which -spring into the quivering air the most astounding and alluring mirages: -rippling brooks, waving palms, floral meadows, ships under sail, banks -of thyme, and travelers moving in procession across a landscape more -beautiful than an oriental vision. - -Continuing our journey westward, we passed through a large arid -district, in which dry lakes with beds white with soda, and shining in -the blazing sun, were plentiful on both sides, but seeing no more -interesting features until we arrived at Los Angeles. Here we found much -to amuse, and often to instruct. It is an old town, settled by the -Spaniards, in 1780, and although now a beautiful city, it has not -entirely put aside the garments of antiquity with which the ancient -church fathers invested it. Many old adobe buildings still remain, and -there are not wanting the ruins of quaint and curious monasteries, moss- -covered, and with broken walls and dilapidated belfries, in which the -ghosts of long ago seem to have their haunt. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - WITHIN THE JAWS OF GRAND CAÑON OF THE COLORADO.—The Grand Cañon of the - Colorado is such a stupendous wonder that we never grow tired of - contemplating it. From every point of view we see some new marvel to - admire. The variegated and many-hued cliffs are as remarkable for - their bewildering beauty as for the grandeur of their lofty heights. - Everything is on the most colossal scale, except the little river - itself, which goes dashing along in playfulness and glee with no - intimation that it is the master workman by whose hands this - stupendous wonder was wrought. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: OUR STAGE-COACH CROSSING THE SANTA INEZ.] - -The river, which washes the eastern limits of the city, is a sluggish -stream, but it imparts refreshment to one of the most fertile valleys to -be found anywhere in California. Here we find a succession of orange- -groves and vineyards, bending low with golden and purple fruitage, while -beyond the city’s skirts are orchards of walnut, olive and almond, from -which profitable crops are annually gathered. - -San Diego, 147 miles south of Los Angeles, is another beautiful place, -the center of a delightful region, but its interest lies very largely in -the fact that it was at this place the first white settler in California -pitched his tent, as early as 1769. This great Spanish pioneer, Father -Junipero Serra by name, became the founder of twenty-one missions in -California, some of which still remain in a fair state of preservation, -but a majority exist as mere reminders of the olden time when the -Franciscan friars dominated that portion of the Spanish territory. In -this southern region the landscape is monotonous, and the air is usually -hot, from which fact, no doubt, came the name “California,” which, in -the Spanish, signifies “hot furnace,” and was bestowed by the -discoverer, in 1534. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - MAGNOLIA AVENUE, RIVERSIDE, CAL.—The climate in Southern California is - almost tropical, and the fruits, flowers and general vegetation are - similar to those found in equatorial regions. In the Spanish - language “California” signifies “hot furnace,” and this name was - bestowed upon that country by the discoverer in 1534. It is - therefore no matter of surprise that we should see reproduced in - this photograph a scene that carries us in imagination to the - central regions of Florida. Here the palm and the magnolia, the - orange and the lemon, grow and bloom side by side. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: THE GRIZZLY GIANT, MARIPOSA GROVE OF BIG TREES.] - -Proceeding northward, the scenery becomes more varied and pleasing, for -above Los Angeles a mountainous district is passed, with the San -Bernardino and Sierra de San Rafael ranges on the right, and the Monica -and Santa Inez ranges on the left. Still further north are the San -Benito Mountains, paralleling the San Juan River, along whose -magnificent valley the railroad runs until it reaches Castroville on the -coast, just above Monterey. This latter place is one of very great -attractiveness, not only for its historical associations, as the seat of -Spanish Government in California until 1847, but also because it is the -best specimen of the old-time adobe cities which now remains, as well as -the location of one of the most exquisite gardens and charming hotels -that is to be found either in or out of America. The Hotel del Monte is -a building of much beauty in itself, but the very large grounds which -surround it have been cultivated until they are a veritable paradise of -noble oaks, rich green lawns, and bewildering flower-beds, dimpled with -every hue that nature is capable of painting. The old town is a ghost of -antiquity, the skeleton of a remote past, whose bony fingers point -backward, as if beckoning beseechingly to the long ago. There is the -mission house, rickety and tattered, raising its palsied head barely -above the adobe walls which once served so well to defend it against -enemies. But the wall, very thick though it was, has been badly breached -by the catapults of time, and having done faithful guard-duty in the -early days, it is now like the grave of a hero, which has become a -shrine, to which many are drawn by curiosity as well as by respect. - -From Monterey northward the road runs through the incomparably beautiful -and fertile Santa Clara Valley, a region where nature is always in good -humor, and so fat that every time she laughs she shakes out a harvest. -Towards the left spreads away a waving plain in richest cultivation, -while on the right towers the Coast range of mountains, whose summits, -bathed perpetually in a clear atmosphere, look in the distance like a -vast ridge of sapphires supporting the sky. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - AN OLD MISSION HOUSE IN CALIFORNIA.—The great Spanish pioneer and - priest, Father Junipero Serra, went to California in 1769, and - pitched his tent near the modern city of San Diego. He was the first - white man to settle within the limits of the territory now embraced - by the great State of the Pacific coast. His object in going there - was to serve as a missionary among the Indians, and so earnest and - faithful was he that he lived to become the founder of twenty-one - missions. Some of these still remain in a fair state of - preservation, like the one photographed on this page, but most of - them have fallen into decay. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: BRIDAL VEIL FALL, YOSEMITE.] - -At San Jose, a lovely city embowered with oaks, vines, roses and palms, -the stage is taken for Mount Hamilton, upon the peak of which is located -the Lick Observatory, enclosing the great Lick telescope. The road cost -$80,000 to make; and though the ascent, which is begun fifteen miles -from San Jose, is great, yet so admirably constructed is the way that -two horses easily drag the stage to the summit. I never had a more -delightful ride than this trip afforded, for while the air was bracing, -the view was at all times indescribably picturesque. At places where -sharp turns are made, passengers can look out of the coach windows down -into abysses which seem to be bottomless, and which never fail to elicit -the question: “If a wheel should run off the edge, where would the -passengers land?” - -The altitude of the observatory is 4,250 feet above the valley, and from -this lofty point, it is claimed, with an appearance of truth, that a -greater area is visible than from any other in the world. Not only is -the whole of Santa Clara Valley viewable, but on very clear days the -highest peaks of the Yosemite are discernible, and even Mount Shasta, -200 miles distant, can be distinguished. The telescope is a 36-inch -reflector, the largest ever made, and so massive that it is controlled -by hydraulic power, which is most ingeniously applied, the adjustment -being so perfect that its many tons of weight can be moved by a single -finger. The public have free access to the observatory, but -unfortunately, and very unwisely, visitors are not permitted to use the -telescope except on Saturday nights. As favorable evenings are -comparatively few, this rule prevents a very great majority of persons -from realizing what they have traveled thousands of miles to see, and -much complaint against the astronomers in charge is accordingly made. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - LICK OBSERVATORY, ON THE SUMMIT OF MOUNT HAMILTON, CAL.—The - observatory buildings occupy the summit of the mountains, at an - altitude of 4250 feet above the valley. The place is reached by - stage from San Jose, over a road which is said to have cost $80,000 - in its construction. The scenery along the road is wonderfully - picturesque and beautiful, embracing a number and variety of views - that are unsurpassed anywhere in the world. From the observatory - nearly the whole of Santa Clara Valley can be seen, and on clear - days the peaks of Yosemite, and even the hoary head of Mount Shasta, - 200 miles distant, are discernible. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: EL CAPITAN, 3,300 FEET HIGH, YOSEMITE.] - -From San Jose to San Francisco the distance is about fifty miles, -through forests of redwood, past charming villas skirting San Francisco -Bay, and many beauties peculiar to this perpetual summer land. The city -is one of exceedingly great interest, possessing as it does features of -a unique as well as of a magnificent character. Some of its best streets -are reclamations from the bay, where, in 1849, the largest ships rode at -anchor; and what were once bare mountains of sand were made accessible -by the adoption of a cable system of street railroads, and on these -peaks are now several of the finest residences in America. - -The Palace Hotel is the largest in the world, nine stories high, -occupying 275 by 350 feet of ground, and cost, with furnishings, the -enormous sum of $7,000,000. The public buildings, and many of the -business blocks as well, attest the great wealth of the place, which -flowed in with the gold discoveries. Lone Mountain, distinguished by a -large wooden cross on its summit, affords a view which embraces not only -the entire city and bay, but likewise of the ocean, Mount Diabolo and -the long Coast Range that shimmers in the sun like polished metal. - -But the most delightful point of interest is the Cliff House, near the -entrance to the Golden Gate, reached by a beautiful drive through Golden -Gate Park, and also by cable and steam cars. The prospect from the hotel -piazza, reaching far above and over the ocean, is both grand and -charming. Immediately in front, and only three or four hundred yards -away, three rocks rise out of the sea to a height of one hundred feet, -and on these hundreds of sea-lions gather of sunny days to bask and -display themselves before amused spectators. At times, their barking is -almost distracting, especially when some ugly-dispositioned pater -familias of the great herd sets about clearing the rocks, when there -follows a noise like ten thousand big dogs in conflict, and a -scrambling, sprawling and tumbling that is wonderful as well as amusing. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - GARDEN OF PALMS AT INDIO, NEAR SAN DIEGO, CAL.—No wonder the people of - California love their State and its “glorious climate” when they are - able to produce such ideal homes as the one reproduced in this - superb photograph. It is one of many others like it in the same - region, and shows what may be accomplished in a short time with a - combination of natural advantages and industry. The picture is so - perfect that we can almost imagine we see the waving of the palm - leaves and smell the perfume of the flowers. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: VERNAL FALLS AND LADY FRANKLIN ROCK, YOSEMITE.] - -San Francisco is a center from which many interesting itineraries may be -conveniently made, several of which we performed, with the particular -view of photographing the most attractive features. Chief of these -excursions is to the Yosemite Valley, which is 267 miles from San -Francisco, the last sixty-seven miles being journeyed by stage. Leaving -that city at 4 P. M., we reached Raymond at 6 A. M. the following day, -at which point the stage is taken to Wawona, which is only six miles -from the Mariposa Grove of Big Trees. These giants of the primeval -forest are in a Government reservation two miles square, and compose two -distinct groves some half a mile apart. In the upper grove there are -365—one for each day in the year—trees, 154 of which exceed fifteen feet -in diameter, and several are more than 300 feet in height. The largest, -known as the Grizzly Giant, in the lower grove, is thirty-one feet in -diameter, and the first limb which makes out from the trunk, 200 feet -above the earth, is six feet in diameter. There is a prostrate tree in -this grove which originally measured forty feet in diameter, and was 400 -feet in height. The body is hollow, and is large enough to admit three -horsemen abreast a distance of seventy feet. - -A few miles beyond Wawona is a stage-station called Fresno, which is -within the limits of another grove of mammoth trees, the largest of -which is thirty-two feet in diameter at the butt, and there are probably -100 or more that measure as much as twenty feet through. Just beyond -Fresno, we enter the far-famed and truly marvelous region of the -Yosemite (which, in the Indian tongue, signifies a “grizzly bear”), that -great heart of the Sierras which beats in mountain and breaks in -waterfall. This wondrous valley, running along the western base of the -Sierra Nevada range, is a comparatively level area, but it lies fully -4,000 feet above sea level, and is nine miles long, by an average of one -mile wide. The remarkable feature of this valley, aside from its special -curiosities and mammoth configurations, is the fact that it is enclosed -by granite walls of almost unbroken continuity, which present -perpendicular faces ranging from 3,000 to 6,000 feet in height. The -valley was discovered May 6, 1851, by the Mariposa battalion, in command -of Major James D. Savage, which had been sent against the Yosemite -Indians, to punish them for outrages perpetrated against the miners in -the counties of Mariposa, Fresno, Tuolumne and Inyo. Up to this time the -valley was known to whites only through Indian traditions, which -represented the region as one of great beauty, but the abode of witches -and evil spirits. Upon the discovery, however, it was found to be a -place of refuge for the Indians; and within its boundaries, therefore, -some desperate fighting took place between the California rangers and -the Yosemite Indian marauders, in which there were heavy losses on both -sides, and many acts of shocking cruelty. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - SEAL ROCKS AND CLIFF HOUSE AT THE GOLDEN GATE, SAN FRANCISCO.—This is - one of the many popular resorts near the city of San Francisco. It - affords a fine view of the Golden Gate entrance to the harbor, and - the coming and going of the ships. The rocks in front of the hotel - are nearly always covered with seals, or sea-lions, whose barking - and plunging in the water add variety and interest to the scene. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: GLACIER POINT, YOSEMITE.] - -The stage-road leading from Wawona is particularly romantic and -delightfully picturesque, with views of mountains, laughing streams and -beflowered valleys, that break in pleasing variety upon the expectant -vision of the visitor, and give intimation of the grander glories that -lie beyond. After crossing Alder Creek, a beautiful stream that washes a -pebbled bed, the route mounts Alder Hill, and rises rapidly until from -its apex there is afforded an amazing sight, which never fails to throw -the beholder into raptures. Northward, like a thread of silver running -through a labyrinth of mountains, is the South Fork, while southward the -same stream speeds away to join the Merced River, which dashes through a -stupendous gorge aflame with colors. Descending Alder Hill on the east, -by way of a tortuous route, we at last reach Merced Valley, beautiful as -a poet’s inspiration, and crossing this low-lying strip of meadow land, -climb another hill, where wonder compels us to pause upon its crest. -Away yonder in the misty west, where the horizon drops down like a -curtain on the world to hide the mysteries behind, are the dim outlines -of the Coast Range, nearly 200 miles distant. But more bewildering -sights are near at hand, for there to the left a little way are noisy -cascades playing leap-frog over giant stones; Table Rock is close by, -and El Capitan, that grizzled old captain of the Yosemite, exposes his -shoulder, which seems to be a prop for the clouds. A few miles further -and we reach Inspiration Point, where a glorious vision of Yosemite -Valley and its Titanic walls break upon us with a startling suddenness, -revealing a section of nature that is incomparably grand and awesomely -magnificent. El Capitan forges upward 3,300 feet; the Three Brothers -keep him company to a yet greater altitude, while in the background, -frowzled, yet sublime, loom up against the cerulean sky the gray -Cathedral Rocks, lying within the deep shadows of Sentinel Rock. Look -around, for on every side appear evidences of mightiness, the awfulness -of those powers which sometimes escape from internal reservoirs, or -break away from the fastnesses where they were born; the bursting of -lava beds, the tearing down of glacier, the down-sweeping of avalanche, -and the steady flow of gnawing waters. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - BIG TREES IN MARIPOSA FOREST, CAL.—The big trees of California are - celebrated all over the world, and visitors to the World’s Fair at - Chicago had the pleasure of beholding a number of very fine samples, - the largest having been exhibited in the Government department. In - this photograph the picturesque cabin, standing near the roots of - the gigantic tree, affords a good object of comparison, by which one - may readily determine the enormous size of the forest giant. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: VERNAL FALLS, YOSEMITE.] - -A trip through the Yosemite Valley is one of profound amazement, a -succession of astounding surprises, where the most amazing prodigies of -nature stand before you in review. Why, throw a glance up yonder, so far -that though the atmosphere is wondrously clear, yet the trees on the -crest are not distinguishable, only a white ribbon that appears to have -been flung down over the narrow edge of that appalling summit to attract -attention. What we see is the first leap of Yosemite Falls, dashing -through a notch that is nearly half a mile wide, and which has a fall -from three ledges of 2,548 feet, or sixteen times greater than that of -Niagara. There, not far away, is Glacier Point, which is 3,000 feet -high, and from which a view of the entire valley can be had. Standing on -that pinnacle, we gather in a glorious panorama of extraordinary -splendor. The great domes of the Yosemite are plainly discernible; so is -Liberty Cap, Clouds’ Rest, Vernal Falls, Nevada Falls, placid lakes, and -the swift-rolling Merced River, that collects and bears away the waters -that plunge down from a dozen dizzy heights. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - MIRROR LAKE, REFLECTING EL CAPITAN, IN YOSEMITE PARK, CAL.—Among the - myriad attractions of Yosemite Park, none are more popular than - Mirror Lake. The water is so transparent as to give a perfect and - beautiful reflection of all surrounding objects. The photograph on - this page is a fine example of this attractive feature, the - reflection being so perfect that it is difficult to determine which - is the right side of the picture. If this lake had been located in - the Garden of Eden, we could not blame our grandmother Eve for - admiring her counterpart in its pellucid depths. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: ILLILLOUETTE FALLS AND SOUTH DOME.] - -But besides these, as we turn to sweep the other points, we catch views -no less grand, of Ribbon Fall, with its leap of 3,350 feet, Indian -Cañon, Royal Arches, Bridal Veil Fall, Washington’s Tower, Columbia -Rock, and pearl-gray granite walls that rise in places to a vertical -height of 6,000 feet. More beautiful, in some respects, than any of -these, as many believe, are Mirror Lake, which seems to reflect nearly -the whole valley, and Cascade Falls, which are indescribably lovely. The -meadows draw our admiration likewise, for they are so covered with -flowers as to appear like a carpet of the most gorgeous patterns, done -in the liveliest combination of brilliant colors. Other points of great -interest are the Giant’s Thumb, Eagle Peak, Valley Ford, the Gnome of -the Yosemite, Mount Watkins, 4,000 feet high, and Tis-sa-ack (Half -Dome), 5,000 feet in height, which was regarded by the Indians as the -Guardian Angel of the valley, for upon the south side of it are the -distinct outlines of a human face, declared in a legend to be those of -Tu-tock-ah-nu-lah, ancient father of the Yosemites. And there are the -Three Brothers, called by the Indians Pom-pom-pa-sa, which signifies -“three mountains playing leap-frog,” a name no doubt bestowed because of -the popularity of that game with the original natives, and also because -the mountains, from a distance, bear a strong resemblance to three giant -frogs sitting side by side, upon the point of leaping into the valley, -nearly 4,000 feet below. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: UPPER CASCADE OF BRIDAL VEIL FALLS IN WINTER.] - -[Illustration: SENTINEL ROCK WRAPPED IN A CLOUD.] - -Both of the illustrations on this page belong to Yosemite Park scenery. -The one on the right, representing Sentinel Rock wrapped in a cloud, is -specially beautiful and interesting. Our photographers were fortunate in -having so good an opportunity for reproducing a scene that occurs only -at rare intervals, and they have done the work so well that every one -will be delighted with the results. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: THE TURN, IN CHILNUALNU FALLS, YOSEMITE.] - -There are several great falls in this wonderful reservation, which, in -point of beauty, exceed those in any other part of the world. Yosemite -Falls is incomparably the greatest in height, and in the months of May, -June and July, the volume of water which it pours down is second only to -Niagara and Shoshone. Its first vertical leap is 1,500 feet, where it -strikes a series of ledges which break the water into cascades for -another fall of 626 feet, after which it takes a sheer plunge of 400 -feet, and flows away into the Merced, making a roaring noise in its -impetuous descent that can be heard for miles. - -Bridal Veil Fall is the termination of a creek bearing the same name, -where it plunges over a precipice 900 feet high, and the stream is so -thin that it becomes a very mist before reaching the valley. Directly -opposite is Virgin Tears Creek, which likewise dashes over a lofty ledge -through a notch in El Capitan, 1,000 feet high, and falls in a spray, -though during a greater part of the year the creek is nearly dry. - -The first fall reached in ascending the cañon of the Merced is Vernal -Fall, which has a vertical height of 400 feet and a very considerable -volume. But as we proceed further up the cañon, passing a number of -cascades, the eye suddenly catches what the ear has anticipated, and -rapture succeeds expectation, for there bursts into view Nevada Falls, -which, as Professor Whitney says, “is in every respect one of the -grandest waterfalls in the world, whether we consider its vertical -height, the purity and volume of the river which forms it, or the -stupendous scenery by which it is environed. The fall is not quite -perpendicular, as there is near the summit a ledge of rock which -receives a portion of the water and throws it off with a peculiar twist, -adding considerably to the general picturesque effect.” - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - YOSEMITE VALLEY AS SEEN FROM ARTIST’S POINT.—This is an exceedingly - fine view of Yosemite Valley with its surrounding mountains and a - glimpse of the falls on the right. The photograph was taken at - Artist’s Point, so named for its favorable location in viewing the - valley and the majestic scenery by which it is surrounded. No - painter could imagine a grander scene, and nothing but the camera - could transfer it so accurately to the printed page. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: INDIAN CAMP ON THE NEVADA PLAINS.] - -The fall is about 600 feet, the stream being clearly defined throughout -its descent, and the volume of water is very great, giving to the falls -the very ideal of beauty, power and truly extraordinary grandeur. In the -Cañon of the South Fork, there is another fall of equal height, and it -is one, too, of much attractiveness, but brought into comparison with -that of Nevada, of which it is a close brother, though difficult to -reach, it appears so inconsequential as to scarcely deserve a name, -though it is occasionally known as Illillouette Falls. - -But everywhere, up and down that magic valley, whether viewed from the -gorges that have their bottoms in dark and mystic abysses, or from -amazing heights of walls thrust far into the skies, there is wonder -piled upon wonder, grandeur overtopping rapture, dumfounded admiration -riding at furious pace in the lead of inspiration, glorious realization -gilding the visions of imagination. As the gifted Benjamin F. Taylor -wrote of his visit to this wonderland: “Yosemite awaited us without -warning. Spectral white in the glancing of the sun, the first thought -was that the granite ledges of all the mountains had come to -resurrection, and were standing pale and dumb before the Lord. I turned -to it again, and began to see the towers, the domes, the spires, the -battlements, the arches and the white clouds of solid granite, surging -up into the air and come to everlasting anchor until the mountains shall -be moved! You hasten on; you hear the winds intoning in the choral -galleries a mile above your head; you hear the crash of waters as of -cataracts in the sky; you trample upon broad shadows that have fallen -thousands of feet down, like the cast-off garments of descending night.” - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - HALF DOME AND CLOUD’S REST, YOSEMITE VALLEY.—This is equally as grand - a view of portions of the Yosemite scenery as the one given on page - 177, though perhaps less beautiful from an artistic standard. The - half dome on the left is one of the most striking features of this - photograph. It is so smooth and regular in its outlines that we can - hardly regard it as an accident of nature, but rather a work of - design. But, after all, do we not find design, and law, and - regularity of purpose in all the works of nature? -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: CAVE ROCK, LAKE TAHOE.] - -Instead of returning direct to San Francisco, by way of the route we had -taken to the Yosemite, we went northward, over a very good road, through -Tuolumne and into Calaveras county, near the eastern edge of which is -the very celebrated grove of giant trees. The grove is confined within a -valley some 3,000 feet long by 800 feet wide, and embraces ninety-three -mammoth trees, some of which are prostrate. The tallest now standing is -325 feet high, and measures fifteen feet in diameter. There are others -which, though less lofty, exceed the tallest in girth measurement by as -much as twenty feet in circumference, while the thickness of the bark on -these grizzly giants is as much as eighteen inches. Five miles southeast -of the Calaveras forest is the Stanislaus Grove, of about 800 trees, -which in any other country than California would be considered as -veritable monsters for size; but they do not equal the better specimens -in either the Calaveras or Mariposa Groves, though several have a height -of 250 feet, and a trunk circumference of thirty feet. - -Having inspected and photographed the groves, we proceeded to Murphy’s -Hotel, sixteen miles from the Calaveras Grove, thence twenty-five miles -by stage to Valley Springs, a station on a narrow-gauge railroad that -runs to Lodi, where connection is made for San Francisco. - -It was not possible, without occupying years of time, to make trips over -all the picturesque rail-routes of America, and the transportation of -our material in a photograph car, which was in almost constant use, made -it necessary that our three photographers travel together, except when -it was desirable to cover in quick time short detours from main lines. -For this reason the overland trip from Denver was made by way of the -southern route, without dividing our party; but to provide against what -would otherwise have been a serious omission, the photographer of the -Southern Pacific Railroad was brought into service to supply views of -scenery along that road between Ogden and San Francisco, over which the -writer has traveled so frequently as to be thoroughly familiar with all -the points of interest. It was this route, formerly known as the Central -Pacific, joining the Union Pacific at Ogden, that constituted the first -all-rail overland road from Omaha to San Francisco, and it continues to -hold rank as the most picturesque, though the scenery alternates with -many dreary patches. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - THE SENTINEL IN YOSEMITE PARK.—Every one who visits Yosemite is amazed - at the grandeur and magnitude of the scenery. In the language of the - author of this work, “Everywhere, up and down that magic valley, - whether viewed from the gorges that have their bottoms in dark and - mystic abysses, or from amazing heights of walls thrust far into the - skies, there is wonder piled upon wonder.” Each advancing step - brings a new revelation, until the vision is lost in a maze of - marvelous views. One of the most striking features of this - photograph is the outline of the falls in Merced River, as seen to - the right of the grizzly Sentinel. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: CASCADE BRIDGE AND SNOW-SHEDS ON THE SIERRAS.] - -After leaving Ogden, the Southern Pacific passes in a half-circle around -the northern shores of Salt Lake, and then darts into the Nevada, or -Great American Desert, a vast sea of alkali rippled with dry sage-brush; -a furnace in summer and a Siberian tundra in winter. Nature has denied -to this wretched region any compensation of flower, stream, bird, or -even curiosity. It is the very nakedness of bleak desolation, and -stretches its cursed length through a distance of 600 miles. The -Humboldt River has tried to force a way through this parched waste; but -however great its volume of water, gathered from the mountains in spring -freshets, the desert drinks it up at a place known as the Humboldt Sink, -where the thirst of the sands is so great that the river is arrested and -stands still in a shallow lake, the resort of myriads of water-fowls. - -But though the land is a wind-swept waste of alkali, scorched, denuded -and cursed, yet men have planted their hopes even there, and are -wrestling with the harshest and most unpromising disadvantages. Indian -camps are frequent, and villages are occasional, where a few brave men, -inured to all difficulties, scratch the parched earth and seek a -precarious sustenance, though nearly all are traders, furnishing -supplies to miners in the mountains miles away. - -The dreary, lifeless monotony is relieved, however, just before reaching -Humboldt Lake, by the bold but rugged contour of sky-piercing pinnacles, -which rise to the south of the road in curious forms and extraordinary -magnitude, marking the line of Humboldt River. These interesting -formations are known as the Humboldt Palisades, in which the Devil’s -Peak is conspicuous, viewed from the car window. After so many hours -passed in crossing a wretched desert, the scenery of meandering river -and lofty bluffs is extremely invigorating, and preparation to enjoy the -sight is complete. But the palisades are singularly beautiful, viewed -under any conditions, and situated near the edge of an alkali -wilderness, as they are, they break upon the vision of a west-bound -passenger with a delight that arouses rapture. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - CATHEDRAL ROCKS, 2300 FEET HIGH, IN YOSEMITE PARK, CAL.—These majestic - and towering rocks are so striking a feature of Yosemite scenery - that they have attracted great attention from artists and - photographers, and many copies have been made both in paintings and - photographs. But we have seen none that are so beautiful or accurate - as the one on this page. It is a perfect picture in all respects, - even to the reflection in the lake. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: HEATHER LAKE AND MOUNTAIN SCENERY ABOUT LAKE TAHOE.] - -At Wadsworth, Truckee Valley is entered, green with the joy of exuberant -nature, which we follow until Truckee City, a gem of the Sierras, is -gained, and realize that we have now to climb over the second ridge of -the continent, the ragged ribs that flank the great water-shed of the -three Americas. Truckee is not only a pretty village, nestling on the -snowy bosom of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, but it is the center of a -lake region, wherein abound some of the most remarkable bodies of water -to be found on the globe. Fourteen miles towards the south is -California’s favorite resort, Lake Tahoe, a really marvelous sheet of -crystalline water that, from the mountain peaks which enclose it, looks -like a colossal beryl that through some disturbment has been rolled out -of the sky and found lodgment in the great lap of the Sierras. The -environs of the lake are wondrously grand, and the air a very -enchantment, so great is its exhilaration. The lake is twenty-two miles -long, ten miles wide, and 1,700 feet deep, while the surface is 6,247 -feet above sea level, and it is, as Mark Twain eloquently describes it, -“a sea in the clouds; a sea that has character, and asserts it at times -in solemn calms, and again in savage storms; a sea whose royal seclusion -is guarded by a cordon of sentinel peaks that lift their frosty fronts -9,000 feet above the level world; a sea whose every aspect is -impressive, whose belongings are beautiful, whose lonely majesty types -the Deity.” Tahoe’s waters abound with trout and other fish, whose -bodies flash the sunlight from a depth of thirty feet. The waters are so -cold that decomposition is arrested below the surface. Many persons have -been drowned in the lake, but not one has ever been recovered, when the -accident occurred in deep water. So pellucid are its waters that a boat -gliding along the surface appears to be passing through the air, and -from the prows of swift-moving crafts, sheets of clearest glass seem to -be rolling away. Many beautiful cottages are built along the shore, the -summer homes of wealthy Californians, and in season the lake is animate -with boats and the beach alive with pleasure parties. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - THE BROW OF EL CAPITAN GIRDLED WITH CLOUDS.—This is one of the - grandest and most beautiful views of Yosemite scenery that we have - ever had the pleasure of beholding. El Capitan, or, as we should say - in plain English, and certainly much more expressively, “The - Captain,” lifts his haughty head 3300 feet above the valley, and - calmly surveys the surrounding landscape as if he had a right to - command it. Our photographers were fortunate in being able to - procure such a splendid representation of cloud effects as are shown - along the brow of the mountain in this picture. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - CARRIAGE ROAD THROUGH THE HEART OF MARIPOSA’S BIG TREE.—This splendid - photograph will give a better idea of the immense size of - California’s big trees than any other comparison or illustration - could. After cutting a roadway through the tree large enough to - admit of the passage of a carriage or an omnibus, it still has left - sufficient strength of root to support its trunk and branches and - stand firm against the assaults of the storms and earthquakes which - frequently bring down other monarchs of the forest less firmly - anchored in the heart of the earth. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: ICE FORMATION AT FOOT OF BRIDAL VEIL FALLS.] - -[Illustration: NEVADA FALLS, YOSEMITE.] - -Yosemite is beautiful and grand in all seasons of the year, in winter as -well as in the summer-time. But it is not often visited by tourists -except in the balmy season of summer, and thus some of its greatest -wonders would go unobserved except for the efforts of the energetic -photographer. On this page we have a combination of winter and summer -views, and are thereby enabled to enjoy both seasons at the same time. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: DONNER LAKE, NEAR TRUCKEE, CALIFORNIA.] - -A little way west of Truckee, and three miles from the road, is Donner -Lake, a beautiful body, but chiefly famous for the tragic history which -is connected with it. The story, in brief, is this: In the winter of -1846-47, a party of eighty-two emigrants, while on their way to -California, were overtaken by a snow-storm while encamped on the shore -of the lake, and of the number thirty-six perished of starvation. A -ghastly tale of cannibalism is told of the survivors, and the whole -tragedy is embalmed in Bret Harte’s novel of “Gabriel Conroy.” Besides -these two more celebrated bodies of water near Truckee, there are -Pyramid, Angeline, Silver, and Palisade lakes, all near by, and are more -or less popular resorts, particularly with fishing parties. - -As we proceed up the Sierras the cold increases, until when the town of -Summit is reached snow lies upon the ground throughout the year, and it -is perpetual winter there, 7,000 feet above the sea. The route is for -many miles enclosed by snow-sheds, but the snow-plow has plenty of work -to do in keeping the intervals clear. Formerly this work was performed -by three or four engines pushing a big machine, somewhat resembling a -shovel-board plow, through the heavy banks of snow, but it is now more -speedily and effectively accomplished by a rotary snow-plow, as shown in -one of our illustrations. The machine is, in fact, a giant auger, which -is run by steam supplied by the engines behind it, and being set in -motion, rapidly bores its way through the drifts, throwing the snow at -an angle of forty-five degrees, and with a force sufficient to deposit -it fifty feet from the track. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: AGASSIZ COLUMN, YOSEMITE.] - -[Illustration: THE PASSAGE-WAY AROUND CAPE HORN.] - -The cliffs at Cape Horn, so beautifully represented on this page, are -over 2000 feet high, and so precipitous that, when work was commenced in -making a bed for the railroad tracks, men had to be lowered by ropes -from the top and held in position until, with picks and crowbars, they -could cut for themselves a footing in the rock walls. As the cars roll -round the jagged point they are on a level with the clouds, while below -for nearly 2000 feet appear the forests of pine trees, so reduced in -size by distance that they appear like ordinary whisk brooms.—Agassiz -Column is one of the prominent features of Yosemite scenery, and it is -splendidly reproduced in the fine photograph on this page. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: SNOW SHOVELERS CUTTING A BLOCKADE ON THE SIERRA NEVADAS.] - -The road begins to descend rapidly after leaving Summit, but the most -wonderful scenery in all California is passed in the next 150 miles. -Donner’s Peak comes into view as the first suggestion of a dreadfully -tumultuous condition of nature, wrought by the great glaciers that in -the early centuries came grinding their way over the mountains. There is -Emigrant Gap, through which the first gold-seekers found their way into -the Golden Valley, and American Cañon, along the dizzy edge of which the -train runs at a free and almost reckless pace. The way is broken with -quarreling cascades, fast-dashing creeks and beautiful blue cañons, in -which an autumn haze perpetually lingers. Giant’s Gap, in the American -Cañon, is a vast rent in an opposing mountain, that looks like it might -have been torn out by the hand of the Thunder God to make a way for the -trolls. Chasm after chasm comes into view with grandeur and awfulness as -a background until presently the train runs out on a ledge that appears -to passengers inside the coaches to have no more substantial support -than a bank of clouds. We are away up high on the breast of a mountain -that shoots upward 2,000 feet perpendicularly, and looking out of the -car windows there is nothing but clouds bowling along on the same level, -and below forests of pine, stunted by distance, until the trees are no -bigger than whisk-brooms, and American River is a white thread not too -large to run through the eye of a darning-needle. This is Cape Horn, -where the ledge is so precipitous that in making the road-bed it was -necessary to lower the first workmen by means of ropes, which were held -fast at the summit while the suspended men plied their picks and crow- -bars until a footing was made. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: “FLOWER BEDS IN FRONT OF HOTEL DEL MONTE, MONTEREY.”] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: UPPER YOSEMITE FALLS IN WINTER.] - -[Illustration: VIEW OF AMERICAN RIVER CAÑON, IN THE SIERRAS.] - -Yosemite Falls in winter, with the lace-like sheet of water gently -pouring down between the columns of ice on either side, present a scene -of indescribable loveliness. It is a scene, also, not often witnessed, -for Yosemite has a dearth of visitors during the winter.—The companion -photograph affords a fine view of scenery in the Sierra Nevada Mountains -of California, made famous by Mark Twain in one of his jokes, wherein he -stated that the changes of climate in that region were so sudden and -extreme that, while hunting in the mountains one day, his dog’s head was -sun-struck by the intense heat, while at the same time his tail was -frozen by the severe cold prevailing at his other extremity. The point -of the joke will be appreciated after reading the splendid description -of this locality by the author of GLIMPSES OF AMERICA on page 192. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: A ROTARY SNOW PLOW CUTTING THROUGH A BLOCKADE ON THE -SIERRAS.] - -After leaving Cape Horn, and passing many relics of early mining days: -holes in the ground, decaying sluice-boxes, long flumes, tumble-down -shanties, and a few hydraulic works, the road gains the Sacramento -Valley, where the passengers are met by a burst of sunshine that makes -the land laugh with plenty, and fills every heart with gladness. The air -is fragrant with the almond and orange, and where husbandry has not -covered the broad-spreading acres with grain or vineyards, there are -flowers of a thousand hues, and butterflies of corresponding colors. The -early emigrants from the East, who sought fortune on the Pacific slope -after the gold discoveries of 1848-49, found a paradise in the fragrant -and prolific valley of the Sacramento, which, beautiful at all times, -was to them, after a journey of almost unbearable hardships across the -burning sands of the American Desert, a region of incomparable delight. -There is, indeed, no contrast in all nature so sudden and so great as -that afforded between Nevada and California, the line of separation -being the Sierras. Out of the arid plains, a very ocean of verdureless -desolation, the road rises rapidly to altitudes of perpetual snow and -into forests of pine that cover the sides of fearful precipices, the -peaks of towering mountains and the jaws of yawning chasms; then it -swoops down again into a land of perennial bloom, the antithesis of that -of the eastern desert, where, instead of parching, the sun revivifies -and forces into fruitage orchards, vineyards, groves, gardens, and -fields, making the land one of teeming plenty, and joyful with song of -bird, flash of stream, gleam of golden grain, and resonant with the -laughing chorus of exuberant nature. More fortunes have been won by aid -of the hoe and sickle wielded in this charming valley than were ever -gained by means of pick, flame and rocker on the harsh mountain sides, -where the gold-seekers have toiled so hopefully for forty years, and in -a great majority of cases spent their strength without reward. - -The first time that I crossed the Sierras was in early autumn, before -the crisp air had begun to clip the leaves, and when Nevada appeared to -be swept with a stifling atmosphere; hot, dusty and dreary was the pale -sands, and the gray sage-brush was withered as by a simoom’s breath; I -wondered why tourists, on pleasure bent, should make such a journey. -Then out of the plain of dearth, and up the mountains we sped; suddenly, -as it were, the atmosphere grew chill, flakes of snow began to descend; -the way led out of hot summer into severe winter, and the landscape -became a picture of tumult, mighty, wonderful and picturesque. Then we -rolled down the Sierras into a land of indescribable beauty, into a -garden as lovely as that of Hesperides—and the answer was plain. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - CHAPTER VII. - OUR JOURNEY THROUGH PICTURESQUE REGIONS OF THE NORTHWEST. - - -[Illustration: HIGH SIERRAS AND SUSIE LAKE, AN ARM OF LAKE TAHOE.] - -Winter had been spent in the vernal climate of New Mexico, Arizona and -California, and we had so nicely calculated our work that when April -arrived we were ready for explorations in northern fields. Accordingly, -early in that month, we took our departure from San Francisco, over the -California and Oregon Railroad (property of the Southern Pacific), to -photograph the natural wonders of the extreme northwest. The road which -we had thus selected is one of the most charmingly picturesque in -America, abounding as it does with an infinite variety of beautiful -valleys, leaping cascades, roaring waterfalls, snow-capped mountains, -and abysmal cañons that are wrapped in eternal darkness. - -After leaving Sacramento, the route follows the Sacramento Valley, -through a marvelously fertile district, cleft by an exquisite stream -that bellows, gushes, gurgles and rambles in a devious way from -summerless peaks, through blossoming vales, and down mellow meadows, -until it drops into the arms of the sea. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - UPPER CASCADE OF CHILNUALNU FALLS, YOSEMITE.—It has been said by a - distinguished writer that “either the domes or the waterfalls of - Yosemite, or any single one of them, would be sufficient in any - European country to attract travelers from far and wide. Waterfalls - in the vicinity of Yosemite, surpassing in beauty many of the best - known and most visited in Europe, are actually left unnoticed by - travelers, because there are so many other objects to be visited - that it is impossible to find time for them all.” This will - doubtless explain why the beautiful cascade photographed on this - page is so little known that it is not even described in the leading - guide-books. It is one of the most attractive waterfalls in - Yosemite, but it has so many neighbors equally beautiful and grander - that it is passed by almost unnoticed. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - NAJAQUI FALLS, GAVIOTA PASS, CAL.—Gaviota Pass is located in Santa - Barbara County, and possesses some of the finest scenery to be found - anywhere in the State. The photograph on this page will afford a - good idea of the delightful visions to be seen in this region. The - falls are neither grand nor majestic, but they are exceedingly - beautiful, and the secluded retreat, fringed with ferns and mosses, - where but few sounds are heard except the gentle splashing of the - constantly falling water, is a place to be sought and loved on a - warm summer day. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: INTERIOR OF SNOW SHED, SIERRA NEVADA MOUNTAINS.] - -Beyond Chico, northward, the scenery becomes rapidly more rugged, until -we plunge into the Siskiyou range, and apparently become tangled up, so -tortuous is the way. Time and again the road overlaps itself in winding -up the steeps, leaps across yawning chasms on lofty steel bridges, and -dashes into tunnels that for a while appear to lead directly to the -center of the under-world. But on every side, where daylight reveals the -turbulent landscape, there is much to excite wonder and to lend -surprise. A hundred miles before we come abreast of Mount Shasta, the -sunlighted head of that mammoth peak glints and glistens with a weirdly -grand effect upon the admiring eyes of approaching travelers. There it -stands, apparently shifting from one side of the track to the other as -we wind around among the gorges and creep up the slopes, but always a -chief among mountains and commander among the clouds. Sissons is the -nearest station to the giant peak, and here we stopped to make some -photographs and gather information. The base of Shasta is exceedingly -broad, covering as it does a circumference of seventy-five miles, and -its hoary head is lifted up 11,000 feet above the surface, and 14,450 -above the sea. The greatest wonder, however, is not in the mountain’s -height or size, but in the fact that it is an extinct volcano, whose -crater is nearly one mile in diameter and 1,500 feet deep. On one side -there is a rift, resembling a broken piece from the rim of a bowl, -through which the sea of lava that boiled and seethed in this devil’s -caldron many centuries ago, evidently broke and poured a burning flood -into the valley, and overflowed a large district of country. This may -have been done in one of its expiring throes, for certainly there are no -evidences that the volcano has been in activity within the past five -hundred years. - -“There is a cold gray light upon this mountain in winter mornings, that -even to look upon, sends a chill to the very marrow, especially if the -snow-banner be flying; yet perhaps at evening tide, when twilight -shadows have darkened the valley below, this vast pyramid of hoar frost -and storm-swept ridges is transformed into a great beacon light of -glory, where the warm mellow light loves to linger; where the richest -halos of gold and crimson encircle it with their loving bands; where the -last and best treasures of the declining sun are poured out in a -wondrous profusion, until it is driven by the night lavenders and grays -beyond the horizon; then, the tranquil light of the stars sends shining -avenues of silver down its furrowed, hoary slopes; soon there comes out -from behind the night, first a faint flash of radiant silver that gleams -across the sky and dims the light of the stars, the higher peaks are -aflame with St. Elmo fire, and slowly from spire to spire, and from -ridge to ridge, this incandescent flood sweeps on until the whole -mountain glows and gleams with a light supernatural.” - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - VIEW OF MOUNT SHASTA FROM SISSONS, CAL.—This view from Sissons is said - to be the best obtainable of Mount Shasta. From this point it - presents the appearance of a broad triple mountain, the central - summit being flanked on the west by a large crater, whose rim is - 12,000 feet high. The highest point in the centre is 14,442 feet. - Shasta, as a whole, is the cone of an immense extinct volcano, - rising with a single sweep from the base to a height of 11,000 feet. - It is 338 miles north of San Francisco, and is visible for more than - one hundred miles. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: SACRAMENTO CAÑON, CALIFORNIA.] - -Another particularly wonderful natural attraction on the line of this -road are the Chalybeate Soda Springs, which furnish an unfailing supply -of mineral water, equal to the best that is bottled for the bar and -picnic trade. When taken fresh from the spring, it has the appearance of -champagne, which, indeed, it resembles in taste; and so strongly charged -is the water with carbonic acid gas, that it will hold its flavor as -long as any extra-dry wine. - -Near these remarkable springs are the Mossbrae Falls, which come sliding -over the lofty banks of the Sacramento in sheets of limpid water that -look like glass, and have a spread of nearly half a mile. The fall -varies in height from fifty to one hundred feet, but is surprisingly -beautiful at every point. - -After crossing Siskiyou Mountains, the road descends by a spiral way -until it strikes Rogue Valley, thence through Grant’s Pass and gains the -Willamette Valley, which is a level expanse of exceedingly great -fertility. The ride to Portland over the rest of the way is interesting, -not so much for the diversity of scenery, as for the scenes of thrift -and prosperity which lie on both sides, for the country is a very Eden -of productiveness. - -Portland, which lies near the junction of the Columbia with the -Willamette River, is one of the handsomest cities on earth, situated in -one of the most attractive regions that the eye of the traveler ever -gazed upon. From a high point in the western suburbs, gained by a cable- -road, a view may be had greater than that which Quarantaria offers. To -the west broadens the united waters of the two rivers, floating the -commerce of this vigorous city to and from the sea. And in the clear -atmosphere to the east rise like giants out of a plain the lofty peaks -of Hood, St. Helen’s, Adam’s and Ranier, upon whose brows eternal snows -beat with fury, and where clouds often settle to rest themselves for a -fresh flight. Still beyond are the whitened crests of the Cascade range, -reveling in a mad confusion of effort to gain the skies; and wandering -through a maze of forest, mountain and gorge, are the Columbia and -Willamette, like two long ribbons of burnished silver flung down by the -gods to mark a way to wealth. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - MOSSBRAE FALLS ALONG THE SACRAMENTO.—These falls are in the Sacramento - River, not far from Upper Soda Springs in northern California. They - vary in height from fifty to one hundred feet, and have a spread of - nearly half a mile up and down the river. The water is so clear and - limpid that it resembles great sheets of glass as it pours over the - banks, producing a scene of indescribable beauty. The river at this - point is very small, as shown by the photograph, but the scenery is - of the most delightful character. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: SODA SPRINGS, SACRAMENTO CAÑON.] - -The Willamette River is particularly beautiful in its upper course, -where the scenery is almost a counterpart of that along the Rhine, -whereas the Columbia becomes charmingly interesting almost from its -mouth, and increases in grandeur as the ascent is made. Indeed, it may -with truth be declared that scenically considered, the Columbia is the -most delightful river that is known to modern geographers. The shores -are mountainous, at times shooting up perpendicularly to amazing -heights, and composing miles of solid walls; then again dropping away in -level stretches covered with forests of pine, spruce and fir-trees; or -revealing cañons down which plunge turbulent tributaries, and giddy -waterfalls dancing out of the sky and falling in fleecy sheets so far as -to dissolve its vapor. Some of the shore walls are of basalt, of -fantastic shapes and brilliant with coloring; and not infrequently -solitary columns of very great height are seen standing like sentinels -along the water edge, such as Castle Rock, Rooster Rock, and the -columnar cliffs of Cape Horn. - -The Dalles of the Columbia are as famous as the palisades of the Hudson, -while in fact they are much more wonderful, and well worth a trip of -thousands of miles to see. They occupy about fifteen miles of the river -between Celilo and Dalles Station, and are only 130 feet wide, whereas -above and below, the bed of the stream is from 2,000 to 2,500 feet wide. -As the river is swollen to extraordinary proportions by rain freshets -and the melting of snow in the spring-time, it is not a remarkable thing -that during such flood periods the water rises suddenly in this narrow -cleft as much as sixty, and even seventy feet. The river itself very -commonly rises as much as twenty-five feet, even at its widest places, -and hence we may imagine what a raging torrent it becomes; but at low- -water the Dalles are a succession of cascades of the most beautiful -proportions, rolling in sheets of clearest water, over terraces of stone -as regular as though they had been laid by the hand of a mason. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: STRAWNAHAN’S FALLS, ON SIDE OF MOUNT HOOD.] - -[Illustration: MULTINOMAH FALLS, OREGON.] - -The region of Oregon near Portland, and along the Columbia, is rich in -scenery of the most beautiful and picturesque character. Far in the -distance loom snowy peaks, and the clouds, trees and mountains are -reflected in the clear water as in a mirror. Among the most picturesque -of all the scenes of this locality are Multinomah Falls, near the -railway station of the same name. The water plunges down the astonishing -distance of 700 feet, breaking into a ribbon of glittering spray as it -falls. A little to the right of the main falls, as seen in the -photograph, is another tiny little one, so modest as scarcely to be -observed, but loved and admired by tourists equally with its larger -sister. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: WILLAMETTE FALLS, OREGON.] - -From the Dalles down, the river plows its way through the Cascade -Mountains, which on either side appear like towered battlements, while -waterfall after waterfall pour their tribute down the mountain sides to -swell the on-flowing stream. Twelve miles below is Memaloose Island, -which is the ancient burial place of the Chinook Indians, who held it as -a sacred spot, guarded, as they maintained, by spirits of the river. The -gorge proper begins twenty miles below the Dalles, and thirty miles -further are the cascades, but between these there is an incomparable -panorama of grandeur and beauty, for the river is broken by many giant -bowlders, around which the swift-rushing water is lashed into fury. -Still further below, and around the next interval of six miles, where -portage by rail is necessary, the scenery becomes even more exquisite, -with islands that are so wind-swept as to be entirely devoid of -vegetation, while scores of lovely falls line the river, such as Horse- -Tail, a clearly defined stream that pours down a height of 200 feet, and -Multinomah, a strip, or veil, of spray, that falls 850 feet -perpendicularly. There are, besides these, others almost equally -surprising and beautiful, such as Bridal Veil and Oneonta, both of which -dash down over cliffs brilliantly green with mosses, and are reflected -in their full length in the crystalline river into which they fall, -while the soft coloring of bluest sky and blending tints of emerald -pines give to the scene an intimation of fairy-land. Just below these, -in stately procession, are Castle Rock, that shoots up 1,000 feet; -Rooster Rock, a dizzy pinnacle of stone amid-stream; Cape Horn, frowning -from shore, and lifting its brow 500 feet above the river, while the -Pillars of Hercules, twin shafts of basalt, grand, massive and sublime, -act as guardians before this watery realm of wonderland. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - DALLES OF THE COLUMBIA, AND MOUNT HOOD IN THE DISTANCE.—The scenery - between Portland and Dalles City, along the Columbia, is grand and - beautiful in the extreme. Here the river passes through the heart of - the Cascade Mountains, and the turbulent waves roar through the - narrow channel, confined on either side by cliff-like walls of rock, - often rising to the height of 1200 feet or more. At Cascade Locks - there are fierce and whirling rapids, with a fall of forty feet, the - entire river dashing down twenty feet at a single bound. For a - distance of five miles the river is a seething caldron of foam, too - dangerous for any kind of navigation to be attempted. The photograph - gives a splendid bird’s-eye view of a portion of the Dalles. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: NATURAL PILLARS, COLUMBIA RIVER.] - -Twenty-five miles from the palisades, and reached by means of -comfortable stages over a good road, is Mount Hood, one of the loftiest, -as well as the most impressive, dead volcanoes to be found anywhere in -the world, of which it has been written: “The view from the summit of -Hood is one of unsurpassed grandeur, and probably includes in its range -a greater number of high peaks and vast mountain chains, grand forests -and mighty rivers, than any other mountain in North America. Looking -across the Columbia, the ghostly pyramids of Adams and St. Helens, with -their connecting ridges of eternal snow, first catch the eye; then comes -the silent, lofty Ranier, with the blue waters of Puget Sound and the -rugged Olympia Mountains for a background; and away to the extreme north -(nearly to H. B. M.’s dominions), veiled in earth mists and scarcely -discernible from the towering cumuli that inswathe it, lies Mount Baker. -Looking south over Oregon, the view embraces the Three Sisters (all at -one time), Jefferson, Diamond Peak, Scott, Pit, and, if it be a -favorable day, and you have a good glass, you may see Shasta, 250 miles -away. The westward view is down over the lower coast range, the Umpqua, -Calapooya, and Rogue River Mountains, with their sunny upland valleys, -and away out over the restless ocean. In the opposite direction, across -the illimitable plains of Eastern Oregon, to the Azure Blue Mountains; -down, almost to the foot of this mountain, ‘rolls the Columbia,’ through -the narrow, rugged gorge of ‘The Dalles,’ 250 miles of its winding -course being visible. The entire length of the great Willamette Valley, -with its pleasant, prosperous towns and gently-flowing river, its broad, -fertile farms, like rich mosaics, with borders of dark-green woodlands, -is spread out in great beauty under the western slope of Mount Hood.” - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: THE CRATER OF MOUNT HOOD.] - -[Illustration: ON THE ROUTE TO CRATER LAKE.] - -Tourists need not cross the ocean and travel to Switzerland to see wild -and grand and splendid mountain scenery, because it can be found in a -thousand places in America on a much grander scale than anywhere in the -Alps. An evidence of this is seen in the photograph of the crater of -Mount Hood, on this page; and all along the Cascade, Rocky and other -mountain ranges of our country, similar, and even grander, views can be -observed by the thousands. We also present on this page an interesting -portrait of our “mountain helper,” in obtaining views for GLIMPSES OF -AMERICA. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: ONEONTA GORGE, COLUMBIA RIVER.] - -The Columbia is not only famed for its peerless scenery, and as being a -main artery in Pacific coast commerce, but it is equally noted as -affording the most profitable salmon fishing in the world. Hundreds of -people are engaged in this industry, and vast wealth has been amassed by -some of the large companies who run immense canneries in connection with -the fisheries. At certain seasons the fish appear in such prodigious -numbers, on their way up stream to the spawning grounds, that they -almost crowd each other out of the water. The most successful way of -taking the fish at such times is by the use of wheels attached to the -end of a scow, which, being set in motion, scoop them up and deposit -them in the boat, and so rapidly that thousands are thus taken in an -hour. The fish continue their run up-stream as far as the water will -allow, and so determined are they that they perform many amazing feats -to gain the headwaters, crossing shoals, darting through the swiftest -cascades, and even leaping up and over falls of considerable height. The -Indians, familiar with the instincts of the salmon, in the season take -great numbers by means of spears, which they cast with astonishing -accuracy. A chief fishing place is Salmon Falls, where the river is a -mile wide and plunges over a wall fully twenty feet high, extending from -shore to shore. Notwithstanding this height, the salmon gather in the -whirlpool below and suddenly dart up the falls like a flash of light, -their tails waving with such rapidity that they are carried up and over -the falls. It is while making these leaps that the Indians spear the -fish, killing immense numbers, not only for food, but through sheer -wantonness, at times fairly filling the river with the dead beauties. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - ROOSTER ROCK, COLUMBIA RIVER.—This grotesque rock, occupying a - prominent point in one of the bends of the Columbia River, received - its rather inappropriate name from a fancied resemblance to a male - chicken. It requires a considerable stretch of the imagination to - see where the resemblance comes in, and it is to be hoped the time - may come when a more appropriate and picturesque title will be - bestowed upon this celebrated curiosity of nature’s creation. Why - not call it the Castle of the Columbia? for it certainly looks more - like a castle than a rooster. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: CASCADES OF THE COLUMBIA.] - - - A SIDE-TRIP TO CRATER LAKE. - -Before leaving San Francisco, one of our photographers expressed a very -great desire to visit Crater Lake, one of the most remarkable bodies of -water on the face of the earth, and so urgent were his pleadings, that -it was decided he should make the trip, while the rest of the party -continued on to Portland, to perform the work of photographing points of -interest thereabouts, and on the Columbia River. In pursuance of this -arrangement, he left us at a station called Medford, on the Southern -Pacific Railroad, and from that place rode over to Jacksonville, capital -of Jackson county, Oregon, a distance of five miles, to make his -preparations for a journey to the lake. Jacksonville is a town of about -1,000 inhabitants, off the railroad, but on the military road that leads -to Crater Lake, some seventy miles distant northeast, and thence to Fort -Klamath. It was not difficult to procure necessary conveyance, but for -safety it was deemed advisable to pack the cameras on a donkey, probably -the surest-footed and most reliable animal that ever submitted back to a -burden. Three men accompanied our photographer, with one road-wagon and -a light buggy, hauling the necessary camping outfit, and being well -prepared, the party started from Jacksonville on the 15th of April, -1891. The road follows Rogue River the entire distance, along which is -some very beautiful scenery, and not a few wild gorges, which were -photographed. There are a number of post-offices on the way, Deskins -being the most northern, beyond which, and for nearly thirty miles, to -the lake, there is a wilderness of mountain and cañon, unrelieved by any -signs of human habitation. Crater Lake is in the western part of Klamath -county, and is in the Klamath Indian reservation, a region that is -distinctively volcanic, diversified by lakes, marshes and mountains, -with the soil so mixed with scoriæ that it is harsh and unproductive. It -was not until noon of the second day that the vicinity of the lake was -reached, approach to it being indicated by a bank of clouds that hung -over one spot, like a fog gradually lifting, beneath which was -manifestly a large body of water. A suitable camping place was soon -found, and the tent being set up and dinner disposed of, the work of -exploring and photographing the lake was energetically begun. -Fortunately, the weather was propitious and the season favorable, for -otherwise clambering over so rough a region with the precious burden of -delicate cameras would have been next to impossible. The snow falls to -very great depths on the high ridge which surrounds the lake, and spring -rains are at times so heavy here that the precipitous sides are gashed -deeply by the cataracts thus produced. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - VIEW OF CRATER LAKE AND WIZARD ISLAND.—This stupendous and marvelous - curiosity is located in Klamath County, Ore., and may now be reached - by stage from Medford Station on the Oregon branch of the Southern - Pacific Railway, a distance of about eighty miles. But when it was - visited by the author of GLIMPSES OF AMERICA and his photographing - party there were no public conveyances, and they were forced to rely - upon their own resources. Crater Lake is probably the greatest - natural curiosity in the world, as every one will doubtless admit - after reading the descriptions in these pages. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: AMONG THE CLOUDS ON MOUNT HOOD.] - -The Klamath Indians have many traditions about the lake, one of which is -to the effect that in earlier years it was the haunt of great numbers of -water-devils, who watched its shores and drew into its mysterious depths -all luckless persons who ventured near its banks. For this reason it was -not until recently that any Indian could be prevailed upon, by the -promise of however great a reward, to approach near the lake, though -they were glad to guide travelers to its vicinity. - -The first sight of this marvelous body of water excites unbounded awe -and immeasurable wonder. The surface is 6,250 feet above sea level, but -notwithstanding this great elevation, it is enclosed by cliffs that rise -from 1,000 to 2,000 feet, and the greater part are vertical. At times, -viewed from the summit of the walls, both the skies and mountainous -surroundings are mirrored in the unrippled surface of the lake, until it -is really difficult to distinguish the line of separation between the -real and the reflection. - -Crater Lake is egg-shaped, being seven miles in length by six in -breadth, and in the southwest portion there is an island which rises out -of the water to the amazing height of 850 feet. But this is not its only -remarkable feature, for the island is circular in shape, with a scant -vegetation on its sides, and in the center is a crater known as the -Witch’s Caldron, which is 100 feet deep and nearly 500 feet in -circumference. Here, then, we have the now smokeless chimney of what was -once an active volcano, out of which poured a fiery mass that ran down -the steeps and became congealed in the lake, for the base of the island -is of ashes and vitrified rocks, evidencing the intense heat which once -prevailed within and around it. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: SCENE ON COLUMBIA RIVER.] - -[Illustration: CLIFFS AROUND CRATER LAKE.] - -The salmon fisheries of the Columbia River constitute one of our most -important northwestern industries, and the fish-wheels used in catching -the salmon are to be seen at many points, lending a degree of life and -activity to what would otherwise, in many instances, be an uninspiring -view.—The surface of Crater Lake is 6250 feet above the level of the -sea, and yet it is enclosed by cliffs that rise from 1000 to 2000 feet -higher still. This will give some idea of the imposing grandeur of the -scene. Many of these cliffs are perpendicular from the water’s edge to -their summits, so that a stone dropping from the top will fall of its -own weight into the lake more than a thousand feet below. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: GROTTO IN CRATER LAKE.] - -On the shore, north of Wizard Island, is a rock that juts up 2,000 feet, -and its side is so perpendicular that one standing upon its summit can -drop a stone into the lake, nearly half a mile beneath. It is not at all -surprising that this wonderful lake should be the subject of much -superstitious dread among the Klamaths, and among the traditions and -tales which these simple Indians tell is the following: A long time ago, -a band of Klamaths, while hunting deer, which have always been abundant -in this region, came suddenly upon the lake. They had often traveled -over the same district, without discovering either lake or depression, -and now, suddenly beholding so large a body of water, surrounded by -towering walls, they perceived in it the work of the Great Spirit, but -were not able to interpret its significance. All but one of the Indians -fled in terror from the place, but the bravest determined, if possible, -to ascertain the wishes of the Great Spirit, and, accordingly, he -proceeded to the very brink of the lofty walls, and there built a camp- -fire, to wait the Spirit’s call. Long he waited, until weary at last he -lay down and slept; while he was thus sleeping he had a vision and heard -mysterious voices, but he was not able to understand what was said, or -to clearly discern the shape or appearance of his unearthly visitors. -But as often as he slept he perceived, in his dreams, the indistinct -forms of what half-appeared to resemble human bodies, and plainly heard -voices, but they were strange tongues. Charmed by these visions, the -Indian remained, day after day, and week after week, upon the precipice -of the lake, leaving his camp-fire only to slay a deer for subsistence, -until at length he descended to the surface of the lake and bathed in -its crystal and mysterious waters. Instantly he felt his strength -marvelously increased, and thereafter saw that the weird visions of his -dreams were inhabitants of the lake, having human forms, but whether -they were spirits of good, or devils of evil, he knew not. Familiarity, -however, at length made him careless, and on one occasion he caught a -fish in the lake, with the intention of using its flesh for food, but no -sooner had he killed the fish than a thousand water-devils rose up out -of the depths of the lake, and, seizing the unfortunate brave carried -him through the air to the top of the cliffs. Here they cut his throat -and cast his body headlong into the water, 2,000 feet below, where it -was devoured by the angered devils. - -[Illustration: PALISADES OF THE COLUMBIA.] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - THE GREAT GLACIER, CANADIAN PACIFIC RAILWAY.—This fine photograph - shows the front wall of the glacier as it plows its way down the - mountain side, grinding the rocks into powder and cutting seams and - cañons that will stand for centuries as records of its resistless - powers. Those who have never seen one of these immense rivers of - ice, ever moving and never failing, can hardly appreciate the - feeling of awe that is aroused by a near approach to them. There is - no other force of nature that so distinctively manifests its - irresistible powers. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: A FISH-WHEEL ON COLUMBIA RIVER.] - -The Klamath Indians believed that the water-spirits had not fully -satisfied their revenge by this one bloody act, but would similarly -destroy any Indian who had the temerity to approach the lake. - -Near the base of a cliff on the south side of the lake stands a solitary -rock, probably 100 feet high by 200 in length, and nearly the same in -breadth, that, while not seen by the present generation of Indians, it -is nevertheless known to them, and is a special object of superstitious -dread. They consider it as a peculiarly ferocious monster, but are -unable to describe its characteristics. It stands in the lake, entirely -alone, and about fifty yards from shore. Standing on the cliffs, about -five miles to the west and looking across the lake, this strange rock is -plainly visible in the sunlight, its rugged peaks reaching aloft, giving -it the appearance of a full-rigged ship at anchor. Should a cloud pass -before the sun as the shadow strikes the rock it will recede from view -as effectually as though it had ceased to exist. This illusion has -prompted some one to call the rock the Phantom Ship. - -Another equally interesting optical illusion is thus described by W. G. -Steel, F.A.G.S., who made an exploration of the lake with a corps of -United States surveyors: “One day while at work on the lake, my -attention was called to what seemed to be a tall, full-bearded man -standing on the southern portion of Llao Rock’s summit. One foot was -placed a little forward of the other and the knee slightly, but -naturally bent, while before him stood a gun. His hands were clasped -over the muzzle as he gazed intently to the north. Just behind him stood -a boy, apparently about fifteen years of age. They seemed entirely too -natural not to be flesh and blood, and yet persons at that distance -would not be visible to the naked eye, as we were two miles out on the -lake. Day after day, as our work progressed, their position remained the -same, and in the absence of a better excuse, we decided them to be -trees. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - GREEK CHURCH AT JUNEAU, ALASKA.—The prevailing religion among the - natives of Alaska is a mixture of the doctrines of the Greek Church, - inculcated by missionaries from Russia, and the ancient totemism of - the aborigines. The missionaries wisely concluded that it was better - to convert the natives to Christianity, and bring them up to - civilization by a gradual process, rather than attempt a sudden - transformation; hence the singular combination of the rites of a - ludicrous superstition with the beneficent teachings of the Man of - Galilee. Mission churches exist at several points in the territory, - one of which, a very picturesque building, is finely photographed on - this page. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: SUMMIT OF MOUNT SAINT HELENS, ABOVE THE CLOUDS.] - -“It is hard to comprehend what an immense affair it is. To those living -in New York City I would say, Crater Lake is large enough to have -Manhattan, Randell’s, Ward’s and Blackwell’s Islands dropped into it -side by side, without touching the walls, or Chicago or Washington City -might do the same. Our own fair city of Portland, with all her suburbs, -from City Park to Mount Tabor, and from Albina to Sellwood inclusive, -could find ample room on the bottom of the lake. On the other hand, if -it were possible to place the lake, at its present elevation, above -either of these cities, it would be over a mile up to the surface of the -water, and a mile and three-quarters to the top of Llao Rock. Of this -distance, the ascent would be through water for 2,000 feet. To those -living in New Hampshire, it might be said the surface of the water is -twenty-three feet higher than the summit of Mount Washington.” - -The shore of Crater Lake has many remarkable indentations of slender -arms and beautifully formed bays, and on one side there is a grotto -running back some thirty feet and twenty feet inside, spanned by a -graceful arch about eight feet high, forming an admirable shelter as -well as a curious alcove in the rock, where the water is some twelve -feet deep. The lake itself measures a little more than 2,000 feet in -depth in places, but soundings show that there are peaks below the -surface representing cinder cones, and which once evidently stood high -above the surface. The whole lake is thus a reminder of mighty forces -and the relic of terrible convulsions. What an immense affair it must -have been ages upon ages ago, when, long before the hot breath of a -volcano soiled its hoary head, standing as a proud monarch, with its -feet upon the earth and its head in the heavens, it towered far, far -above the mountain ranges, aye, looked far down upon the snowy peaks of -Hood and Shasta, and snuffed the air beyond the reach of Everest. Then -streams of fire began to shoot forth, great seas of lava were hurled -upon the earth beneath. The elements seemed bent upon establishing hell -upon earth and fixing its throne upon this great mountain. At last its -foundation gave away and it sank forever from sight. Down, down, down -deep into the bowels of the earth, leaving a great, black, smoking -chasm, which succeeding ages filled with pure, fresh water, giving to -our day and generation one of the most beautiful lakes within the -knowledge of man. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: TOP OF MUIR GLACIER, ALASKA.] - -[Illustration: CREVASSE IN MUIR GLACIER, ALASKA.] - -The Muir is the most celebrated of all the glaciers in the world. It is -located in southeastern Alaska, about one hundred miles north of Sitka, -and is easily accessible by the California coast line steamers. The two -excellent photographs on this page will give a good idea of the -wonderful formation and diversified beauties of this immense ice-river, -which has been moving steadily down the mountain side for ages past, and -will doubtless continue to do so for ages to come. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -It may in truth be declared that Crater Lake is one of the grandest -points of interest on earth. Here all the ingenuity of nature seems to -have been exerted to the fullest capacity to build one grand, awe- -inspiring temple within which to live and from which to gaze upon the -surrounding world and say: “Here would I dwell and live forever. Here -would I make my home from choice; the universe is my kingdom, and this -my throne.” - -[Illustration: CATHEDRAL ROCK, ON COLUMBIA RIVER.] - - - AWAY TO THE NORTH, AND THENCE TO ALASKA. - -Our trip up the Columbia, and along the Willamette as far as Willamette -Falls, was delightful beyond any one’s ability to describe; but though -wonder succeeded wonder, and kept us as under a spell of enchantment, -there were other surprises in store which were to hold our interest and -even add something to our astonishment. Returning to Portland, we might -have carried out our original resolution to take the steamer at that -point direct for Alaska, but we very wisely made a change in our plans, -by which we proceeded by rail to Vancouver, stopping en route, however, -to continue our work of photographing mountains, valleys and glaciers. - -Tacoma was our first stop after leaving Portland, and a very beautiful -city it is, admirably and commercially situated at the head of -navigation in Puget’s Sound. Mount Tacoma appears to be in the very -front-yard of the city, so wonderfully clear is the air, though in fact -it is forty miles away. The Sound is astir with the white wings of -sailing vessels, and streaked with the black trails of ocean-going -steamers, while the blue waters are begirt with the dark green of heavy -forests, making a picture of almost incomparable beauty. There is -romance in the very air, a kind of dreamy vision of the long ago, when -this was the happy land of the Siwashes, who come before us again in the -pretty legends which linger still upon the lips of this almost extinct -tribe. They tell us of a Saviour who once came to them, riding in a -copper canoe, out of the bleak desolation of the icy north, and who, -first calling all the tribes together, preached to them the gospel of -unselfish service and righteousness. He taught them the beatitudes, and -was first to declare that man was possessed of an undying spirit, which -lived forever, in pleasure or pain, according to the measure of his -deserving. The Indians listened with reverent attention until this -Saviour exhorted them to live in brotherly unity, one with another, and -to avoid all strife, for he who shed human blood would feel the -vengeance of the Great Spirit. This teaching so incensed the war-like -tribes that they seized the Saviour and nailed his body to a tree, where -it remained nine days. Then behold, there came a great storm of hail, -accompanied by thunders that rent the earth and leveled the forests. In -the midst of this mighty cataclysm of natural forces the Saviour -appeared again, resurrected unto full life, and speaking to the winds -and the thunders, in an instant the storm was hushed, and a great peace -and burst of sunshine bathed the earth. After this the reincarnated -Saviour renewed his preaching and continued to teach immortality for -many weeks, until at last he ascended to the skies in a cloud. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - INDIAN BURIAL HOUSES, NEAR THE TOWN OF JUNEAU, ALASKA.—It is a - religious custom among the Indians of Alaska to build houses, more - or less pretentious according to the means of the surviving - relatives, over the graves of their deceased friends. These houses - are then suffered to fall into decay with the lapse of time, like - family cemeteries in our own land, until in many instances the - ghastly remains are exposed to view. The cemetery photographed on - this page is evidently a new one, judging by the neat appearance of - the little houses. There is really a beautiful sentiment in this - custom, notwithstanding its origin among a heathenish and - superstitious people. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: BRINK OF SNOQUALMIE FALLS, WASHINGTON.] - -These same Indians have also a tradition of the deluge, which bears a -striking similarity to the Genetic account. They assert that many -thousands of years ago a great rain fell upon the earth, such as was -never before or since known; that such torrents of water were poured out -of the sky that the world became a universal sea, with no spot of dry -land anywhere visible. In this all-prevailing flood every human being -perished except one man who took refuge on Mount Tacoma. As the water -rose, he was driven higher and higher, until at last he reached the -summit; but still the sea advanced; it covered the loftiest point of the -mountain, then rose above his feet, his knees, and finally reached to -his waist, when, to prevent him from being swept away, the Great Spirit -turned his feet to stone, and he thus became anchored on the peak. Then -the rain ceased, and the waters were gradually assuaged, but the man -could not yet move from his position. At last the waters were again -within their beds, the fields bloomed, the forests put forth with new -life, and the world became musical with song of bird and the lullabies -of flowing streams. Then a profound sleep fell upon the man, and while -he slept the Great Spirit took a rib from his side, and from it made a -beautiful woman. When he woke his feet were no longer stone, but strong -with vigor, and at once he started down the mountain; but scarcely had -he taken the first step when he saw before him the lovely woman who was -given to him for wife. The Great Spirit now directed the couple to the -foot of Tacoma, where he had planted a garden, and in this paradise he -commanded them to abide and replenish the world. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - THE GREAT GLACIER, SIDE VIEW, SHOWING GRINDING OF THE FACE OF THE - MOUNTAINS.—The grinding force of a glacier, as it moves down the - side of a mountain, is strikingly illustrated in this splendid - photograph. At the point of the glacier will be observed an - accumulation of stones and débris wrenched from their places higher - up by the resistless grinding force of the immense body of ice, - moving steadily and irresistibly into the valleys below, cutting its - way like an immense plow as it goes. The numerous photographs and - printed descriptions of these wonders of the northern latitudes, in - GLIMPSES OF AMERICA, add a large degree of interest and value to - this work. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: LATOURELLE FALLS, WASHINGTON.] - -It is probable that these legends are the relics of the teachings of -mission fathers who came to this region more than two hundred years ago. - -From Tacoma we went to Seattle, another exquisite city of marvelous -growth and immense possibilities, which occupies a strip of land between -Puget Sound and Lake Washington; it has a very large water front, and -exhibits a harbor as active with shipping as San Francisco. From -Seattle, where we left our photograph car, we went to Port Townsend, and -thence across the Straits of Juan de Fuca to Victoria, on Vancouver -Island, where we first touched the soil of British Columbia. This city -is also a very beautiful one, and from the summit of Beacon Hill a -magnificent view is obtained, commanding a very great expanse of water, -Mount Baker, and the Olympic Range, in which latter are numerous -glaciers large enough to swallow up the Alps. - -[Illustration: A VIEW OF MOUNT HOOD.] - -On the 2d of May we took passage at Victoria, on the Pacific Coast -Steamship Company’s vessel _Queen_, and started upon a delightful voyage -to Alaska, that opalescent gem in the frosted coronet of the far -northwest. The trip is a revelation, a day-dream of indescribable -transports, a luxury of blissful surprises. It is a strange combination -of ocean and inland water travel, and just enough of each to provide all -the pleasures of both, with none of the monotonies or discomforts of -either. The route is almost entirely land-locked through channels of -varying width, among islands which appear numberless, and as green with -prolific vegetation as the shores of Killarney’s lakes. - -[Illustration: UMATILLA INDIAN CAMP, OREGON.] - -At places the channel narrows and passes through walls of very great -height, and again widens to many miles, but all the while there are -emerald shores, and high-rising banks over which tumble many beautiful -waterfalls, and still above these, in the hazy backgrounds, are snow- -capped mountains. Two hundred miles north of Victoria is Nanaimo, the -last town with telegraphic connections, and six hundred miles beyond the -steamer touches at Fort Wrangel, where the first contact with Alaska -Indians is made, and interest at once centers in the curious appearance -and habits which they display. Passing thence through Wrangel Narrows -the region of ice is reached, indicated by a few straggling bergs that -have become detached from the glacier that forms in a fiord called -Thunder Bay, near the mouth of Stikeen River. Then follows a view of the -Coast Range, which is rent with icy cañons that glow and gleam with -refractions of clear sunlight, until in places they suggest the palace -of Iris. Through this maze of mighty wonders the steamer plows her way -to the town of Juneau, famous not so much for its latitude as being the -location of the largest quartz-mill in the world. Thence we proceeded -through a labyrinth of islands into Lynn Canal, which is considered to -be the “most sublimely beautiful and spacious of all the mountain-walled -channels of the Alaska route.” The Auk and Eagle Glaciers are displayed -on the right as you enter the canal, coming with grand effect from their -far-reaching fountains and down through the forests. But it is on the -west side of the canal, near the head, that the most striking feature of -the landscape is seen—the Davidson Glacier. It first appears as an -immense ridge of ice thrust forward into the channel, but when you have -gained a position directly in front, it is shown as a broad flood -issuing from a noble granite gate-way, and spreading out to right and -left in a beautiful fan-shaped mass, three or four miles in width, the -front of which is separated from the water by its terminal moraine. This -is one of the most notable of the large glaciers that are in the first -stage of decadence, reaching nearly to tide-water, but failing to enter -it, send off icebergs. Davidson Glacier is on the left shore of Chilcat -River, and very near the Indian village of Chilcat, the northernmost -point reached by the regular line of steamers. The place is of very -little interest except for its salmon canneries and other fisheries. -Cod, herring and halibut are very plentiful, but all the streams -thereabout abound with salmon. Indeed, during certain seasons they are -so numerous as to fairly choke the shallow rivers, and in places they -may be scooped up with shovels. From this point the steamer turns south -to Icy Strait, then proceeds north again by that channel into Glacier -Bay, whence beyond to Mount St. Elias is the real ice-land of Alaska. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: INDIAN RIVER, ALASKA.] - -[Illustration: THE MOUNTAIN NEAR MUIR GLACIER.] - -According to general opinion Alaska is a cold and forbidding region, fit -for habitation only by Esquimau Indians and fur traders. But this -opinion is very much overdrawn, for in the valleys and along the islands -of the coast, where the influence of the warm currents of the Pacific -Ocean is felt, the climate is mild, and a vegetation almost semi- -tropical is produced. This is shown to a considerable extent in the -photograph of Indian River on this page.—The companion picture, with our -photographer in the foreground, represents a front view of a portion of -Muir Glacier, where the ice accumulation of centuries has piled up until -it is mountain high. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: CAVE IN THE GREAT GLACIER, BRITISH AMERICA.] - -Glancing for a moment at the results of a general exploration, we find -that there are between sixty and seventy small residual glaciers in the -California Sierras. Through Oregon and Washington, glaciers, some of -them of considerable size, still exist on the highest volcanic cones of -the Cascade Mountains—the Three Sisters, Mounts Jefferson, Hood, St. -Helens, Adams, Tacoma, Baker, and others, though none of them approach -the sea. Through British Columbia and Southeastern Alaska the broad, -sustained chain of mountains extending along the coast is generally -glacier-bearing. The upper branches of nearly every cañon are occupied -by glaciers, which gradually increase in size to the northward until the -lofty region between Glacier Bay and Mount St. Elias is reached. - -The largest of the glaciers that discharge into Glacier Bay is the Muir, -and being also the most accessible is the one to which tourists are -taken and allowed to go ashore and climb about its ice-cliffs and watch -the huge blue bergs as with tremendous thundering roar and surge they -emerge and plunge from the majestic vertical ice-wall in which the -glacier terminates. - -The front of the glacier is about three miles wide, but the central -berg-producing portion, that stretches across from side to side of the -inlet, like a huge jagged barrier, is only about half as wide. The -height of the ice-wall above the water is from 250 to 300 feet, but -soundings made by Captain Carroll show that about 720 feet of the wall -is below the surface, while still a third portion is buried beneath -moraine material. Therefore, were the water and rocky detritus cleared -away, a sheer wall of blue ice would be presented a mile and a half wide -and more than a thousand feet high. - -[Illustration: SCUZZIE FALLS, NEAR NORTH BEND, BRITISH AMERICA.] - -The number of bergs that become detached from the glacier every twelve -hours varies with tide and weather, but generally a new one is thus -fresh born every six or seven minutes, and so massive that the discharge -may be heard like thunder or cannonading two or more miles away. When -one of the fissured masses falls there is first a heavy, plunging crash, -then a deep, deliberate, long-drawn-out thundering roar, followed by -clashing, grating sounds from the agitated bergs set in motion by the -new arrival, and the swash of waves along the beach. All the very large -bergs rise from the bottom with a still grander commotion, rearing aloft -in the air nearly to the top of the wall, with tons of water pouring -down their sides, heaving and plunging again and again ere they settle -and sail away as blue crystal islands; free at last after being held -rigid as part of the slow-crawling glacier for centuries. And strange it -seems that ice formed from snow on the mountains two and three hundred -years ago, should after all its toil and travel in grinding down and -fashioning the face of the landscape still remain so lovely in color and -so pure. - -The rate of motion of the glacier as has been determined by Professor -Reid is, near the front, about from five to ten feet per day. This one -glacier is made up of about 200 tributary glaciers, which drain an area -of about a thousand square miles, and contains more ice than all the -eleven hundred glaciers of the Alps combined. The distance from the -front back to the head of the farthest tributary is about fifty miles, -and the width of the trunk below the confluence of the main tributaries -is twenty miles or more. - -Next to the Muir, the largest of the glaciers enters the bay at its -extreme northwestern extension. Its broad, majestic current, fed by -unnumbered tributaries, is divided at the front by an island, and from -its long, blue wall the icebergs plunge and roar in one eternal storm, -sounding on day and night, winter and summer, and from century to -century. Five or six glaciers of the first class discharge into the bay, -the number varying as the several outlets of the ice-fields are regarded -as distinct glaciers, or one. About an equal number of the second class -descend with broad, imposing currents to the level of the bay without -entering it to discharge bergs; while the tributaries of these and the -smaller glaciers are innumerable. - -[Illustration: FACE OF MUIR GLACIER, ALASKA.] - -Mr. John Muir, the explorer of Muir Glacier, thus describes his visit to -that wonderful ice-swept region: “The clouds cleared away on the morning -of the 27th, and we had glorious views of the ice-rivers pouring down -from their spacious fountains on either hand, and of the grand -assemblage of mountains, immaculate in their robes of new snow, and -bathed and transfigured in the most impressively lovely sunrise light I -ever beheld. Memorable, too, was the starry splendor of a night spent on -the east side of the bay, in front of two large glaciers north of the -Muir. Venus seemed half as big as the Moon, while the berg-covered bay, -glowing and sparkling with responsive light, seemed another sky of equal -glory. Shortly after three o’clock in the morning, I climbed the -dividing ridge between the two glaciers, 2,000 feet above camp, for the -sake of the night views; and how great was the enjoyment in the solemn -silence between those two radiant skies no words may tell.” - -The destructive effects of glaciers and the extent of their ravages have -been made the subject of many interesting essays by distinguished -scientists, but nowhere has it been so interestingly and understandingly -treated as by Dr. Wright in the _Edinburgh Review_, on the “Ice Age of -North America.” The monograph, much abbreviated, is as follows: - -“It is not more than 10,000 years ago since the whole of North America -and Northern Europe emerged from beneath a deluge of ice which seems to -have destroyed the aboriginal inhabitants as remorselessly as Noah’s -flood. - -“The chipped flint implement-makers perished with their contemporaries, -the mammoth, the woolly rhinoceros, and the sabre-toothed tiger, and -left the globe to be repeopled by the polished stone-working or -Neolithic progenitors of its actual inhabitants. The gap between the two -races is conspicuous, and has not yet been archæologically bridged. A -catastrophe is indicated; and a catastrophe by water. This is the -conclusion of science; how singularly it harmonizes with the biblical -narrative is almost superfluous to point out.” - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - VILLAGE OF KASA-AN, ALASKA.—It will doubtless be a surprise to many - persons not familiar with the conditions of the Alaskan Indians to - observe that their houses are usually quite substantially built of - frame or wood. We generally think of Indians as living in wigwams or - huts, but in the case of the Alaskans they were for many years - previous to the purchase of that country by our government under the - influence of Russia, and are therefore partly civilized and somewhat - advanced in the modern ways of living. But they still retain their - old superstition, as shown by the totem poles in front of their - houses. These poles are carved and mounted with rude representations - of birds, beasts and reptiles, which are intended to give notice to - the public that the spirits of the deceased ancestors of the - occupants of the houses have entered into the living counterparts of - these rude carvings, and that any indignities offered to them will - be vigorously and promptly resented. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: CHRISTINE FALLS, ALICE BAY, ALASKA.] - -The destruction of the Antediluvians who lived before the Ice Age set in -was accomplished much further back; the date 6,000 B. C. represents the -end of the Ice Age, not its beginning. How it was that ice submerged the -world no one seems to be exactly able to say, but a great deal of -valuable information has been obtained by the geological research of the -present century. Before this devastating deluge of ice set in— - -“Trees reigned without interruption, in north temperate and Polar -regions, throughout the vast expanse of tertiary time. Palms and cycads -then sprang up in the room of oaks and beeches in England; turtles and -crocodiles haunted English rivers and estuaries; lions, elephants, and -hyenas roamed at large over English dry land. Anthropoid apes lived in -Germany and France, fig and cinnamon trees flourished in Dantzic; in -Greenland, up to seventy degrees of latitude, magnolias bloomed, and -vines ripened their fruit; while in Spitzbergen, and even in Grinnell -Land, within little more than eight degrees of the pole, swamp-cypresses -and walnuts, cedars, limes, planes and poplars grew freely.” - -For some reason or other the temperature gradually fell, and great -glaciers forming in the northern regions, the highlands of Canada and -the Arctic Circles, submerged Northern Europe and reduced Canada and -half of the United States to the present condition of Greenland. Those -who see glaciers to-day can form little idea of the enormous -possibilities of semi-fluid ice. Only in Alaska, where the Muir Glacier -empties itself into the Muir inlet at the rate of seventy feet a day, -can we form any idea of the glacier as a destructive agency. This -glacier empties two hundred million cubic feet of ice into the sea every -day; that is to say, 45,000 tons of ice fall into the water every minute -in avalanches with detonations which sound like the booming of a -cannonnade. The very earth seems to tremble, and the sea boils and foams -with the continual discharge of fresh icebergs. “From observations upon -living glaciers,” says Dr. Wright, “and from the known nature of ice, we -may learn to recognize the track of a glacier as readily and -unmistakably as we would the familiar foot-prints of an animal.” By the -effects of ice-grinding, rocks are smoothed and polished, rounded and -mammillated. They are, moreover, striated. “These may be called glacial -hieroglyphics; glacial deposits are equally distinctive. They are of -three different kinds—ground moraine, terminal moraine, and erratic -bowlders. The heights to which the ice-flood rose are frequently self- -registered on the mountains which once breasted its flow. They serve, in -Dr. Wright’s phrase, as ‘glaciometers.’ Thus it has been learned that -the ice was a mile thick in New England and a couple of thousand feet -thick in Pennsylvania. The date of the close of the Glacial Epoch in the -United States can scarcely, then, be placed earlier than 6,000 B. C. For -it was, we repeat, the withdrawal of the ice that set the chronometer of -the Falls going. The Falls of Niagara, indeed, constitute in themselves, -in Dr. Wright’s apt phrase, ‘a glacial chronometer.’” - -[Illustration: TAKU GLACIER, ALASKA.] - -It was this tremendous agency of glacial action that gave us Northwest -America as we have it at present. “The inexhaustible fertility of the -Far West is an endowment from vanished glaciers.” - -The world to-day is very different from what it was in the old times. -The mountains stood higher and the glaciers forming on their slopes -crumpled the earth in beneath their weight. The earth-crust was not -strong enough to bear the weight of its ice-armor. About six million -square miles were covered with ice, varying in thickness of half a mile -to a mile. Taking it only at half a mile in height, the weight per -square mile was no less than two thousand million of tons. “And the -whole of this enormous mass being extracted from the ocean, its -differential effect in producing change of level was doubled. The ice- -cumbered land accordingly went down, like an overladen ship, until it -was awash with the waves, and sea-shells were deposited along coast- -fringes above the drift. Then, as the ice melted, recovery ensued.” The -whole article is full of interesting and suggestive reading, and is an -excellent example of a popular presentation of the results of scientific -research. - -[Illustration: DAWSON’S GLACIER, BRITISH AMERICA.] - -The return trip was made down Chatham and Peril Straits to Sitka, the -capital city of Alaska, situated on the Pacific shore of Baranoff -Island. The place has grown very much in importance in the past few -years, though it has not increased correspondingly in size. It is a -considerable harbor for whaling and sealing vessels, that touch there -for supplies, and accordingly supports a population that is largely -American. The natives, however, still continue in considerable numbers, -but contact with English-speaking people is rapidly civilizing them, and -their old-time characteristics are fast disappearing. But in one -particular they exhibit small change, viz.: religion. Long under the -domination of Russian influence and missionaries of the Greek Church, it -is not surprising that the natives should continue in the faith which -was thus first established among them. There are three Greek churches in -the city, all fairly well supported, though the communicants are content -to worship in rather humble edifices. But while adopting the Greek -faith, the native Indians generally retain their ancient mortuary -customs; and among the interior tribes particularly, witchcraft, or -Shamanism, and exorcism, still prevail. Burial of bodies is very seldom -practiced among any of the Indians, as preservation of their dead is a -universal desire. It is, therefore, a common thing to see their -cemeteries, instead of earth-mounds and tombstones, a collection of -mortuary houses, in which the dead are laid with great care, concealed -only by the skins or blankets in which they are wrapped, something after -the manner of the Sioux Indians. Thus disposed of, the dead are long -preserved in that cold climate, the houses themselves often decaying -before dissolution of the bodies is far advanced. This, however, applies -to what may be called the better class of natives. Among the interior -and poor people, it is the custom to remove the body to some secluded -spot, usually on a bluff overlooking a river, and lay it upon the -ground. A shelter is made by building over it a small conical-shaped -structure of spruce logs, and a tree near-by is stripped of its branches -and small pieces of cloth are tied to it to mark the spot. The household -utensils, sled, and some of the weapons of the deceased are left with -him, should he be the head of a family, and the place is tabooed -thenceforth. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - THE POOL AT BANFF HOT SPRINGS, BRITISH AMERICA.—These celebrated - springs are in the Rocky Mountain region of British Columbia, on the - line of the Canadian Pacific Railway. They are celebrated for their - healing qualities, and have become a favorite resort for invalids - and tourists. The photograph represents the pool or principal - spring, at the foot of a great mountain. The rocks thereabout show - volcanic origin, and several of the springs flow with water of a - high temperature, and possess remedial qualities equal to those of - the hot springs of Arkansas. The scenery of that region is sublime - in the highest degree, and possesses even a greater attraction for - tourists than the springs do. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: DEVIL’S GATE, BEAVER CAÑON, BRITISH AMERICA.] - -Our return journey was devoid of the surprises which made the northward -trip so delightful, yet the charm which possessed us after leaving -Victoria continued throughout, for the magnificent scenery along the -route cannot be exhausted by a single glance, but rather grows in beauty -when lingeringly watched. It was impossible to feel that the voyage was -being made on any part of the ocean, so still was the water, so green -the near-by shores, so clear the sky, dropping down all around upon -frosted peaks and island forests. And the nights were so gloriously -grand, sprinkled with jewels of light from moon and stars that made the -world as beautiful as the lawn in front of paradise, and brought to mind -the poet’s tribute to nature’s solitude: - - “The waves were dead; - The tides were in their graves; - The moon, their mistress, had expired before; - The winds were withered in the stagnant air.” - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - CHAPTER VIII. - ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS TO YELLOWSTONE PARK. - - -[Illustration: SPOKANE FALLS, WASHINGTON.] - -It was the 15th of May when we returned to Victoria, and without any -waste of time we proceeded to Seattle, and there made hasty preparation -to continue our work along the northern lines of road towards the east. -A little change was made in our original plans, by a brief diversion -from the routes we had marked out, in order to view and take some -pictures of the marvelous scenery along Fraser River, on the line of the -Canadian Pacific Railroad. This stream is as wide as the Ohio, but -generally of great depth, and being confined within perpendicular walls, -often rising to a height of 500 feet, it is a rushing flood, too swift -in places for the most powerful steamer to make head against. The road -follows the bed of this torrential stream for a distance of 150 miles, -through the Cascade Mountains, and in sight at times of the Okinagan -Range. Beyond these eastward are the Gold, Selkirk and Rocky Mountains, -and in between and about these are glaciers of extraordinary -proportions, which in summer feed tearing cataracts and plunging -waterfalls, and furnish nature pictures that thrill the heart with -wonder. Beyond the valley of Thompson River, where the Golden Range -begins, the scenery is quite as grand, though scarcely so sublime as -that in the cañon of the Fraser; but the mountains are surprisingly -beautiful, and variegated with patches of snow, clumps of evergreen, and -sheets of soft blue water that invite the angler. Louise, Agnes and -Mirror lakes lie one above the other, high up upon the mountain sides, -where they are often hidden by clouds, and are accordingly called the -“Three Sisters of the Sky.” Castle Mountain may be seen from this point, -which is only a few miles from Banff, famous for its hot springs, and -for being the chief resort in the Canadian National Park, with a hotel -capable of accommodating 800 guests. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - NATIVE GIRLS OF HAWAII, SANDWICH ISLANDS.—It is hard to believe that - the ancestors of these beautiful and intelligent girls, only a few - generations back, were savages and cannibals, but it is a fact - nevertheless. They are living exponents of the benefits of modern - Christian civilization. There is hardly a trace of savage ancestry - to be seen in their countenances or general appearance. Their faces, - in fact, are pleasant, indicating confidence and gentle disposition. - There is a trace of savagery in their dress, however, and in their - domestic implements, but in other respects they might be taken for a - group of merry school girls out on a lark. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - KANFOHE PARK, HONOLULU, HAWAII.—The climate of the Sandwich Islands is - delightful in the extreme. It is tropical, but tempered by the - mountains which tower into the regions of perpetual snow, and cool - the hot air of the valleys. Tropical trees, fruits and plants, grow - in profusion, and yield abundant food for the natives even before - the advent of white civilization. The advantages of climate and soil - in these islands are attracting many enterprising Americans and - Europeans thither, and the time is probably not far distant when the - native population will be entirely supplanted. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: KAKABEKA FALLS, NEAR FORT WILLIAMS, THUNDER BAY, LAKE -SUPERIOR.] - -The side-trip which we took on the Canadian Pacific occupied only one -week, and though not originally contemplated in our plan of -photographing American scenery, more than compensated for the change, -for we are thus enabled to present some British American scenery equal -to the most magnificent, imposing and attractive that our own country -possesses. - -Had the time been at our disposal, we would have made our scenic journey -extend to the Sandwich Islands, after our return to Victoria, -particularly as there was some political agitation in the government at -Hawaii at the time. Indeed, while in San Francisco, we were earnestly -urged to visit the islands with our cameras, so as to include them in -our Wonderland book; and to the other inducements offered, we were -presented with some views of the Hawaiian palace, the palmetto embowered -walks, cocoanut groves, and pictures of the charming native girls, which -latter was a particularly powerful persuasive. But the islands, charming -though they are, do not belong as yet to the American domain, and cannot -therefore be properly included, though on account of the annexation -sentiment, and President Harrison’s message urging their acquisition, -the views given to us are here reproduced. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - THE ROYAL PALACE, HONOLULU, HAWAII.—A special interest has been given - to this building and its surroundings by the events of the recent - revolution, which are still fresh in the minds of all. Our - photograph herewith presents not only a very a fine picture of the - palace, but also a large portion of the city, with the outlying - mountains for a background. It is a representative view, and gives a - good idea of the general appearance of these islands. The mountains - seem barren and uninviting, but the valleys are rich with verdure - and scented by a profusion of fruits and flowers. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: SNOW-SHEDS ON THE CANADIAN PACIFIC.] - -Returning to Seattle, we proceeded directly eastward again, by the -Northern Pacific Railroad, crossing for a third time the Cascade Range -and viewing again the white and sunlighted crests of Mounts Hood, St. -Helens, Adams and Ranier. The route is along the Yakima River, through -charming scenery all the way to Spokane Falls, where the beauty of the -landscape, as well as the might and awfulness of the falls, arrested us -for a time. Palouse Falls is within nine miles of the junction of the -Snake with Columbia River, and are a part of Palouse River, which, after -flowing through a deep cañon thirty feet wide, pours over a precipice -that is a sheer height of 125 feet. The surrounding rocks exhibit many -unique forms, ranging in terraces to a height of 2,000 feet, and then -assuming the shape of pinnacles, chimneys, columns and needles, as if -the region had one time been the work-grounds of giant sculptors. - -Snake River is interrupted by enormous falls, the most important of -which are American and Island Falls, the former having a drop of thirty -feet; being very wide before taking the final leap, the river flows over -a series of ledges that break the water into cataracts. Further up the -stream, about fifty miles from Shoshone Falls, are Lost Falls, which -leap down from a height of two hundred feet, and then the river, of -which they are a part, disappears under the lava-covered earth, but -reappears again several miles beyond and resumes its impetuous and -erratic course. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - MISSOURI RIVER, ALONG THE GREAT NORTHERN RAILROAD.—There are many - picturesque localities on the Upper Missouri River, a rich scenic - region which has been neglected or overlooked by tourists. A finer - scene of bold and rugged bluffs, carved into fantastic shapes by the - water’s action, could hardly be found than the one so beautifully - photographed on this page. One of our photographing party has - stationed himself on top of the great rock for the double purpose of - viewing the country and having his picture taken, the latter being - intended by comparison to show the height and size of the rock. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: KANANASKE’S FALLS, BRITISH AMERICA.] - -Some fifty miles east of Spokane, on the line of the Northern Pacific, -is Hauser Junction, where the road branches southward, through the Cœur -d’Alene Indian Reservation and a great mining region, while the main -line runs around the north shore of Lake Pend d’Oreille, the most -beautiful sheet of water in the northwest, and destined sometime to -become a popular resort. Beyond the lake is the Flathead Indian -Reservation, and at Missoula the two lines of road unite again. This -city is a place of much importance, and admirably situated near the -Junction of Hell Gate and Bitter Root River, a district of great scenic -beauty. Flathead Lake lies sixty miles to the north, an emerald sheet of -crystal water reposing within a bed of lofty cliffs, and belted in the -center by a chain of wooded islands, while its waters are discharged -into the Pend d’Oreille River, that dashes away through deep gorges in -tumultuous flow. Forty miles from this picturesque lake are the Two -Sisters’ Cascades, which pour over the opposite walls of a colossal -amphitheater 2,000 feet high, and then unite to journey through gorge, -over waterfall and across lovely meadows, catching perfume and -inspiration on their way to the Pacific. - -The way thence from Missoula is over a comparatively level stretch of -country, until just west of Helena the road strikes the Main Divide of -the Rocky Mountains, and to cross this broken region it is compelled to -pursue a winding way. - -Helena is reputed to be the richest city of its size in all the world, a -claim well supported by appearances, for while having probably 15,000 -inhabitants, it has all the conveniences of our largest cities, and in -no other place of equal population are the public buildings and -residences so magnificent and palatial. But aside from its wealth and -beauty, the place is the center of a region as remarkable for its scenic -attractions as for its silver mines. Eighteen miles north of Helena is -the cañon of Little Prickly Pear, where precipitous walls rise to a -varying height of 500 to 1,000 feet, and are gorgeously colored by -strata of different formations, blending with hues of trees, shrubs, and -vines that tenderly cling to their faces. Near-by is the portal through -which the headwaters of the Missouri go madly careening, making a deep -roaring sound as they dash between walls 1,000 feet high. Atlantic Cañon -is only three miles further down the river, and next in quick succession -appears the Bear’s Tooth, two monoliths that may be distinctly seen from -Helena, twenty miles away. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - FRONT VIEW OF MAMMOTH HOT SPRINGS—CLEOPATRA AND JUPITER TERRACES.—The - chief wonders in Yellowstone National Park are the geysers, and the - limestone formations such as are shown above. These terraces are - formed by exuding water carrying a heavy solution of travertine, - which is deposited in the most remarkable shapes when coming in - contact with the air. This deposit is semi-crystalline, often - resembling snow-banks, and as the process of hardening goes on in - circular rims, basins are left which hold the water, and reflect in - a myriad of hues the sky and surroundings. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: CAÑON OF MISSOURI RIVER, NEAR GREAT FALLS.] - -The Montana Central and Great Northern Railroad convey travelers over a -good road eighty miles further, to the Falls of the Missouri, three in -number, which are scattered over a distance of twelve miles, where the -river flows through a cañon with vertical walls 200 to 500 feet high. We -first meet a cascade called Black Eagle Falls, where the entire river -drops over a ledge twenty-six feet high, a precursor of the more -terrible waterfalls that are to come. The next one to appear in view is -Rainbow Falls, where the river, 1,200 feet wide, hurls itself down a -perpendicular descent of fifty feet. Six miles further down are the -Great Falls, that have a leap of ninety feet, and whose terrible roaring -can be heard a dozen miles away. At this point the river has a volume -greater than the Mississippi, but is narrowed to 300 feet by walls 200 -feet high. An island divides the rushing waters, the half next to the -right bank dashing down with such tremendous effect that clouds of spray -are sent 200 feet high, which, struck by bright sunbeams, are converted -into rainbows, or at times glow with prismatic hues like giant soap- -bubbles. That part of the stream flowing to the left passes over a -succession of ledges, forming a magnificent cataract of fleecy foam, 200 -feet in width and 90 feet in perpendicular elevation. But though these -are the principal falls, there are twelve others within a distance of -ten miles, having a total descent of 400 feet, and these interruptions -in the channel continue, though in a lesser degree, as far down as Fort -Benton, which is the head of navigation. - -The country east of Helena, along the line of the Northern Pacific, -presents no variation of apparently boundless prairie land, until the -Bad Lands of Northern Dakota are reached, which will be hereafter -described. One hundred and fifty miles east of the city, however, is the -town of Livingston, at which point Yellowstone Park visitors change cars -to a branch line that runs fifty miles due south to Cinnabar, which is -within a mile of the Wyoming State line, and three miles from the -northern boundary of the National Park. We are now upon the borders of -the most wondrous region of the earth, the curiosities of which we will -now attempt to briefly describe, though words seem to lose their -significance when they are used to portray the marvels that exist in -this real wonderland. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - PULPIT TERRACE, MAMMOTH HOT SPRINGS.—The photograph above admirably - represents this beautiful and surprising example of Nature’s wonder- - working. The projecting terrace in front was on one occasion used as - a pulpit, which it greatly resembles, from which fact the name is - derived. These remarkable formations are beautiful beyond all the - efforts of imagination to picture. Even a fine photograph like the - above cannot do them full justice, as the exquisite coloring is - wanting. They must be seen in all the glory of sunlight reflection - to be fully appreciated. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: RAINBOW FALLS, GRAND FALLS, MONTANA.] - -At Cinnabar, tourists take the stage for a seven miles’ ride to Mammoth -Hot Springs Hotel, which is the first and principal hostelry within the -park. This ride prepares the visitor for remarkable surprises, for it is -through an erratic district of soaring pinnacles, dizzy walls and -chaotic formations, stranger and more weird than the gate-way that -Cerberus guarded. Away up on the apex of the first tall spire of stone -that has broken away from the cañon walls of Gardiner River, is seen an -eagle’s nest, an aerie so lofty that the clouds play about it; so far- -reaching skyward that it is tipped with the waking beams of sunlight -before day, and is bright with lingering rays when evening shades have -descended. By aid of glass the eagle may be seen demurely surveying the -world, or in her absence the straining necks of her ambitious brood, -watching the neighboring crags for their royal parent’s return. Nothing -that I saw in Yellowstone Park impressed me more than this nest of -eagles in the azure depths of that perilous peak. - -This great National Park is a volcanic plateau some 10,000 feet above -sea level, and embraces a territory fifty-five by sixty-five miles, or -3,575 square miles. It was first visited by John Colter, an attaché of -the Lewis and Clarke exploring expedition in 1806, but it was not until -nearly fifty years later that stories told of the region by old trappers -and hunters were verified by a visit of members of the Geologic Survey. -In 1880 it was made a National Park, since which time it has been under -the immediate control of the Secretary of the Interior, who appoints a -superintendent with headquarters at the Mammoth Hot Springs, and polices -the park with a company of cavalry, whose principal care is the -protection of game. So faithfully has this duty been executed that the -park now abounds with deer, buffalo, elk, bear, and a few mountain -lions, besides a great abundance of small game and water-fowl. Upon -alighting from the stage at Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel, the first objects -that attract the interest of visitors are the pink terraced springs and -Cap of Liberty, which are in the front-yard, so to speak. The springs, -fifty in number, cover an area of 170 acres and by a constant deposition -of carbonate of lime have built up, terrace upon terrace, a mound fully -200 feet high. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - LITTLE JUPITER TERRACE.—The different terraces of the Yellowstone Park - cover an area about two miles square. They have the appearance of a - frozen cascade, so beautifully scalloped and adorned with a kind of - bead work, that the beholder stands amazed and filled with - inexpressible admiration. The water flowing over these terraces is - so transparent that it is like glass, and the pools below hold the - reflection of the sky while mirroring the white crystalline - formations, surpassing all art, and more beautiful than anything - which can be conceived. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: SLUICE-BOX CAÑON, NEAR GREAT FALLS, MONTANA.] - -The springs have their source somewhere within an active volcanic belt, -and thus heated by internal fires they pour out their waters at a -temperature of 112° to 163° Fahrenheit, which, acting upon the soft -limestone, dissolves and converts it into what geologists call -_travertine_, a semi-crystalline deposit that quickly hardens upon -coming in contact with the air. When first observed, the terraces -resemble a snow-bank, but by other writers they have been compared to -the terminal front of a glacier, and again like a foaming cascade -suddenly turned into stone. Streaks and patches of red, yellow and green -seen upon the white slopes mark the course of overflowing water, while -clouds of steam float lightly upward from the many springs, but only to -quickly disappear. - -There are in all eight well-defined benches, each with a more or less -level surface, and terminating with vertical fronts to the next terrace -below. Near the terraces, though on a bench of ground by itself, is -Liberty Cap, a pillar forty-three feet high and twenty feet in diameter, -with sphinx-like profile, the cone of a hot spring long since extinct. -Close-by is a similar monolith, not so tall, called the Devil’s Thumb, a -name readily suggested by the proximity of the springs to Pluto’s -dominion, as some will have it, and the gossip that Satan’s hand is in -all the region thereabout. - -In wandering around the terraces the visitor is sure to have his -surprise quickened by the brightly-tinted basins, and the red and orange -slopes overflowed by the hot waters. These colors are due to the -presence of minute algæ, or water-plants, whose life is strangely enough -supported by the hot water and the lime held in solution; for -investigation has disclosed the astonishing fact that the chief work of -these microscopic plants is the separation from the water of the -carbonate of lime, which they cause by abstracting the carbonic acid. - -The view from these mammoth terraces is picturesque beyond comparison: -The dark and lofty summit of Sepulchre Mountain shows its drowsy head -near-by on the north; while the upper valley of the Yellowstone, and the -jagged peaks of Snowy Range, are seen to the northeast, between -Sepulchre and the long face of Mount Evarts. In the southeast the eye -dwells pleasantly upon the distant view of Lava Creek and Undine Falls, -with many snow-white peaks, standing like sentinels around this wizard -realm; while Bunsen Peak keeps watch towards the south, its dark slopes -making an effective background to the white hills of hot spring deposit. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - COATING SPRING TERRACE.—This terrace affords perhaps a better example - of the formation of these beautiful monuments of Nature than any of - the others. The water is seen flowing gently over the succession of - steps, and depositing the calcareous substances of which they are - composed. The ground-work is snow-white, but reflected from this is - every shade of scarlet, green and yellow, as brilliant as the - brightest of our aniline dyes. The spectacle is dazzlingly - beautiful, producing a scene that cannot perhaps be equaled - elsewhere in the whole world. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: ECHO CAÑON FALLS, IN ROCKY MOUNTAINS, NEAR MIDVALE, -MONTANA.] - -When we turn from viewing the surrounding scenery and begin to examine -particularly each separate formation, we find near the center of this -sublimated field a blue spring, brilliant as a sapphire, and clear as a -diamond, with a deep and irregular rim all around it, as if nature had -made an effort to retain its beautiful waters. This spring is fifteen by -twenty feet in area, and is in a state of constant agitation. The sides -and bottom of the basin are formed of pure white travertine, while the -varying depths cause the water to appear all shades between a deep -peacock-blue and a light nile-green. Issuing at a temperature of 165°, -the water contains a considerable amount of gas, which escapes at the -surface of the pool, thus causing the flow to rise in the form of a -little dome, while a pulsating movement is imparted which sends out -waves that ripple across the water and curl over the shallow rim of the -bowl, filling other basins along its course. These terraced overflow -basins, thus formed, are a most striking feature of the springs. No -description can do justice to their beauty, for neither the delicate -fretwork of their walls, the frosted surface of the glistening deposit, -nor the brilliant colors of the pools and rivers can be adequately -described. - -In many places the overflow is in thin sheets and little cascades, while -yellow, sulphur-coated threads of algæ are abundant, though they do not -impart their color to the water, for the exquisite blues and greens of -the hottest basins are due solely to the varying depths of water. On the -other hand, the bright lemon, red and green shades of the cooler pools -are entirely vegetable in their nature, and due to the presence of algæ -lining the basins and striping their outer walls. - -The upper basins are generally shallow, because of the rapid deposit of -lime, but this deposition occurs after the overflow, thus forming what -is called the Marble Basins, after which, the water being somewhat -cooled, the deposit is slower. Accordingly, we find that the lower -slopes are exquisitely fringed with slender stalactites and pillars, -forming the beautiful Pulpit Basins as shown in the illustration. - -The Government has expended large sums of money in making roads through -the most interesting sections of the park, and over these we pursued a -greater part of our way in reaching the places which we desired to -photograph. A stage runs through the park, in which visitors may make -the tour in six days, but for manifest reasons we traveled by private -conveyances, camping out as often as we took quarters at the several -hotels located at convenient distances along the route. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - LIMESTONE HOODOOS IN YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK.—If one should come - suddenly upon these Hoodoos, or Ghost Rocks, alone on a moonlight - night, he would instantly recognize the appropriateness of the title - which has been bestowed upon them. It was winter when our - photographers were there, and they had the advantages of a winding - sheet of snow reflected in a bright winter sun to heighten the - effects, and were thus enabled to secure a picture which is in every - sense in perfect keeping with the gruesome surroundings. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: NATURAL CASTLE, SLUICE-BOX CAÑON.] - -Leaving the Mammoth Hot Springs terraces, whose incomparable beauties -must ever remain as a delightful remembrance, we traveled southward by -the Hoodoos, and entered the Golden Gate, where a part of the road is -built over a cañon and another part is carved out of the cliffs, along -which there is a charm following every footstep. On the one side rise -precipitous walls, while on the other is a gorge of almost infinite -depth, through which plunges Gardiner River, broken and foaming with -cascade and waterfall. Beyond the gates there is a brief level, then -down again among fresh curiosities the route leads by the Devil’s Paint- -Pots, Crystal Spring, pretty Beaver Lake, and along a mountain base -covered with blasted pines. Then another ascent, until the altitude is -so great that we found snow in considerable patches as late as July 1st. -But besides the bubbling springs and sputtering sulphur vats, whose -locations were marked here and there in the distance by their streams of -vapor, our interest was chained by the obsidian cliffs on our left, a -black mountain of mineral glass that sparkled with unnatural lustre -because of the dusky background, while strewed about were broken bits -that made the spot resemble the remains of a glass factory. - -At every few paces we startled a woodchuck which, satisfying his -curiosity with a glance, quickly disappeared among the stones. Deer were -occasionally seen scampering through the dead pine forest, and as we -reached Beaver Lake two solemn blue cranes crossed our road and tried to -hide their brood in a patch of tall grass. The hoarse “konks” of the -cock, the thin “peeps” of the young, and the peculiar motions of the hen -in her great agitation, were extremely amusing. - -Twenty miles from Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel is the Norris Geyser Basin, -where we were entertained with our first view of the spouting volcanoes -throwing up streams of hot water and great volumes of vapor. This is -indeed the Devil’s Kitchen, for besides the hellish aspect of boiling -caldrons, the air is charged with those sulphurous fumes that are said -to certainly indicate his activity and immediate presence. There is no -sign of soil thereabout, for the surface is incrusted with a deep -deposit of lime, in which vents occur to allow the escape of gases and -to give intimation of the fiery furnace which is raging beneath our -feet. We counted eighteen geysers from the insecure position which we -took; the most of them, however, were infantile and irregular in their -action, sending up a shower of mud at occasional intervals, and then -subsiding to gather fresh force; but steam poured out continually, and -when we moved a little further south, the roar of Steamboat Geyser fell -on our ears. It, too, acted spasmodically; but every few minutes there -was a deep rumbling, followed quickly by a respiration, deep, powerful -and awful as the rush of a hurricane, then a regurgitation, as if the -earth were swallowing up again the gas and steam which she had poured -out. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - HYMEN TERRACES, MAMMOTH HOT SPRINGS.—A description of one of these - marvelous formations fits them all, for there is much similarity - between them, while each alike is so beautiful that neither language - nor the camera can do them justice. One can spend weeks in their - presence, and find new beauties to admire every day, in the varying - reflections and prismatic colors that dance and sparkle upon their - crystalline sides and surfaces. It is a region of wonders unequaled - by any other spot on the face of the earth. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - CLEOPATRA AND JUPITER TERRACES.—This photograph represents a portion - of two of the most popular and beautiful of the Yellowstone - terraces, and also presents a general view of the side of the hill - on which they are located and the valley into which the waters flow. - It is also one of the most recent and superb photographs of this - scene, reproducing it as it would appear in its natural condition at - the present time. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: SITKA BAY, ALASKA.] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - JUPITER TERRACE, MAMMOTH HOT SPRINGS.—This is a particularly fine view - of this celebrated curiosity. The reflection of light and shade is - admirable, and affords a good idea of the dazzling splendor of the - formation when viewed in the light of the sun. We can but stand mute - and dumb with admiration in the presence of such marvelous creations - of Nature. No art can paint or imitate them. They are Nature’s own - product, and stand unsurpassed even in human imagination. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: IN THE BELT VALLEY, NEAR GREAT FALLS.] - -On the brink of this infernal pit, distributed over a considerable -space, were transparent pools of water of the most brilliant hues, -indigo, orange, carmine and emerald, down in whose depths are queer -formations of petrifying algæ, and bubbles that look like pearls. Near -this beautifully colored and transparent spring is Mud Geyser, a basin -full of mush, that lazily sputters as though it were hung over a slow -fire, awaiting the spoon of a tardy diner. There is another mud volcano -near Sulphur Mountain, the crater of which is thirty feet deep and -twenty-five feet in diameter, and which is in a state of constant -ebullition, throwing up great quantities of mud and steam to a height of -200 feet, and at times shaking the mountain with its terrible -convulsions. Great as were the wonders which we saw in Norris Basin, it -proved to be only the threshold of the colossal, the overpowering, the -awful sights which we were yet to behold. - -The well-constructed roadway leading south from the Norris Geyser Basin -is along the Gibbon River, by Johnson Peak and Hot Springs, into Gibbon -Cañon, which, however, is distinguished for its gracefully sloping sides -rather than for its cliffs and depths. A little way to the west the -cañon becomes wilder, and just below Beryl Spring is a high shelf in the -river, over which the rushing waters plunge in a fall of ninety feet. -But the descent is gradual, so that instead of torrential dash the -waters, after breaking on the sharp projections of the rock face, slide -into the river below and then speed away to join Madison River, into -which is drained the overflow of the many active geysers. Though not -precipitous, Gibbon Falls is a beautiful sheet of liquid crystals, -rolling down terraces and ledges exquisitely colored by the presence of -different minerals, and in the sunlight exhibiting a sheen and -brilliance almost equal to that of Yellowstone Falls. The charm is -enhanced by deep coverts of pine that are reflected in the placidly- -flowing stream above and below the falls, and by the castellated bluffs -that confine the waters. The prospect from the cañon walls is also -delightful, for towards every point there is a lovely panorama of -remarkable diversity, including mountains, valleys, parks, rivers, and -geysers, the latter showing themselves many miles north and south, while -steam from boiling caldrons rolls skywards and gathers in volume until -immense cumulus clouds are formed that hang ominously above the valley, -or are drifted away to break upon the sides of the surrounding -mountains. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - THE GOLDEN GATE, YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK.—The Golden Gate is the - favorite entrance to the park, and it has been photographed and - pictured in many ways and from every point of view. The glimpse of - the park caught through its portals is an entrancingly lovely one, - and quickens the imagination with the expectation of greater things - to be seen on the inside. Every person who can afford the expense - should visit the National Park and see its wonders for himself, for - there is no place on earth like it. Those who cannot afford the - expense will find the splendid photographs and descriptions in - GLIMPSES OF AMERICA the best possible substitute. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: LIBERTY CAP AND MAMMOTH HOT SPRINGS HOTEL.] - -Continuing our trip southward through Gibbon Cañon and by Gibbon Falls, -whence the landscape is more level, we came at length to Fire-Hole Creek -and the Lower Geyser Basin. We were now in the region of giant geysers, -in the visible presence of the most terrible manifestations of nature. -In this pit of Acheron, this purgatory of ferment and explosion, -covering an area of forty square miles, are almost countless geysers, -distributed in seven groups, as if banded in rivalry. One of these -groups is near the center of the basin and has one hundred orifices that -spout steam and water, resembling from a distance an extensive -manufactory. The most interesting feature of the Lower Basin is Fountain -Geyser, which throws a column of water twenty feet in diameter to a -height of fifty feet, though it plays only at intervals of many days. -Near-by is Monument Basin, so called from the formations of every -conceivable shape which distinguish it. Evangeline Geyser is another -eruptive volcano that throbs and thumps violently when in action, but -never casts up water more than a few feet above the surface; it has a -beautifully scalloped rim, with small bowls of exquisite incrustations, -resembling some of the basins in Mammoth Terraces. It is in the Upper -Basin, eight miles further south, however, that the greatest of geysers -are to be seen, though the area covered is scarcely three square miles, -and the springs are less numerous. In this region, very near to Fire- -Hole River, is a spot called Hell’s Half-Acre, a designation peculiarly -appropriate by reason of the purgatorial wonders which exist therein, -and the activity with which old Nick’s stokers stir the subterranean -furnaces. The largest geyser in this fiery-haunted district, and indeed -much the largest in the world, is Excelsior Geyser, which has a mouth -two hundred feet wide and has been known to cast up a flood of water two -hundred feet high, carrying with it large stones rent from the walls of -its Plutonian caverns. Excelsior displays its power at very rare -intervals, sometimes remaining quiet for years; but to our surprise and -joy it was in a state of violent eruption during our visit, and thus -gave us an opportunity not only to see but to photograph its immensity -and awfulness. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - EXCELSIOR GEYSER IN ACTION.—Excelsior is the largest geyser, not only - in Yellowstone Park, but in the whole world. Its mouth is 200 feet - wide, and it has been known to spout a volume of hot water 200 feet - high and filling the entire space of its cavity, carrying with it - large stones rent from the interior of the earth. Such displays of - its power occur only at rare intervals, but fortunately it was in a - state of violent eruption at the time of the visit of our - photographing party, and they thus had an opportunity not only to - see but to photograph this wonder of nature in its immensity and - awfulness. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: CUPID’S CAVE, MAMMOTH HOT SPRINGS.] - -The most interesting, because always reliable, is Old Faithful Geyser, -which throws up a stream of hot water six feet in diameter 130 feet high -every fifty-seven minutes, and sustains the flow for a period of five -minutes. The amount of water thus discharged every hour is 100,000 -gallons, or enough to supply a small river. The Bee-hive, located on the -opposite side of the river, blows up a column of water three feet in -diameter to a height of 250 feet, and plays, generally, for fifteen -minutes, but at intervals of twenty-four hours. The Giantess is, for -several reasons, the most interesting of all the 700 geysers within -National Park. One may approach to the very brink of her crater, which -is twenty feet across, and look down one hundred feet into her hot -throat and hear the fierce gurgling of water, but none is visible until -an eruption is about to occur. Then the sputtering increases, deep -groans are audible, and a burst of steam is followed by a discharge of -water that shoots upward in a succession of jets. The first main column -sent up reaches a height of sixty feet, through which there are -projected small streams a foot in diameter to a height of 250 feet, thus -making a magnificent display for twenty minutes which nothing artificial -can ever rival. - -Giant Geyser is less pretentious than the Giantess, having a ragged cone -that is broken on one side, and through a vent eight feet in diameter a -discharge is made at irregular intervals, when a stream of water is -tossed to a height varying from 90 to 200 feet, and the activity -sometimes continues for two or three hours. Other geysers that make fine -displays are the Sawmill, Turban, Grotto, Punch-Bowl, Soda, Grand, Fan, -and Riverside, some of which are never quiet, while others play only -occasionally. It has been found by experiment that foreign substances -thrown into some of these craters create an agitation that frequently -results in eruptions; the introduction of soap or lye is invariably -attended by some manifestation even in the quiet geysers, while the -active ones are by this means made to flow again almost immediately -after an eruption has taken place. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - OLD FAITHFUL, LOWER GEYSER BASIN.—Old Faithful is the most interesting - and popular of the many geysers in National Park, because it can be - relied upon to give an exhibition regularly every fifty-seven - minutes. At these intervals, with the regularity of the beating of a - healthy pulse, it emits a stream of hot water six feet in diameter - to a height of 130 feet, and lasting five minutes. The amount of - water thus discharged every hour is estimated to be about 100,000 - gallons, or enough to supply a small river. This has been going - perhaps for centuries, and will doubtless continue for centuries to - come. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: RUSTIC FALLS, GOLDEN GATE ROAD.] - -After two days spent among the Upper and Lower Basin Geysers, with our -cameras in constant service, for the sun shone brightly, we went a few -miles further down to Lone Star Geyser, Hot Springs, and to the high -lands above Grant’s Pass. From this latter point of observation a -magnificent view was had and photographs obtained of the Great Teton -Mountains and Snake River Valley, which fill the distance with lines of -hazy grandeur. Turning then towards the east we crossed Norris Pass -(8,350 feet altitude), and after twenty miles of travel emerged from the -forest and reached the Thumb of Yellowstone Lake, as it is called. This -magnificent body of water is fifteen miles wide by twenty-five in -length, and is a basin of wonderful beauty, thus described by Mr. -Langford: - -“Secluded amid the loftiest peaks of the Rocky Mountains, possessing -strange peculiarities of form and beauty, this watery solitude is one of -the most attractive objects in the world. Its southern shore, indented -with long, narrow islets, not unlike the frequent fiords of Iceland, -bears testimony to the awful upheaval and tremendous force of the -elements which resulted in its creation. Islands of emerald hue dot its -surface, and a margin of sparkling sands forms its setting. The winds, -compressed in their passage through the mountain gorges, lash it into a -sea as terrible as the fretted ocean, covering it with foam.” - -In several places along the shore, and even projecting from the lake, -are several boiling hot springs, which flowing with clear water holding -lime in solution, pyramidal cones are thus built around their outlets, -giving to them the appearance of ant-mounds when seen at a distance. -Professor Hayden startles us with the statement that he has caught fish -from the ice-cold lake while standing on these mounds, and dropping them -into the craters of hot water, had the novel experience of cooking the -fish without removing them from the hook. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - FISHING FROM YELLOWSTONE LAKE, AND COOKING FISH IN THE CONE OF AN - ACTIVE GEYSER.—The cruelty of this scene detracts very much from its - interest, and it is only for its scientific interest that it can be - tolerated. There are several hot springs cones in the lake, - containing water that is constantly at the boiling point. This water - is separated from the lake by the solid walls of the cone, so that a - person feeling so disposed may catch fish from the lake, as shown in - the photograph, and boil them in the hot spring without removing - them from the hook or changing his position. We are glad to say that - the man in the picture who is performing this cruel feat did not - belong to our photographing party. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: BEAUTY SPRING FORMATION.] - -Traveling along the shores of Yellowstone Lake for a distance of -something more than thirty miles, we came to Lake Hotel, and beyond that -the cliffs, which, however, are scarcely deserving of notice when -brought into comparison with the Columnar Cliffs of the Yellowstone -Cañon, soon to be described. Continuing our circuit of the park, we -followed the main road, running along Yellowstone River, past Mud Geyser -and Sulphur Mountain, until we found accommodations at Cañon Hotel, the -center of another district of wonders, where we tarried for three days, -to employ our energies in taking views of the extraordinarily grand and -awfully imposing natural objects which cluster hereabout in the Cañon of -the Yellowstone. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - GENERAL VIEW OF THE NORRIS BASIN GEYSERS.—This beautiful photograph - will give a good idea of the vast number of geysers in this - locality, all of which emit boiling water and mud. Special attention - is called to the accuracy and beauty of this superb photograph. Not - only does it show the steam and water of the geysers as naturally as - they would appear in reality, but all the other minutiæ of the scene - are perfect, even to the shadow of the trees on the roadway in the - foreground. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: CRYSTAL CASCADE, 129 FEET HIGH.] - -A short distance from the hotel is Mount Washington, whose massive head -is raised to a height of 10,500 feet above the sea; but so gradually -sloping are its sides that an easy roadway has been made to the summit, -which we ascended and from that lofty peak surveyed the vast landscape -that was in the field of vision; and what a glorious panorama was there -presented! We were indeed upon the topmost ridge of the Great -Continental Divide, with the whole world apparently at our feet. Towards -the far west and the distant south, as the range makes a sharp curve, -were the high and snow-crested peaks of the Rocky Mountains, among which -we readily distinguished the majestic Tetons, upon which the sacred -fires lighted by very ancient tribes of Indians are said to be still -burning. To the northwest are the Madison and Gallatin Mountains, -dropping gracefully towards the east until they form what appears to be -the western walls of Yellowstone Valley, speckled with its hundreds of -steam-vomiting springs. The mountainous aspect of the western view has -its counterpart in the tumultuous landscape which greets us on the east, -for the horizon is broken, and the blue sky pierced by the Shoshone -Range, which we follow towards the north as far as Emigrant Peak, as it -thrusts its brazen front out of the Snowy Range. Still further west we -perceive the outlines of the Stinking and Big Horn River Valleys, -running in a northwesterly direction, past Fort Custer and the tragic -Custer battle-field, until they merge into the Yellowstone Valley, two -hundred miles from the park. In the clear depths of the far southwest we -perceive a glitter in the tenuous atmosphere, which our glasses discover -to us to be caused by snow on the Wind River Mountain peaks reflecting -the brilliant sunlight. This magnificent range, that leaps out of the -plains of Wyoming, and after running one hundred miles disappears again -in the prairie, attains such a lofty altitude that the Wind River -Shoshone tribe regard it as the crest of the world. And they have a -legend, borrowed from the Blackfeet, that only one warrior ever reached -the summits, from which he was permitted to look directly into the happy -hunting grounds and survey all the entrancing beauties of that -delectable land of happy spirits. But if the distant prospect is -pleasing, how much more delightful is the wonder valley that lies at our -feet! Looking down from our exceeding high eminence, we behold with -amazement the Grand Cañon of the Yellowstone, a gigantic gash in the -mountains twenty miles in length, and watch the play of enormous -waterfalls that swell the mighty chorus of nature. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - THE CRATER OF CASTLE GEYSER, YELLOWSTONE PARK.—This photograph - presents a splendid and accurate view of the crater of one of the - most noted geysers of this celebrated locality. The light and - conditions were particularly favorable when our party was there, and - they thus succeeded in getting one of the finest negatives of their - entire series. The formation of the cone appears as clear, distinct - and beautiful as if it were standing before us in its natural - condition. No painting or engraving can equal such a photograph, in - the qualities that make an illustration perfect. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: GIBBON FALLS, YELLOWSTONE PARK.] - -Descending from Mount Washington, we proceeded by the roadway through a -deep forest of pines until presently we gained the brink of a frightful -chasm nearly 2,000 feet deep, over which the river poured in tremendous -force and had a sheer drop of 140 feet. This is the Upper Falls, and a -grand nature-picture they compose. But the magnificence of the scene is -mightily increased less than half a mile below, where the cañon walls -rapidly contract and another greater precipice has been formed. Here the -mad waters take a violent tumble of 350 feet, at Lower Falls, and are -tossed up again in a mist that sometimes beclouds the valley. But -recovering its force, the river plunges on with renewed energy, as the -descent increases, until out of the gloomy depths it again emerges for -one more final leap of 150 feet, at Tower Falls. - -While the falls are of extraordinary interest, they are not more than -the worthy accessories of a cañon which, though not the greatest, is in -some respects the most sublime of any on the American continent. Mr. -Archibald Geikie, an English scientist, has given the following -admirable description of Yellowstone Cañon, admirable not only for its -graphic picturing, but also because it is an Englishman’s confession -that there is something really grand in America: - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - GRAND CAÑON OF THE YELLOWSTONE.—The Grand Cañon is immediately north - of the lake, with Tower Falls at its north end and Yellowstone Falls - at the south. The photograph presents a fine view from one of the - most desirable points, but even a photograph, let it be ever so - accurate, cannot give a true idea of the real grandeur of a scene - like this. The width of the cañon varies from 200 to 500 yards, and - the walls on either side rise to a height of 1200 to 1500 feet, the - river winding its tortuous way and plunging over numerous waterfalls - at the bottom of this tremendous crevice. The river is transparent - as crystal, and reaches a depth of 300 feet at one point. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: YELLOWSTONE RIVER, NEAR MUD GEYSER.] - -“Scrambling to the edge of one of the bastions and looking down, we -could see the river far below, dwarfed to a mere silver thread. From -this abyss the crags and slopes towered up in endless variety of form, -and with the weirdest mingling of colors. Much of the rock, especially -of the more crumbling slopes, was of a pale sulphur-yellow. Through this -groundwork harder masses of dull scarlet, merging into purple and -crimson, rose into craggy knobs and pinnacles, or shot up in sheer -vertical walls. In the sunlight of the morning the place is a blaze of -strange color, such as one can hardly see anywhere save in the crater of -an active volcano. But as the day wanes, the shades of evening, sinking -gently into the depths, blend their livid tints into a strange, -mysterious gloom, through which one can still see the white gleam of the -rushing river and hear the distant murmur of its flow. Now is the time -to see the full majesty of the cañon. Perched on an outstanding crag, -one can look down the ravine and mark headland behind headland mounting -out of the gathering shadows and catching upon their scarred fronts of -red and yellow the mellower tints of the sinking sun. And above all lie -the dark folds of pine sweeping along the crests of the precipices, -which they crown with a rim of green. There are gorges of far more -imposing magnitude in the Colorado Basin, but for dimensions large -enough to be profoundly striking, yet not too vast to be taken in by the -eye at once, for infinite changes of picturesque detail, and for -brilliancy and endless variety of coloring, there are probably few -scenes in the world more impressive than the Grand Cañon of the -Yellowstone.” Along the twenty miles of cañon where the walls are -highest they have been carved by glacial agencies and weather-worn into -many curious forms, generally columnar, but sometimes presenting the -appearance of spires, domes, turrets and crenelated battlements, and -everywhere the matchless colors of yellow, red, green, and many tints -are present. After passing down the extreme length of the cañon, we took -the less traveled road running east from Yancy’s Camp and visited the -petrified forests; and here we began to comprehend more thoroughly than -before the mysteries of the Yellowstone Park Basin. The evidence is here -abundant that in the remote past this entire region of 375 square miles -was a pleasant vale, where a luxuriant forest abounded, and many monster -animals, long since extinct, found a pleasant abode. Following this -period of delightful natural conditions, there succeeded a flood of ice -that came sweeping with almost unimaginable force from the north, -grinding, tearing and destroying until the region was denuded and the -very earth furrowed and torn into the wonderful disfigurements which we -now behold. In this terrific flood the mountains were precipitated and -folded upon the forests and buried with the monster animals that had -sought refuge in the spots which became their cemeteries. In the rents -thus made the grinding ice flowed until it reached the internal furnace -of the world, which generating gases and steam, explosions followed that -tore wider the earth’s womb and made the region a fiery cave. Into the -devious caverns thus formed water from underground rivers continues to -flow, over subterranean fires that convert it into steam, and thus at -the many vents we observe the ever active, though constantly waning, -energies of the volcano. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - TOWER FALLS, IN THE GRAND CAÑON.—At this point the waters of - Yellowstone River spring at one bound over a precipice 156 feet - high, forming one of the most beautiful and picturesque falls to be - found in any country. The castellated rocks surrounding the falls - stand like grim sentinels guarding their beautiful treasure, and - have been well and appropriately named, for their resemblance to - ancient towers and battlements is so striking as to be recognized at - a glance. This is one of the most attractive points along the entire - length of Yellowstone Cañon. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - A PETRIFIED TREE IN THE BAD LANDS OF DAKOTA.—In many parts of the - Northwest, particularly in the Bad Lands of Dakota and Yellowstone - National Park, there are whole forests of petrified trees, partly - standing or lying about in promiscuous profusion. A fine photograph - of a portion of one of these trees is given on this page. According - to the scientific theory, these forests were overwhelmed by the ice- - flood many centuries ago, and each tree became, through chemical - action, a thousand years or more thereafter, a gem-like pillar of - the most exquisite beauty. Petrified remains of gigantic animals - that roamed these ancient forests are found in abundance in the same - regions. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - BISCUIT BASIN.—This is one of the most singular as well as beautiful - formations in Yellowstone National Park. Terraced overflow basins - like this are a most striking feature of the hot springs, and no - description can do justice to their beauty, for neither the delicate - fretwork of their walls, the frosted surface of the glistening - deposit, nor the brilliant colors of the pools can be adequately - described. The sides and bottom of the basin are formed of pure - white travertine, while the varying depths cause the water to appear - all shades between a peacock-blue and a light nile-green. Those who - have seen Biscuit Basin will never lose the memory of the vision of - beauty that it impresses upon the mind. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: CRATER OF OBLONG GEYSER.] - -But there have been two glacial drifts over a great part of North -America, and the second ice-flood scoured the earth in such manner as to -frequently uncover the forests and animal remains that were buried by -the first great deluge. It is in the region of the Petrified and Fossil -Forests that we note the evidence of the truth of this theory; not only -in Yellowstone Park, but in the Bad Lands of Dakota, the dry lake basins -of the Southwest and, in fact, in nearly every State of the Union. But -in Yellowstone Park the remains of petrified trees are particularly -numerous, and it is here that we observe the most beautiful specimens of -chalcedony lying about in promiscuous profusion, like the ruins of some -magnificent palace. Every tree here, overwhelmed by the ice-flood, -became, in a thousand years thereafter, a pillar of the most exquisite -beauty, and we now examine them with wondering curiosity, then convert -them into articles of use and adornment. - -The same chemical action which changed the forests of this region into -gem-like stone, also preserved the bones of many huge creatures which -met their death suddenly in this volcanic basin. Here and there specimen -relics of gigantic animals may be found in the fossil district east of -Yellowstone River, though they are becoming scarce because of the -immense quantity that has been carried away by scientific bone -collectors and the admirers of curious things during the several years -that the park has been a popular resort. - -In this same district there is a depression or basin, about three -hundred yards in diameter, which has received the title of Death Valley, -a designation that is appropriately applied because it is not only an -ossuary, where the bones of many animals lie about in promiscuous -profusion, but such noxious gases emanate from the basin that it is -represented as a place where no creature can survive the exhalations for -more than a few minutes. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - BASALTIC CAÑON OF THE YELLOWSTONE.—The Basaltic Cañon of the - Yellowstone is similar in formation to the Giant’s Causeway of - Ireland and Fingal’s Cave of Scotland, but not so pronounced in the - columnar outlines. It is much more extensive, however, and equally - as interesting and remarkable as either of the above-named natural - wonders. The erosion of the rocks and the settling of the debris at - the foot of the cliffs have shortened the pillars to a very - considerable extent, and made them much less imposing than they were - originally, but they are still among the most remarkable natural - wonders of the world. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - LIMESTONE PINNACLES IN BIG HORN RIVER CAÑON.—The Big Horn River, in - its course through Wyoming, passes through as fine a scenic region - as can be found in America, or, indeed, in any other country. A fine - example of the wild picturesqueness of this scenery is given on this - page, where we see turrets and towers and battlements piled one upon - the other until they present a view unlike anything else in - existence, unless it may be some of the most rugged portions of the - famous scenery along the Rhine River, in Germany. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - A RANCH ON THE LITTLE MISSOURI RIVER.—Scenes like this are not - uncommon in the rich valleys of the Far Northwest, where stock- - raising and farming have proved to be even more profitable than - mining for the precious metals. Enterprising pioneers, who were - attracted to that region by the discovery of gold and silver, have - turned their attention to the more certain and desirable pursuit of - agriculture, and the green valleys are now dotted with modest homes - and thrifty farms, where peace and plenty go hand in hand with - happiness and contentment. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: GROTTO GEYSER.] - -Examination of the remains found therein reveals the fact that bears, -deer, wolves, a mountain lion, and numerous small animals have died of -asphyxiation in trying to pass over the accursed ground. But as these -sulphurous gases have the power to kill, they have also, to a certain -extent, the virtue to preserve, the bodies of creatures thus destroyed -exhibiting slight evidences of decay for a month or more after death. On -account of the danger attending a critical investigation of this noxious -plague-spot, those who have visited the place have been compelled to -exercise great caution, and to use field-glasses in making their -examinations. One rash person is known to have attempted a passage of -the basin, but he was unable to advance more than twenty yards, and had -he not retained the presence of mind to hold his breath, when he found -himself affected by the gas, escape from certain death would hardly have -been possible. No scientific investigator has ever visited the spot, so -far as I have been able to learn, and reports of the deadly exhalations -which characterize it therefore come from the few persons who have -approached the place out of curiosity. It is also, and fortunately, no -doubt, very difficult to reach, that portion of the Park being almost -inaccessible by reason of the rugged topography, the jagged stones and -almost impassable crevices which surround it. No roads have been -surveyed in the locality, and only the intrepid, venturous and agile can -reach the malignant basin, at the expense of great effort and endurance; -for it is easier to climb the Tetons than to surmount the grim barriers -which guard Death Valley. Assuming that the reports made by several -persons who claim to have visited the spot are true, and which there is -not lacking reason to believe, an explanation of its deadly character is -not difficult to give, because similar conditions, though in much lesser -degree, are found in many localities within the Park. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - HARVEST SCENE ON DALRYMPLE’S FARM, NORTH DAKOTA.—During the prosperous - era of wheat-raising, this was one of the most celebrated farms in - the world. It covered an area of 50,000 acres, and both steam and - horse-power were employed, not only in plowing the soil, but in - harvesting and threshing the grain as well. Fifteen riding plows are - to be seen in this photograph, busily at work preparing the ground - for the seed. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: LONE STAR GEYSER CONE.] - -The geysers, such as are now active, are confined within a district -whose radius does not exceed twenty-five miles, but there are -unquestionable evidences that they were distributed over a much greater -area before the last glacial epoch. Indeed, appearances indicate that at -one time, in the very remote past, the whole present extent of the Park -was occupied by either a sea of fire or a tremendous cluster of -volcanoes. When the glacial catastrophe occurred the mountains on the -north, whence the ice-flood descended, were pushed forward and deposited -in the fiery basin. By this action the formerly mountainous lands to the -north were leveled and became vast plains, as we now find them. The -caldron of fiery activity was filled up by the material thus deposited, -but confinement of the gases, which were being constantly generated, -caused repeated explosions, the results of which we find in the cañons -that ramify the district. It will not fail to escape the notice of the -geologist that of the many rivers and streams that penetrate the Park, -not one of them flows from the north, though immediately south of the -Park the Snake River takes its rise, and has cut a way through the Teton -Range that must have once opposed its passage. These mountains, as well -as other ranges in the vicinity, are a part of the residue carried down -by the glacial flood, and thus changed the slope, which was formerly -towards the south, to a contrary direction. Several new basins were -created by this enormous deposition, for it was impossible, by reason of -the eruptions caused by escaping gases, that the deposit should show -equal distribution. One of these basins is Death Valley, which, -originally a geyser or volcano, was suppressed by the glacial deposit, -though the furnace which fed it was not extinguished. The condition is -therefore like that of a charcoal kiln, which, burning beneath a -covering of earth, still allows the smoke and gases to escape. But since -the geysers are not produced by the consumption of combustible material, -but by chemical decomposition, though the action of fire and water, no -smoke is created and thus none is seen escaping from the valley; but the -deadly gases, all the more poisonous because of their temporary -confinement, are constantly exuding through the earth-covering, having -no connection with any active geyser through whose vent they might -escape. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - A HARVEST FIELD IN DAKOTA.—Such a harvest scene as this can be seen - nowhere else in the world except upon the broad and rich prairies of - the Northwest, and in a few localities in California. Eight self- - binding reapers are at work in the field so accurately photographed - before us, requiring an army of workmen in the proper handling of - the golden grain. In California, where the climate is dry and the - rain falls only at certain seasons, the harvesting is done with - heading machines, and the grain is cut, threshed and sacked all at - the same time. But more care is required in the Dakotas, where the - rainfall is more frequent and uncertain. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: THE BLACK GROWLER GEYSER.] - -Yellowstone Park has many natural curiosities which entitle it to rank -as the greatest museum of wonders in the world; but it is to be doubted -if the geysers, formations of silica, and awe-compelling cañons can -equal the marvel of Death Valley and the evidence which it supports of -the glacial deluge that converted a sea of fire into a charmingly -diversified wonderland. There is a grim connection between the fossil -district in which the bones of so many extinct animals have been found -so plentifully, and Death Valley, in which the remains of existent -creatures attest the continued destructive result of the ice-flood. -Truly, the ways of Providence are ways of mystery; and the more we -contemplate them to satisfy the ambition of curiosity, the more we -realize the incomprehensibility of the infinite, and that every advance -step is an interrogation point in our lives. - -[Illustration: LITTLE FIRE-HOLE FALLS.] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - AN ENCAMPMENT OF SIOUX INDIANS, DAKOTA.—This is a war-camp of Sioux - Indians, photographed during the hostile era of Sitting Bull and his - band of desperadoes. It shows the camp deserted by the warriors, and - left in charge of the women, children and old men. Photographic - reproductions of such scenes become more interesting and valuable as - time goes by, for they will never again exist in reality. The - hostiles have been driven to the Government reservations, and the - places once occupied by their villages, and the prairies over which - they roamed in quest of game or the trophies of war, are now covered - with homes, farms and cities. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: KEPLER’S CASCADE, FIRE-HOLE RIVER.] - -After making an examination of the petrified and fossil forests, we -retraced our way and returned to Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel by the road -that leads to Clark’s Fork Mines, a route which I cannot recommend to -dyspeptics, for it is worse than a jolting stool. A few hours’ stop at -the hotel to arrange our baggage, and we resumed our journey eastward -over the Northern Pacific, which thereafter runs through the apparently -boundless plains of North Dakota. The road follows the Yellowstone from -Livingstone to Glendine, a distance of 175 miles, but there is little -diversity in the landscape on the immediate line. Big Horn River -intersects the road at Custer City, below which town, twenty miles, on -the river, is Fort Custer; and the tragic field upon which Custer and -his entire command were slaughtered by the Sioux Indians is only twenty- -five miles southeast of the fort. Everything hereabout appears to be a -rueful reminder of that terrible 15th of July, 1876, for the name of -Custer greets us everywhere we turn until we get beyond Miles City. -Between this latter point and the Missouri River are the Bad Lands, -extending over a large tract of country that includes both Montana and -Dakota, but the formations, while curious, are not nearly so wonderful -as those in Wyoming, described in an earlier chapter. Although the -mounds, monuments and pillars of earth are less lofty, the district -acquires a particular interest from the fact that interspersed among the -earthen columns are the erect bodies of petrified trees, scarcely -distinguishable, at a little distance, however, from the fantastically -eroded monoliths that are disposed like skirmishers over the otherwise -level plain. These so-called Bad Lands, which reappear also in South -Dakota, are not what the term would seem to signify for the land is not -lacking in fertility, being frequently rich with loam, though more often -extremely sandy or covered with soft sandstones that have been worn -until they are round as cannon-balls. Indeed, Cannon-Ball River, which -flows into the Missouri sixty miles south of Bismark, takes its name -from the numerous round sandstones that are scattered along its banks. -Five miles below is Standing Rock Agency of the Sioux, so called from a -sandstone which stands some three feet tall, and by the Sioux is -believed to be a petrified squaw. Thus for a considerable distance north -and south, as well as east and west, peculiar formations characteristic -of the Bad Lands are met with, furnishing proof that this area was once -a forest, later a great salt sea, and then a plain, each representing a -long period of time. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - BLACKFEET INDIAN CAMP.—The Blackfeet were at one time the most - powerful rivals and antagonists of the Sioux, even surpassing them - in cunning, bravery and the slight advances which they had made in - the art of constructing their villages. The wigwams in this - photograph are more artistically erected than those of the Sioux on - page 283; they are also arranged with more order and regularity, and - seem to possess a larger degree of comfort, all of which are to be - accepted as evidences of advancement along the lines of civilization - and superiority in manhood. But the Blackfeet, as well as the Sioux, - have been driven to their reservations, and they will never again - appear as a powerful and independent tribe. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: GIANT, CATFISH, AND YOUNG FAITHFUL CONES.] - -When we pass Jamestown, coming east, we enter the wheat belt of Dakota -and pass fields of growing grain like that of Dalrymple’s, which is -fifty thousand acres in extent. Here we come in contact with farming on -a gigantic scale, and see the application of steam, not only for -threshing, but for plowing, hauling and various other uses in which -horses are generally employed. - -Thence on to Minneapolis the route is through a level country, crossing -the Red River of the North at Fargo, and by many pretty lakes to -Brainard, where the road branches, one division leading to Duluth, and -the other taking a southwest course to St. Paul. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - PRAIRIE HOME OF A CREE INDIAN, NORTHERN MINNESOTA.—The Cree Indians - are a small and constantly decreasing tribe. They have no record as - great warriors, like the Blackfeet and the Sioux, but they seem to - have held a secondary position throughout their entire history, so - far as we have any information concerning them. Their villages were - never so large and populous as those of other tribes, and their - existence seems to be a dreary and unprofitable one. A more desolate - home than the one photographed on this page could hardly be - imagined. Even the dogs seem to regret that they were born. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - FERRY ACROSS RED RIVER OF THE NORTH AT FARGO.—Red River of the North - is a remarkable stream, because of its extreme narrowness, tortuous - course and great depth. A few years ago there was a line of packets - running on this river between Fargo, and Winnipeg, Manitoba. They - did a very large business during the summer season, and assisted - materially in settling up a large section of country rich in soil - and mineral tributary thereto. The stream is so narrow, however, - that two boats were unable to pass each other except at particular - points where the banks were cut out for that purpose. It was like a - single track line of street railway with turnouts. The ferry scene - indicates the river’s width at Fargo, which was the southern - terminus of navigation. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - CHAPTER IX. - AMONG THE WONDERS OF THE BLACK HILLS. - - -[Illustration: DELLS OF SIOUX RIVER.] - -Soon after reaching St. Paul our party divided, two of our photographers -being instructed to take views of the falls, lakes and river-scenery -thereabouts, while the other set out with the camera car, over the -Chicago, St. Paul and Omaha Railroad, to Sioux City, and thence by the -Fremont, Elkhorn and Missouri Valley Railroad to Deadwood. There is -nothing of particular interest to entertain the traveler in search of -scenic wonders until Iowa is crossed and we reach the Big Sioux River; -nor is the immediate district about Sioux City one affording scenery of -much importance. But at Dell Rapids, something more than one hundred -miles north, we come in contact with some surprises which are without -example, save in the Wisconsin River, hereafter to be described. The -town derives its name from the remarkable freaks of nature displayed -along the river-banks, and known as the Dells, and which are recognized -as the safety-valves of the immense water-power at Dell Rapids. This -picturesque stretch of fantastic bluffs and eccentric stream is thus -described by a writer who recently made the passage in a canoe from Dell -Rapids to Sioux Falls. - -[Illustration: LOVER’S LEAP, DELLS OF THE SIOUX.] - -[Illustration: THE DEVIL’S NOTCH, DELLS OF THE SIOUX.] - -[Illustration: DANGER ROCK, DELLS OF THE SIOUX.] - -“Beginning at a break in the Big Sioux River, on the south bank, -opposite the town, at first the Dells present the appearance of a -rivulet flowing out of the main body of water, taking a circuitous -direction to re-unite with the parent stream some two and one-half miles -further along its eccentric course. Yet only in the highest stages of -its waters does the Sioux overflow the dam across the aperture between -itself and the Dells, and it becomes instantly apparent that it is not -from the river that this peculiar branch, which is not a branch, obtains -its water supply. Investigation determines that the Dells are fed by -invisible springs, indefinite in number and indefinable in volume, which -maintain in the bed of this curious stream an average depth of about -eleven feet, although a much greater depth is found in various places. -As you progress along the banks of the Dells, you notice increasing -accumulations of the well-known Big Sioux quartzite, in its dull red and -leaden colors; the banks grow more and more precipitous; the rocks are -heaped strata upon strata in immeasurable quantities, and take on -fantastic shapes and unusual formations; the Dells deepen into a gorge, -far down into the bottom of which the waters taking their hues from the -sky above them, creep along in almost imperceptible ripples. Overhead, -pile on pile, hangs the rugged quartzite, shelving out over the liquid -blue beneath; in the sides of the rocky banks innumerable swallows build -their nests, while above them shrubbery clings and cacti grow, seemingly -nurtured in a soil of adamant. Perhaps the highest perpendicular point, -from the summits of the overhanging rocks to the waters below, is very -nearly forty-five feet; but so precipitous is the descent, and so -grotesquely wild the aspect, that it is no wonder the majority of -tourists report the height much greater. Descending a fissure, gazing -down which descent seemed impossible, the writer pushed off in a rude -canoe and paddled for some distance under the overshadowing banks. Here, -indeed, looking upward, the impression was intensified, for upheavals -had torn these banks apart and given to them, with whimsical violence, -their strangely weird formations.” Beyond Sioux City the country is -monotonously level until, far in Nebraska, the road rushes into Elkhorn -Cañon and passes for a considerable distance between walls sometimes -vertical, but never very high, and which lack the grandeur and coloring -that characterize those of mountain streams. Emerging from Elkhorn -Cañon, the road runs for a long distance through the Niobrara Valley, -though never close to that stream, until it crosses the river at -Valentine. The southern line of South Dakota lies only a few miles -north, and from Valentine west the road approaches to within twenty-five -miles of the Rose-Bud and Pine Ridge Reservations, and of Wounded Knee, -the scene of the last Indian insurrection, and of Pine Ridge Agency, -where Sitting Bull was killed. Crossing White River at Dakota Junction, -the road turns due north, and passing out of the plains of Nebraska -enters the mountainous country known as the Black Hills, at Buffalo Gap. -On the east are the _Mauvais Terres_, or Bad Lands of South Dakota, -which extend west to the South Fork of Cheyenne River, while towards the -west is the rugous, rough and riotous district known as the Black Hills. -At Buffalo Gap connection is made with a narrow-gauge spur of the main -line of road, which runs southwesterly a distance of fifteen miles and -terminates at the Minnekahta, or Hot Springs. In making this run we pass -through a mighty gorge whose age-swept and vertical walls climb up, -stratum upon stratum, to a height of several hundred feet, and then -break into spear-pointed peaks, called the “Needles.” This is Fall River -Cañon, noted for its spires, parti-colored walls, and beautiful -waterfalls that leap from a hundred brinks into the arms of the rushing -river. That this is a land of gold is not better proved by the fact that -the Black Hills were purchased of the Sioux by the Government in 1876, -at the enormous price of $70,000,000 and support of the Indians for -seven generations, than that the output of the several gold and silver -mines of the district exceeds $100,000,000; verily, a richer land than -Ophir. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - SIGNAL ROCK, ELKHORN CAÑON.—The wild turbulence of nature that - distinguishes the scenery in the Black Hills district of Dakota is - handsomely represented in this photograph. In Elkhorn Cañon the - walls are some distance apart and only occasionally vertical, but - there is rugged, tumultuous chaos in the cañon that interposed great - difficulties to the engineers who built the railroad through it. The - bluff on the left of the picture rises to so great a height that - from its summit Indians could signal, by means of fire, a distance - of nearly one hundred miles, whence its name. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: CABINET GORGE, DELLS OF THE SIOUX RIVER.] - -Turning back, we resumed our journey northward over the Elkhorn road, -and passed through many miles of the most magnificent scenery to be -found anywhere on the American Continent. The entire region is mountain -infested, and to penetrate it by rail the road is compelled to follow -the almost interminable sinuosities of creeks and broken valleys, with -tunnels every few miles, and bridges quite as frequent. Through Fan-Tail -Gulch the road winds in tortuous ways that sometimes draw grotesque -figures, and in one place the road-bed is of the exact shape of a -horseshoe, while on both sides of Elk Creek Cañon there are butting and -pinnacled walls that suggest ruins of gigantic cathedrals, or monuments -in a graveyard of Titans. Everywhere we turn there is the carving and -hieroglyphic writing of the glacier and the volcano that in some age -wrestled with the rocks and left them in a confusion of whimsical forms. -Particularly is this true of Elk Creek Cañon, which presents many -curious bluffs and isolated shafts of stone, worn into monoliths of -oddity by wind and water. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - NEEDLE POINTS, NEAR HARNEY’S PEAK, BLACK HILLS.—These remarkable - formations are prominent among the scenic wonders of the world, and - if they were located in some older country and connected with - legendary or historical incidents, would attract crowds of admiring - tourists from the four quarters of the earth. These whimsical - creations of the centuries, exhibiting as they do the severest - contortions of nature, are remarkable, even to the point of being - almost startling, but they are surrounded by, and are in the midst - of, so many other tremendous upheavals, that they do not attract the - attention which they deserve. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: CATHEDRAL ROCK, IN ELK CREEK CAÑON, BLACK HILLS.] - -After passing Piedmont the region is less rugged and gradually falls -away into a plain, dotted here and there with buttes of clay, some of -them reaching a height of fifty feet, and in the distance resembling -large buildings. Fort Meade and Bear Butte are on the right as we make a -turn towards the west, then run south, until we enter Deadwood, which -lies at the gnarled and bunioned feet of the Hills. We have scarcely -been out of a cañon since leaving Hot Springs, but at Deadwood the -granite walls that have become so familiar slope away until they become -hills of slate and red clay, which have been denuded of their vestures -of pine to supply fuel for the reduction mills. Through one of the last -rifts in the walls that confine the track of the railroad a glimpse of -Central City is obtained, several miles away, and a few minutes later we -roll into the great mining town that is celebrated for its wealth, -energy, golden prospects, and as being the place where Wild Bill was -killed, and Calamity Jane broke the biggest faro bank in the settlement. -Though Deadwood is only sixteen years old, few cities have passed -through so many terrible vicissitudes. In 1876 the gold prospectors in -the Hills were harried by Indians; then when the district was purchased -and active settlement began, gamblers and shady women flocked to the -place, considering that every honest person was legitimate prey, until -the vigilantes restored order. Building was rapid, so that three years -after the miners staked their first claims in the Hills, Deadwood had -become a place of 5,000 inhabitants and was rapidly flowering into a -great city. Then a dreadful fire broke out, which ravaged and swept the -town, leaving scarcely a house uninjured, and nearly every citizen -homeless. The loss was estimated at $1,500,000, but in its effects the -loss was probably twice that amount. But with that courageous energy -which characterizes western settlements, the people went to work to -rebuild before even the embers had turned to ashes, and by 1883, -Deadwood was a second time showing a metropolitan bud. She had emerged -from the crucible, but fate had resolved that she should be subjected to -another ordeal. Accordingly, the elements gathered their forces all -around upon the mountains and in the gulches. For weeks unprecedented -snow-storms bombarded the country and covered it to an extraordinary -depth. Then the windows of heaven were opened and the rain descended. -Day and night a terrific down-pour continued, followed directly by a -flood that struck the town from every direction, and with irresistible -might washed nearly every building from its foundation, leaving even -small opportunity for the unhappy people to escape to the hills. But -though the town was twice destroyed, the citizens lost none of their -pluck, and before the cruel waters were fully assuaged they resumed the -work of building again on the same twice stricken site, and have so -continued until Deadwood is fortified against calamity and is moving on -at the head of the procession, with colors flying and drums beating, the -capital city of a capital country. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - THE SUMMIT OF HARNEY’S PEAK, BLACK HILLS.—This famous and picturesque - mountain peak derives its name from the gallant old hero, Gen. W. S. - Harney, who won fame and glory in the battles of his country with - Mexico and the red warriors of the West. It was principally through - his firmness, bravery and wisdom, aided by the confidence which the - Indians reposed in his integrity, that the hidden treasures and - scenic wonders of the Black Hills were delivered up to the white - people. It is said that the Indians who formerly occupied this - region frequently exchanged gold nuggets and gold bullets for leaden - ones of the same weight, so abundant was the yellow metal in some - portions of their country—a statement, however, which lacks - confirmation. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: VIEW OF BEAR BUTTE, AT A DISTANCE OF FORTY-SIX MILES FROM -THE ROAD, IN FAN-TAIL GULCH.] - -There are many interesting points within a few miles of Deadwood; for -aside from the rugged character of the scenery, in the near vicinity are -several of the largest wealth-producing mines in the world. The trip to -Bald Mountain over the Fremont, Elkhorn and Missouri Valley narrow-gauge -Road is one filled with pleasure and surprise. The way is almost -incomparably winding, and exhibits remarkable examples of engineering -skill and enormous investment. In several places the grade is four -hundred and thirty feet to the mile, while the curves are said to be of -one hundred and fifty feet radius. Passing up such grades and around -such sharp turns, it is not so surprising that the train should in one -minute be running along lofty benches, apparently in mid-air, over dizzy -trestles, and in the next few moments be scurrying through a valley so -deep that sunlight rarely ever visits it. North of Bald Mountain, and -reached by a stage-line, are Crow Peak, Round-Top Mountain, and the town -of Spearfish. This latter place is located on a creek of the same name -that goes tumbling through a deep cañon with vertical, serrated walls, -and diversified by roaring cascades and far-leaping waterfalls. -Returning to Deadwood, we took the Burlington and Missouri River -Railroad south through another long stretch of turbulent scenery, of -rushing creeks, darksome gorges, under the shadows of lofty mountains, -and by curious formations. Custer Peak is only two or three miles east -of the road, and it is the center of a riotous region of broken stone, -each one a very mountain of itself. Below, we strike Spring Creek, and -go bowling along the valley cut out of the bills by that stream, until -Harney’s Peak breaks into view, five miles to the east, and lifts its -piney crest into the azure depths 8,000 feet. Hereabout are not only -waterfalls, cañons, creeks, and huge bowlders dashed down from frost- -riven peaks, for besides gold and silver, the region is said to abound -with tin, that peculiarly elusive mineral which, though often found, -seems to always dematerialize after the campaign is over; and though -millions have been spent in developing the tin mines near Harney, the -product has not yet paid the expense of mining. Three miles south of the -peak are the Needles, bold-jutting pinnacles of sandstone that stand -high above the bed of Squaw Creek and point their fingers toward the -sky. Buckhorn Mountain stands very near the west side of the road, and -close to its base reposes the town of Custer, the center of a broken -district called Custer Park, famous for its scenery of river, tumultuary -and distorted rocks over which a weasel can hardly make its way. A -little further south we enter Red Cañon Creek, where the same general -character of eroded and disrupted rocks continues, with occasional -exhibitions of oddity exceeding those previously seen in the Hills. -Evidently some terrific force has been at work in this uncanny region, -for here and there our wonder is excited by extraordinary instances of -displacement. Beecher Rocks are comicalities done in stone, but Wedge -Rock must wear the garland as the most astounding example of natural -tumult in this wonder-region, and which can be better understood by the -accompanying illustration, than explained by the bare use of words. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - HARNEY’S PEAK, BLACK HILLS.—A general view of this famous mountain - from the valley where this photograph was taken does not show the - wonderful formations of the rocks on its summit and sides so well as - closer special views do; but it is sufficiently picturesque to be - entitled to a place in this representative work on American scenery. - The picture, however, exhibits the extent and magnitude of the - mountain, whose head is raised high above the timber line, in the - region of perpetual snow. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - WEDGE ROCK, NEAR CUSTER CITY.—This immense rock, weighing thousands of - tons, found a lodgment, where it is photographed, after a terrific - plunging descent from near the top of the mountain, whence it was - riven by some mighty convulsion. The path of its terrible fall is - still discernible, in seams and abrasions on the face of the - mountain, and in contemplating it one cannot refrain from regretting - that he was not present to witness such an awe-inspiring and - dreadful exhibition. It was a scene which might have frightened even - the imperturbable gods of the hills. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: THE HORSESHOE IN ELK CREEK CAÑON.] - -But the country is not only rugged and mountain-spurred; it possesses -curiosities even greater beneath the surface than those which diversify -the sun-kissed landscape over which we have just passed. On Elk Creek, -and entered from the cañon wall, is Keith’s Crystal Cave, a colossal -rent in the mountain bowels, with passages fifteen miles in length. It -is beautifully chambered, from which depend the most exquisite -crystallizations in the form of stalactites and stalagmites that reflect -the torchlight in glorious colors, dancing from column of onyx to pools -of pellucid water. - -But a more remarkable cave than Keith’s is found a little way west of -Custer, and twelve miles north of Hot Springs. This marvelous natural -excavation is ramified by many passages which have been explored for a -distance of sixty-five miles, and the end is not yet. On account of the -peculiar respiration of the cave, the air at one time rushing in with -great velocity and again being expelled with equal force, it is called -the Wind Cave; and no better name can be bestowed, for the cause of this -inrushing and regurgitation of air seems to be beyond ascertainment. -Like its more northerly cousin, Wind Cave is chambered and adorned with -beautiful crystals that shimmer under the glances of the torch and are -set aflame with color, with here and there such graceful formations as -to suggest studios of monster sculptors. - -[Illustration: BEECHER ROCKS, NEAR CUSTER CITY.] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - A CHAMBER IN CRYSTAL CAVE, BLACK HILLS.—This wonderful subterraneous - chamber is becoming more celebrated in many respects than the famous - Mammoth Cave of Kentucky, beautifully photographed and described in - later numbers of this work. Crystal Cave has been explored for a - distance of sixty-five miles, and the end is not yet discovered. It - has a marked peculiarity in its regular respiration or breathing, - like a living thing; the air at stated intervals rushes in with - great velocity, and is again expelled with equal force. Its chambers - are halls of stalactitic splendors, almost rivaling those of the - Luray Caverns. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: THE CHANCEL, CRYSTAL CAVE, BLACK HILLS.] - -Continuing our way southward to the junction of the Wyoming Division, in -Fall River county, we turned north on that small branch whose temporary -terminus is Merino, at which point a team was engaged to take us to what -is truly one of the seven wonders of the world. In our trip of several -thousand miles through the mountainous regions of the great West, we had -seen and photographed many extraordinary and startling prodigies of -nature, so that all sentiment of awe, surprise and admiration had been -aroused, but we were now to be confronted by a miracle in stone that -confounded and mingled all feelings of wonderment and fascination into -stupefaction of bewildered senses. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - DEVIL’S THUMB, CUSTER PARK, NEAR CUSTER CITY.—This grotesque formation - is weird enough to be in fact the thumb, or the toe, or any other - member of his Satanic majesty’s supposably ugly and immeasurably - immense body. Suggestive of evil power as it may be, the Thumb is - surrounded by other petrified imps of darkness, scarcely less - uncanny and frightful in appearance, indicative of nature in her - wildest mood. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: THE DEVIL’S CHAIR, ST. CROIX RIVER.] - -We had to travel about twenty-five miles across a fairly level stretch -of country before reaching the Belle Fourche River, a main branch of the -Cheyenne, on the west bank of which is located this marvelous monument -of the ages, which for its astounding size and unaccountable formation -is called the Devil’s Tower. Among the Sioux Indians, who have always -regarded it with superstitious dread, it is known as the Mateo’s Tepee, -signifying the Bear’s Lodge, and was by them supposed to be the haunt of -a were-animal, who possessed the power of becoming a bear or man at -pleasure. The country within a radius of fifty miles is slightly broken -by high table-lands, but there is nothing to indicate any special spasm -of nature by which so great a freak might have been formed; yet out of -this undulating expanse of landscape suddenly rises a stupendous obelisk -of vitrified stone, to the amazing height of eight hundred feet. The -base, which measures 326 feet at its longest diameter, is 400 feet above -the river-bed, which in turn is 500 feet above sea level. Thus measured, -the peak of this amazing tower is 1,700 feet above the sea; no surprise -therefore that it is visible for a distance of forty miles. But the -wonder which such a colossal shaft naturally excites is immensely -increased by the fact that the Devil’s Tower is a composition of huge -crystals of basalt, or volcanic rock, which lie in columns some three -feet in diameter, and continue unbroken from the base to the peak, -giving to it a fibrous appearance. The walls are almost vertical, with a -slightly vertical slope, to give it a more graceful contour, and though -there are occasional rifts in the sides, no human being, however skilful -as a spire-climber, can ever accomplish its ascent. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - THE DEVIL’S TOWER OF VITRIFIED ROCK, 800 FEET HIGH.—This unparalleled - curiosity, the most wonderful formation of the kind in the world, is - situated on the bank of Belle Fourche River, in Northeastern - Wyoming. It has a base of only 326 feet, and towers to the amazing - height of 800 feet above the level plain on which it stands. A full - description of this marvelous wonder is given in preceding pages, - also an account of the author’s visit to it, when it was specially - photographed for GLIMPSES OF AMERICA. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: TEA-TABLE ROCK, WISCONSIN RIVER.] - -The enquiry is irresistible: “What wondrous force created this petrified -monster of the Wyoming table-lands?” One plausible answer may be built -upon the theory that here, at one time, was the bed of an ocean, a -supposition supported by such evidences as the finding of sea-shells and -bones of extinct sea-creatures all about over the ground, and deeply -embedded in the earth throughout the section. When the waters receded, -this inequality, which might have existed as an island, was left as the -product of volcanic action. But a yet more reasonable cause may be found -in the supposition that along the Belle Fourche was the center of -intense volcanic energy sometime during the very remote past, during -which period the spot occupied by the tower was a volcano-vent out of -which poured lava in such a slow and steady flow that it deposited in -basaltic columnar crystals at the apex. Thus gradually it grew in size -and height, like many of the formations in Yellowstone Park, until the -volcano had expended its force and left this vast monument as an -everlasting evidence of its persistence through centuries of activity. -But however it was formed, the Devil’s Tower takes a place in the first -list of the world’s greatest natural wonders, and it deserves to be much -better known than it is. - -Returning from a long and very wearying ride to the Tower, we again took -the Burlington Road, retracing much of the way we had come, and -proceeded to Crawford, Nebraska, in order to view two famous curiosities -known as Crow Butte and Signal Rock, which are near that town. Fort -Robinson post and military reservation are a mile west, on White River, -and the country is picturesque with buttes, which rise out of the -prairie lands in singular impertinence and unseemliness, while -considerable bluffs confine the river. The territory was for many years -the scene of bitter strifes between the Sioux and Crow Indians, who -reddened nearly every acre of the ground with their blood, and left -remembrances of their occupancy and incidents of their adventures in -names which they gave to a hundred points in the near vicinity of -Crawford. South of the town, about five miles, a conspicuous object in a -wide range is Crow Butte, a titanic elevation of stone, nearly two -hundred feet in height and several hundred yards in circumference, with -vertical walls on all sides except one, in which there is a winding-way -by which a horseman may ride to the top. The legend is told that on one -occasion a party of Crow Indians were so savagely pursued by their old -enemies that they took refuge on the top of Crow Butte, where, though -much fewer in number, they so valorously defended the narrow roadway -that the Sioux were driven back each time they attempted to gain the -summit. Being unable to dislodge them, the Sioux resolved to besiege the -Crows until starvation compelled them to surrender. For several days and -nights the siege continued, until at length hunger drove the Crows to a -desperate expedient. Watching their time, when the night was darkest, -they killed some of their ponies, and converting their hides into -lariats, lowered one after another of their number to the ground below -on the opposite side of the butte, until all but one old Indian had been -safely delivered, who was left a while to keep the camp-fire burning. On -the following day the old man came down and surrendered himself to the -Sioux, and related to them the wonderful means by which his comrades had -escaped. Instead of killing him, as might have been expected, on this -one occasion the Sioux magnanimously gave him his liberty as a -recompense for the loyalty and bravery which he had exhibited. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - DOME ROCKS IN CUSTER PARK, SOUTH DAKOTA.—In this photograph we have - another striking example of the curious and wonderful natural - formations of this locality, one of the most remarkable scenic - regions in all the world. These rocks seem to have been built by - human hands and fashioned with a purpose into all sorts and shapes - of grotesque and gruesome figures, and yet it would be impossible - for human hands to mold such wonders. Nature, in one of her spasms, - brought them forth, and imprinted upon their face the agony of her - travail. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: SQUAW’S CHAMBER, DELLS of the WISCONSIN.] - -Signal Rock is only a short distance from Crow Butte, and is a similar -formation, though not nearly so large; and while the summit is nearly as -high, it is peaked and not difficult to reach. It derives its name from -the use to which it was frequently put by the Indians in previous years, -who by means of fire at night were able to signal to their friends as -far away as the Bad Lands of South Dakota. - -The Fremont, Elkhorn and Missouri River Road crosses the Burlington at -Crawford, and our work of photographing the Black Hills district being -completed, the trip back to St. Paul was made, and a junction with other -members of the expedition was formed, whose artist labors have already -been described. - -[Illustration: THE NARROWS, DELLS of the WISCONSIN.] - -[Illustration: CASTLE TOWER, DELLS of the WISCONSIN.] - -The twin cities of St. Paul and Minneapolis represent the intrusion of -civilization upon the primeval lands of romance, and thus while we -admire the imposing wealth and architectural beauties of these great -metropoli, we cannot avoid a feeling of semi-regret that they have grown -at the expense and sacrifice of some of the most charming natural -wonders that first attracted public interest to the vast Northwest. The -head of navigation on the Mississippi is unalterably fixed at St. Paul, -for above that point the river is a brawling stream, flowing over ledges -and rushing through contracted passages lined with bluffs. At -Minneapolis are the Falls of St. Anthony, but no longer do these present -the furious aspect which once characterized them, for the wild riot of -turbulent waters that formerly went dashing over a high brink with a -roar that made the shore to tremble, have been harnessed, and are now -driven over sloping tables so as to glide softly into the bed below. The -channel, too, has been cut and buttressed with masonry, so that the -strong right arm of the falls is made a servant of commerce in supplying -the motive-power for many immense flouring mills. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - CROW BUTTE AND SIGNAL ROCK, DAWES COUNTY, NEB.—Crow Butte is a titanic - elevation of stone, nearly 200 feet in height and several hundred - yards in circumference, located about five miles south of the town - of Crawford, in Nebraska. The walls are vertical on all sides except - one, where there is a winding way by which a horseman may reach the - top. The summit is a natural fortress, where a few well-armed and - determined men could hold thousands at bay. A very interesting - Indian legend connected with this rock-fortress is related in - GLIMPSES OF AMERICA, the story no doubt having a good foundation in - historical fact. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: SKYLIGHT CAVE, DELLS OF THE WISCONSIN.] - -The sight-seer turns with feelings of disappointment at the artificial -appearance of St. Anthony’s Falls, and seeking the wonders of nature -unadorned, drives over to Minnehaha’s sylvan solitudes, but upon which, -alas, the encroachments of sacrilegious improvements characteristic of -city extension are now apparent. But the voice of its falling waters is -still attuned to the rhythm of the poet that sang it into fame. Down -through flower-sprinkled meadows purls and gambols a silver stream, -slaking the thirst of the linnet and bathing the feet of the dove, until -weary of the sunshine it spreads itself over a ledge like a veil of -gossamer and drops into the cool shades that welcome its embraces. The -Falls of Minnehaha are an example of that coy and quiet comportment -which sometimes blushes into notoriety, for no one with less imagery -than a poet would discover the sublimity of its aspect, or the -artfulness of its graces. It is to Longfellow, therefore, that we owe -the immortality with which these laughing waters are invested, and the -imperishable fame of Hiawatha, who, while in quest of better weapons - -[Illustration: CLIFF NEAR MOUTH OF WITCHES’ GULCH.] - - “Paused to purchase heads of arrows - Of the ancient Arrow-maker, - In the land of the Dacotahs, - Where the Falls of Minnehaha - Flash and gleam among the oak-trees, - Laugh and leap into the valley. - There the ancient Arrow-maker - Made his arrow-heads of sandstone, - Arrow-heads of chalcedony, - Arrow-heads of flint and jasper, - Smoothed and sharpened at the edges, - Hard and polished, keen and costly.” - -[Illustration: HAWK’S BILL, DELLS OF THE WISCONSIN.] - -But no one with a love for the picturesque can close an eye to the -fairy-like beauty of Minnehaha, as it pours over a crescent brink in a -sheet of gauze, so thin that the wall behind loses little of its -distinctness, and the rocks upon which the water breaks are refreshed -like the head of a babe at its christening. A lace curtain is not more -delicate, and thistle-down is scarcely more dainty, as the illustration -shows. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - FALLS OF ST. ANTHONY.—The principal historical interest attaching to - the Falls of St. Anthony is the fact that they were discovered by - the famous priest-explorer, Father Hennepin, in 1680. They no longer - present the furious aspect that originally characterized them, for - the turbulent waters that once dashed over the precipice with a roar - that made the earth tremble have been harnessed and made a part of - the requirements of modern invention, until they now glide smoothly - down sloping tables to the bed of the river below. The channel has - also been cut and buttressed until the banks no longer present the - features of scenic interest which a score of years ago they - possessed. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: THE FAIRIES’ RETREAT, Dells of the Wisconsin.] - -The eroding fingers of percolating waters have worn the soft rock behind -the fall, until a shelf is formed that extends three or four feet beyond -the face of the wall. Visitors may therefore pass under this shelf and -look outward through the transparent liquid sheet as it pours in a broad -but tenuous stream, not unlike valencienne drapery gently agitated. A -pathway leads from the falls down a gracefully embowered ravine to spots -so temptingly secluded that maidens never wander there that love does -not follow; and so many darts have been hurled at wooing swains in this -romantic dell that I am almost persuaded to believe that it was not -Hiawatha, but Cupid, who came here to get his arrows. - -[Illustration: WITCHES’ GULCH, Dells of the Wisconsin.] - -But if Minnehaha is beautiful in spring-time, it is sublime when folded -in the crystal arms of winter, a frozen cascade of puffs and snow-balls, -hibernating after its season of sporting, awaiting the return of bird, -flower and lover. Not far away are lakes of various sizes, like -Minnetonka and Great Bear, to which thousands resort when sultry winds -blow and the blazing sun of summer-time drives sweltering humanity to -such cool retreats. But the beauties of this northern region are not -exhausted by lake and waterfall, which though charming, cannot compete -for interest with some of the natural marvels that exist in the neighbor -State of Wisconsin. - -[Illustration: WHIRLPOOL CHAMBER, Dells of the Wisconsin.] - -St. Croix River separates the two States and is a stream that exhibits -both curious and exquisite formations along many miles of its banks, and -but for the vast logging interests which it so admirably serves, -penetrating as it does the great pine region, the river would be filled -with pleasure-crafts throughout the summer, carrying tourists in and out -among its dells and fairy-like grottos. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: MINNEHAHA FALLS IN SUMMER.] - -[Illustration: ROMANCE CLIFF, DELLS OF THE ST. CROIX RIVER.] - -Minnehaha is one of the smallest of the many beautiful and celebrated -waterfalls of America, but it is also the most lovely and poetic. It is -like a drapery of lace-work as it pours smoothly and gently over the -cliff, keeping time to the merry music of its own laughing waters.—The -accompanying photograph of Romance Cliff, on the St. Croix River, is as -beautiful in its way as its twin sister of poetic renown, and the two -together make pleasant company. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: SIGNAL ROCK, NEAR CAMP DOUGLAS, WISCONSIN.] - -The bluffs of sandstone are a source of unending surprise, rising out of -the water so nearly perpendicular that they defy all effort to scale -them, and present a front like the walled cities of ancient times. -Nature has not left them undisturbed, either, for their toussled brinks -and seared sides show the finger-marks of frost in deep fissures and -eccentric cleavages, while here and there fantastic images of stone -stand like grim sentinels on commanding ledges, keeping unwearied watch -upon the industrious river. Most curious of these erratic formations is -the Devil’s Chair, which the Chippewa Indians verily believe was one -time the resting-place of his sable majesty, probably when he went -fishing. Anyhow, the rock bears the autographs of many adventurous -persons who have been there to see. The fishing certainly was very good -in this spot before Wisconsin lumbermen filled the stream so full of -pine-logs that not even the devil himself could keep his line from -fouling. - -East of the St. Croix is Chippewa River, flowing in the same general -direction, but aside from being a pretty stream it has nothing to -specially interest tourists, for the banks gently shelve, and where -stone appears it is in thin layers, and the shore-line never rises to -the dignity of bluffs. But the Chippewa Indians, though now small in -numbers, still retain their ancient homes in the vicinity of the stream, -which, because of its shallowness, is not used as extensively as the St. -Croix for shooting logs to the Mississippi. Though surrounded by a -vigorous civilization, these Indians, if we except their clothing, -exhibit little change from their original customs and manners of living, -subsisting by hunting, fishing, and gathering berries for the -neighboring markets. They still make birch-bark canoes, like their -forefathers, and in a way, too, that white men do not appear to be able -to imitate. Specimens of their deft work are on sale in all the towns of -Wisconsin, from which source they derive no little profit. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - MINNEHAHA FALLS IN WINTER.—If Minnehaha is beautiful in the spring and - summer, dressed in its flowing drapery of white, it is sublime when - folded in the crystal arms of winter, a frozen cascade of puffs and - snowballs, hibernating after its season of festivity, awaiting the - return of bird, flower and lover. Not many visitors go there in - winter-time, for the north wind is biting cold; but those who do go - are rewarded with a vision of loveliness unsurpassed in the realms - of romance or fact. Beneath the winter sun it becomes a fairy - palace, turreted with columns of alabaster, studded with diamonds - and pearls, that sparkle and glow with the iridescent hues of the - rainbow. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: CLEOPATRA’S NEEDLE, DEVIL’S LAKE.] - -In the eastern part of the State, in Howano county, lives a small tribe -called the Menomines, who are in what may be called the transition -period, for their manner of living is a composite of modern ways and -ancient usage and belief. Some of the Menomines appear to be thoroughly -civilized, at least so far as outward indications show, while the -patriarchs of the tribe remain steadfast in the faith of their fathers. -They have lost none of their confidence in the Medicine Man, whose -counsel in political affairs is as important as their influence over -diseases of the body is pronounced. - -[Illustration: HORNET’S NEST, DELLS OF THE WISCONSIN.] - -A Medicine Man being questioned as to how the power which he claimed was -conferred, answered thus: - -“My heart told me that I should be a Medicine Man, and I went out upon a -mountain and fasted and prayed for two days, awaiting a sign from the -Great Spirit. At the end of the second day, as the sun was going to -sleep, I saw a great light which blinded my eyes, and heard a noise as -of the rushing of many waters. I looked around again, and about me were -four animals—a black-tailed deer, a white-tailed deer, a wolf and a -buffalo. They all spoke the speech of men. They said that the Great -Spirit had heard my prayer and had sent them to me. The animals then -took me over the prairies and told me what plants were hurtful and what -were good for my people. They told me what diseases of men the good herb -would cure, and then they vanished as suddenly as they came. I returned -to my people, told the chiefs what I had seen, was made and have since -been a Medicine Man.” - -[Illustration: CLEFT ROCK, DEVIL’S LAKE, WISCONSIN.] - -But the transition from savage superstition to civilized modes is -apparent among the Menomines, not only in the adoption of modern -clothing, houses, household utensils and Christian ideas; it appears -also in the change of their superstitions. They still believe in -Medicine Men, and indulge in what is known as the Medicine Dance, but -only at the time of the initiation of new candidates for such honors; -and their doctors must now be the possessors of more or less medical -knowledge, and be able to read and write. The ceremony is too long and -tedious to describe, but the most superficial observer cannot fail to -detect through it all the influence of contact with civilization. - -The Ojibways are another remnant of the great Indian tribes of the -Northwest, whose homes are in Polk county, in the vicinity of Balsam -Lake, a pretty sheet of water in a wild district, where fishing is good -and game still fairly abundant. One peculiarity of these Indians is the -sacredness with which they regard their dead, and the care they take to -preserve the bodies of relatives from violation. They are content to -house themselves, even through the severest winters, in the flimsiest -structures, which afford very little shelter from the cold, but their -dead they carefully wrap in blankets and deposit them in small oblong -houses that are made to perfectly exclude rain, snow and cold, except -such as may enter by a square little door in one end. These miniature -mortuary houses are placed close to the homes of the living, that a -better watch may be kept upon them; but what superstitious motive -prompts this custom, I have not been able to learn. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - FOOT AND WAGON BRIDGE OVER THE ST. CROIX RIVER.—This bridge unites the - States of Wisconsin and Minnesota, and spans one of the most - beautiful views in the celebrated scenic region of the Northwest. - The clear water of the river reflects the bluffs and surrounding - objects as perfectly as the most costly mirror could, producing a - double picture of exquisite loveliness, the reflection being even - more beautiful in its softened outlines than the original. The - region of the St. Croix is famous the world over, and is justly - entitled to the honorable distinction which it holds. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - CHIPPEWA INDIANS, OF WISCONSIN, BUILDING A BIRCH-BARK CANOE.—Although - the Chippewa Indians are now practically civilized, and differ but - little in their appearance, dress and manners from the whites, yet - they cling with remarkable tenacity to some of their ancient - customs, one of which is the building of light bark canoes which - glide like zephyrs over the surface of the water. They are very - expert in this line of work, some of their little crafts being so - artistically finished and ornamented as to arouse the sincere - admiration of even the most critical observers. But lightness and - speed are their main considerations, mere beauty being held as - unimportant and suited only to holiday occasions. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: WINTER AT NIAGARA.] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - A CANDIDATE FOR MEDICINE MAN BEFORE A COUNCIL OF MENOMINE INDIANS.—The - Menomines are a small tribe, living in the eastern part of - Wisconsin, who are in what may be called the transition period from - savagery to civilization. Some of the younger ones appear to be - thoroughly civilized, so far as outward indications go, while the - old patriarchs remain steadfast in the faith of their fathers and - their confidence in the wisdom and saving powers of the medicine - man. But even these have so far advanced, perhaps unconsciously to - themselves, that all candidates for this important office are - required to be able to read and write, and to possess more or less - knowledge of medicines. The ceremony of initiation is an important - event in the life of the candidate, and is regarded with a degree of - superstition and reverential awe by his friends and relatives. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: THE SUGAR-BOWL, DELLS OF THE WISCONSIN.] - -Wisconsin is very justly famous for many things: its semi-civilized -Indian tribes, its lakes, dense pine forests, and above all for its -wondrous scenery, particularly along the Wisconsin River, where wonders -the equal of those to be seen in Watkins’ Glen, New York, are met with -in rapid succession some six miles north and south of Kilbourn City. It -was to Kilbourn City, therefore, that we proceeded, by way of the -Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railroad, to view and photograph the -truly marvelous scenery and whimsically erratic formations that -characterize that section of the river known as the Dells. The river is -deep, but at places so tortuously narrow between projecting elbows of -the limestone walls that only such a dimity and fairy-like steamboat as -the _Dell Queen_ can thread a passage, and we accordingly committed -ourselves to this frail little craft for the trip which is made by -tourists first to the Upper Dells, eight miles above the city, and then -to the Lower Dells, which are three miles below. For many, many -centuries the Wisconsin, probably always a rapid stream, has rasped its -soft Potsdam sandstone-bed, and constantly wearing its shore, has -finally carved out a way that is fantastically curious. Now the stream -rolls laughing along under vertical walls sometimes a hundred feet high, -and wrought into the most weirdly grotesque forms imaginable. All along, -its capricious course is marked by caves, caverns, grottos, glens, and -eccentric pillars of stone that are as humorously dressed as a zany in -caps and bells. In making the ascent from Kilbourn City one of the first -objects to arrest attention is “Angel Rock,” whose broad stretch of -petrified wing is said to guard against intrusion into the spectral -haunts that lie beyond. “Swallow’s Fortress” next appears, a -perpendicular wall of very great height, and unbroken length of two -hundred feet, garrisoned by myriads of swallows that have perforated the -face until it looks like the lid of a huge pepper-box. Having passed -this castle of many loop-holes, we enter a section where “Romance -Cliffs” pays eternal greetings to “High Rock,” with their strange -configurations and picturesque statuary; a spot that is favored by -speckled trout as it is by lovers. “Chimney Rock” next bursts into view, -built up of as many strata as a tower of pan-cakes, which from a -distance the chimney somewhat resembles. From the “Gate’s Ravine” there -is a splendid sight of “Sturgeon Rock,” which is so perfectly reflected -as to appear twice its natural size. Why it is called Sturgeon Rock not -even tradition tells us; but it is manifest in many cases that those who -bestowed names upon these pictorial surprises were so arbitrary as to be -indifferent to appropriateness, like the colored woman who called her -first-born Beelzebub, because she heard that some prince bore that name. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - WINTER CAMP AND BURIAL HOUSE OF OJIBWAY INDIANS.—The Ojibways are a - remnant of the great Indian tribes of the Northwest, who live - chiefly by fishing and hunting. One of their peculiarities is the - sacredness with which they regard their dead, and the care they take - to preserve the bodies of friends and relatives from violation. They - are content to house themselves, even through the severest winters, - in the flimsiest structures, but their dead they carefully wrap in - blankets and deposit in small oblong houses so perfectly built as to - exclude rain, snow and cold, except such as may enter by a little - square door in the end. These miniature mortuary houses are placed - close to the abodes of the living, where they may receive loving - care and attention. The origin of this really commendable custom is - not known, but it is like a similar one in vogue among the Indians - of Alaska, which has been described elsewhere in these pages. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: OCONOMONOC FALLS, WISCONSIN.] - -At a place where the river broadens, and the left shore spreads into a -long level covered with willows, while the right bank continues its -precipitous career, there is a wide extension-table projecting from the -wall which is called “Visor Ledge, of Stand Rock.” This jutting point is -admirably designed for a jumping-off place, and it is a matter for -surprise that it was not christened Lover’s Leap, like all other similar -ledges and shelves that I have seen. Beyond this the river again -narrows, and singular efflorescences of stone, like a garden of -flowering curios, wrap our attention with questioning surprise. “The -Hawk’s Bill” is certain to catch our notice, and equally sure to excite -our wonder that it was not called the “Toothless Old Man,” for it does -seem that he might make a nut-cracker of his nose and chin. “Black -Hawk’s Leap” must be accepted as a poor substitute for the “Lover’s -Jump,” but as the latter has no place on Wisconsin River the former name -has been applied to a section of pictured wall that is excavated at the -base, and in which the gurgle of water is accentuated by echo into -ominous noises. This natural excavation is called Black Hawk’s Cave, and -is said to have been the place of retreat of a vanquished party of -Indians, who were murderously pursued by a large number of their -enemies, but memory fails to recall the particulars. A little further -beyond is another grotto of still more remarkable formation, called -“Cave of the Dark Waters,” and rightly it is named, for the entrance is -by a small portal into a commodious chamber whose first most noticeable -characteristic is its darkness. The water is deep throughout, and -continually suggests the advantages of the cave as a place in which to -commit crime, or to kiss your girl while passing through a dark tunnel. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - BELEAGUERED CASTLE, CAMP DOUGLAS, WISCONSIN.—The scenery about Camp - Douglas is weird, sublime and curious. There are formations of odd - and fantastic shapes, like the conjurings of a disordered brain, - while others lift their rugged sides and castellated peaks into the - air with all the grandeur and picturesqueness of “castles on the - Rhine.” To this latter class belongs “Beleaguered Castle,” so boldly - photographed on this page. Its resemblance to the ruins of some - ancient fortification is so striking as to arouse the wonder and - admiration of all beholders. The trees that have planted their roots - in its sides and along the top of its mimic battlements serve to - heighten the resemblance, so that one standing in its presence can - hardly divest himself of the belief that he is really viewing the - walls of some frowning relic of the warlike past. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: CAVE OF THE DARK WATERS, LAKE SUPERIOR.] - -It is a positive relief from the oppression which entrance to the Dark -Waters Cave produces to be hailed, after emerging, by a sturdy little -stone island with a tossing crest of pine, which some Sweet William has -named the “Sugar-Bowl.” It is all the more refreshing because islands in -the river are exceedingly scarce, and this diversity of landscape is -accordingly doubly appreciated. - -Still further beyond is the “Mouth of Witches’ Gulch,” commanded by -picturesque cliffs that show the teeth-marks and lacerations of the -gnawing waters. So romantic is the spot, and so inviting the little -saucer-shaped beach of white sand, that all the pleasure-boats that ply -in the Dells make a landing here and give their passengers opportunity -to go on shore and carve their names on the terraced walls. So many -persons had been there before us, however, that barely space was found -to write a pencil autograph. - -Another stop is made at “Cold Water Cañon,” usually dry, but through -which the river pours in an impetuous torrent during high water. -Hereabout are also glens and other curious excavations, among which is a -hollow formation seventy feet high and fifty broad, called the “Devil’s -Jug.” Another run of less than a mile brings us to “Steamboat Rock,” an -oval island covered with hemlock and mountain cedars, opposite to which -a third landing is made, and ascending three flights of stairs to gain -the summit of the cliffs, across a stretch of woods, and descending a -steep, rocky ledge, we find ourselves at the superlative wonder of the -Dells—Witches’ Gulch. Abruptly arriving at the entrance of the gulch, -above which 189 feet, in a projecting rock, may be seen the wry, -unmistakable features of a tousled old hag, the queen of the witches, so -ominously frowning on forms and faces below. Without the slightest -exaggeration it certainly is one of the most wonderful, weird and -peculiar places on this continent. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: MINER’S FALLS, LAKE SUPERIOR.] - -[Illustration: WHITE ROCK, LAKE SUPERIOR.] - -The Pictured Rocks of Lake Superior and the scenery adjacent to them are -celebrated in art and romance. The former derive their name from the -great diversity of colors which they display. They have been worn into -strange shapes by frost and storm, and stained by the thousand dyes of -nature in every possible variety of arrangement, far beyond the power of -words to describe; and this profusion of color and shape is repeated -mile after mile, until the tourist is lost in wondering admiration. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: THE OLD GUARD, NEAR DEVIL’S LAKE, WIS.] - -Entering the gulch, we look up—far up—and catch glimpses of sunlight and -see huge pines prostrate and lying from one ledge to another, -admonishing us to look well to our going. After many, many windings, we -come into “Phantom Chamber,” and in the side of a rocky ledge, scooped -out, as if by hand, find a natural basin, and take a drink of the cool -spring water gurgling out of the great rock into this hidden Pool of -Siloam. In this rocky apartment we ascend a pair of stairs, from under -which the stream that meanders through the entire gulch leaps in -majestic fall, its roar almost deafening, and spray dashing over us. For -thousands of years this little stream—at first, probably, a switch of -rainfall on the earth’s surface—has been engaged in wearing this chasm -in the sandstone, until now the gorge is seventy-five feet deep, nearly -a mile long, and in some places so narrow that a large person can only -pass through with difficulty, especially at Fat Man’s (or Woman’s) -Misery-point. In several places vast chambers have been formed, at the -door-way of one of which a beautiful fall of water leaps down into a -deep-cut basin. - -[Illustration: SPLIT ROCK, DEVIL’S LAKE, WISCONSIN.] - -There are several deep crevasses in the river leading to places of -extraordinary beauty and wonder, and which on account of the narrow -passage cannot be reached by the little steamboat. Row-boats are -therefore provided, by the aid of which we visited a number of these -side-attractions. “Skylight Cave” is one of these which, though having a -small mouth, widens inside and receives light through a little crevice -at the top. It is a cosy little retreat that well repays a visit. - -[Illustration: FALLS OF ST. LOUIS RIVER.] - -Returning to Kilbourn City, on the following day a trip was made to -Taylor’s Glen, which is thus well described by a correspondent: “At the -handsome school building on the east side of the village, a rugged path -struggles down into an ordinary ‘hollow,’ which farther down and -followed, opens into a grand gorge. Every step now reveals scenes and -formations beside which all the boasted charms of ‘Watkin’s Glen’ become -commonplace. Being neither cave nor valley, but combining all the -attractions of both, it winds and twists through immense rocks in a -serpentine path. At one point, far overhead, a sheet of daylight slants -through a mere rift the rocks. The roof and high-arching walls are -frescoed with diamond dew and dripping, drooping mosses and lichens. -Groups of strange figures, carved by cataracts, washed by whirlpools -ages on ages ago, ape Egyptian gods and mummies of the ancient Orient. -Here a crystal spring bursts from a wall of solid stone and goes dancing -down over pebbles and ferns. On through an ever-varying pathway filled -with kaleidoscope-like enchantment we wandered with awe and admiration, -our journey ending at a long, dark tunnel, which looks out, through a -wide, cavernous window, upon the river beyond. The Lower Dells, like -their companions above the village, have rocky banks, covered with -vegetation, and curiously shaped formations no less interesting than the -aggregation, a description of which I have but faintly accomplished. One -cannot see this truly remarkable, weird, romantic and beautiful section -of our land and suppress admiration. Nor will a week suffice for a -thorough exploration of the caves, grottos, rocks and ravines -hereabouts. Above Witches’ Gulch is a beautiful view of the river, its -bluffs and many islands, a fairly comparable Lake George view. A fine -drive is had north from Kilbourn to ‘Hornet’s Nest,’ ‘Squaw’s Chamber,’ -‘Luncheon Hall,’ ‘Stand Rock,’ ‘Devil’s Lake,’ and many points of -interest farther up the river and in the country in this and adjoining -counties.” - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - RAPIDS OF MONTREAL RIVER, NORTH OF LAKE SUPERIOR.—These picturesque - rapids are located in the midst of a wooded dell, hemmed in and - secluded by surrounding hills from the busy haunts of men. In peace - and quiet they laugh and frolic and sing their merry song of - rippling waters and dashing fountains through the summer days, and - when winter comes they put on a dress of foamy puffs of white that - sparkles and glows like a bed of diamonds in the dull rays of the - northern sun. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: GIANT’S CASTLE, NEAR CAMP DOUGLAS.] - -The whole region within a radius of thirty or more miles of Kilbourn -City, particularly on the west, is full of natural curiosities, for the -district was evidently at one time, in the remote past, the bed of a -lake whose swirling waters carved the soft sandstones into many -astounding forms, and then were assuaged by some force which geologists -fail to explain, leaving these rare monuments of their work behind them. -Devil’s Lake, nearby, is the relic of that vast inland sea, which no -doubt was a part of the great lakes, on the shores of which are many -images of wondrous shapes and size, with many of which interesting -legends are connected. Thus “Sacrifice Stone,” in “Wonder Notch,” is -popularly believed to be the rock on which an Indian maiden was -immolated at an unknown time to propitiate the anger of the Great -Spirit, while “Cleft Rock” represents the fury of the devil who, while -in a passion over some act of the tribe, rose out of the lake and hurled -one of his fiery darts with such poor aim that it did no other damage -than split the largest stone on the shore. - -Cleopatra’s Needle is likewise reputed to be the transformed and -geologic remains of a very ancient Indian chief who was punished by the -devil for the audacity of attempting to penetrate the mysteries of the -lake; while another broken and distorted stone on the front of East -Mountain is connected with a similar and indistinct tradition respecting -the invidious curiosity of a squaw. But though there is no lack of -superstitious beliefs among the few Indians of the district, who respect -these queer formations as the relics of their forefathers, there is no -more foundation for them than the mere claim that “so it has been told,” -for no one has ever heard the particulars. It is a forgotten story. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - SUGAR-LOAF, MACINAC ISLAND.—Macinac Island is a delightful and - picturesque summer resort, located in the Strait of Macinac, which - connects Lakes Michigan and Huron. It is only about three miles long - by two wide, and is rough and rocky. The natural scenery is - charming. The geologist finds mysteries in the calcareous rocks - dripping at unexpected angles; the antiquarian feasts his eyes on - the Druidical circles of the ancient stones; the invalid sits on the - cliff’s edge in the vivid sunshine, and breathes in the buoyant air - with delight. The haunted birches abound, and on the crags grow the - wild larches beckoning with their long fingers, the most human tree - of all. There are many natural curiosities on the island, the most - noted being Sugar-Loaf, so beautifully photographed on this page. It - is conical in shape, and rises to a height of 134 feet. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: CHIMNEY AND BEE ROCKS, CAMP DOUGLAS, WISCONSIN.] - -Near the west center of Juneau county, fifteen miles east of the -Wisconsin River, is a cross-roads railroad town called Camp Douglas, -which is in the midst of a region remarkable for natural curiosities, -rivaling those found in the Bad Lands in Wyoming. It is a country of -sandstone that exhibits the astonishing results of centuries of water -and wind erosions upon what was manifestly once a vast bed of -argillaceous clay, that in the process of time was converted into soft -stone as the lake dried up. The receding waters gradually wore deep -ravines in the sandstone, thus giving birth to rivulets which aided a -more rapid change in the bed until it became traversed by numerous -streams that in time completely drained the lake. Then the winds began -their work of eroding, helped by the sand which they carried, and the -result became finally, as we behold it in the Bad Lands, and in Monument -Park, Colorado, a large number of towers, domes, pinnacles and other -architectural forms. To the more strikingly curious shapes names have -been given, as the “Old Guard,” “Giant’s Castle,” “Castle Rock,” -“Chimney Rock,” “Signal Rock,” “Beleaguered Castle,” etc., as shown by -the illustrations. - -From Kilbourn City we went to Milwaukee, and thence by the Chicago and -Northwestern, and the Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie -Railroad to St. Ignace, where we took boat for Mackinac Island, a very -noted resort in the Straits of Mackinaw. This island is celebrated for -its splendid scenery, some of which we photographed, after which we -proceeded to Sault Ste. Marie, the seat of government of Chippewa -county, Michigan, and noted for having one of the largest and finest -ship canals in the world, through which, surprising as the statement -appears, a larger daily tonnage passes than the Suez Canal accommodates. -One of the sights that are apt to claim the particular attention of -visitors now are the new grain-carrying vessels called Whale-backs, -which have within the last three years become a feature of our lake -commerce. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: FALLS OF MINER’S RIVER IN WINTER.] - -[Illustration: THE CASCADE IN WINTER, LAKE SUPERIOR.] - -In order to fully realize and appreciate the splendor and marvelous -beauty of the Pictured Rocks and the scenery adjacent thereto, they must -be seen in winter, when they are dressed in their frosty sheets of ice -and snow and ornamented with a thousand pillars of pearly white. It is -then that they appear like scenes from fairy-land, as pictured in the -fantastic creations of poets and painters. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: SIGNAL ROCK, CAMP DOUGLAS.] - -In order to observe the shores more clearly, we took one of the Lake -Superior Transit Company’s steamers at Sault Ste. Marie for Duluth, a -route which gives opportunity for taking photographs of the incomparable -pictured cliffs of Superior. But at Marquette, where the steamer lands, -a yacht was engaged in which we were able to approach much of the finest -scenery that would otherwise have escaped our attention. - -The range of cliffs to which the name of Pictured Rocks has been given, -may be regarded as among the most striking and beautiful features of the -scenery of the Northwest, and is well worthy the attention of the artist -and the observer of geological phenomena. They may be described, in -general terms, as a series of sandstone bluffs extending along the shore -of Lake Superior for about five miles, and derive their name from the -great diversity of colors they display. They are worn into strange -shapes by frost and storm, and stained by a thousand dyes in every -possible variety of arrangement, far beyond the power of words to -describe, and all this profusion is repeated mile after mile, keeping up -the interest by some new prospect of sweeping curve, or abrupt angle, or -fantastic form. “The ‘Castle,’ the first of the more striking features -of the rocks, bears at a distance a great resemblance to an ancient -castle, with walls, towers, and battlements. Further on, a mass of -detached rock called the ‘Sail Rock’ comes into view, and so striking is -its resemblance to a sloop with the jib and mainsail spread, that a -short distance out on the lake any one would suppose it a real boat -sailing near the beach. But the principal feature of the rocks is the -magnificent cave known as the ‘Grand Portal.’ Let the reader imagine -himself in a room 400 feet long by 18 feet wide, and 150 to 200 feet -high to the arched roof, bulk of yellow sandstone, seamed with decay, -and dripping with water. Shout, and the voice is multiplied a hundred- -fold by echoes that reverberate several seconds, sharp, metallic. Here -the stratum of gravel rises about fifty feet, while at the castle it is -nearly down to the water’s level. The waters are undermining the -foundations, and wearing holes everywhere in the support of the walls -and the roof. The water in the cave increases in depth as you go out -towards the lake, from the bare rocks of the back end to about fifty -feet at the opening, and a few rods from the shore it is a hundred feet, -or more. The cliff on the west, next to the Grand Portal, is hollowing -out, forming an immense cave, increasing every year.” - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - NIPIGON RIVER, FLOWING INTO LAKE SUPERIOR.—Nipigon River and Lake are - famous fishing and hunting resorts in the British possessions north - of Lake Superior. They are also celebrated for their fine scenery, - which attracts many tourists to that region during the summer - months. There are numerous rapids in the river, where salmon and - trout of a superior quality abound in such quantities as to fully - satisfy all lovers of the piscatorial sport who visit this region. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: SAND ISLAND ARCH, LAKE SUPERIOR.] - -“It is beyond the power of the pencil,” says a recent traveler, “to -represent the effect of the reflected light in the roof as seen from the -rear. Especially when the sun is toward the west the bright light is -reflected from the waves into the cavern, and undulates like a sea of -light overhead; a picture in living colors, so tender, so quiet— -luminous, pearly grays, bright flashes, cool, high lights, all warmed by -the yellow sandstone, dripping with water, on which the effect is -thrown.” - -“At the mouth of Miner’s River the coast makes an abrupt turn to the -eastward, and just at the point where the rocks break off and the sand -beach begins, is seen one of the grandest works of nature in her rock- -built architecture, which is known as ‘Miners’ Castle,’ from its -singular resemblance to the turreted entrance and arched portal of some -old castle. The height of the advancing mass, in which the form of the -gothic gateway may be recognized, is about seventy feet, while that of -the main wall forming the background is about one hundred and forty. The -appearance of the opening at the base changes rapidly with each change -in the position of the spectator, and on taking a position a little to -the right of that occupied by the sketcher, the central opening appears -more distinctly, flanked on either side by two lateral passages, making -the resemblance to an artificial work still more striking. The chapel, -if not the grandest, is among the most grotesque of nature’s -architecture here displayed. Unlike the excavations before described, -which occur at the water’s edge, this has been made in the rock at a -height of thirty or forty feet above the lake. The interior consists of -a vaulted apartment, which has not inaptly received the name it bears. -An arched roof of sandstone, from ten to twenty feet in thickness, rests -on four gigantic columns of rock, so as to leave a vaulted apartment of -irregular shape, about forty feet in diameter, and about the same in -height. The columns consist of finely stratified rock, and have been -worn into curious shapes. At the base of one of them an arched cavity, -or niche, has been cut, to which access is had by a flight of steps, -formed by the projecting strata. The disposition of the whole is such as -to resemble, very much, the pulpit of a church; since there is, -overhead, an arched canopy, and in front an opening out towards the -vaulted interior or the chapel, with a flat tubular mass in front, -rising to a convenient height for a desk, while on the right is an -isolated block, which not inaptly represents an altar; so that, if the -whole had been adapted expressly for a place of worship, and fashioned -by the hands of men, it could hardly have been arranged more -appropriately. It is scarcely possible to describe the singular and -unique effect of this extraordinary structure; it is truly a temple of -nature—‘an house not made with hands.’” - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - THE CHAPEL, PICTURED ROCKS, LAKE SUPERIOR.—This curiously carved rock, - painted in many colors by the chemicals of Nature’s laboratory, - forms a bold and picturesque point on the north shore of Lake - Superior. It consists of a vaulted apartment in the rock, thirty or - forty feet above the level of the lake. An arched roof of sandstone - rests on four natural columns, forming an apartment about forty feet - in diameter and the same in height. Within are a pulpit and altar, - perfect as if fashioned by the hand of man. It is one of the most - curious formations in this celebrated scenic region, and has been - often pictured and described. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: ABODE OF THE GENII, LAKE SUPERIOR.] - -The Pictured Rocks are beautiful and fantastic at all times, but it is -in winter that they are sublimely lovely, bewilderingly grand, as -photographs taken by Mr. Childs, to whom we are indebted for their use -here, will show. The falls of Miners’ River are exquisite when pouring -over a brink fringed with greenest foliage, but when held in the vise- -like grip of winter they are magnificent almost beyond conception. They -are a fitting prelude to the spectatorium of cave wonders near-by, such -as the “Abode of the Genii,” which might better be called the “Throne- -room of Fairy Stalacta.” The water percolating through the roof of the -caverns is frozen into the rarest, daintiest and most exquisite -incrustations imaginable, some having the appearance of snow balls, -chrysanthemums and lilies, while others reach down their immense crystal -points, as if trying to rest their ponderous weight upon the opalescent -floor. The “Cave-of-the-Winds” has a splendid entrance, and being -shallow in depth is well lighted, so that the ice-covered walls reflect -the most gorgeous colors; but the congealed formations, while very -beautiful, cannot compare with those that the Genii of the neighbor -grotto have appropriated. The splendors of these shores, however, are by -no means confined to the caverns, for almost equally curious and -charming views are presented by the vertical faces of the snowy cliffs, -upon which winter hangs the most magnificent draperies. “The Cascade” is -formed by the water flowing over a low bench along the shore, but at -many points more curious effects are produced by the fierce lashings of -the lake that toss showers of spray high up on the cliffs, where it -freezes into shapes peculiarly wonderful and often radiantly beautiful. -“Peter’s Pillar” is a curious ice monument formed by a little waterfall -that drops through a hole it has worn in the bluff, but about the base -are pretty ice terraces and graceful corrugations, the frozen spray cast -from the shore-beating waves of the angry lake. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: CAVE-OF-THE-WINDS, LAKE SUPERIOR.] - -[Illustration: EXTERIOR VIEW OF CAVE-OF-THE-WINDS.] - -The Cave-of-the-Winds presents a royal view of sky and lake, through an -archway covered with stalactites, when the observation is taken from -within; but its outward appearance is not particularly striking. The -cave is shallow in depth and well lighted, so that the ice-covered walls -give forth the most gorgeous colors as the reflected rays from the lake -fall upon them. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: BAY OF ISLES, LAKE SUPERIOR.] - -[Illustration: PAD-LOCK ISLAND, LAKE SUPERIOR.] - -“The Grand Portal” is a perforation through an elbow of the palisades, -and of such magnitude as to appear like a vast cave, when viewed from an -angle. Inside, however, it is seen to be a great tunnel, sufficiently -curved to barely admit the sight of a small opening at each end. At this -point the cliffs jut into the lake, and in winter they are festooned and -royally embellished with lovely ice-forms of every imaginable shape. A -formation somewhat similar is seen on “Sand Island” of the Apostle -Group, where the beating waves have made an excavation through an arm of -the palisades sufficiently large to admit the passage of a row-boat. - -[Illustration: PRINCESS BAY, LAKE SUPERIOR.] - -[Illustration: THE SEA-ELEPHANT, LAKE SUPERIOR.] - -But for miles the vertical and gleaming white bluffs of sandstone, -sometimes resembling the chalk banks of Albion, distinguish the shore -line, and exhibit surprising perforations that are frequently large -enough to permit a boat to venture out of sight; and naturally they -attract large numbers of summer tourists, who find in these caves, like -the “Bay of Isles” and “Cave of the Dark Waters,” excellent trout -fishing. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: THE GRAND PORTAL, LAKE SUPERIOR.] - -[Illustration: GRAND PORTALS, FROM THE LAKE.] - -The Grand Portal is the doorway or entrance to a splendid cave in the -cliff of the Pictured Rocks. It is in the form of an immense vaulted -chamber, with a ceiling nearly one hundred feet high, which has been -carved out of the yellow limestone by the restless waves as they are -driven in and out by the force of the winds. The sides of the cave are -fretted and worn into all sorts of fantastic shapes, presenting a -remarkable and exceedingly interesting spectacle. The view from the -portal, embracing the adjacent cliffs and a vast expanse of rolling -waters, is grand and sublime. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - THE ICE PALACE AT ST. PAUL IN 1888.—It is hard to believe that this - majestic structure, with its frowning battlements, massive walls and - wrinkled visage of war, is composed wholly of transparent blocks of - ice. It has more the appearance of an impregnable castle, which, - outliving the scars and bruises of mediæval battles and the ravages - of time, has come on down into our modern and better era as an - example of the architectural ability and requirements of the dark - and bloody days of former ages. But it is a castle which requires no - resounding thump of the battering-ram or crash of cannon-ball to - shatter its walls and break its turrets, for they vanish and melt - away into imperceptible vapors under the warm kisses of the virgin - spring sun. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - STORMING THE ST. PAUL ICE PALACE, 1888.—This photograph represents a - scene of the grandest and most imposing character. The interior of - the palace was brilliantly illuminated, until it shone and sparkled - like an immense diamond, while from every tower, turret and - battlement many-colored lights blazed and flashed and shot up into - the sky until the very heavens seemed to be on fire. On the outside - there were batteries of rockets and Roman candles, and flashing - meteors that hurled their fiery messengers against the walls of ice, - bursting into a thousand brilliant and glowing fragments whose - reflection bathed the face of the dark sky in a flood of iridescent - light. It was a scene of splendor long to be remembered by those who - saw it. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: PETER’S PILLAR, LAKE SUPERIOR.] - -The wonders of Lake Superior’s shores do not terminate at Duluth, for -the walls rise to even a greater height on the north line and are of -green sandstone and porphyry, occasionally twelve hundred feet high. The -St. Louis River enters the lake from the northwest at Duluth; and though -this stream is barely deep enough to float a raft of logs, it runs -between lofty banks of the same general character as those which confine -the Great Lake. Enormous palisades line the north shore of Superior, -whose columns are so symmetrical as to equal the best productions of the -sculptor’s art. Pigeon River forms part of the boundary line between -Canada and the United States, and is a stream in great repute with -sportsmen, and also offers attractions to those who delight in natural -scenery of a sublime character. Pigeon Falls is but one of many -interruptions in its course towards the lake, the pool formed by the -dropping water being a favorite haunt for trout and salmon, while in the -numerous lakes near-by are myriads of water-fowls that have their -nesting-places on the shores. A few miles toward the east is Nipigon -River, another beautiful stream that connects a lake of the same name -with Superior. It is somewhat wider than Pigeon River, and its shores -are less bluffy; thus the current being less rapid, the stream is -diversified by many little islands that are so green with pines, -hemlocks and other trees as to look like emerald gems. But all along the -north shore are scenes of great beauty, and vast stores of mineral -wealth in iron and copper lie only a few feet beneath the surface; yet -notwithstanding all these attractions, the region is rarely visited save -by Indians and sportsmen. - -We reached St. Paul, after an absence of nearly one month, and there met -our photographer who had gone into the Black Hills in quest of views. -Being thus reunited, we started down the Mississippi, but by rail, as -the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railroad follows the bank as far as -La Crosse. Several stops were made, however, in order to catch pictures -of Fort Snelling, and the grand bluffs above and below Winona, which for -towering magnificence far exceed the hills that render the Hudson -famous. Indeed, considering the river from St. Paul to Pepin Lake, the -Mississippi’s shores present finer scenery than is to be found along any -other navigable stream on either continent. But south of that point the -views are rather monotonous until Grafton is reached, where the Piasa -Bluffs begin and run along the river for twenty miles, exhibiting not -only great vertical height, but curious shapes, and at one point some -very ancient Indian picture writings. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - PIGEON RIVER FALLS, NORTH SHORE OF LAKE SUPERIOR.—The north shore of - Lake Superior, and the little rivers which run to its waters, - present many surprising and beautiful scenes. One of these is - pictured on this page. It is a small sequestered stream, modestly - winding its way through shading woods and green meadows, and along - by quiet, restful farm-houses, until in a spirit of reckless fun, - wholly unexpected of such a demure little rivulet, it suddenly - plunges down a precipice with many a laughing leap and merry roar, - breaking into a thousand shining sprays that enrapture the senses - with their marvelous beauty and evanescent colors. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - OLD FORT SNELLING, ON THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER.—This grim and grizzled - relic of the past is named in honor of a brave soldier, Colonel - Josiah Snelling, who served his country faithfully and bravely in - many well-fought battles with the Indians in the early part of the - present century. When the fort was first erected it was on the - uttermost borders of civilization, in the midst of many surrounding - dangers, and it served its purpose as a nucleus and protection for - the gathering settlements of a later period. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - CHAPTER X. - SCENIC MARVELS OF THE GREAT NORTHEAST. - - -[Illustration: STARVED ROCK, ON ILLINOIS RIVER, NEAR OTTAWA, ILLINOIS.] - -Our circuit of the West had now been completed, and having surrendered -the camera car which we had chartered, we made hasty preparations for a -grand tour of all that section lying east of the Mississippi. Before -departing for the East, however, we made a flying trip over the St. -Louis & San Francisco Railroad to Eureka Springs, a popular health -resort in Northern Arkansas, surrounded by some very beautiful scenery -that spreads away through the Ozark and Boston Mountains in picturesque -grandeur, diversified by swift-flowing streams, deep gorges, terrible -bluffs and immense caves that are gorgeously embellished with gigantic -stalactite and stalagmite formations. If these magnificent scenes were -not so conveniently near a large city, they would be a hundred-fold more -famous, for it is human nature to yearn for the least accessible and the -most difficult of attainment. In short, we rarely appreciate the things -that we have, and exaggerate the importance and attractiveness of places -which are remote. It is this peculiarity of the human mind that makes -heaven a necessity and immortality a natural deduction, the irresistible -conclusion of human reason. - -We tarried one week in St. Louis before departing for the East, and then -again divided our party, one of our photographers proceeding to -Pittsburgh, and thence through Pennsylvania and Virginia, taking views -of the famous scenery of those States, while the other two whose travels -we will now describe, passed northward to Chicago, and thence east by -way of Niagara. Having heard much of a celebrated point known as Starved -Rock, on the Illinois River, a place of commanding interest in the -history of La Salle and his adventurous companions, we resolved to stop -at Ottawa, en route to Chicago, and make a photograph of the historic -rock. We reached Ottawa by the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Road, and -thence by driving ten miles in a spring wagon we gained the spot made -celebrated through a tradition which is as romantic as it is tragic. - -Starved Rock is now the property of a company, and is situated on the -left bank of the Illinois River, near the foot of the rapids. It is a -perpendicular bluff of limestone, one hundred and fifty feet high, and -is crowned with oaks and other forest trees. The water front presents a -precipitous wall, but there is a slope towards an adjoining bluff by -which it is alone accessible. The summit has an area of about one acre, -but is a natural stronghold; and perceiving its advantages, La Salle, on -his first return trip to Canada, ordered his Indian lieutenant, named -Tonti, to fortify himself upon the Rock, supplying him with one small -cannon for that purpose. Tonti carried out these orders, and, it is -said, died and was buried upon the Rock. Years afterward, the place -became conspicuous in the Indian wars; and it is related that after the -killing of Pontiac, chief of the Ottawas, in a drunken row at Cahokia, -some of his people charged the Illinois tribe with the crime and made -war upon them. Being feeble in numbers, they were driven before the -Ottawas so remorselessly that as a last resort they took refuge on -Starved Rock. Here they were able to hold their enemies at bay, but -their distress was none the less because of their ability to prevent a -scaling of their stronghold, for the Ottawas besieged the Rock and -effectually prevented the Illinois from securing any supplies. Water was -for a while procured by means of vessels attached to ropes of bark, -which were let down into the stream. But this device was presently -discovered and prevented by the Ottawas coming under the bluff in canoes -and cutting the ropes. Unwilling to surrender and run the risk of -torture, the unfortunate Illinois remained in the place of their retreat -until one by one they died of starvation. This is the tradition current -in La Salle county, and the finding of many Indian relics and bones on -the Rock tend to confirm its truthfulness. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - BASIN SPRINGS, EUREKA SPRINGS, ARKANSAS.—Arkansas is famous for her - life-giving and health-supporting springs, and among these none are - more celebrated than those at Eureka, in the northwestern part of - the State. The location is picturesque and mountainous, the - atmosphere clear and invigorating. A few years ago the place was a - wilderness, and the waters wasted their treasures of good health in - untrammeled mountain rivulets. By the merest accident their curative - powers were discovered, and immediately the sick and the afflicted - from all parts of the world began to flock thither, like pilgrims to - a newly discovered Siloam. At present there is a thriving city of - 4000 inhabitants located on the mountain sides, with many thousands - of invalid guests constantly coming and going. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: THE LOOKOUT, ON THE ROAD TO HOMER.] - -From Chicago we went east over the Michigan Central to Niagara Falls, -that greatest of natural wonders, a sublime apotheosis of omnipotence, a -glorification of the immeasurable power that nature possesses, in whose -roar we distinguish the hallelujah chorus of centuries and peans of -praise to the mightiness of Deity. - -Niagara Falls, the supreme natural marvel of both continents, is divided -into two cataracts, viz.: American Falls, flowing towards the American -or western side, and Horseshoe Falls, which discharges towards the -Canada side, the two being separated by Goat Island. - -[Illustration: BARN BLUFF, NEAR RED WING, MINNESOTA.] - -The height of the former is one hundred and four feet, and the latter, -owing to a limestone stratum not worn away, is one foot higher, by which -it is reasonably concluded that at one time nearly all the flow was -towards the American side, because the discharge over the western fall -is not now so great as that towards the Canada side. This tremendous -flood of waters is from Lake Erie through Niagara River into Lake -Ontario, and the retrogression of the cataract, caused by the wearing of -the limestone ledge, inclines geologists to the opinion that the flow -has continued for a period of not less than thirty-seven thousand years. -The width of Niagara River at the falls is forty-five hundred feet, of -which American Falls occupies eleven hundred feet, Goat Island fourteen -hundred feet, and Horseshoe Falls two thousand feet, though the deep -curve in the latter, whence its name is derived, makes the line of fall -more than three thousand feet. It has been estimated that the discharge -exceeds one billion gallons of water every twelve hours, and that the -force thus developed is equal to something more than one million horse- -power. - -The landscape on either side of the falls has little of the picturesque -or tumultuous about it, being generally slightly rolling, and giving no -indication of eruptive disturbance; so that scientists are still -searching for a plausible theory upon which to base a conclusion as to -the cause that produced this sudden dip in the limestone formation. - -The astounding power displayed by the river dropping over a wide and -lofty ledge is scarcely more bewildering than that exhibited by the -Rapids, which extend for half a mile from the point of descent, and -meeting a swift current, the flood is lashed into a fury that is -frightful to behold, rising in the center like huge beasts in combat, -and tossing wave-caps nearly fifty feet above the surface. At times the -spray rises in such clouds as to completely obscure the falls, and borne -some distance by the winds is condensed, and a long-continued rain -follows, which renders a considerable stay in the neighborhood somewhat -disagreeable. - -[Illustration: VIEW OF FORT SNELLING FROM THE MISSISSIPPI.] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - HARDING SPRING AND ROCK, EUREKA SPRINGS, ARKANSAS.—The ruggedness and - beauty of the scenery in and around Eureka Springs, and their - pleasant influence upon the minds of invalids, causing them to dwell - upon other things rather than their ailments, no doubt have - something to do with the marvelous cures that have been wrought - here. Nature, aided by the embellishments of art, has made the place - an exceedingly attractive resort, which grows in favor with each - passing year. No imaginary picture, be it ever so attractive, could - surpass in picturesqueness the scene so beautifully photographed on - this page. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: AMERICAN FALLS, VIEWED FROM GOAT ISLAND.] - -While an admirable view of the falls may be obtained from many points of -observation on the bridge, or along both shores, the greatest interest -attaches to a visit to the noisy caverns that are behind the descending -flood. These may be reached by means of spiral stairways built for the -purpose, but the visitor must prepare for the trip by investing himself -in a suit of oil-skin, and for a while must assume the character of an -amphibian. At the bottom of the deep descent are stones in great -confusion, over which we must scramble to reach the Cave-of-the-Winds, a -watery grotto indeed, in which the air is agitated by the thundering -cataract that fairly envelopes you. The scene here is beyond the scope -of pen or brush, for these appeal only to sight and understanding, while -the awful presence conjures all the senses. Behind the giant curtain of -waterfall is a greenish reflection, weird in its intensity and -unnaturalness, and to the ears there comes a muffled roar which, while -not jarring, yet seems to pervade and penetrate like the dull rumble of -an earthquake. This uncertain disturbance, which confuses with strange -noise, is intensified by a wind that is here created by what appears to -be some mysterious agency; and other curious things are noted that -suggest to the imaginative mind a region of the supernatural, where -indistinct voices warn and then invite, but are always clamorous, like a -crowd of bedlamites. - -Below the falls the river narrows to eight hundred feet, between -precipitous walls, which add swiftness to the current, and three miles -from Horseshoe Falls the impetuous stream strikes a point of projecting -land in such a manner that a terrible whirlpool is created, capable of -sucking down a large steamboat. By means of a car, which is controlled -by a cable, visitors may ride down the very steep incline to the edge of -Whirlpool Rapids and view in safety the awful, mad-lashing waters, -swirling with extraordinary rapidity and throwing high the tousled heads -of ravening waves, which appear to be lusting for victims and bellowing -for vengeance. It is gratifying to know that the almost incomputable -power of Niagara is soon to be transmitted, through the generation of -electricity, to mills and machinery, and thus utilized to the honor of -human genius as well as to the glory of God. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - NIAGARA FROZEN.—Niagara is grand at any and all times, but if you - would appreciate the sublimity of its grandeur in the fullest - degree, you should visit it in winter, when it is covered with icy - fringes and stalactites, and you can approach close to the roaring - fountain on the mound of ice formed by the spray which rises from - the foot of the precipice. It is only on rare occasions, during very - severe winters, that such opportunities are afforded; but when they - do occur they attract thousands of visitors from many sections, who - come in crowds to witness a scene that has no equal among all the - wonders of the world. On such occasions the Falls themselves seem to - be a mass of liquid ice, while the shores, the trees and the cliffs - are clothed in sheets of white, and made ornate with columns that - rival alabaster in their transparent beauty. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: BRIDAL VEIL FALLS, NIAGARA.] - -Great changes occurring in Niagara Falls, which though slow and -remittent, are no less certain to destroy the grandeur of that -incomparable waterfall some time in the very remote future. It is a -well-demonstrated fact that Niagara River has excavated the gorge -through which it runs, and within recent years such immense masses of -the ledge-stone have been detached by the gnawing waters as to cause an -appreciable recession of the cataract, and a corresponding lengthening -of the gorge. It is recorded that in 1818 very large fragments of -limestone were wrenched from the surface-bed and cast over Horseshoe -Falls, and another similar result occurred in 1855. But each year, and -constantly, the erosion is marked, so that Table Rock, formerly a -striking feature of the river, has been worn away so completely that no -present sign of it now remains. It has been computed by Sir Charles -Lyell that the average rate of recession is about one foot annually, -counting for the past thousand years; but as before stated, the erosive -results are spasmodic. There is now eighty feet of hard limestone -composing the surface-rock, and it will probably require ten thousand -years for the rushing waters to eat this away; after that, however, the -wear will be rapid, and in course of centuries the falls will have -disappeared, and only a tremendous gorge will remain in their stead. -Many wonderful spectacles have taken place at the falls, the most -interesting of which was the sending adrift of a condemned lake vessel, -drawing eighteen feet of water, in 1829, which passed over the brink -without touching bottom, and was dashed in pieces on the rocks below. -This experiment was made to test the depth of water on the brink of the -precipice. - -[Illustration: HECTOR FALLS, WATKIN’S GLEN, IN WINTER.] - -There is a weary sameness to the generally level or prairie scenery -which lies between the Mississippi River and New York State, if we -except the rather pleasing diversity of well-cultivated farms, -prosperous towns, and evidences of thrift that are everywhere -noticeable. But there is more than the greatness of commercial and -industrial empire to recommend New York to the sight-seer, for some of -the most charming scenery to be found anywhere in the world is within -her borders, matching for sublimity even the most marvelous views which -we have described. And additional fascination attaches to many of her -noted places on account of the Indian names which have been jealously -preserved in her geography. The Mohawk Valley is at once a lovely vale -and a reminder of Cooper’s “Leather Stocking Stories;” and so are her -hundred rivers and lakes that bear the designations bestowed upon them, -either by some of the once-powerful tribes, or which perpetuate the fame -of their great chiefs, the shades of whom seem to linger about Seneca, -Cayuga, Oneida, Oswego, Canandaigua, Chautauqua, Keuka, Skaneateles, -over which they once skimmed in light canoes. The romance with which -these beautiful waters are invested would draw us irresistibly to their -shores were there no other attractions; but to these delightful -traditions of a vanished people are the added charms of sylvan glades, -exposing vistas of exquisite landscape, blue waters dimpled by soft -winds, swift-racing streams dashing under overarching shades, and wild -chasms that imprison echo and exhibit some of the most astounding -results of glacial action, abetted by upheaval, depression and erosion. -After picturing the wonders of Niagara, therefore, two of our party made -a trip over the New York Central Line and its connection, to Geneva, a -beautiful town on the north shore of Seneca Lake, which in many respects -is one of the most remarkable bodies of water in the world. The lake is -about forty miles in length, but it is a mere strip, rarely exceeding -two miles in width, yet has the extraordinary depth of six hundred feet, -so that it is evidently a basin created by the same convulsion that -wrought the surprising results which render the Glens at the south end -famous beyond comparison, as will be presently described. It is -particularly strange that such a tremendous cleft should be made without -showing a wider extent of disturbance, though the shores are a -succession of promontories, sweeping back in graceful undulations and -well-wooded slopes, save where industry has converted the hills into -fruitful fields. - -[Illustration: CAVERN CASCADE, WATKIN’S GLEN, IN WINTER.] - -The trip from Geneva to Watkins, which covers the extreme length of the -lake, is comfortably and enjoyably made by means of fine steamers, which -land at many intermediate points, and give summer tourists opportunity -for thoroughly examining the towns and beautiful banks along the way. -Watkins, which is the objective place of all pleasure travelers, has its -feet bathed by Seneca Lake, and its head shaded by the brow of Buck -Mountain, at whose base is the main street, running parallel therewith. -Following this street a short distance, the visitor reaches a bridge -that affords passage over a small stream, and proceeding along the banks -of this little water-course for less than half a mile, he is suddenly -confronted by a massive and lofty natural wall that prevents further -progress. Stairways, however, have been built, by which we mounted to -the summit of this wonderful masonry, and from that eminence surveyed -the matchless scenery of Watkin’s Glen. But the view is interrupted by -intervening precipices and densely wooded copses, so that to see the -amazing wonders and the bewildering beauties of this marvelously -diversified region a tour of its many attractions is necessary. To do -this requires a pair of strong legs and good breath, for the climbing is -severely taxing, though owing to the substantial and well protected -stairways is never dangerous. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - TERRACED FALLS, WATKINS GLEN, NEW YORK.—The most eloquent pen pauses - in its futile efforts to depict the marvels, and the wonders, and - the glories that are presented on every hand in Watkins Glen. In all - the varied scenery of the world there is nothing to be compared to - this, for here Nature seems to have done her utmost in fashioning - something new and novel in the line of her handiwork for the - admiration of mankind. At every footstep, for a distance of three - miles along the gorge which cleaves the earth to a depth of 300 - feet, some new wonder or marvelous creation is presented, each - seemingly more superb than its neighbors. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: WATKIN’S CASCADE FROZEN.] - -Passing through Glen Alpha, where the awful sublimity of a tremendous -chasm oppresses the visitor on first view, we caught sight of Twin -Falls, where the waters pour down in two great sluices and become wedded -in a swirling pool that pours out the overflow through a cañon whose -walls have been scarified by the teeth of centuries. Below the falls is -Whirlpool Gorge, an amphitheater that is striated and terraced into -forms so variable as to please every conceit and yet arouse amazement. -The stream dashes into this capricious auditorium at a maddening pace, -but encounters resistance in the curving walls, and is thus thrown into -a rapid, whirling movement like a maelstrom; and this rotary action of -the waters has worn the half-encircling walls into many singular, though -usually symmetrical shapes. - -Climbing out of Whirlpool Gorge and moving southward a short distance -along a railed ledge, we come in sight of Peek-a-boo Falls, a beautiful -sheet of water plunging over a precipice fifty feet high, and scattering -its spray along the walls that confine its descent, for the chasm is -very narrow here, and charming for its sylvan weirdness. The cliffs are -very pictures in stone, rising in tiers and carved into fantastic forms, -while the overhanging trees, graceful ferns and velvety mosses make the -place a bower in which fairies might delight to dwell. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: GIANT’S GORGE, IN CHATEAUGAY CHASM.] - -[Illustration: WHIRLPOOL GORGE, WATKINS GLEN.] - -These excellent photographs afford a splendid conception of the grandeur -of the scenery where these points are located. The winding chasm, the -rushing torrent, the glimmer of the sunlight above the tall cliffs, the -bold, serrated rocks—all these tell us of the splendors which Nature has -fashioned and deposited in this favored region. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: PORTLAND CASCADE, HAVANA GLEN.] - -Though both Watkins and Havana Glens are gems of nature in summer-time, -their rarest robes of beauty are worn in winter, when the Ice King takes -them in his embrace and bejewels them with crystals more exquisite than -ever graced a royal bride. For the winter views which are here presented -we are indebted to other photographers, as we are also for the frost -pictures of the Lake Superior coast, as our visit was made in the -summer-time. Examples of the sublime magnificence, the divine-like -embellishment of Watkin’s Glen, when the lips of winter have kissed the -noisy waterfalls into frozen silence, are seen in the illustrations of -Cavern Cascade, and Hector Falls, and Watkin’s Cascade, where the frost- -sprites and the little children of the snow hide beneath opalescent -icicles and light the lamp of joy in grottoes that open toward the -voiceless gorge. - -Further up the chasm, where the broken fronts of vertical walls begin, -is a quiet retreat known as the Council Chamber, spanned by a pretty -bridge that is hung upon opposite ledges and conducts to a passage that -runs along a shelf, then down a stairs to a path that leads from the -water’s edge to the town. The walls that enclose this strip of river are -exceedingly beautiful, built up as they are with thin layers, of a few -inches’ thickness, each strata being very distinct, and the face of the -cliffs wrought into lovely shapes, with a shelf here and there as if -inviting lovers to seek them for the delightful seclusion which they -offer. The glen is about three miles in length, and the walls frequently -three hundred feet in height, with enough variableness in the scenery to -make it a source of unwearying admiration. - -Three miles south of Watkin’s Glen, and properly a continuation, for -there is really a very brief interruption in the rugged character of the -valley, is Havana Glen, quite as famous as its adjacent brother. The -cliffs here are scarcely so vertical, but the general formation is -practically the same, and similar means are provided for viewing its -wonders to advantage. Bridal Veil Falls is Havana’s most alluring -object, and well do they repay the tourist for his visit. The water at -this point falls thirty feet down a very steep slope in a great column -that, contracted at the plunge, spreads as it flows over a succession of -terraces and dashes into the deep stream below with sullen roar. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - PEEK-A-BOO FALLS AND PICTURED CLEFT, WATKINS GLEN.—This romantic scene - is thus beautifully described: Climbing out of Whirlpool Gorge and - moving northward a short distance along a railed ledge, we come in - sight of Peek-a-Boo Falls, a beautiful sheet of water plunging over - a precipice fifty feet high, and scattering its spray along the - walls that confine its descent, for the chasm is very narrow here, - and charming for its sylvan weirdness. The cliffs are picturesque in - stone, rising in tiers and carved into fantastic forms, while the - overhanging trees, graceful ferns and velvety mosses make the place - a bower in which fairies might love to dwell. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: EAGLE FALLS, HAVANA GLEN.] - -Portland Cascade is another charming fall, but the chasm being wider at -this point and broken by many shelves, the water flows with less -turbulence, though the cascades are made more beautiful by spreading -into thin, veil-like sheets, so transparent that the wall behind them is -visible. A bridge is thrown across the leaping stream, from which a -glorious view is had of the chasm as it winds away towards the south, -while the copse which fringes the western edge constitutes a bower of -extraordinary loveliness. - -Eagle Falls, a hundred yards below the cascades, is, perhaps, the most -daintily exquisite object in all this vale of natural wonders, a very -poem of beauty and charming sequestration, where the brown cliffs sleep -to the lullaby of flowing waters, and the wild flowers listen to the -murmurs of the breeze. Stairs lead to the brink, under overarching trees -that provide a delightful nook, but a more entrancing view is obtainable -from the bottom of the charming dell into which the waters fall. There -is neither grandeur nor sublimity in the sight afforded, but a soft -witchery, a gentle soul-rapture that is kin to inspiration in the monody -of the stream as it pours over the ledge in a rhythm that is as musical -as April rain upon a cottager’s roof, and shimmers in its fall like a -lace curtain stirred by the wind. Eagle Falls is plainly a misnomer, for -the name suggests a thing of prey. The Nymphs’ Bath is more appropriate, -for here it would seem that all the little people of the water and the -wood might find what Titania and Diana longed for—a place of absolute -seclusion, “where the bright eyes of angels only might behold a paradise -so pure and lonely.” - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - COUNCIL CHAMBER, WATKINS GLEN, NEW YORK.—This is one of the most - imposing and impressive points of the Glen, and has been well named - the Council Chamber. The walls that enclose this strip of river are - exceedingly beautiful, built up as they are with thin layers, of a - few inches’ thickness, each stratum being very distinct, and the - face of the cliffs wrought into lovely shapes with shelving spaces - here and there as if inviting lovers to seek them for the delightful - seclusion which they offer. The chamber is spanned by a rustic - bridge that is hung upon opposite ledges, affording a safe passage- - way and a desirable point of view. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: GIANT FALLS, AUSABLE CHASM.] - -Having feasted our sight, and caught the spirit of inspiration that -haunts the romantic retreats of Havana Glen, we departed northward and -took a train on the Rome, Watertown and Ogdensburg Railroad for Clayton, -situated on the south bank of the St. Lawrence River, near where it -receives the flow from Ontario Lake. At this point steamer was taken for -a ride among the Thousand Islands to Ogdensburg, a trip more charming -than our remembrance of love’s first dream. This part of the river is -broken into many channels that meander through avenues worn in the -granite which confines its course. The Thousand Islands is no misnomer, -for they seem to be beyond number, scattered like a myriad of emeralds, -with deep water between, and yet so close together that they may almost -reach hands across the breach. Every islet is a dome of rock, ground -into symmetrical shape by glacial action long ago, then covered by a -sediment from the river sufficient to support a profuse vegetation. The -Canada pine is conspicuous, lifting its scraggy head to a great height, -and pointing its stout branches in every direction, a stately figure -among the brushwood that surrounds it. - -Many of the islands are only little green dots scarcely large enough for -a fairy’s bower, while others are of considerable size, occupied by -lovely villas, the resort of those wealthy enough to own beautiful -summer houses where the air is fragrant with sweetest odors, and the -gamest fish invite the enthusiastic angler. - -Departing from Ogdensburg, one of our party proceeded to Montreal, by -way of Ottawa, to photograph some Canada scenery in the vicinity of -those cities, while the other took train for Chateaugay, each mapping -out for himself the work to be done in the regions which he had chosen -to picture. Chateaugay is in the extreme northeastern part of New York -and about thirty miles from Lake Champlain. A river of the same name -flows by the place and through some scenery which is almost matchless in -marvelous grandeur, probably excelling in extraordinary cleavage that -found in Watkin’s and Havana Glens. Giant Gorge is one of the first -tremendous rents which we observe in the chasms of Chateaugay River, but -several other precipitously walled cañons occur between that point and -Chateaugay Lake, twenty miles below, where the Adirondack Mountain -region begins, with its wilderness of untamable savagery, as wild now as -when its rugged solitudes were first disturbed by an invading Indian -seeking the game that there abounded. This darksome haunt of nature is -cleft by the Saranac, Raquette, Boquet and Ausable Rivers, and in these -gloomy recesses whence the day is dispelled are the lake sources of the -noble Hudson. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - BRIDAL VEIL FALLS, HAVANA GLEN, NEW YORK.—Havana Glen is three miles - south of Watkins, and is properly a continuation of the latter. The - cliffs are scarcely so vertical, but the general formation is - practically the same, and similar means are provided for viewing its - wonders to advantage. Bridal Veil Falls are Havana’s chief - attraction, and they merit the distinction. The water at this point - falls thirty feet down a very steep slope, in a great column, which, - contracted at the plunge, spreads as it flows over a succession of - terraces until it dashes into the deep stream below with a sullen - roar. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: ELBOW FALLS, AUSABLE CHASM.] - -Crossing over to Lake Champlain, we took a Delaware and Hudson Railroad -train at Plattsburgh and rode down to Port Kent and thence visited -Ausable Chasm near-by. Indian Pass is also in the same vicinity. The -scenery is a repetition of that in Watkin’s Glen, with the added -interest of a more considerable stream, upon which boating is a royal -pleasure. The freshness which description by another writer may furnish -is my excuse for introducing the following from the pen of Alfred B. -Street: - -“At North Elba we crossed a bridge where the Ausable comes winding down, -and then followed its banks to the northeast, with thick woods -continually around us, and the little river shooting darts of light at -us through the leaves. At length, a broad summit, rising to a taller -one, broke above the foliage at our right, and at the same time a -gigantic mass of rock and forest saluted us, and we stood before the -giant portals of the Notch. As we entered, the pass suddenly shrank, -pressing the river into a deep and narrow stream. It was a chasm cloven -boldly through White-Face, so that on each side towered the mountain -escarpment; on the left, the range rose in still sublimer altitude, with -grand precipices, like a majestic wall or a line of palisades, climbing -sheer from the half-way forest upward. The crowded rows of pines along -the broken and wavy crest were diminished to a mere fringe. As we rowed -slowly through the still narrowing gorge, the mountains soared higher -and higher, as if to scale the clouds, presenting truly a terrific -aspect. I shrank within myself, and appeared to dwindle beneath it. -Something akin to dread pervaded the scene. The mountains appeared to be -knitting their brows into threatening frowns at our daring intrusion -into the solitudes. Nothing seemed native to the awful landscape but the -plunge of the torrent and the scream of the eagle. Below, at our left, -the dark Ausable dashed onward with hoarse, foreboding murmurs, in -harmony with the loneliness and wildness of the spot.” - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - VIEW OF THE THOUSAND ISLANDS IN ST. LAWRENCE RIVER.—The Thousand - Islands is no misnomer, for they seem to be beyond number, scattered - like myriads of emeralds, with deep water between, and yet so close - together that they almost clasp hands across the dashing channel. - Every islet is a dome of rocks, ground into symmetrical shape by - glacial action long ago, then covered by a sediment from the river - sufficient to support a profuse vegetation. Many wealthy persons - have purchased possessions in these picturesque islands, upon which - they have erected stately and imposing summer residences, some of - them rivaling in splendor the ancient palaces of Venice. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: THE SUMMIT OF WHITE-FACE MOUNTAIN.] - -From the top of Mount Marcy, overlooking Indian Pass, the view is -inspiring in its expansive and tumultuous grandeur. Towards the -southeast gleams the white crest of Boreas Mountain, and rising beyond -is the leaning tower-like peak of the Dial, which pays its obeisance to -Dix’s Peak, that from afar exhibits the form of a crouching lion. -“Thence stagger the wild, savage and splintered tops of Gothic Mountain, -at the Lower Ausable Pond, linking themselves on the east with the Noon- -Mark and Roger’s Mountains, that watch over Keene’s Valley. To the -northeast rise the Edmonds Pond Summits—the mountain-picture closed by -the sharp crest of Old White-Face, the stately outpost of the -Adirondacks.” - -A trip through Ausable Chasm is one of unspeakable delight and -enrapturing surprises. Just above the point where the chasm begins there -is an old mill, once run by a wheel driven by a sluice connected with -the river, but steam has superseded this natural power and detracted -somewhat from the interest which would otherwise invest the place. The -dam is still there, however, and over its brink the water flows in -softest measures, to strike the rocky shelves below, where it boils and -brawls in confused dismemberment until joined again in an unbroken -stream. The banks rise rapidly, while the river draws deeper into its -bed, until presently making a leap at Giant Falls it plunges into a -great gorge whose walls have been eaten by the floods and ice of -centuries. But it is by a succession of falls and cataracts that the -stream reaches its greatest depression, which is known as the Grand -Flume. Elbow Falls scarcely deserve to be dignified by so large a title, -as they are rapids rather than falls; but for beauty they are almost -incomparable, and afford an opportunity for the painter’s brush as great -as may be found anywhere in the Adirondacks. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - AUSABLE RIVER, NEAR THE HEAD OF THE CHASM.—The old mill reproduced in - this photograph was at first supplied with motive power by one of - those old-fashioned, picturesque water-wheels, which, however, has - given place to the more energetic and less artistic steam engine. - The dam, originally built upon the rapids, is still there, however, - and over its brink the water flows in softest measures, falling upon - the rocky shelves below, where it boils and broils in confused - dismemberment until joined again in an unruffled stream a few yards - below. This point is just above where the royal chasm begins. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: KAATERSKILL FALLS, CATSKILL MOUNTAINS.] - -[Illustration: AUSABLE CHASM, BELOW THE OVEN.] - -A trip through Ausable Chasm is one of enrapturing pleasures and -unspeakable delights. Every step and turn brings some new and surprising -wonder into view. The banks rise rapidly until they tower into immense -cliffs, between whose crenellated jaws the rays of the sun can penetrate -only when it is near the meridian. The stream reaches its greatest -depression by a succession of cataracts and falls of the most admirable -and diversified character, embracing nearly every phase of the -picturesque and beautiful in this class of scenery. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - GRAND FLUME IN AUSABLE CHASM.—It is difficult to describe so grand and - splendid a scene as this. The Grand Flume is the most admirable part - of Ausable Chasm, the most picturesque section of this wonderful - river, sublime in its grandeur, yet idyllic in its poetic and dreamy - beauty. Here the Oreads might have sported while Diana pursued the - untamed deer that have for ages made their favorite pastures in - these mountain fastnesses and green valleys, where the grasses grow - with ever-increasing luxuriousness each succeeding summer. Lovers of - the grandly beautiful in nature can find no more desirable resort - than Ausable Chasm. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: BOGG’S RIVER FALLS, ADIRONDACKS.] - -The chasm rapidly deepens and narrows below Elbow Falls, and becomes a -wild gorge of intricate mightiness at a point called the Oven. The walls -are lifted so high above the stream, with their crenated fronts -exhibiting so many quaintly distorted and terribly jagged projections -that the effect is most bewildering, while in places they are opposed -with only a few feet between, giving to the passage the oppression of a -prison. Hell Gate is not inappropriately named, because it is in a way -begirt with difficulties that render boating dangerous. The river is -here greatly compressed, but the channel is not sufficiently deep to -hide the sharp-pointed rocks that split the stream and convert it into a -rapid, but by means of stairs this interrupted water-way may be passed, -and below are boats in which the pleasant passage may be continued -through Grand Flume. This is the loveliest part of the chasm, the most -picturesque section of this wonderful river, sublime in its grandeur, -yet idyllic in its poetic and dreamy beauty, where the Oreads might have -sported while Diana pursued the deer that have for ages made these -mountain fastnesses their favorite haunts, for - - “Here were her orchards, walled on every side, - To lawless sylvans all access denied.” - -From Ausable station, which may be reached by rail, a road leads -southward through Ausable Forks, by White-Face Mountain, and thence into -the very heart of the Adirondacks. This remarkable tract lies -principally between Lakes Champlain and George, and covers an area of -nearly 5,000 square miles, with one arm reaching northward to the St. -Lawrence and another southward as far as Saratoga. Within this district -there are said to be no less than 500 mountain peaks, several of which -are 5,000 feet high, measured above the sea level, and as many as 1,000 -lakes. Owing to the ruggedness of the country, its dense forests, -numerous water-ways and prodigious chasms, the region was a -comparatively unexplored wilderness forty years ago, and until its vast -lumber interest attracted the attention of capitalists. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: MOUNT MORRIS, FROM TUPPER LAKE, ADIRONDACKS.] - -[Illustration: BUTTERMILK FALLS, ADIRONDACKS.] - -Those who visit the Adirondacks in search of the wildest beauties of -nature will not make the trip in vain. Within this district there are -said to be no less than 1000 lakes, and 500 mountain peaks, several of -which rise to the height of 5000 feet. It is the Switzerland of America, -in the same degree that America is greater and grander in all respects -than any of the countries of the Old World. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: ADIRONDACK LODGE AND CLEAR LAKE.] - -Some of the loftiest peaks are Mounts Morris, Marcy, White-Face, Seward, -Pharoah, Dix and Snowy Mountain, and of the lakes there are Tupper, -Saranac, Long, Avalanche, Clear, Henderson, Raquette, Newcomb, Pleasant, -and many others scarcely less in size and famous for the game-fish that -swarm in their transparent waters. As a hunting-ground the Great North -Wilderness, as it is often called, is probably the best now to be found -anywhere in the United States, abounding as it does in deer, bear, -panther, wolf, wolverene, and immense numbers of smaller game, so that -whether lost or found, a man with a loaded gun need never go hungry in -the Adirondacks. - -It is not surprising that a region noted for its mountains, lakes and -dense forests, should abound with features magnificently picturesque; -and those who visit the Adirondacks in search of the wildest beauties of -nature will not make the trip in vain. It is the Switzerland of America, -equaling the best scenery of that country, and exceeding it in some -respects, notably its intricate chain of lakes, its flaming chasms, and -the solitudes of its deep wildernesses, so tangled and intricate that -more than two-thirds remain yet to be explored. Night in these -fastnesses is inexpressibly doleful and at times fearful. The Black -Forest of Germany is not nearly so lonely, nor is the Brocken so ominous -with its colossal specter as the mountain summits of the Adirondacks, -clothed with evergreens and groves of birch, maple, beech, ash and -cedar, in which the bear, wolf and wild-cat have their lairs. In these -wild seclusions, the recesses of dark valleys and the dreary isolation -of soaring peaks, darkness is enthroned and veiled by shadows, amid -which savage animals and dusky night-birds hold their carnivals. The -catamount sets up a chilling wail that brings response from the deep- -voiced loon that keeps his lonely watch on a lake far below; then across -a stretch of deep wood falls the hooting echo of a solemn owl, whose -complainings excite condolement of whip-poor-will and katydid, and the -chorus thus begun is taken up and joined in by a thousand whimpering, -screeching, strident and wailing things that make the lonesome forest -their assembling place. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - WEST POINT FROM EAGLE’S NEST.—This view of West Point, as all who are - familiar with the scene will readily perceive, is taken from the - opposite side of the Hudson River. It is historic ground, close to - the place where Arnold lived and plotted his treason; where - Washington passed so often to and fro during the times that sorely - tried men’s souls; and in the immediate vicinity of many other - incidents that brighten the pages of our country’s history with the - glory of their renown. West Point and the picturesque region around - it must forever hold a high place in the esteem and love of the - American people, both for their historic associations and artistic - beauty. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: RAINBOW FALLS IN WINTER, ADIRONDACKS.] - -But when the sun is above the mountains and setting the landscape aglow -with cheerful beams, these same fastnesses are a realm of romantic -delight, for every peak is reflected in some lovely lake, while -waterfalls appear to be pouring out of the sky and go chasing down the -verdant slopes playing high-spy among the coverts and making the woods -musical with their laughter. Near Ausable Ponds, guarded by Mount Marcy, -are the beautiful Rainbow Falls, a very flood of opals, so iridescent -does it appear when its waters catch the sunbeams. And near Tupper Lake -are the Bogg’s River Falls, or cascades, that make the surrounding -forest resound with their roaring, for they discharge an immense flood -over a rock-infested course, and swell into a river a mile below. - -Near the western margin of the Adirondacks is Long Lake, narrow as a -river and many miles in length, but so still and crystalline that the -lordly lake-trout may be seen sporting in its deepest water, as if -challenging an angler. Its outlet is by way of a stream that flows by -Owl’s Head and into Forked Lake. Between these points is Buttermilk -Falls, stately and impetuous, but symmetrical and rhythmic, as it -courses over gentle terraces and drops, step by step, into the rapids -which crowd from shore to shore and keep the stream in a state of -constant agitation. - -Northeast of Buttermilk Falls is Adirondack station, on Henderson Lake, -which is the central point of this whole mountain region, and a place -where tourists are usually found in large numbers. Near the north end of -the lake is Wall-Face Mountain, commanding an extensive view, and midway -is Indian Pass, which is a tremendous chasm through what is known as the -Dismal Wilderness. Notwithstanding the large number of visitors who -annually summer in the vicinity, so dense is the forest and jungle- -growth that surrounds the Pass, and so inaccessible the deepest portions -of the gorge, that very few explorers have succeeded in making their way -through it, and no one is sufficiently familiar with the region to act -as a competent guide. It has been ascertained, however, that within the -Pass, which is intersected by several streams, are springs which are the -source of Ausable River, which, emptying into Champlain, finds an outlet -into the Atlantic by way of the St. Lawrence, and also of the Hudson, -whose drainage is in the opposite direction; and yet so close are these -springs that it is possible to drink from each without shifting one’s -position. In this vicinity is Gill Brook, which is picturesquely broken -by Surprise Falls, composed of a succession of sharp leaps over -limestone ledges, but so narrow that the forest trees form a perfect -canopy above, excluding a sight of both river and falls until the -visitor approaches within a few feet of the stream. But the entire -region so abounds with lakes, mountains, gorges, waterfalls and -cataracts that to describe all its attractions would be wearisome -iteration, for there is an unavoidable sameness in the pen-pictures of -scenery, however variable in character. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - THE HUDSON NARROWS, NEAR PEEKSKILL.—In the whole world we do not - believe there is another river which shows such a diversity of - splendid scenery as the Hudson. There is hardly a point or bend in - the river that does not present a view worthy of an artist’s - enthusiasm. Commencing high up near its source in the Adirondack - Mountains, where it is broken into many beautiful rapids and - waterfalls, and continuing on down past Troy, Albany, the Catskills, - famous in legend, poem and story, to the celebrated Highlands, there - is a constant succession of splendid and ever-varying scenery, - unsurpassed by any other water-course in the world. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: SURPRISE FALLS AND GILL BROOK, IN THE ADIRONDACKS.] - -[Illustration: BRIDGE OVER GLEN’S FALLS, NEW YORK.] - -Having made a tour of the Adirondacks, and taken many photographs of the -superb scenery which distinguishes it, we took train at Saranac Lake -station, the southern terminus of the Chateaugay Railroad, and returned -to Plattsburgh. From that point we proceeded south by the Delaware and -Hudson Railroad, along the west shore of Champlain, by Ticonderoga, and -thence to Glen’s Falls, to obtain a picture of the Hudson where it pours -over rocky ledges in great volume and is converted into a terrible -cataract that is worth many miles of travel to see. Our way was then -continued southward to Albany, and thence into the Catskills, which -begin about one hundred miles south of the Adirondacks. These mountains -are unlike any others in America, in that while every other range -possesses peaks with jagged points, generally of stones tumbled in -confusion, the Catskills have gracefully rounded summits, which, though -sometimes rising to a height of four thousand feet, yet exhibit few -effects of aberrant forces; nor are they covered with huge rocks, such -as characterize all other ranges. The scenery, therefore, while grand, -is very tame as compared with the Adirondacks, and but for the fine -drive-ways through the valleys and over their crowns, would be -monotonous. But this sameness is occasionally diversified, and the -visitor is led on to expect more beauties than he really finds. The one -attractive and justly famous feature of this mountain region is -Kaaterskill Falls. These are reached by the Catskill Mountain Railroad -from Catskill, on the Hudson, stopping at Mountain House station, from -which eminence, 2,250 feet above the river, an extensive view may be -had, taking in Albany, the Hudson Highlands, Berkshire Hills and the -Green Mountains. It is even said that by means of a good glass on a -clear day portions of Massachusetts, Connecticut and New Jersey may be -descried, but during our visit the atmospheric conditions were -unfavorable. Two miles from the Mountain House, and reached by a -beautiful road, are the celebrated Kaaterskill Falls, at the head of -which is located the Laurel House, from which a fine view of Round Top -and High Peak may be had, as well as of the falls themselves. But the -best sight is obtained by descending a spiral stairway into the gorge -below and looking upward. The falls are formed by the overflow of North -and South Lake, which pours through a double cleft and descends in two -cascades, the first having a drop of 180 feet, and the second eighty -feet; but a short distance below there is another fall, known as the -Bastion, which has a further descent of forty feet. Beautiful as they -are, candor compels the statement, however disparaging it may appear, -that the falls are remittent, and that people may visit them without -seeing any such display of waters as we have described. The supply being -limited, a dam has been constructed across the verge of the cliff, and -is opened only on special and rare occasions, when the number of -incredulous summer visitors is great enough to make it necessary to turn -on the water, to show that the falls are still active. There is some -very pretty scenery in the region of Kaaterskill Clove, notably Hains’ -Falls, Fawn-Leap Falls and High Rocks, but a fee is charged at every -point of interest, and the visitor is so harrowed by the showmen of -nature that he is in no disposition to appreciate the view which he pays -to see, and is almost certain to leave the Catskills with a bad -impression—even worse than the mountains deserve. It was with such -feelings that we set out by rail for Kingston, and there took boat down -the Hudson River for New York, but stopped for a while at West Point en -route. - -[Illustration: LOOKING NORTH FROM WEST POINT, NEW YORK.] - -The scenery about West Point is of almost matchless grandeur, and every -consideration is present to confirm the wisdom of the Congress of 1812 -in establishing a military training-school at this point. The fort on -the river-shore is in a position to command the approaches north and -south, while at the foot of the highlands is a level stretch, as though -prepared by nature for a Champ des Mars, or parade-ground. The hills -rise abruptly from the rear of the training-plaza, and from their -summits an inspiring view is to be had. Sweeping the horizon, we clearly -discern the Break-Neck, Crow’s Nest, and Storm King Mountains, with blue -valleys stretching away between, and the majestic Hudson washing the -feet of these and many other noble hills. The academy, besides being -scenically and advantageously situated, is in a very realm of romance, -around which cluster many memories of the greatest writers of fiction -that our country has the honor of claiming. It was the Crow’s Nest that -gave the inspiration to Joseph Rodman Drake for his exquisite poem -entitled the “Culprit Fay,” so charmingly realistic that the fairies of -his verse still exist in fancy, just as the mountain spirits who tricked -Rip Van Winkle still haunt the deep forests of the Catskills and play at -nine-pins on the peak that overlooks the faded village of Falling Water. -Near Cold Spring, which is in this same historic land, was “Undercliff,” -the home of George P. Morris, and where he wrote that patriotic and -moving tribute to a sheltering tree, the figure of our American Union, -“Woodman, Spare that Tree.” So was “Idlewild,” the villa of N. P. -Willis, close-by, and hereabout also Washington Irving spent much of his -time gathering traditions from descendants of the old Dutch colonists -for his imperishable “Sketch Book” tales. But history as indelibly fixes -West Point in the minds of Americans as the stories of famous fiction- -writers, for the site of the training-school was, in Revolutionary -times, occupied by Fort Putnam, erected under the direction of -Kosciuszko; and it was at West Point that Benedict Arnold consummated -his traitorous deal with Major Andre, to deliver that post into the -hands of the British. On the opposite shore is the mouth of a pretty -stream called the Mooda, but which in earlier times was known as -Murderer’s Creek, on account of the slaughter by a band of lurking -savages of eight soldiers who were sent with buckets to fetch water for -the camp near-by. A little way below is Milton’s Ferry, a spot famous as -the place of residence of a patriot blacksmith who made the great chain -that stretched across the river at old Fort Montgomery, to prevent the -passage of British ships. For this service he was taken captive shortly -after and kept in close confinement on an English ship until his death. -Newburgh is also only a few miles away, smiling benignly from terraced -banks upon the river below; and conspicuous among its old houses is one -in which Washington had his headquarters in 1780, and which is changed -but little in appearance since he occupied it. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - BREAK-NECK HILL, ON THE HUDSON RIVER, NEW YORK.—Break-Neck Hill is on - the east side of the Hudson, north of West Point, and is a - continuation of the Highlands. It is 1220 feet high, and one of the - most commanding features of the splendid scenery of this region. Its - rock-ribbed and serrated sides present a scene of imposing grandeur - as they are observed from the decks of passing steamers; and in the - summer season, when the sloping sides, from the water’s edge to the - summit, are clothed in emerald green, with the gray rocks peeping - out here and there, disclosing shaded nooks and sylvan glades where - the birds sing and the squirrels play and frolic, the scene is - inspiring enough to arouse the enthusiasm of a stoic. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: TROPHY GARDEN, WEST POINT.] - -It is below West Point that the principal places of scenic and historic -interest occur, and these crowd rapidly upon one another until Yonkers -is reached. At the base of Sugar-Loaf Mountain is a bluffy projection -upon which Fort Independence, of Revolutionary times, was built, and -near-by is Buttermilk Falls, that runs down a succession of sharp ledges -one hundred feet. Anthony’s Nose is on the right, rising to a height of -nine hundred feet, and overlooking beautiful Ionia Island, that seems to -swim upon the glassy surface of the river, like the halcyon isle of -fable; but on close approach its three hundred acres are found to be -covered with vineyards and its shaded margins the favorite gathering- -place of merry picnickers. - -The Highlands come next in view, of which Dunderberg Mountain, eleven -hundred feet high, is the most prominent object; and then appears -Peekskill, the prettiest town in eastern New York. Near this place is -Caldwell’s Landing, distinguished as being the immediate vicinity of -Captain Kidd’s buried treasure, which hundreds have searched for with -great energy and at immense expense, but without reward. Remains of -Revolutionary forts are seen at Verplanck and Stony Point, and below -these the Croton River discharges into the Hudson. Sing Sing and Nyack -are passed in order, between which the shores are occupied with charming -villas, and the landscape here is very picturesque. But it is at -Tarrytown that visitors find most to interest them, both for the scenic -beauty of the neighborhood and the historic prominence which attaches to -the place. Here it was that Major Andre was arrested, the identical spot -being marked by an inscription in the village records. The spirit of -Washington Irving seems to pervade the locality, for it was in this -vicinage that the creatures of his exquisite fancy held their lively -revels. Sleepy Hollow is near-by, and the old bridge over which Ichabod -Crane so furiously rode in his flight from a headless specter is still -shown to visitors as a proof of that legendary race. The Christ Church -which Irving attended in Tarrytown has not been suffered to lapse into -decay, and the cemetery adjoining the old Dutch church, in which his -remains find rest, shows the reverend respect with which his memory is -treasured by the villagers, for it is well tended. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - STORM-KING MOUNTAIN, HUDSON RIVER.—Storm-King is above West Point and - on the same side of the river. It soars to a height of 1529 feet, - commanding from its lofty summit a magnificent view of what is - perhaps the finest scenic region of the world. At its feet reposes - the lovely vale of Tempe, a modest stretch of green meadow-land - covered with gardens and rustic homes, where the weary merchant and - the harassed broker may find relief from the turmoil and the busy - rush of city life. Since our photograph was taken an immense - cantilever bridge has been thrown across the river at this point, - which, while it is a splendid and beautiful example of modern - engineering, is nevertheless an impediment to the artistic features - of the scenery. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: LONG GALLERY, AUSABLE CHASM.] - -“Wolfert’s Roost,” or Sunnyside, Irving’s villa, is a few miles below, -just within the edge of Irvington, on the river, but it is hidden from -view by the ivy that clambers in profusion over its walls, and the dense -shrubbery that has been allowed to occupy all the ground in the front- -yard. - -The old town of Tappan is a short distance from Sunnyside, and is -memorable as being Washington’s headquarters and likewise as the place -of Major Andre’s imprisonment and execution. A monument erected by Cyrus -Field marks the spot where the gallows stood on which that English -officer perished. The Palisades next come into view, and on the west -side is Locust Hill, which was the place where the American encampment -was established in 1781, along the eminences of the Palisades which gave -a commanding position to the troops guarding against invasion of the -British up the river. Yonkers, Spuyten Duyvil, and Mount St. Vincent are -next passed, and the city of New York then looms up, with its wharves -lined with vessels, whose numerous masts make the shores look from a -distance like a forest of pines denuded of their branches. Here we -tarried to await the coming of our two photographers. - -In the meantime, however, there were no idle moments, for the work of -developing the photographs which we had taken was now prosecuted with -great energy, and the finished pictures were sent on as fast as made to -our photo-engravers for reproduction. Fortunately, too, we had so -accurately timed the work which each had undertaken that there was only -a few days’ detention in New York; little more, in fact, than was -necessary to complete arrangements for our tour of the South, now to be -described. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: WINTER IN FLORIDA.] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - CHAPTER XI. - A PICTORIAL TOUR OF THE EASTERN STATES. - - -[Illustration: WINOOSKI RIVER GORGE, VERMONT.] - -As explained in the preceding chapter, one of our photographers was -despatched into Canada from Ogdensburg, and instructed to take views of -the most pleasing scenery of the Dominion, after which to make a tour of -the Eastern States and join the others at New York upon the completion -of his labors in that section. While Canada is not a part of the United -States, its contiguous scenery, some of which is very beautiful, and the -intimate relations subsisting between the two countries justify this -brief departure from our original design, particularly as the most -direct route from the West to Northern New Hampshire and Vermont, is -through the southern part of Canada, where the most interesting and -accessible scenery is found. Crossing the St. Lawrence at Ogdensburg to -Prescott, our artist proceeded to Ottawa, fifty-four miles distant, by -the Canadian Pacific Railroad, for the purpose of taking views of -Chaudiere Falls, which are famous alike for their size and grandeur. The -city of Ottawa extends for a distance of two miles along Ottawa River, -and is one of the most picturesque sites in Ontario, located as it is on -the banks of a beautiful stream, and in the center of a region that is -famous for its charming scenery. The Rideau River debouches into the -Ottawa at Chaudiere (Caldron) Falls, and its bluffy shores, 160 feet -high, are ornate with splendid buildings. The Rideau Canal, which skirts -the east side of Parliament Hill, separates the higher from the lower -town, and south of this point is the vast lumber interests, manifested -by the large number of saw-mills operated principally by power derived -from the falls. But it is about Chaudiere Falls that chief attraction -clusters, particularly of visitors, for a more entrancing sight can -hardly be found in any part of North America. Ottawa River is a stream -of considerable magnitude, both in width and depth, but at the point -where the falls appear it is contracted to a width of 200 feet and then -plunges over a precipice forty feet high, at the mouth of Rideau River. -But the verge of the ledge is so ragged and curved that the stream is -broken, and pours down in a swirling motion, which forms a very -charybdis below, into which it is dangerous for crafts to enter. The -volume discharged is almost as great as that of Niagara, and the power -displayed is wonderful to behold. Beautiful, grand and amazing as they -are in summer, it is during winter that the sublime magnificence of the -falls is impressed upon the visitor. Several views, from different -points of observation, were taken by our photographer, but these were -rejected to give place to the winter scene here presented, since it -affords a more perfect idea of the falls in their glory, when the Ice -King has frozen them into a vision of superlative splendor. - -Three hundred miles northeast of Ottawa, Montreal River, a small but -noisy stream that is the outlet of a chain of lakes far up in the -British possessions, flows into the Ottawa River, and twenty miles above -its mouth are Montreal Rapids, a picture of which was obtained from a -local photographer at Ottawa, and is here reproduced as affording an -idea of the scenery in that great northern and almost unexplored region. - -[Illustration: TOBOGGAN SLIDE AT MONTREAL.] - -From Ottawa the trip was continued by boat one hundred miles to -Montreal. This route affords a view of Lake St. Louis, Nun’s Island, and -Lachine Rapids, the most dangerous part of St. Lawrence River, yet it is -every day traversed by pleasure steamers, of which a traveler has thus -graphically written: “In the descent of these rapids we are wrought to a -feverish degree of excitement, exceeding that produced in the passage of -the Long Sault. It is an intense sensation, and though perfectly safe, -is terrible to the faint-hearted, exhilarating to the brave. Opposite -Lachine is the quaint Indian village of Caughnawago, where still reside -descendants of the once-powerful Iroquois Nation. The immense steel -bridge spanning the St. Lawrence at this point is justly considered one -of the engineering triumphs of the century. It was built by the Canadian -Pacific Railway, is about a mile long, with two channel spans of 408 -feet, and lofty enough to allow free passage to the largest steamers. -From this bridge a fine view is obtained of the rapids, villages on -either shore, loftiest structures in Montreal, and the distant -mountains.” - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - CHAUDIERE FALLS, NEAR OTTAWA, CANADA, IN WINTER.—These celebrated - falls are at the junction of the Rideau and Ottawa Rivers, in the - immediate vicinity of the city of Ottawa. The volume of water as it - thunders over swirling precipice is almost as great as that of - Niagara, and the power displayed is wonderful to behold. Beautiful, - grand and amazing as these falls are in summer, it is during the - winter that their sublimest magnificence is impressed upon the - visitor, when the Ice King has frozen them into a vision of - ravishing splendor. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: MONTMORENCI FALLS, NEAR QUEBEC.] - -Montreal is the metropolis of Canada, having a population of about -220,000, and being at the head of ship navigation, has improved its -advantages and become the chief commercial port of the Dominion. The -name is derived from Mount Royal, which rises 700 feet above the river, -the eminence which Jacques Cartier ascended in 1535, and looked with -startled eyes upon the palisaded Indian town of Hochelaga, surrounded by -vast fields of grain, at the west base of the mountain. Sixty years -later, when Samuel de Champlain made his way up the St. Lawrence and -climbed to the summit of Mount Royal, he looked in vain for the town -which Cartier had discovered and described. Only two of the native -Indians of Hochelaga were found, from whom was learned the tragic -history of the place, the inhabitants of which had been exterminated and -the town destroyed by a rival tribe. - -Montreal is situated on an island of the same name, and the eminences -about it were so important as vantage-places that during the French and -Indian wars (in 1665), the mount was fortified by the French, and in -1722 a citadel was erected on a height now laid out as Dalhousie Square. -In its early history, therefore, the city was the scene of many -incidents of Indian warfare, and was on disputed ground until the -surrender of Quebec, in 1759, when the English gained permanent -possession of the place. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - REPRESENTATIONS OF WINTER CARNIVAL SCENES AT MONTREAL.—Winter is the - carnival season at Montreal, and for some years the city has been - specially distinguished by the brilliant fêtes which her leading - citizens have provided, notably that of 1888. On this occasion there - were many scenes of extraordinary splendor, exceeding, in the - magnificent sights afforded, the carnivals that take place on the - frozen waters of the Neva River, before the Russian capital of St. - Petersburg, famous alike in song and story. The great ice palace was - a most exquisite imitation of mediæval architecture, rivaling in its - imposing and charming appearance the finest castles of the Old - World. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: ST. ANNE FALLS, NEAR QUEBEC.] - -The scenery in the neighborhood of Montreal is pleasant, but not -particularly attractive; yet the severity of the weather and the long -reaches of graceful hills thereabout afford opportunity for the most -enjoyable winter sports. Tobogganing is a favorite pastime in season, -and the most charming scenes imaginable may be witnessed by a visit to -the west side slide when a heavy snow has prepared the ground for the -host of red-cheeked merry-makers, who flock there by thousands with -their toboggans, and fly down the hill in long lines of variegated -color. Winter is the carnival season, and for some years Montreal has -been specially distinguished by the brilliant fetes which her leading -citizens have provided notably that of 1888. On this occasion the city -was a scene of extraordinary splendor, exceeding, in the magnificent -sights afforded, the carnivals that take place on the frozen waters of -the Neva River, before the Russian capital of St. Petersburg, famous -alike in song and story. The great ice-palace, of which an illustration -is here given, was a most exquisite imitation of mediæval architecture, -rivaling in its imposing and charming appearance the finest castles of -the old world. When illuminated by thousands of lights, the palace -presented a scene which must ever remain fadeless in the memory of those -who witnessed it. But to increase the beautiful effect, the city’s -population turned out in the gayest of winter attire, filling the -spacious ball-room of the palace with a marvelous display of color in -graceful evolution, while outside the gay revelers sported as jolly -maskers and filled the air with songs of glee. A similar carnival was -held at St. Paul in 1889, and an ice-palace of equal proportions was -constructed in honor of the Frost King, with grand illuminations and -display of fire-works at night, as illustrated in a previous chapter, -but no fete ever given on the western continent is believed to have been -so magnificent as that of Montreal in 1888. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - SCENERY ALONG THE LINE OF THE CANADIAN PACIFIC RAILWAY.—The finest - scenery along the line of this railway is to be found in the distant - Northwest, where it passes over the Rocky Mountain range; but in - many other places there are views both splendid and imposing. The - lakes and the mountains photographed in this page belong to the - Rocky Mountain region, and they are part of a series of views that - would do credit to the most famous scenic regions of the world. They - are in the midst of perpetual snow and vast glaciers, where all the - wonders of the Swiss Alps are reproduced on a gigantic scale. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: WINOOSKI FALLS, VERMONT.] - -From Montreal the journey was continued over the Canadian Pacific -Railroad to Quebec, distant one hundred and thirty-five miles, and along -the north shore of the St. Lawrence, in sight of that river most of the -way, so that the view is a very attractive one. Quebec, the third -largest city in the Dominion of Canada, with a population of 70,000, has -much to recommend it, both commercially and scenically, for it is the -center of vast lumber and mining interests, the head of navigation for -the largest steamers of the line, and is advantageously located on a -headland commanding the St. Lawrence. A large part of the city lies -under what is known as Cape Diamond Promontory, upon the summit, of -which, 350 feet above the river, is the Citadel, a fortification so -nearly impregnable that Quebec has been called the American Gibraltar, a -designation more deserved because of the many attacks which its -garrisons have repulsed. The Plains of Abraham are southwest of the -suburb of St. Louis, and from that eminence a wide and truly magnificent -view is obtained, extending to the Green Mountains on the south and the -Laurentian Range on the north, with glimpses of numerous rivers and -lakes between. - -The entire province of Quebec is remarkably well watered and timbered, -with sections of forests so dense that much of it still remains to be -explored. Eight miles from the city are the famous Montmorenci Falls, -which have a leap over natural steps of 250 feet and pour down an -immense volume, whose roaring may be heard on calm days for a distance -of many miles. Near the falls is a hotel called the Haldimand House, -which was once the residence of Queen Victoria’s father, the Duke of -Kent. Sixty miles north, and reached by the Quebec and Lake St. John -Railroad, is Lake St. John, a large and pellucid body of water whose -outlet is the Saguenay River, and one of the most wonderful streams on -earth. Bayard Taylor says of it: “It is not properly a river, but a -tremendous chasm, like that of the Jordan Valley and the Dead Sea, cleft -for sixty miles through the heart of a mountainous wilderness. -Everything about it is hard, naked, stern, silent. Dark-grey cliffs of -granite gneiss rise from the pitch-black water; firs of gloomy green are -rooted in their crevices and fringe their summits; loftier ranges of a -dull indigo hue show themselves in the background, and over all bends a -pale, cold, northern sky.” - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - A SYLVAN STREAM IN VERMONT.—Vermont is rich in scenery as well as - historic and classic associations. The Green Mountains, extending - through the entire State from north to south, with their many spurs - and outlying peaks, and the numerous lakes and small streams in the - intervening valleys, afford a variety of scenery of the most - pleasing and picturesque character. There is a wealth of splendid - views along the Winooski River, whose source is in the spurs of the - Green Mountains, whence it flows northwestwardly, cleaving the range - near its junction with the Waterbury River, and then speeds through - a wild gorge until it empties into Lake Champlain a few miles - distant. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: PEACOCK FALLS, GREEN MOUNTAINS.] - -The Saguenay is sometimes called the River of Death, on account of its -sombre waters and the deep gorge through which it sluggishly moves. Its -depth is also remarkable, ranging from 100 to 1000 feet, and along its -course are several pretty falls, where the stream suddenly contracts, -and rapids where it expands and the occasional shoals appear. The -country about Quebec is pleasingly diversified, and abounding with -forests and lakes is a very paradise for hunters and fishers, as well as -affording views worthy of the artist’s best efforts. Some ten miles -above the city, and forming an outlet for Lake Megantic, on the south -side of the St. Lawrence, is Chaudiere, or Boiling River, an impetuous, -but noble stream, whose erratic course is interrupted by Chaudiere -Falls, where the river takes a plunge over a precipice 125 feet high and -350 feet wide. Having expended its vigor in this violent exercise, the -river flows on thenceforth in a subdued and gentle manner, in remarkable -contrast with the character which it displays above the falls. - -Other famous falls in the vicinity of Quebec are those of the Scuzzie, -near North Bend, and St. Anne Falls, on the north shore of the St. -Lawrence, twenty miles below the city, where the river St. Anne, a small -confluent of that stream, breaks over a brink one hundred feet high, and -pours through crevices worn in the Laurentian rocks in a succession of -cascades of great beauty. While the scenery of Southern Canada is very -charming, it is the boundary outposts of very much more magnificent -landscapes towards the south, and it was towards the mountainous -districts of Vermont and New Hampshire that our artist bent his way -after concluding a tour of the vicinity of Quebec. The journey was, -therefore, by way of the Grand Trunk and Vermont Central Railroad into -the heart of Green Mountains. This route took our photographer by the -Enosburgh Falls, St. Albans and Essex Junction, from which latter place -a detour was made down the famous Winooski River to embalm some of the -remarkable scenery along that stream. Its source is in the spurs of -Green Mountains, whence it flows northwestwardly, cleaving the range -near its junction with Waterbury River, and then speeds through a chasm -until it empties into Lake Champlain. This wild gorge is particularly -wonderful some four or five miles from the lake, the walls rising at -places fully one hundred feet and exhibiting the same cleavage and -jagged precipices that distinguish Ausable Chasm, on the opposite side -of the lake. At the town of Winooski, the river flows over a dam two -hundred feet wide and twenty-five feet high, but before the dam was -constructed, to afford power for several mills, the river here was a -long stretch of cascades and cataracts, a condition which is still -continued below the falls and to its place of outlet. From Essex -Junction the Vermont Central follows the Winooski to Montpelier, passing -the beautiful town of Waterbury, which is the pass of Green Mountains -and the center of some of the finest scenery in the State. From -Waterbury it is only ten miles by stage to Mount Mansfield, which is the -loftiest peak in the range (4,389 feet), and from the summit of which a -splendid view is had of lovely valleys, gushing streams and battalions -of graceful mountains. In this same vicinity, checkered by many mountain -streams, are Peacock Falls, Bingham Falls, Moss-Glen Falls, Morrisville -Falls, and others of lesser note but equal beauty. At the base of -Mansfield Peak is a stage station, called Stowe, from which the crown of -the mountain is plainly observable, exhibiting the distinct features of -a giant, whose forehead, nose and chin are formed by two rents in the -summit, making the proportions, as well as the outlines, so perfect that -visitors are quick to discover the likeness even before a guide calls -attention to it. Camel’s Hump is another mountain, five miles from -Waterbury, the second highest in the range (4,000 feet), but its surface -is so broken that no wagon-road has as yet been made to the summit, but -a horse may be ridden to the top, and the ascent, accomplished at -whatever expense of effort, is well repaid by the magnitude and -magnificence of the scenery thus brought into view. Balton Falls are -within five miles of the Hump, and are a shrine of beauty to which -hundreds of summer visitors pay the tribute of admiration. - -[Illustration: CLARENDON GORGE, VERMONT.] - -[Illustration: WINOOSKI RIVER, NEAR MIDDLESEX, VERMONT.] - -From Montpelier the Vermont Central turns south, following a tributary -of the Winooski to Roxbury, thence it strikes the valley of White River, -down which it continues to the Connecticut River; but this latter region -is more subdued than the section just described. The scenery, while not -so grand and mountainous, possesses a beauty to excite the fancy of a -poet and day-dreamer, for the views are of gentle meandering streams -roaming through woods where fairies might love to dwell, singing their -lonesome lullabies to the deep coverts that bend low along the shores. -Dainty waterfalls, murmuring rapids, sylvan shades, distinguish the way -of many brooks that roll out of mountain springs and run down to the -sea, giving drink to the farmers’ herds, trundling old water-mills, and -doing many kind offices on the way. - -Another branch of the Vermont Central runs due south from Essex Junction -and Burlington, on the shore of Lake Champlain, and passes through many -thriving villages, such as New Haven, Middlebury, Brandon and Rutland. -At this latter point, which is on a considerable stream called Otter -Creek, some very charming scenery occurs, not entirely confined to the -creek, which, however, is a stream almost as remarkable as the Winooski. -At a place called Clarendon Gorge the creek flows through a chasm some -thirty feet deep and so narrow that when the foliage of the banks is -heaviest the stream is almost entirely hidden by the overlacing branches -of opposite trees. Here the stream makes a sharp turn, and in doing so -has cut deeply into the rock-shore against which it strikes, and formed -a deep pool in which fish fairly swarm, and hence at all seasons the -angler here may find the choicest sport. The Green Mountain Range is -within five miles of Rutland, and several outlying peaks are much -nearer, such as Paco, Killington, Shrewsbury and Bald Peaks, which are -of sufficient altitude to give the summit-observer a good view of Lake -George and the Adirondacks. The road continues southwest from Rutland -through a pass in the Green Mountains at Healdville and joins the more -eastern section at Bellows Falls, on the Connecticut River. - -[Illustration: A RURAL SCENE IN VERMONT.] - -At Montpelier our photographer proceeded due east over the Montpelier -and Wells River Railroad to Woodsville, a route which follows a third -confluent of the Winooski for some miles to Marshfield station, where it -makes an elbow-turn southwest by Peabody’s Lake, and thence keeps close -to the bank of Wells River, a small stream that discharges into the -Connecticut at Woodsville. The region thus traversed is somewhat broken, -but is highly cultivated; and the farm scenes along the way are -particularly charming. Agriculture in the Eastern States exhibits a -striking contrast with that in the West, and in Vermont and New -Hampshire the dissimilarity of method and the size of farm is especially -great. The soil down east, in the sections named, has to be reclaimed, -not from the forests so much as from the rocks, for it is essentially a -rocky country. The fences are usually made of stumps and stones, -material which is plentifully at hand, so that the barb-wire trust has -no grip upon New England agriculturists. The farms, too, are what -Westerners would call “small acre-patches,” but they are so -industriously and intelligently tilled that every foot of ground is made -to yield its full capacity. Frugal, yet hospitable—poor, maybe, yet -refined—the down-east farmer is a hard worker, a lover of books, -patient, contented, and, withal, a generous man, philosophic and -industrious enough to extract happiness out of harsh natural conditions. - -[Illustration: FALLS OF THE AMMOONOOSUC, IN THE WHITE MOUNTAINS.] - -Woodsville is at the junction of the Ammoonoosuc with the Connecticut -River, along the valley of which former stream the railroad runs until -it strikes the White Mountains, into which region of world-famous -scenery our artist journeyed. A branch of the road extends south to a -terminus at Profile House, which is at the base of Profile Mountain, in -the Franconia Range. This peak, which is 4,000 feet above the sea, -possesses two remarkable features that have served to make it known -throughout the world. At the crown there are several colossal stones, so -distributed by chance that when viewed from Profile Mountain House they -resemble a mounted cannon, on which account the peak is often called -Mount Cannon. But a greater natural curiosity occurs to visitors after -1,200 feet of the ascent is made, for suddenly there appears the bold -and exceedingly well-defined features of “The Old Man of the Mountains,” -formed by three masses of rock so disposed that its ninety feet of face -exhibits the clean-cut characteristics of forehead, nose, lips and chin -perfectly outlined against the sky. A few feet below the point of -observation, where the old man’s face is exposed, the stone giant -changes his features like a magician and becomes “a toothless old woman -in a mop-cap.” Hawthorne has used this wonderful image to excellent -effect in his “Twice-Told Tales,” in which the Great Stone Face is made -the subject of a weird theme. Still nearer the base of the mountain is -an exquisite lakelet known as the “Old Man’s Wash-bowl,” just large -enough for the purpose, but full of fish, and from the shore of which a -splendid view of Eagle Cliff may be had. In the immediate neighborhood -is the lofty peak of Mount Lafayette, 5,269 feet above the sea, from -whose wind-swept head a landscape of marvelous diversity and beauty may -be surveyed, including miles of the Green Mountain Range and the entire -aggregation of White Mountain peaks. - -[Illustration: THE FLUME, NEAR PROFILE HOUSE, FRANCONIA MOUNTAINS.] - -Less than one mile from Profile House, and reached by a perfect -carriage-road, is Franconia’s chiefest marvel, known as the Flume. Six -hundred feet of cascades go churning their way through a fissure whose -vertical walls are sixty feet high and less than twenty feet apart. In -this chasm is the Flume, along the narrow confines of which a plank-walk -has been built to permit visitors to observe more closely the wonders -that nature has planted along this mountain brook. One mile south are -the Georgianna Falls, the largest yet discovered in the mountainous -districts of the State, plunging in successive leaps over two -precipices, each eighty feet in height, and scattering their spray into -vapor that keeps the vicinity drenched. Other mountain or detached peaks -near-by are Lincoln, Liberty, Flume, and Big Coolidge; while further -towards the east, yet in sight, are North, and South, Twin, Lowell, -Carrigan and Huntington, from any of which magnificent views are -obtainable. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - ELEPHANT’S HEAD AND MOUNT WEBSTER, NEAR CRAWFORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE.— - Standing on the piazza of the hotel at Crawford’s Notch one observes - a splendid view of that celebrated natural wonder, Elephant’s Head. - The enormous head and trunk seem to be just emerging from the deep - woods near the entrance to the pass, and the gray of the granite - slope serves to heighten the illusion. The resemblance is so perfect - and striking that even a stranger who had never heard of this marvel - would need no introduction to be made fully aware of the fact that - he was in the presence of the colossal counterpart of the great - beast. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: CRAWFORD HOUSE NOTCH, NEW HAMPSHIRE.] - -Turning back north from Profile House, our artist proceeded west from -Bethlehem Junction over the Maine Central Railway, and after a short -ride reached Fabyan’s, where the scenery of the White Mountains broke -upon his enraptured vision in all its glory. Two miles below is -Crawford’s Notch, the natural pass into the range, and here the visitor -has his surprise as well as admiration quickened by a sight of the -“Elephant’s Head.” Standing on the piazza of a hotel at Crawford’s, the -enormous head and trunk seem to be just emerging from the deep woods -near the entrance to the pass, and the gray of the granite slope serves -to strengthen the illusion. From the Elephant’s Head Hotel there is a -particularly fine view of the Notch, a gigantic cleft through which the -Titans may have forced a way, but which is now utilized by the railroad. -It is from this point that excursions to the summit of Mount Washington, -by way of the bridle-path opened by Thos. J. Crawford in 1840, are made. -A great majority of persons prefer the easier ascent by means of the -cog-wheel railroad, which was completed in 1869, and requires one and -one-half hours to make the trip, the fare being $6.00. The summit of -Mount Washington is 6,293 feet above sea level; and as the rail distance -is three miles, the grade is very great, in one place being a rise of -one foot in three, or 33 per cent. To secure perfect safety the track is -composed of three rails bolted to a trestle of heavy timbers, the center -rail being an immense wrought-iron ladder, with rounds four inches -apart, into which the cogs of the locomotive drive-wheels fit, and thus -drag the train up the steep, as well as control it in making the -descent, though automatic air-brakes are used in emergencies. But though -the rail route, in swinging seats, is more comfortable and expeditious, -if time be any consideration, the carriage-road is almost as popular -with travelers, who, as a rule, are willing to make sacrifices, if by so -doing they obtain the recompense of grander sights. As our artist had -made the ascent of Pike’s Peak by car, he concluded to take in the -larger experience of gaining the summit of Mount Washington by stage, -that he might be better able to report the contrast. Though the distance -by rail is only three miles, by wagon-road it is ten, so winding is the -way, and to add to the distress of the latter journey, the first four -miles is toilsome without revealing any scenery worth the effort of a -glance. But above the four-mile point the dreary, tame and desolate -aspect is succeeded by a landscape that cannot be excelled for -magnificence. It is here that the creaking stage emerges from the woods -that hides the prospect and moves out upon the bare crags, and the Ledge -House, or Half-Way Station, is reached, where a stop is made to rest the -horses and give passengers opportunity and time to drink in the glories -of the wondrous view that is thus presented. Far down below yawns the -measureless void of a tremendous gulf, while above is a colossal pile of -granite that supports the dome of Washington and a wide-spreading -wilderness of tumult. Looking off in the distance from this natural -observatory, the presidential peaks of Mounts Adams, Jefferson and -Madison are plainly visible, whose aged sides are cloven by deep -crevasses and their feet are hidden in gorges of tremendous depths; -while a glance downward over the ragged tops of the forest trees -discovers Peabody Glen and river, with a white spot in the fading -distance that by aid of glass is found to be the Crawford House. -Following the vale out to its entrance upon the Androscoggin Meadows, -the vision sweeps up Mount Moriah, and traversing the Confederate Peaks -to the summit of Mount Carter, finally rests upon the brow of -Washington, which is almost overhead. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - MOUNT WASHINGTON AND COG-WHEEL RAILROAD, WHITE MOUNTAINS.—The summit - of Mount Washington is 6293 feet above the sea-level, and as the - distance by rail is only three miles the grade is very steep, in - some places as much as one foot in three. To secure perfect safety - in ascending and descending such a tremendous grade, the track is - composed of three rails bolted to a trestle of heavy timbers, the - centre rail being an immense wrought-iron ladder, with rounds four - inches apart, into which the cogs of the locomotive drive-wheel fit, - and thus drag the train up the steep as well as control it, with aid - of air-brakes, in making the descent. One and a half hours are - consumed in making the round trip, and the fare is six dollars, but - the view from the summit is so magnificent that it fully justifies - the expense. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: SQUAM LAKE, NEW HAMPSHIRE.] - -From the Ledge the road continues its zigzag way up the steep and around -dangerously narrow terraces, over which a party of excursionists in a -six-horse wagon tumbled to their death on the 3d of July, 1880, the only -accident that has ever occurred in making the remarkable descent here, -however perilous appears the passage; and this tragedy was due to a -drunken driver. In describing the ascent above Midway House, Mr. Drake -thus writes: “A sharp turn around a ledge, and the southeast wall of -Tuckerman’s Ravine rose up like a wraith out of the forest. Nearer at -hand was the Head of Huntington’s, while to the right the cone of -Washington loomed up gradually, more than a thousand feet higher. A -little to left you look down into the gloomy depths of Pinkham defile, -the valley of Ellis River and the Saco Valley to North Conway. The blue -course of the Ellis, which is nothing but a long cascade, the rich green -of the Conway intervales, the blanched peak of Chocurua, the sapphire -summits of Ossipee Mountains were presented in conjunction with the -black and humid walls of the ravine, and the iron-gray moss of the great -dome. The crag on which I stood leans out over the mountain like a -bastion, from which the spectator sees the deep-entrenched valleys, the -rivers which wash the feet of the monarch, and the long line of summits -which partake of his grandeur while making it all the more impressive. -From here the striking spectacle of four great northern peaks, their -naked summits, their sides seamed with old and new slides, and flecked -with snow, constantly enlarged. There were some terrible rents in the -side of Clay, red as half-closed wounds, and in one place the mountain -seemed riven to its center. It was this gulf that the first climber said -it was such a precipice he could scarce discern the bottom. The rifts in -the walls of the ravine, the blasted fir-trees leaning over the abyss, -and clutching the rocks with a death-grip, the rocks themselves, -tormented, formidable, impending, astounded by their vivid portrayal of -the formless, their suggestions of the agony in which these mountains -were brought forth.” - -[Illustration: UPPER JACKSON FALLS, WILD-CAT RIVER, NEW HAMPSHIRE.] - -But if there be grandeur in the chaotic landscape which spreads out -before the startled vision of the spectator on the mountain breast, what -must be the sensation inspired by the tremendous view that is afforded -from the summit? It is the feeling of complete separation from the -earth, of suspension in the sky and looking down upon the world below. -The exhilaration that comes from conquering a mighty thing; the -solemnity of being face to face with infinity. But gradually an orderly -array of magnificence and comprehensible grandeur appears, as peak upon -peak is resolved into definable chains, clusters, or detached masses. -Hills draw apart, valleys open, streams and cascades sparkle in their -tortuous beds, while the skirts of the mountains are dotted with rich -colors and the meadow-lands become a fringe of emerald encompassing -their irregular bases. Almost independent of the will, the eye wanders -from summit to summit, making a slow circuit of the crenated horizon, -until it is arrested by a vast spread of gleaming white that at first -sight may be mistaken for a luminous cloud in the southeast. More -careful observation reveals that it is the ocean, one hundred miles -away, and by the help of telescope vessels may be distinguished, and -even the number of sails which each craft carries. - -[Illustration: LIGHT-HOUSE IN THE HARBOR OF PORTLAND, MAINE.] - -Amazing, splendid, and even thrilling as the view unquestionably is from -the top of White Mountain, yet it cannot compare, for either extent or -grandeur, with that obtained from the summit of Pike’s Peak. Not so -great in altitude as its nobler rival of the Rockies, it is wanting in -other conditions to make it equal, chief of which is the usually heavy -and hazy atmosphere that is due to proximity to the sea, thus -interfering with the range of vision, and more frequently interposing -clouds to shut off the view entirely. - -On the highest point of Mount Washington the Government has built an -observatory and signal station, and a very excellent hotel has also been -added, for the accommodation of those who desire to spend a night at -this great height, and to experience the sensation of a snow-storm in -mid-summer. A curiosity recently added to the other attractions of the -summit is an electric search-light of 100,000 candle-power, at a cost of -$7,000, which is controlled from the foot of the tower by electric -motors. Telegraphic signals flashed by this monster light have been -interpreted at Portland, Maine, which is eighty-five miles distant. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - LOWER GATEWAY TO CRAWFORD’S NOTCH, WHITE MOUNTAINS, NEW HAMPSHIRE.—It - was through this Notch, in 1840, that Thomas J. Crawford opened a - bridle-path to the summit of Mount Washington. It is now utilized by - a railroad, and the rocks and cliffs along the way have been - disfigured and besmeared with patent medicine advertisements. The - Notch is a gigantic cleft through the mountains, with treasures of - splendid scenery along the way on either side. Hills draw apart, - valleys open, streams and cascades sparkle in their tortuous beds, - while the skirts of the mountains are dotted with rich colors, and - the meadow-lands become a fringe of emerald encompassing their - irregular bases. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: MINOT’S LEDGE LIGHT HOUSE, OFF COHASSET, MASSACHUSETTS.] - -From Mount Washington, the tourist who delights to revel among the -wonderful scenes of this tumultuary and anarchistic region, where nature -is in disarrangement through the operation of forces that long since -have spent themselves, usually proceeds west by Thorn Hill, through -Carter Notch, and thus arrives at the village of Jackson, the center of -another district of great scenic interest. The town is but a handful of -pretty white cottages, but it is in the quiet isolation of a mountain- -engirdled vale, and the very lonesomeness of its situation gives the -place an inexpressible fascination, for it is like meeting cheerful -company in the valley of desolation. The largest house, commanding -respect by reason of its size, and exciting reverence for its holy -purposes, is a frame church, in whose belfry the pigeons swarm, -undisturbed by the deep tones of the bell that summons the hamlet to -worship. How mournfully it peals out the first stroke, as if awakening -the town from sleep, so still is the place; but from a toll it becomes a -chime, as the notes reverberate from hill to hill, until the noise is -reassuring, that however lifeless things may have seemed, the church- -bell has power to stir the people into mental if not physical activity. -All about are mountains, Eagle, Wild-Cat, Tin, Iron and Thorn, the sides -of which have been cleared of their forest growths and stone, and -brought under cultivation, which add materially to the picturesque -landscape of which the village is the natural center. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - PROSPECT FROM THE SUMMIT OF WHITE MOUNTAINS, NEW HAMPSHIRE.—If there - be grandeur in the chaotic landscape which spreads out before the - startled vision of the spectator along the mountain sides, what must - be the sensation inspired by the glorious panorama unfolded from the - summit? It produces a feeling of complete separation from the earth, - as if one were suspended in the sky and looking down upon the world - below. It is the exhilaration that comes from conquering a mighty - thing; the solemnity of being face to face with infinity. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: COG-WHEEL RAILWAY UP MT. WASHINGTON.] - -[Illustration: MONUMENT AT PLYMOUTH ROCK, MASSACHUSETTS.] - -Wild-Cat River cuts the town of Jackson in twain, a stream which is in -fact a mountain cataract, filling the air about with its incessant roar. -Within less than two hundred yards of the place the river makes a swift -descent over granite ledges, which it has washed to almost whiteness, -and near the bridge it is divided by a large bowlder into two cascades -that are half-concealed by the rich foliage that bends down to receive -the refreshing spray. The crest of the falls is split by huge stones and -the main stream has overcome the obstacles in its way by cutting a -passage under the rocks, after which it shoots down the ledge and -becomes a faithful servant to a miller, who has utilized its power. -Besides these cataracts there are several others, principal among which -is Goodrich Falls, at which point the river pours its restless flood -over a precipice eighty feet high. Bridal Veil Cascades are a mile -further up the river, but there is a pleasant bridle-path all the way, -and visitors to this district rarely fail to pay their respects to this -very interesting part of the stream. The bed of the river is full of -enormous bowlders, and its flow takes, accordingly, an erratic course; -in fact, in every direction save upward. At the cascades the stream is -parted by an elevation in the center of the ledge, and thus falls in a -double sheet at almost right angles, where, gathering new force again, -it goes rushing away to join the Androscoggin, which bears its waters to -the sea. A tour of the mountains having been completed, our photographer -doubled upon his tracks and returned to the Profile House, from which -road-terminus he crossed the twelve-mile interval to North Woodstock, -and there took train on the Concord and Montreal Railroad for points of -attraction towards the southwest. The mountain region, however, was not -yet entirely passed, for many prominent elevations, such as Mounts -Moosilauke, Tecumseh, Tri-pyramid, Welch, Fisher, Stinson, Irael, and -others, continued in view until Ashland was reached, at which place a -stop was made to visit Squam Lake, one of the most exquisite sheets of -water in the world. It is irregular in shape, but about six miles long -by half as many broad. The expanse is not great, but the beauties which -it presents are charming in the extreme. Over its bosom are scattered -numerous islands which are very bowers of beauty, green with thickets of -hazel and margined with mosaics of wild flowers. The waters are of such -limpid purity that they swarm with fish, which may be seen frisking and -playing tag twenty feet below the surface. The shores are banked but -level, and along the edge is a perfect carriage-road, making a circuit -of twenty-one miles, affording the finest excursion that can be made by -vehicle. Squam Lake is separated from Lake Winnipiseogee by a strip of -land two miles wide, and the village of Center Harbor lies on the west -shore of the latter, where steamer may be taken for a ride to -Wolfborough, twelve miles distant. The trip is a delightful one through -narrow channels between islands of exceeding beauty, so thickly strewed -over the water as to make the way appear like a labyrinth. Six miles -northwest of the lake is an eminence over two thousand feet high, known -as Red Hill, which is annually visited by many hundreds of tourists. -There is a good carriage-road to the base, but the ascent is so steep -and rugged that by foot or horse-back is the only means for gaining the -summit. Though not nearly so lofty as a score or more of the mountains -we have mentioned, yet visitors maintain that the view afforded from its -peak exceeds in extent and magnificence that obtained from the -observatory of Mount Washington or the summits of any of its brothers. -This superiority is due to the absence of intervening peaks, as Red Hill -is isolated, and overlooks a comparatively level district, in which -Squam and Winnipiseogee Lakes are conspicuously visible, with their -ragged shore-lines and lovely islands clearly definable. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - BRIDAL VEIL CASCADE, WHITE MOUNTAINS.—Wild Cat River, inaptly named in - the pioneer times of New England, is an enchanting stream for the - tourist and the painter. Its course is broken by many ravishingly - beautiful waterfalls and cascades, each presenting new and charming - features. At Bridal Veil Cascade the bed of the river is full of - immense boulders, upon which the descending stream is broken into a - thousand forms of diversified loveliness. At the summit the stream - is parted by an elevation in the centre of the ledge, and thus falls - in a double sheet at almost right angles, greatly enhancing the - charming features of the delightful scene. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: THE OLD TOWER AT NEWPORT, RHODE ISLAND.] - -From Wolfborough the route was east by the Maine Central Railroad to -Portland, and thence by steamer to Boston. There are many beautiful -places in the vicinity of Portland, and particularly about the popular -summer resorts of Mount Desert Island and Bar Harbor; but much must be -sacrificed to the limit of space, for no one book can ever contain -pictures of all the natural scenery that is worthy to be reproduced. -Among other photographs taken in and about Portland, we have room for -only one, viz.: the light-house on Cape Elizabeth, in the harbor, a -dreary desolation of stone, where the ocean is treacherous and a warning -to incoming vessels is indispensable. - -Boston is historic ground, around which are many sacred spots -perpetuated in patriotic memories. It is a great city; but the traveled -visitor is indifferent to municipal sights, and is restless to pay his -tribute of respect and curiosity to those shrines that keep in mind the -reverent character of the Puritan, and the heroism of the Revolutionary -soldier. It is hard to resist this infectious temptation to photograph -monuments and battle-fields, when one is walking upon the very famous -dust, and reading inscriptions recording the valor of those who fought -for our National Independence; but this is a volume devoted to American -scenery rather than to American history, a subject which ought to -inspire equal patriotic sentiment, and monumental tributes must -therefore be omitted, or casually mentioned by incidental reference, as -may appear proper. - -From Boston our artist proceeded by a train on the Old Colony Railroad -to Cohasset, a town which it has been truthfully said marks one of the -most interesting, most wildly beautiful bits of nature on any coast. - -“This town,” let it be said, “marks one of the most interesting, most -wildly beautiful bits of nature on any known coast. In this situation -are to be found all the beauties and all the terrors which ocean scenes -can compass. The history of Cohasset, for the past two hundred and fifty -years, has in it an element personal to every civilized people on the -globe, since all have sent their ships and their travelers this way, and -added names to the death-roll hereabouts. The crags and ledges along -these shores have taken part in ocean tragedies for generations, and -have witnessed more of human suffering and the extremity of distress -than often falls to the lot of natural scenes. Upon their faces the -ocean surges have never ceased to dash themselves since the morning of -creation. Here the whiteness never goes out of the line of surf; and -often the conditions are of shattered waters flying in the air, of -roaring breakers crashing into fragments along the rocks, of great -masses of billows lashed into fury, and resistless in their commonest -attacks by all except the natural barriers to their progress here set -up.” - -[Illustration: THE CLIFFS AT NEWPORT, RHODE ISLAND.] - -Beautiful, commanding, stirring as the scenes are about Cohasset’s -bounding shores, yet the tragedies which have occurred in the -treacherous approaches to the harbor are both numerous and heart- -appalling. On these very rocks, where the waters usually play in such -happy abandon, more than seven score of persons from a single ship—the -_St. John_, in October, 1849—were dashed to their deaths, and disasters -attended by less mortality became so common that the Government erected -a lighthouse at Minot’s Ledge, which is two miles off Cohasset Point, -where the hidden rocks are most dangerous to shipping. - -From Cohasset the trip was south, by the Old Colony, along the Atlantic -shore, passing many points of great interest, though for scenery there -is nothing but marshes and a waste of sandy beach. But on the way, -Daniel Webster’s farm is pointed out, located on a level strip between -the railroad and Marshfield Neck, where it would appear that raising -clams might be more profitably pursued than the growing of grain or -vegetable. Quaint scenes, reminders of the olden times when stage- -coaching was the most luxurious mode of travel, and pot-hooks and -hangers were adjuncts of the crane that rendered the fire-place the sole -convenience for cooking, pass in review and are a source of the greatest -interest to those of a retrospective and reflective turn of mind. Here -and there we observe old Puritan churches and equally old-fashioned -people, whose appearances indicate that they have not been widely -distributed since the Mayflower landed. There is a Miles Standish, John -Alden and Priscilla in every village, and the houses, in many cases, -tell of a time quite as remote. Indeed, in the little but ancient hamlet -of Greenbush, which is within a half-dozen miles of Cohasset, and twice -as far to Nantasket, an intensely fashionable resort, one may see the -identical old oaken bucket and the crazy sweep by which “dripping with -coolness it rose from the well,” which inspired Woodworth’s immortal lay -in 1817. There, too, is the same old house, hiding behind a clump of -trees, under which the poet sat and drank from the “full blushing -goblet,” which, alas for human weakness, he really coveted less than a -beaker of good wine. - -[Illustration: PURGATORY CHASM, NEAR NEWPORT, RHODE ISLAND.] - -Twenty-five miles south of Cohasset is the historic town of Plymouth, -and right in front of it is a harbor made by a long neck of land, -parallel with the shore, and known as the Cow-Yard, in which the -Mayflower came to anchor with her precious cargo of forefathers, on a -bleak December day in 1620. Mr. Samuel Adams Drake has written: - -“Plymouth is the American Mecca. It does not contain the tomb of the -prophet, but the rock of the forefathers, their traditions and their -graves. The first impressions of a stranger are disappointing, for the -oldest town in New England looks as fresh as if built within the -century. There is not much that is suggestive of the old life to be seen -there. Except the hills, the heaven, and the sea, there is nothing -antique; save a few carefully cherished relics, nothing that has -survived the day of the Pilgrims.” And another writer of recent times -declares “it would be difficult to name any other place in America with -such a profoundly interesting historical event as that which has made -the name of Plymouth Rock forever famous in the annals of devotion and -freedom. Upwards of fifty thousand persons come here every summer, -making reverent pilgrimages to the cradle of American civilization. For -these, and for all who love the antique and historic, Plymouth has well- -nigh unrivaled attractions. Here is the renowned rock, down by the -water-side, overarched by a stately granite canopy, in whose top are the -bones of several of the Pilgrims. Up in the village rises the massive -structure of Pilgrim Hall, consecrated to relics and memorials of the -first colonists. Near this shrine is the court-house, with rare records -and documents of the seventeenth century. On a noble hill rises the -Pilgrim National Monument, a vast pile of carved granite crowned by a -very impressive statue of Faith, forty feet high, and the largest stone -figure in the world. - -[Illustration: NEGRO-HEAD CLIFFS, NEWPORT, RHODE ISLAND.] - -“Burial Hill is one of the most interesting localities in New England. -On every side are the tombs and monuments of the founders of the State -and their descendants. Above these sacred graves the pleased eye wanders -over an exquisite panorama of sea and shore, lonely islands, far- -reaching promontories, and distant blue hills, out across the blue sea -to where the sandy strand of Cape Cod bounds the view, low down on the -horizon. On this bleak summit stood the fortified log-church and watch- -tower, the former bearing six three-pound cannon on its flat roof, and -the latter occupied by vigilant sentinels.” - -It is about forty miles from Plymouth to Newport, Rhode Island, one of -the ultra-fashionable summer seaside resorts, and thither our artist -repaired to take views of that vicinity. Newport is not only famous for -its fine bathing beach, elegant villas, and its harbor specially adapted -for yacht-racing; there is much more to recommend the city to visitors -than these means of recreation and pleasant vanities. Commercially, -Newport is a metropolis of looms; historically, it is a city of great -consequence; and scenically, a place of extraordinary interest. The Old -Tower at Newport has been for centuries an object of curious inquiry and -patient investigation. For many years the opinion obtained generally -that it was a relic of the Norsemen’s discovery and occupation of the -country, five hundred years before the time of Columbus, and that in -some way the building was connected with Druidic worship. The Druids of -England and France performed their religious ceremonies under oak trees -and always in the open air, but this fact did not affect the belief -current for so long a time that the Stone Tower was the remains of -either an edifice or a monument erected by the Druids. When this opinion -finally changed to the more reasonable though equally false one that the -tower was the relic of a fort built by Norsemen sea-kings about the year -985, historians appeared to be satisfied and inquiry ceased for a long -while. Finally, investigation of the Runic inscriptions on the Dighton -Rock, in Massachusetts, revived curiosity in the tower, and the result -of the last investigation is the opinion that it is the ruins of a wind- -mill that was built some time in the seventeenth century. The truth, -however, may as well be told, that notwithstanding what historians say -to the contrary, no one knows, or is likely ever to know, when, by whom, -or for what purpose the so-called tower was built. It is a question -about which there can be nothing but speculation. - -[Illustration: SOLDIERS’ MONUMENT ON EAST ROCK, NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT.] - -Newport is located on a peninsula on the east shore of Narragansett Bay, -which is a splendid harbor, having an anchorage of thirty feet in low -water. The scenery about the place, too, is very fine, and is brought -into advantageous view by a charming drive-way that extends along the -beach and entirely around the city. A part of the sea-shore line is very -rocky and precipitous, and the assaults of terrific breakers for many -ages have worn these cliffs into wonderful shapes. Purgatory Chasm is, -perhaps, the most remarkable example of wave force in this vicinity, -though the agency of water has, no doubt, been reinforced by some other -natural power, such as glacier, earthquake or volcano. Near-by are -Hanging Rocks, where Berkeley is said to have composed his _Minute -Philosophy_; and less than three hundred yards distant is Spouting Cave, -where the surf dashes into a grotto and thence through a hole in the -roof to a height at times of fifty feet, affording a beautiful -spectacle. Other points of interest along the cliffs are individualized -by such names as Eastman’s, Green’s End, Lime Rock, Negro-Head Cliffs, -the Flints, the Dumplings, Cockle-Shell Ledge, etc. After a brief -circuit of Newport’s attractions, our artist departed for Western -Connecticut and thence to Albany, there to take boat down the Hudson for -New York City. The route lay through New Haven, where a short stop was -made to take a picture of East Rock and the Soldiers’ Monument thereon. -East Rock is a bluff 360 feet high, on the north side of the city, to -which a beautiful carriage-road leads, and from its summit a wide extent -of charming landscape is presented, taking in a part of the Connecticut -Valley towards the west, Yale College on the east, and spanning Long -Island Sound on the south, so that when the weather is clear the low -banks of Long Island may be distinguished. - -[Illustration: BALANCED ROCK, NEAR PITTSFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.] - -From New Haven the route was north and west over the Housatonic system -to Pittsfield, Massachusetts, in the Berkshire region, a city of some -17,000 people, and noted for its many interesting buildings of national -reputation, as well as for the lovely scenery that environs it. The -place is elegantly situated on a high plateau, with the Taconic -Mountains on the west and the Hoosac Range commanding the eastern view. -It will be remembered by students of history that Fighting Parson Allen, -of Revolutionary fame, was pastor of the First Methodist Church in -Pittsfield, and they will be gratified to know that the building is -still standing and that it exhibits little impairment from age. The -Agassiz Association, with an enrolled membership of 20,000, has its -headquarters in the city, and the place is also the seat of many -prominent historical and educational institutions. But it is the scenery -thereabout that interests us most. Waconah Falls is a pretty cascade ten -miles from the city, and still nearer is Roaring Brook, that rushes down -the side of a mountain in torrential flow, through a gap known as -Tories’ Cave, and contributes its waters to Ashley Pond, whence the -city’s supply is obtained. Lake Onota is a picturesque sheet two miles -west of Pittsfield, and near-by is Balanced Rock, one of the greatest -natural curiosities in America. It is a tremendous bowlder, as the -illustration shows, the estimated weight of which is 480 tons, and is -balanced on a point that is only one foot square. So unstable is its -appearance, resting on such a slender foundation, that it looks as if a -zephyr might topple it over, yet so firmly poised that an army of giants -could hardly disturb its equilibrium. - -[Illustration: CROSS ROCK, NEAR PITTSFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.] - -In a rocky field three miles from the city is another great natural -curiosity known as Cross Rock, which has been singularly cleft, by some -unknown agency, into the form of a perfect cross, to which a few -superstitious people formerly attributed remarkable healing virtues, but -which no one any longer regards. - -Four miles east of Pittsfield is the village of Dalton, where immense -quantities of paper are manufactured, and on the Pittsfield line is -located the mill that produces all the Government bank-note paper. West -Pittsfield, about five miles from the city proper, is also an -interesting place, reposing under the shadows of Taconic Mountains, and -celebrated as being the national headquarters of what is known as the -“United Society of Believers in Christ’s Second Appearing.” This curious -sect of Shakers, disciples of Ann Lee, founded the village more than a -century ago, and their “Millennial” church, which was built soon after, -still stands as one of the most conspicuous buildings in New England. -Massachusetts has been famous as the home of religious denominations -possessing peculiar tenets almost since the landing of the Pilgrims; but -from the days of Salem witchcraft to the present, few sects have adopted -more curious beliefs and ceremonials than the Shakers. Yet, to their -credit let it be spoken, they are good citizens, honest, generous, -faithful, industrious and kindly in all their intercourse with the world -as well as among themselves. - -From Pittsfield our artist proceeded to New Albany, and thence by boat -to New York, where he joined the two other photographers, the route of -the third having been east by way of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, -which now remains to be described. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - CHAPTER XII. - ON HISTORIC FIELDS OF VIRGINIA AND PENNSYLVANIA. - - -[Illustration: A MIXED TRAIN FROM THE WILDERNESS.] - -The instructions given upon the separation of our three photographers, -after leaving St. Louis, were necessarily indefinite, and discrimination -in the selection of routes and views had to be left to individual -judgment, since weather and conditions play an important part in the -artists’ profession. Our third photographer departed somewhat from the -route which he had selected to cover, for after the separation, instead -of proceeding directly east through Pennsylvania, as was his first -intention, he went south to Cincinnati and east by the Chesapeake and -Ohio Railroad, through the lovely Blue Grass region of Kentucky, making -his first stop at Charleston, the capital of West Virginia. The capital -is a small place of something less than 7,000 inhabitants, and with -nothing of particular importance to visitors except the mountain scenery -which invests it. The Kanawha River, upon which the town is situated, is -navigable for small crafts from this point to its junction with the -Ohio, but above Charleston the stream is treacherous and its channel so -rock-infested that a skiff can hardly follow the stream without danger. -Thirty miles from the capital are the Kanawha Falls, or cataracts, where -the river goes tearing over several benches of thinly stratified rocks, -and has scooped out a pool of very great depth, where fishing is said to -be excellent. On the north side of the river at this point are the -Gauley Mountains, rising to a considerable altitude, but so gently that -the slopes have been reclaimed from thick timber growths and converted -into beautiful farms. - -The scenery all through the valley of the Kanawha is tumultuously grand, -but nine miles beyond the falls it attains its greatest glory. Here the -tremendous cliffs rise vertically to a height of 1,200 feet, and at a -point called “The Hawk’s Nest” a breast of the bluffs extends out over -the river in a perilous shelf 1,000 feet high, from which lofty -elevation the river becomes a ribbon of white, and a train of cars -running along the mountain skirts on the opposite side looks like a -string of army-ants hurrying to an attack. The view down the valley is -one of ineffable magnificence, presenting as it does a double file of -noble mountains dressed in uniforms of lovely green, which, as they -recede, assume a sky-blue hue, and then gradually fade away in the -opalescent mist of distance. - -[Illustration: FALLING SPRING, NEAR WARM SPRINGS, VIRGINIA.] - -Thirty miles above Kanawha Falls, at a town called Hinton, the New and -Green-Brier Rivers unite to form the Kanawha, and here the scenery is -likewise charmingly picturesque. The line of lofty bluffs continues -along the south shore of New River, under which the Chesapeake and Ohio -Railroad runs upon a bare passageway, while the north line is marked by -graceful mountains that in the distance look like lines of beauty -tracing the horizon. In some places the ledges are 1,200 feet high, and -the river so contracted that the cañon is almost dark at midday. The -view is further diversified by successive rapids and cataracts, while at -frequent intervals the bluffs recede, leaving stretches of fertile -valley that are in a high state of cultivation, with pretty farm houses -dotting the landscape and imparting an appearance of prosperous -animation to these pleasing interludes. The road follows the valley of -Green-Brier River twenty miles further, to Caldwell, then passes through -White Sulphur Springs, and a few minutes later crosses the James River -at Clifton Forge, where that romantic stream, drawing its inspiration -from the Alleghenies, cuts its way through the Blue Ridge Mountains. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - KANAWHA FALLS, WEST VIRGINIA.—Thirty miles from Charleston, the - capital of West Virginia, are the Kanawha Falls or Cataracts, where - the river is broken into numerous channels and fragments and plunges - over an irregular ledge of thinly stratified rocks, presenting a - scene that is both grand and picturesque. The Gauley Mountains rise - with sloping terraces to the north of the falls, along the sides of - which are many attractive farm-houses, adding a charm of rural - beauty and contentment to the scene. At the foot of the falls an - immense pool has been scooped out of the bed of the river, which - teems with fish and is a favorite resort for lovers of that sport. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: WAITING FOR TIME TO CATCH UP.] - -Clifton Forge is forty miles east of White Sulphur Springs, and from -this junction a branch of the Chesapeake and Ohio Road runs northeast to -form a connection with the Shenandoah Valley Railroad at Waynesborough. -All the region hereabout is very rugged, and intersected by beautiful -streams whose sources are springs that break out of the sides of -mountains, and the waters are generally more or less impregnated with -sulphur. Eighteen miles due north of Clifton Forge, and reached by a -delightful road that winds through charming vales, is the village of -Warm Springs, the capital of Bath county, and adjacent are the Warm -Sulphur Springs, which attract so many visitors in search of health and -fine scenery. It is a mountain town, whose population fluctuates with -the season, for while the place is one of some animation from April to -October, during the other months there are not enough people in the -village to keep the mud-daubers out of the houses. A more picturesque -district, however, can scarcely be found; too mountainous to permit -agriculture, nature has given other blessings than fertility to the -region. The climate is extremely invigorating, and the numerous springs -possess medicinal properties of undoubted value, while the scenery is -inspiring to even the most phlegmatic. One of the chief objects which -serves to further diversify the landscape of high-lifted peaks, jutting -cliffs, meandering brooks, green coverts, sylvan solitudes and cloistral -caverns, is Falling Spring, a sheet of rainbow-flecked water that dashes -over a ledge seventy feet high, and which, seen from a little distance, -may be likened in appearance to the white trailing trousseau of a bride, -so delicate, graceful, and gossamer-like is its form, so joyous is its -laughter. After leaving Clifton Forge the road winds along the sinuous -valley of James River, with charming views on both sides, until -interest, charm and excitement are superseded by wonder as Natural -Bridge, that marvelous curiosity of ages, is reached, and preparation is -immediately made to examine and to photograph its astounding formation -and immensity. This great natural wonder, which is an old acquaintance -to all school-children, is two miles from the railway station, at the -termination of a very deep gorge, through which flows a capricious -little stream called Cedar Creek. At one time this feeble brook may have -been a raging river, and needed bridging, but like an old man, it has -lost the vigor of former days and fallen into the seventh age of -decrepitude. But the bridge which Titans might have constructed still -spans the creek’s deep bed and has grown in mightiness as the waters -below subsided. To speak with mathematical exactness, without employing -statistical details, it may be said that the Natural Bridge spans with -graceful and architectural proportions the perpendicular ledges of Cedar -Creek, which rise 200 feet above the stream. The center of its wondrous -arch is forty feet in perpendicular thickness and sixty feet wide, while -the span is exactly eighty-nine feet. A public highway utilizes the -bridge, and it is the only means of passage for wagons within a mile -either way, except by a steep bank, very difficult to ascend, a short -distance below the gorge. Just above the bridge the creek bluffs are -broken into masses that look like immense buttresses, pinnacled at -places and reaching to a height of 250 feet. The most imposing view is -obtained from a position fifty yards below the bridge, where the arch -appears both lighter and higher, and the walls more dangerously -precipitous. From this point of view this world-famous natural structure -appears as perfect as if cut by design; a colossal arch that shines in -the sun like variegated marble, without stratification or displacement, -so high that the largest sailing vessel might pass under without -touching the peak of her mainmast. On the abutments of the bridge are -carved the names of many adventurous youths who sought fame by leaving a -record of their reckless efforts to scale the dizzy heights of stone. -George Washington was not above this ambition to win reputation by -carving his name higher up than any of his fellow-youths, and for nearly -seventy years he held the honor of being the most intrepid and expert -wall-climber, for, like Ben Adam, his name led all the rest. But in 1818 -this distinction was surrendered to James Piper, of Washington College, -who performed the daring, and what was long thought to be impossible, -feat of climbing from the foot of the abutment to the top of the arch, -an exploit so dangerous that no one has since made a mad attempt to -repeat it. Thomas Jefferson was moved to write a eulogium of this -incomparable natural wonder in this wise: - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - HAWK’S NEST AND CAÑON OF THE KANAWHA RIVER, WEST VIRGINIA.—The scenery - all through the Kanawha Valley is picturesque and splendid, but its - full glory is not attained until it reaches a place about nine miles - beyond the falls. Here, at the point called Hawk’s Nest, which is - photographed on this page, the cliffs are majestic, rising to a - height of 1200 feet, while immediately in the foreground of the - picture a breast of the bluff extends out over the river in a - perilous shelf 1000 feet high, from which lofty elevation the - winding stream becomes a mere ribbon of white, lined on either side - with the dark green colors of the mountain foliage. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: GALBRAITH SPRINGS, TENNESSEE.] - -“The Natural Bridge, the most sublime of nature’s works, though not -comprehended under the present head, must not be pretermitted. Though -the sides of this bridge are provided in parts with a parapet of fixed -rocks, yet few men have resolution to walk to them and look over into -the abyss. If the view from the top be painful and intolerable, that -from below is delightful in an equal extreme. It is impossible for the -emotions arising from the sublime to be felt beyond what they are here; -so beautiful an arch, so elevated, so light and springing, as it were, -up to heaven! The rapture of the spectator is really indescribable.” - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - FALLS OF NEW RIVER, NEAR HINTON, WEST VIRGINIA.—Thirty miles above - Kanawha Falls, the New and Greenbrier Rivers unite to form the - Kanawha, and here the scenery is peculiarly grand and picturesque. - In some places the ledges soar to a height of 1200 feet, and the - river is so narrow that the intervening cañon sees but little of the - sunlight except near midday. At some points the bluffs recede, - giving space for beautiful green valleys, dotted with pretty farm- - houses that lend an appearance of prosperous animation to these - pleasing preludes. The river is broken into many rapids, cataracts - and falls, which enhance the charms of the scenery by the music of - their babbling waters. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: PASSAGE OF THE FRENCH BROAD RIVER THROUGH THE SMOKY -MOUNTAINS.] - -From Natural Bridge our photographer took train on the Norfolk and -Western Railroad, and proceeded southwestwardly to the junction of that -road with the Tennessee, Virginia and Georgia Railroad, by which he -passed into Tennessee as far as Knoxville, and from that point made -excursions into the famous East Tennessee region, where scenes and -scenery are quite unlike anything which he had ever before transferred -to photographs. Nowhere in all the world are there richer lands, -prettier women, braver men, finer landscapes, and bigger prospects than -Tennessee affords. It is a region of boundless resources and charming -views, and possessing as it does so many advantages, it likewise -presents remarkable contrasts and conditions. Where can the scenery -about Cumberland Gap be equaled, or the panorama from the summit of -Lookout Mountain be matched? But there is relaxation in the quiet views -of rural life in East Tennessee which are here reproduced, and the -pastime reader as well as the student of geography, will appreciate the -restful change. - -Tennessee is the neutral ground between North and South, because it does -not distinctively belong to either, but its contiguity to both gives to -the State some of the characteristics of each. Adopting slavery, it is -Southern, but developing a strong pro-Union sentiment in the beginning -of the civil war, Tennessee became Northern in her affinities; but the -slave-marks of one hundred years have not been effaced even after thirty -years of freedom, for in the country and villages there are old slave- -cabins, rickety, but still habitable, the homes of white-haired relics -of ante-war times, and the new generation that has not been taught to -tie up their hair with cotton strings. All over the South it is the -same; but in East Tennessee there is something else to bring back old -memories, for here the brazen front of war marched through the land, and -turned its fair acres of waving grain and fruitful orchards into battle- -fields, furrowed with dead and harrowed with destruction. And yet -Tennessee was pro-Union, with secession tendencies, because her -interests were indissolubly linked with the South. But the wounds have -all healed; the impetuous youth who went forth to battle is now a peace- -loving grandfather; his daughter was captured by a Yankee, and she has -never regretted it, and the railroad runs every day between the two -sections with mail-bags full of peace-messages. Why, the war has been -over so long that we get mixed in our history, and sometimes we are not -quite clear whether it was in 1776 or 1861. In fact, many of the old -farm houses along the way look decidedly Revolutionary, and none of the -mountains have changed or added another wrinkle to their imperturbable -faces. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - PASSAGE OF THE JAMES RIVER THROUGH THE BLUE RIDGE MOUNTAINS.—The very - name of Blue Ridge is music in the ears of many thousands of good - and worthy citizens of our country, whose ancestral homes were, or - still are, in the midst or within view of the hazy-blue summits of - these historic mountains. Any one who has seen them at a distance, - in the soft light of an Indian summer, will appreciate the aptitude - of the title, and the affection which must be engendered by - association with such delightful scenery from childhood to the - evening of life. The view presented in the photograph on this page - is an exceptionally fine one, showing the mountains on either side - and in the distance through the rift made by the river. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: A SCENE OF RURAL LIFE IN NORTH CAROLINA.] - -In some of the towns there is a lazy air that barely stirs the little -wind-mills on the marten-boxes, and indolence and shiftlessness have -their votaries even here. Up in the mountains there are shadows of hard -times, which are projected into the valleys and villages in the form of -bull-teams and crotchety “mover-wagons.” The driver has a _sang-froid_ -appearance, and as if he was ahead of his expectations, and is willing -to wait for tardy time to catch up. His team is glad to encourage the -waiting ambition, and lies down in the street to keep him patient -company. - -To exhibit the diversity of scenes in East Tennessee and the resourceful -expedients of the people, photograph was made of another mountaineer’s -team, wherein the traction energy of a bull is compared with that of a -horse, to the humiliation, no doubt, of the latter. In order to throw a -little more animation into the scene, our photographer grouped a party -of natives about the team, so that two purposes might be served with one -stone, and no mistake might be made as to types of the people and their -conveyances. - -On a trip to the north boundary of the State several lovely landscape -pictures were secured, one of the most exquisite being a view in the -vicinity of Galbraith Springs, where the headwaters of Tennessee River -pour through Short Mountains, which are the outposts of Cumberland -Range, and go careening and pirouetting in many cascades between that -point and Knoxville. The scenery hereabout presents the majesty of -imperious isolation, the lonely grandeur of undisputed lordliness; and -under the shadows which these towering mountains cast, are people that -live in a little world of their own, almost forgetful that the earth -projects beyond the horizon of their vision. But in this valley of -delight the flowers run riot over the hills, the woods and fields are -musical with songs of many birds, and there are the sweets of peace and -the bloom of plenty beneath these opalescent skies. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - PICTURED BLUFFS ON NEW RIVER, WEST VIRGINIA.—These bluffs derive their - name from their close resemblance to the Pictured Rocks of Lake - Superior, and there is a very striking similarity between the - general appearance and characteristics of the two localities, as all - who are familiar with these famous scenic regions will admit. New - River has its source in the picturesque Blue Ridge Mountains, - flowing thence northwesterly to its junction with the Kanawha, and - embracing in its course a wide diversity of some of the grandest and - most beautiful scenery in the world. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: THE OLD MAN’S FACE, NEAR ASHEVILLE.] - -From the pleasant vales about Galbraith the route was south to -Morristown, and thence southeast along the valley of the French Broad -River, through Unaka Pass of the Great Smoky Mountains, to North -Carolina. Many writers have exhausted the dictionary of adjectives in -describing the romantic beauties of the French Broad, but the stream, -and its intervales, bedighted with marvelous cliffs, continues as nature -made it, beyond the power of description. The course of this lovely -stream cuts through the charming hills about Asheville and pours its -crystal waters through a narrow gorge until it passes the blockade of -the Smoky Mountains. In this space of forty miles the French Broad is -indeed a “racing river,” to which the Cherokees applied the name -_Tahkecostee_, which has that significance, for it is impetuous, -torrential, terrific. From a gentle stream above Asheville, by the -contraction of its banks below, the river becomes angry, and the roar of -cataract as it rushes over opposing bowlders fills the air with noise -like thunder. At Stack House the current dashes over a fall twenty feet -high, and at Mountain Island it makes another leap and then becomes a -noisy rapid to a point known as “Deep Water.” Here the mountains close -in upon the river, forcing it through a narrow channel only one hundred -and fifty feet wide and forty feet deep. The railroad to reach the -opposite bank, crosses the river diagonally by an iron bridge, with a -clear span of two hundred and sixty feet, squeezing itself, as it were, -around the rocky face of the mountain on the right bank, to be received -with the same grudging hospitality by the hard face of the left bank, -and twists itself by a very short curve into line, which in a very few -minutes brings it into the beautiful, smiling valley of Hot Springs. - -No one has ever been able to convey a just idea of the remarkable -magnificence of this wonderful cañon, with its wild and ceaseless -splendor of tumultuous waters, its overhanging cliffs, its noble -mountains and fairy islets. In the time of stage-coaching it was an -experience never to be forgotten—the day’s journey from Asheville to the -Warm Springs, along the turnpike which followed the old Indian trail and -lay between the river and the cliffs, hemmed in by the whirling emerald -waters of the first and overhung by the fern-draped escarpments of the -last, with vistas of wild and yet wilder beauty opening at every step. - -Paint Rock is six miles below Hot Springs, and directly on the line -between North Carolina and Tennessee. The rock itself is massive in size -and would attract attention, if not admiration, aside from the legends -which make it famous. The name Paint Rock is given to perpetuate a -tradition that the Cherokee Indians colored portions of it with an -indelible paint, and in the form of hieroglyphics which no one has been -able to decipher, though the legend represents that it is the tribe’s -prayer to the Great Spirit; and being approved, ages will not suffice to -efface it. Twenty miles east of Asheville is Round Knob, on the line of -the Western North Carolina Railroad and nestled in the very heart of the -Blue Ridge Mountains, where the scenery surpasses in wildness and -sublimity that of any other section of the State. It is a basin so -completely shut in by lofty peaks, that if a person were dropped into it -without knowing the point of entrance, he would find difficulty in -escaping. A brawling mountain stream rushes by, in whose crystal waters -bask the speckled trout to tempt the angler, while near the hotel is to -be seen one of the most beautiful spectacles in the world—a magnificent -fountain that throws its spray two hundred and eighty-six feet high, -then like a bridal veil floats off in misty fragments. It is beautiful -by day, but far more beautiful in the moonlight, as it throws its -sparkling vapor high in the air, giving to the scene a weird -enchantment. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - A VIEW OF THE FRENCH BROAD RIVER ABOVE ASHEVILLE.—Many writers have - exhausted the dictionary of adjectives in describing the romantic - beauties of the French Broad River, but the stream and its - intervals, bedighted with marvelous cliffs, continues, as Nature - made it, beyond the power of description. In its course northward - this lovely stream cuts through the charming hills about Asheville, - and pours its crystal waters through a narrow gorge until it passes - the blockade of the Smoky Mountains. In this space of forty miles it - is indeed a “racing river,” which is signified by its Cherokee name - of _Tahkecostee_. From a gentle stream above Asheville, it becomes - an angry, raging flood below that point as it dashes through - mountain gorges and over opposing boulders with a roar like thunder. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: CÆSAR’S HEAD, SPUR OF THE BLUE RIDGE RANGE, N. C.] - -Overhead, apparently weaving in and out like a silver thread, winds the -glistening track over which the tourist must pass to gain the summit of -the Blue Ridge. So great and difficult is the ascent that at one point -four parallel tracks may be seen, one above the other, while at another -point, as the train passes over a winding trestle sixty feet high, the -tourist might easily drop his hat on the track below over which he had -passed a few minutes before, but now going in an entirely opposite -direction, having gained nothing on his journey save about ninety feet -in elevation. So often does the track turn, twist and double upon itself -to gain the summit, that at one place of observation it may be seen at -seventeen distinct points. After having gained a distance of over five -miles of the ascent, the train is again within one-fourth of a mile of -the Knob, now lying far below, but still the center of this grand system -of iron loops, by means of which the train is gradually rising to the -region of the clouds. From this point to the summit, in the short space -of one and a half miles, the train passes through six tunnels and across -numerous gorges, whose sides are clothed with the primeval forest where -perhaps the foot of man never trod. The most noted of these is “Royal -Gorge,” seen from the car window, whose precipitous sides and deep- -yawning chasm form a scene of magnificent grandeur, from the top of -whose butting cliffs the mountains of South Carolina are visible, two -hundred miles distant. As the train rushes forward, suddenly it plunges -into Swannanoa Tunnel, which is nearly two thousand feet long, and upon -emerging at the western end, along the massive walls, we reach the -highest point in that Land of the Sky, where the waters of a spring -divide, a part flowing into the Atlantic Ocean and an equal share being -contributed to the Gulf of Mexico. - -Having crossed the Blue Ridge Mountains and passed through Hickory-Nut -Gap to the valley, the road leads into one of the grandest cañons of the -Broad River. Here for a distance of nine miles on either side of the -river giant mountains rise to a dizzy height, forming massive walls of -blue granite, often reaching a height of more than a thousand feet, -while not a sprig of vegetation appears on their surface. - -A creek large enough to turn a mill plunges over one of these -embattlements and falls in a single stream a distance of over thirteen -hundred feet, known as Hickory-Nut Falls, said to be the third highest -falls in the United States. Passing on down this great gorge, we see -Chimney Rock on the right, a circular column four hundred feet high, -while on the opposite side is Round Top, with its pyramidal dome resting -against the sky. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - CHIMNEY ROCK, ON THE FRENCH BROAD RIVER.—After passing through the - Blue Ridge Mountains at Hickory Nut Gap, the valley of the French - Broad River is encompassed by one of the grandest cañons to be found - in any part of the world. For a distance of nine miles on either - side, giant mountains rise to a dizzy height, forming massive walls - of blue granite, often reaching an altitude of more than a thousand - feet, while not a sprig of vegetation appears on their surface. They - are cut and carved by the elements into many curious and remarkable - shapes, designated by names more or less appropriate. Chimney Rock, - photographed on this page, is a circular column four hundred feet - high, bearing upon its top a curiously shaped rock closely - resembling the cap of liberty. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: ABOVE THE CLOUDS ON MITCHELL’S PEAK, NEAR ASHEVILLE, -NORTH CAROLINA.] - -“High mountains bound this vale on north and south, while directly in -front of us, like companion sentinels guarding the western gateway, down -which the sun was to march, stands Round Top and Chimney Rock Mountains. -Behind Chimney Rock, trending toward the west, arise in close succession -a number of mountains with distinct, broken summits—a long palisade -fencing the gap in whose depth rushes the Broad River. In the center of -the west stands Bear Wallow Mountain, the last visible knob of Hickory- -Nut Gap. - -“The sun was sinking behind the white cumuli that capped this mountain. -Streamers of golden light, like the spokes of a celestial chariot, whose -hub was the hidden sun, barred the western sky. The clouds shone with -edges of beaten gold. Their centers, with every minute, changed to all -hues imaginable. The fronts of the Sentinel Mountains were somber in the -shadows, while the gap was radiant with the light pouring through it, -and every pine on the top of the palisade stood black against the -glowing sky.” The “Old Man’s Face” is another wonderful natural -curiosity which divides interest with the finest scenery in this -remarkable region, and is on the west side of Bald Mountain, in -prominent view, for the rocks are barren and garish from the light of -the sun. This singular formation is a faithful representation of a -three-quarter view of an old man’s face, with forehead, eyes, nose, -mouth and beard in such perfect proportion that one can hardly believe, -without close examination, the face is only an accidental result of the -elements, in their unceasing work of denudation. - -Eighteen miles from Asheville, in the Balsam Range, is Mount Pisgah, -5,757 feet high, from the apex of which a wonderful expanse of mountain -scenery is spread out to view; but it is from the Blue Ridge peaks that -the sublimest visions are presented, and the most curious forms of -nature-sculpturing occur. Passing southwest from Asheville, the -Asheville and Spartanburg Road runs through an exceedingly fertile -region, and thence into the Cañon of Little River, where for four miles -the stream is a succession of surging rapids, noisy cascades, and -picturesque waterfalls, until it approaches the base of tremendous -cliffs. These are spurs of the Blue Ridge, one of which is famous as -presenting a facial profile which has been named “Cæsar’s Head,” but it -takes a person of vivid imagination to distinguish the human features, -very plain though the guide declares them to be. As the altitude is -nearly 6,000 feet, and 2,000 feet above the valley, the prospect of the -peak of this Blue Ridge spur is incomparably magnificent. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - LITTLE RIVER RAPIDS, NORTH CAROLINA.—At this point the river flashes - over a sloping ledge of rocks and boulders with irresistible power - and a roar like that of thunder. At all seasons of the year the - scene is splendid and inspiring, but when the river is swollen with - the spring floods and the waters come with a mighty and irresistible - flood, dashing over the rocks and carrying away trees and boulders - with titanic force and rage, the view is awe-inspiring and grand - beyond the power of human pen to describe. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: THE SUMMIT OF MOUNT MITCHELL, NORTH CAROLINA.] - -From this dizzy height the peaks of the Blue Ridge may be observed for -scores of miles in each direction; looking northeast you may see the -famous King’s Mountain, seventy miles away, while in the opposite -direction, in distinct view, is Stone Mountain, near Atlanta, Georgia, -over one hundred miles away. Looking to the north, a distance of a -little more than one hundred miles, is the Roan Mountain, while to the -northeast is seen the black dome of Mount Mitchell, full sixty-five -miles distant. In the northwest, about thirty-five miles away, is -Pisgah, resembling a great Egyptian pyramid in outline, while directly -to the west are the Highlands of Macon county, with Whiteside Mountain -glittering like an iceberg in the sunlight. From the top of this -wonderful precipice the view is strangely suggestive of a great stretch -of ocean. The blue waves of the sea find their counterpart in the waves -of these blue mountains, with their corrugations extending far out until -the outline is lost in the hazy distance. There is no grander sight than -a view from this point at sunrise, when the world below is buried from -sight in an ocean of impenetrable fog, and the great billows of fleecy -mist rolling like angry waves, while the breaker-like roar of cataracts -a thousand feet below, makes the deception complete. - -The loftiest peak of the Appalachian system is Mount Mitchell, which is -thirty miles from Asheville, and is easiest reached by way of the -Swannanoa River. The ascent is by a comparatively easy roadway, but as -the altitude of the summit is 6,717 feet, it is not gained without great -exertion. Formerly the mountain was called Black Dome, then Clingman’s -Mount, but was afterwards christened Mitchell’s Peak, in honor of -Professor Elisha Mitchell, of the State University of North Carolina, -who was first to measure its exact altitude, and who lost his life by -falling over a precipice in making a second ascent to verify his first -measurement. The body was found ten days after the fatal accident and -conveyed to Asheville, where it was buried. One year subsequently the -remains were disinterred and carried to the summit of Mitchell Mountain, -and there committed to the grave, over which a beautiful monument now -stands, the tribute of a daughter’s loving memory. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - CATHEDRAL AND THRONE IN LURAY CAVERN, VIRGINIA.—The formations of - Luray Cavern are perhaps the most beautiful of all the subterranean - wonders of the world. At some period, long subsequent to its - original excavation, the cavern was completely filled with glacial - mud, whereby the drip-stone was eroded into singularly grotesque as - well as lovely shapes. Out of these molds of nature, after the mud - had been mostly removed by flowing water, came these marvelous - formations, rivaling in beauty and wonder the most exquisite - carvings of art. The “Throne-Room,” so beautifully photographed on - this page, is canopied with curtains and hung with tapestry that - seem to be woven of pearls and diamonds, rivaling the splendors of - Aladdin’s fabled cave. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: BRIDAL VEIL FALLS, DINGMAN’S FERRY, PENNSYLVANIA.] - -The ascent of the mountain lies through superb forests of deciduous -trees and along the banks of the rushing Swannanoa, until after a climb -of five miles the second base of the mountain is reached—a small grassy -plateau, where a residence once stood—now known as the “Half-way House.” -From this point the world below unrolls before the gaze like an azure -scroll, while above, awful in its nearness and immensity, towers the -dark mass of Black Mountain, clothed with a somber forest, into the -depths of which the path now plunges, and which it does not leave again -until the final summit is reached. Winding in snake-like turns through -the close-growing firs, the trail climbs the steep shoulders of the -great mountain, passing over what is now known as Clingman Dome (of the -Blacks) and then following its ridges for about three miles, until the -bare rocky peak, which is the highest point of land east of the Rocky -Mountains, is reached, and all hardships of ascent are forgotten in the -view that bursts upon the enraptured vision. - -If the day is clear, the prospect is almost boundless in extent and of -infinite beauty. Range behind range of great mountains lie below, like a -Titanic ocean stilled by some mighty hand. From this supreme elevation -it is possible to study the structural character of the region, and to -count all the great chains that cross the country, while no words can -express the varying and exquisite color that, like a glamour of heavenly -enchantment, lies over the wide expanse. The whole earth, “and the -beauty thereof,” seems to be spread out at one’s feet, and the airs that -come to this high mountain crest are full of freshness and balm. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - TITANIA’S VEIL, LURAY CAVERNS, VIRGINIA.—The origin of the beautiful - scarfs and canopies that constitute a special feature of the - attractions of Luray Caverns, and which differ from all other - subterraneous formations yet discovered, is from carbonates - deposited by water trickling down a sloping and corrugated surface. - In one place there are sixteen of these alabaster scarfs hanging - side by side—three white and fine as crepe shawls; thirteen striated - like agate, with every shade of brown, and all perfectly - transparent. Down the edge of each a tiny rill glistens like silver, - the ever-flying shuttle that weaves this fairy fabric. When lighted - by electricity each drop of liquid and every rounded gem becomes a - flaming diamond, producing a scene of splendor that can be but - faintly imagined. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: COLOSSEUM FALLS, NEAR DINGMAN’S FERRY, PENNSYLVANIA.] - -A Southern poet, who climbed the mountain in the spring of 1891, thus -describes the inspiring sight which greeted him when the day was dying: -“To witness a sunset from this peak is something long to be remembered. -Never shall I forget that evening in June, when in company with my -guide, we stood by the grave on the summit of Mount Mitchell, and looked -down on that scene of resplendent glory that lay before us; far in the -west the sun was slowly sinking in a bed of crimson and gold, the -horizon was lighted with a flushing radiance which was infinitely -sublime, while the whole landscape was aglow with splendor, every tint -and hue imaginable seemed to intermingle in that sea of color, and every -jutting crag, and dome, and pinnacle of sullen rock flamed as though a -thousand rainbows had fallen out of the sky and hung themselves there -like glorious banners; we stand enthralled at the scene before us, no -sound is heard, no note of bird breaks the awful stillness. We are in -the region of that eternal silence which wraps the summit of the -‘everlasting hills.’ A hush of dreamy repose broods over this lofty -peak, which still retains the last rays of the setting sun, while over -the world below twilight has fallen. - - ‘How fair this lone and lovely scene, - And yonder dropping fiery ball, - And eve’s sweet spirit, which steals unseen - With darkness over all!’” - -But it is not only from its unsurpassed view that this great mountain is -interesting. Its vast sides are clothed with a forest of bewildering -beauty, crystal streams gush from its heights, and there is, altogether, -a fascination about this wild, unpeopled region that goes far to account -for the passion which caused Professor Mitchell to lose his life in -wandering through its wilderness. - -Having accomplished a circuit of the wonderlands of Western North -Carolina, our artist departed from Asheville by way of the Richmond and -Danville Railroad, and thence by its northern connections to Roanoke, -Virginia, at which point train was taken on the Shenandoah Valley Route -for Luray, a town of 1,500 people, but famous by reason of its proximity -to the marvelous caverns of that name, the beauty of which is -incomparable, and in wonder they rival the great Mammoth Cave. This -marvelous subterranean labyrinth is one mile distant from the town, and -is entered by an easy passage-way that has a gradual descent by stone -steps. The cave was an accidental discovery by Mr. Andrew J. Campbell, -in 1878, who, while examining the locality known as Cave Hill, was led, -by the hollow sound produced by stamping the earth, to seek for the -cavity which he knew must exist at that point. With spade and mattock he -sank a hole four feet deep and was rewarded by finding the great cavern -which ought rightfully to bear his name. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - THE BALL-ROOM, LURAY CAVERNS.—Luray’s stalactite display exceeds that - of any other cavern known. The original material is yellow, brown or - red, and its wavy surface often shows layers like the gnarled grain - of costly woods. The new stalactites growing from the old, and made - of hard carbonates that had already once been used, are usually - white as snow, though often pink, blue or amber-colored. The small - pendants are innumerable, and they sparkle and blaze in the light - like clusters of diamonds, sapphires and other precious stones. At - some points the stalactite columns are of immense size and height, - unsullied and wax-like in their transparent whiteness, each ripple - and braided rill appearing as if it had been polished. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: FACTORY FALLS, DINGMAN’S FERRY, PENNSYLVANIA.] - -To Rev. Horace C. Hovey, of New Haven, we are indebted for the best, as -it is the most interesting, description that has ever been written of -this underground wonderland, prepared as it was after a careful -examination of the geology of the cave as well as of its splendors: - -“At some period, long subsequent to its original excavation, and after -many large stalactites had grown, the cavern was completely filled with -glacial mud, whereby the drip-stone was eroded into singularly grotesque -shapes. After the mud had been mostly removed by flowing water, these -eroded forms remained amid the new growths. To this contrast may be -ascribed some of the most striking scenes of the cave. The many, and -extraordinary monuments of aqueous energy include massive columns -wrenched from their place in the ceiling and prostrate on the floor; the -hollow column forty feet high and thirty feet in diameter, standing -erect, but pierced by a tubular passage from top to bottom; the leaning -column, nearly as large, undermined and tilting like the Campanila of -Pisa; the organ, a cluster of stalactites, dropped point downward, and -standing thus in the room known as the Cathedral; besides a vast bed of -disintegrated carbonates left by the whirling flood in its retreat -through the great space called the Elfin Ramble. - -“The stalactite display exceeds that of any other cavern known, and -there is hardly a square yard on the walls or ceiling that is not thus -ornamented. The old material is yellow, brown or red, and its wavy -surface often shows layers like the gnarled grain of costly woods. The -new stalactites growing from the old, and made of hard carbonates that -had already once been used, are usually white as snow, though often -pink, blue or amber-colored. The size attained by single specimens is -surprising. The Empress Column is a stalagmite thirty-five feet high, -rose-colored and elaborately draped. The Double Column is made of two -fluted pillars side by side, the one twenty-five, the other sixty feet -high, a mass of snowy alabaster. Several stalactites in the Giant’s Hall -exceed fifty feet in length. The small pendants are innumerable; in the -canopy above the Imperial Spring it is estimated that forty thousand are -visible at once. - -“The Cascades are wonderful formations, like foaming cataracts caught in -mid-air, and transformed into milk-white or amber alabaster, while the -Chalcedony Cascade displays a variety of colors. Brand’s Cascade, which -is the finest of all, being forty feet high, and almost as wide, is -unsullied and wax-like white, each ripple and braided rill appearing to -have been polished. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - THE SARACEN’S TENT, LURAY CAVERNS, VIRGINIA.—The fervid imagination of - youth, or the dreamer under the influence of the delirium-inducing - hashish intoxicant in India’s climes, never riveted gaze on visions - more wondrously beautiful than Luray’s intervals of divine - architecture. Here and there are polished stalagmites, rich bluffs - slashed with white, and others like huge mushrooms, with a velvety - coat of red, purple or olive-tinted crystals. Some of the - stalactites have their tips under water long enough to allow tassels - of crystal to grow upon them, which in a drier season are again - coated over with stalactite matter, by which many singular - distortions are occasioned. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: CADEDENEAN FALLS, DINGMAN’S FERRY.] - -“The Swords of the Titans are monstrous blades, eight in number, fifty -feet long, three to eight feet wide, and one to two feet thick, but are -hollow and drawn down to an extremely fine edge, filling the cavern with -tones like tolling bells, when struck by the hand. Their origin, and -also that of certain so-called scarfs and blankets exhibited, is from -carbonates deposited by water trickling down a sloping and corrugated -surface. Sixteen of these alabaster scarfs hang side by side in Hovey’s -Balcony, three white and fine as crape shawls, thirteen striated like -agate, with every shade of brown, and all perfectly transparent. Down -the edge of each a tiny rill glistens like silver, and this is the ever- -plying shuttle that weaves this fairy fabric. - -“Streams and true springs are absent, but there are hundreds of basins, -varying from one to fifty feet in diameter, and from six inches to -fifteen feet in depth. The water in them is exquisitely pure, except as -it is impregnated by the carbonate of lime, which often forms -concretions called, according to their size, pearls, eggs, and snow- -balls. A large one is known as the Cannon-Ball. When fractured, these -spherical growths are found to be radiated in structure. Calcite -crystals, drusy, feathery, or fern-like, line the sides and bottoms of -every water-filled cavity, and, indeed, constitute the substance of -which they are formed. Variations of level at different periods are -marked by rings, ridges, and ruffled margins. These are especially -strongly marked about Broaddus Lake, and the curved ramparts of the -Castles on the Rhine. Here, also, are polished stalagmites, a rich buff -slashed with white, and others, like huge mushrooms, with a velvety coat -of red, purple, or olive-tinted crystals. In some of the smaller basins -it sometimes happens that when the excess of carbonic acid escapes -rapidly there is formed, besides the crystal beds below, a film above, -shot like a sheet of ice across the surface. One pool twelve feet wide -is thus covered so as to show but a third of its surface. The quantity -of water varies greatly at different seasons; hence some stalactites -have their tips under water long enough to allow tassels of crystal to -grow on them, which in a drier season are again coated over with -stalactitic matter, by which singular distortions are occasioned. -Contiguous stalactites are often enwrapped thus till they assume an -almost globular form, through which, by making a section, the primary -tubes appear. Twig-like projections, lateral outgrowths, to which the -term _helictite_ has been applied, are met with in certain portions of -the cave, and are interesting by reason of their strange and uncouth -contortions. Their presence is partly due to the existence of a -diminutive fungus peculiar to the locality, and designated from its -habitat, _Mucor Stalactitis_. The Toy Shop is an amusing collection of -these freaks of nature. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - FARM SCENE IN THE VALLEY OF THE SHENANDOAH, VIRGINIA.—The war between - the States found the valley of the Shenandoah an ideal pastoral - country, of rich and beautiful farms, of wealthy and aristocratic - families, where life in its ease and sunshine rivaled that in older - lands. The war left it a bare, blackened and blasted region, its - homes destroyed, its farms desolated, and its able-bodied population - decimated in the field. But it has fully recovered again. Grass and - grain have woven Nature’s beautiful covering over all the scars of - battle, and once more the fields and orchards are laden with - flowers, while the lowing of the cattle and the song of the - contented husbandman are heard in place of the discordant drum and - the ruthless clash of arms. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -“The dimensions of the various chambers included in Luray Caverns cannot -be given, on account of the great irregularity of their outlines. Nor -can their size be estimated from a diagram, because there are several -tiers of galleries, and the vertical depth, from the highest to the -lowest, is two hundred and sixty feet. The tract of one hundred acres, -owned by the Luray Cave Company, covers all possible modes of entrance, -and the explored area is much less than that. The waters of this cavern -appear to be entirely destitute of life; and the existing fauna is quite -meager, comprising a few bats, rats, mice, spiders, flies and small -centipedes. When the cave was first entered the floor was covered with -thousands of tracks of bears, wolves and raccoons, most of them probably -made long ago, as impressions in the tenacious clay that composes most -of the cavern-floor would remain for centuries. The traces of human -occupation, as yet discovered, are pieces of charcoal, flints, moccasin -tracks, and a single skeleton imbedded in a stalagmite in one of the -chasms, estimated to have lain where found for not more than five -hundred years, judging from the present rate of stalagmitic growth.” - -Accurate and beautiful as is Mr. Hovey’s description of Luray Caverns, -yet words, however ingeniously used, fail utterly to convey a true idea -of the incomparable splendors of this under-world palace which gleams -with unspeakable glories, such as God alone can create. Aladdin, in the -Arabic tale which so delighted our youthful fancy, was permitted to -enter a cave which exhibited such decorations that its very beauty both -dazzled and affrighted; and to his amazement was added the greater -wonder, that the cavern thus wrought of precious stones was the work of -a geni, who was slave to a lamp and ring. But the fervid imagination of -youth, or the dreamer under influence of the delirium-inducing hasheesh -intoxicant in India’s climes, never riveted gaze upon vision more -wondrously beautiful than Luray’s intervals of divine architecture; nor -was Aladdin’s Cave half so charming. The Throne-Room, canopied with -curtains woven of pearls and diamonds; “The Saracen’s Tent,” in which -more than oriental splendors of richest damasks and golden samite sweep -round the crystal couch in festoons of magic beauty; Titania’s Veil of -petrified spider’s webs and crystallized harmonies, behind which the -queen of fairies hides from Æolus; and the Ball-Room, with best -adornments, as if to celebrate a marriage between the gods; all these -and many more, in fast succession of admiring surprise, compose the -Caverns of Luray, of which it has been said: “Mortal hath not made the -like, nor human fancy conceived a thing more magnificent.” Let the -illustrations herewith convey an idea of the beauty which language -cannot express. - -The uniform temperature of the cave is 54° Fahrenheit, which is the same -as Mammoth Cave, and as the chamber-floors are dry, visitors are not -fatigued or discomforted by long walks through the labyrinthine -passages, where every step taken brings fresh marvels into view. To the -curiously inclined the inquiry, not often asked, will appear very -interesting: How did the animals whose foot-prints were noticed in the -tenacious clay, by those who made the discovery, get into the cave? The -opening by which the chambers are reached is an artificial one, made at -the point where Mr. Campbell detected the hollow by stamping on the -ground, as explained. No other ingress is yet known, though the cave has -not been thoroughly explored; so it is possible, or probable even, that -other means of entrance have long continued open, but the possibility -also remains that its entering passage-ways may have been sealed up by -an invasion of glacial drift, since the flood; marks of that tremendous -cataclysm are plainly to be seen in the cave, and not all of the -diluvium deposit has been yet removed or ground under foot by the 10,000 -persons who visit the caverns annually. - -A trip up the Shenandoah Valley, though made in a luxurious coach on a -swift-moving train, is attended by innumerable reminders of the great -civil war, for the journey is over a succession of hotly-contested -battle-fields; but the beautiful scenery, rich lands, and lovely farm -scenes that now compose the landscape, cannot efface the recollection -which monuments and cemeteries constantly revive. General Boynton has -drawn a truthful picture of this war-famous section, in this wise: - -“Every foot south of the Potomac was fighting-ground; every town was, at -some time, the headquarters of well-known forces; nearly every farm -house was a hospital, and some of the dead and wounded of the many -contests had fallen on every acre. On the Union side Fremont and Sigel, -Milroy and Shields, Hunter and Banks, Kelley and Crook, Wilson and -Sheridan, and others of note had there met Jackson, Ewell, Early, -Stewart, Ashby, and the advance of Lee in force. There were innumerable -small affairs, and many extended and fierce engagements. Columns in -advance and in retreat ebbed and flowed there through every year of the -war; while every gap opening eastward poured its footmen and its -horsemen upon the flanks, first of the one army, and then of the other. -From the opening of the contest till is close it was the vortex of -strategy. The war found it an ideal pastoral country, of rich and -beautiful farms, of wealthy and aristocratic families, where life in its -ease and sunshine rivaled that in older lands. It was the granary and -store-house of the Confederacy. The war left it a bare, blackened, and -blasted region, its homes destroyed, its farms desolated, and its able- -bodied population decimated in the field. But it has fully recovered -again. Grass and grain have woven nature’s beautiful covering over all -scars of battle, and the countless miles of parapets are green each year -with verdure, and the fields and orchards are laden with flowers again.” - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - HARPER’S FERRY, WEST VIRGINIA, FROM BOLIVAR HEIGHTS.—Harper’s Ferry is - a place of great scenic as well as historic interest; but it is the - magnificent scenery surrounding the place that now chiefly attracts - the tourist’s attention. From Maryland Heights, on the opposite side - of the Potomac, the observer is able to look into seven counties and - across stretches of three States, the view being at last arrested by - a soft haze that crowns the summit of the Blue Ridge range. The - Shenandoah River unites with the Potomac at this point, sprinkled - with white-crested waves that dash and roar over the boulders that - uselessly attempt to impede its progress. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -The southwestern branch of the Baltimore and Ohio skirts the Cumberland -Range, following the valley of the Shenandoah, until it joins the main -line at Harper’s Ferry, where the Shenandoah and Potomac likewise form a -junction, each stream cleaving a way through the mountains and watering -a region of extraordinary scenic beauty. Sheridan, when operating in -these valleys, declared that the country was so barren that a crow would -have to carry its rations when flying over it; but the country has -blossomed into fertility since that time, and now presents glorious -visions of great productiveness, as well as bluffs and mountains of -rugged picturesqueness. - -Harper’s Ferry was well known before the war as being the location of -one of the important Government armories and arsenals, which were -destroyed soon after the beginning of hostilities, and have not since -been rebuilt. Its chief fame, however, is derived from the fact that the -town was the seat of the John Brown insurrection (in October, 1859); and -at Charleston, seven miles distant, on the road to Winchester, is the -place where he was tried and executed. Harper’s Ferry was thus not only -the scene of the opening events of the war, but it remained the center -of action for a long time, being alternately occupied by the Union and -Confederate forces, who contended with varying fortunes, but always with -immense loss of life, in efforts to retain it as a base for their -supplies. It is the magnificent scenery surrounding the place that now -attracts the tourist’s interest, for a more beautiful section of -mountain country is nowhere to be seen in the East. Particularly fine -views are afforded from Maryland Heights, on the opposite side of the -Potomac, and from Bolivar Heights, which are above the town, the latter -being a more extensive perspective, commanding as it does a long stretch -of river and the huge mountain ramparts on the south. From this point of -observation, too, the Shenandoah River is presented to the view, -sprinkled with white-crested waves dashing over smooth-worn bowlders, -that have long lain in its course, and its frowning shores that rise up -into towering mountains and form a chain of peaks that girdle the -horizon. From Maryland Heights the observer is able to look into seven -counties, and across stretches of three States, the view being at last -arrested by a soft haze that crowns the soaring summits of the Blue -Ridge Range. The route from Harper’s Ferry was north by way of the -Baltimore and Ohio and the Cumberland Valley Railroads to Harrisburg, -and thence some of the fine scenery of Pennsylvania was visited, -particularly that which lies along the line of the Pennsylvania -Railroad. In going East, the first view of great interest which greets -the eyes of observant travelers along this road, after leaving -Pittsburgh, is Johnstown, a great manufacturing place, at the confluence -of Conemaugh River and Stony Creek, but whose largest fame dates from -June 1, 1889, when the town was swept by one of the most appalling -cataclysms that has found a record in history. On that ever-memorable -date the immense reservoir away up in the Alleghenies that held the -waters of South Fork, burst without warning and rushed down, a very -devastating monster, into the smiling valley, which it overwhelmed with -a flood forty feet deep. The result is too awful to dwell upon; two -thousand people were whirled to their death, and the city was carried -from its foundations, with a loss of $10,000,000. But Johnstown has -recovered from the terrible blow which it received on that opening day -of summer, and the blazing forge of the rolling-mills has again brought -prosperity to the place. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - THE HORSESHOE CURVE AT KITTANNING, PENNSYLVANIA.—This point is in one - of the finest scenic localities of the great State of Pennsylvania, - the rolling and broken hills rising in many places almost to the - dignity of mountains. The valleys and sloping sides of the hills are - covered with rich and well-cultivated farms, adorned with elegant - farm-houses, barns and other improvements, superior to almost any of - the other rural districts of our country. It is a region also famous - for fruits of various kinds, and in the early spring the whole - country seems abloom with the apple, peach, pear and other fragrant - and familiar blossoms. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -Beyond Johnstown a magnificent panorama of the Alleghenies breaks into -view with their myriad phases of beauty and grandeur. As we follow down -the Conemaugh, along the breast of the mountains are the remains of -inclined planes of the Portage Railroad, by which loaded canal-boats -were transported over the mountains at points where the canal was not -yet constructed. This was before the days of steam railroads, when -canals were the most expeditious mode of freight transportation. Beyond -Cressons the road begins the ascent of the Alleghenies, and in doing so -makes many turns, and from the right hand of the road a gorgeous -spectacle is presented looking down into the valleys, where the houses -are dwarfed by distance until they look like mole-hills, and men are not -distinguishable. There are horseshoe curves as sharp and graceful as any -on the roads that climb over western mountains, while the scene is often -more picturesque because of the high state of cultivation of the -mountain slopes. A tunnel three-quarters of a mile in length pierces the -brow of one of the highest peaks, after which the road descends rapidly -to Cressons, a place noted for its seven mineral springs. Altoona is -next passed, and a few minutes later the train rushes around the -beautiful horseshoe curve at Kittanning, affording a charming prospect -of lofty mountains, surrounding a lake of exquisite beauty, made by -damming a pretty stream that comes gamboling down from cool retreats in -the high altitudes. - -Out of the Tuckahoe Valley and on to Tyrone, where the Little Juniata is -reached, along whose sweet-smelling banks the road hastens by Broad Top -Mountain, Sliding Hill, through the gap of Jack’s Mountain, and thence -into the Long Narrows, which is traversed by highway, river and canal, -running in competition with the railroad. For several miles the scenery -is wondrously beautiful, with kaleidoscopic glimpses of swift-passing -mountain, foaming water-ways, laughing cascades, and bounty-bestowing -valleys bedewed with the delicious waters of the blue Juniata. Thence on -to Harrisburg the road speeds, with many a twist through smiling vales -that swathe the mountain’s feet with ribbons of verdure; across the -Susquehanna, where the river is more than a mile wide and freckled with -impeding stones. Lancaster is soon reached, and thence eastward the -scenery grows in grandeur until Chester Valley is passed and Paoli comes -into view. This place is famous in history from the fact that here took -place a massacre which will be remembered for ages as a reproach to the -British. On September 20, 1777, the American forces under General -Anthony Wayne were surprised by a large army of British regulars, -commanded by General Gray. Notwithstanding the superior numbers of the -enemy and his unpreparedness, General Wayne offered a stubborn -resistance, and not until nearly one-half his men had fallen in the -desperate conflict did he capitulate, upon terms of honorable surrender. -Instead of observing the rules which obtain among civilized nations, -after the Americans had laid down their arms the British mercilessly -slaughtered many of their helpless prisoners. A monument, erected in -1817, marks the site of this shameful tragedy. Eastward from Paoli the -road traverses one of the fairest sections in the world, resembling the -richest agricultural regions of England, where the soil is in the -highest possible state of cultivation and the farm houses are models of -architectural elegance, with a gradual increase in the beauties of the -prosperous landscape until the train pursues its way through Fairmount -Park and into the great metropolis of Philadelphia. - -Northward from Philadelphia our artist traveled, through Bethlehem to -the Delaware Water Gap, where the Delaware River forges its way through -the Blue Mountains, the point of passage being narrowed by walls from -1,200 to 1,600 feet high, which seem to clasp the sturdy stream in -colossal arms, of half affection and half restraint. This tremendous -gorge formerly bore the Indian name of Minnisink, signifying “Whence the -waters are gone,” which is thus explained by a local geologist: “Here a -vast lake once probably extended; and whether the great body of water -wore its way through the mountain by a fall like Niagara, or burst -through a gorge, it is certain that the Minnisink country bears the mark -of aqueous action in its diluvial soil, and in its rounded hills, built -of pebbles and bowlders.” The gap proper is about two miles long, when -the mountains recede on both sides, as if at one time some terrific -disturbance had thrown up a giant ridge in the path of the river. It is -apparent also that centuries ago the passage, though hardly more than -one hundred yards wide now, was very much narrower, and the name given -to it by the Indians was no doubt suggested by this cleft through which -the pent-up waters must have dashed with terrific force and roar. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: NATURAL BRIDGE OF VIRGINIA.] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - LITTLE NECK OF THE SUSQUEHANNA RIVER, PENNSYLVANIA.—The Susquehanna - River takes its rise in the northern part of Pennsylvania and flows - southward into Chesapeake Bay. Its entire course passes through a - richly diversified and splendid scenic region, equaling in many - respects the scenery along the Rhine River in Germany, and lacking - only the castles and the ancient historic associations to make it as - popular with tourists as its less poetically named sister of the - Fatherland. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -The two mountains between which the river passes are named in honor of -two famous Indian chiefs, that on the New Jersey side being called -Tammany, and the one on the Pennsylvania shore being known as Minsi. -Chief Tammany was of the Delaware tribe, whose bravery and magnanimity -was such that he was canonized as the patron saint of America, but his -name is best perpetuated by New York City’s political organization. The -two mountains, adjacent, and which were no doubt one before the wearing -waters cut a way through it, exhibit marked differences, which, to a -casual observer, would seem to controvert this theory. Mount Minsi is a -graceful peak crowned with dense forest growths, while Tammany is a -gigantic rock that rises in broken ledges, almost terraces, from the -river, on one of which, two hundred feet above the river, a hotel has -been built to accommodate summer tourists. And the scenery is grand -enough to lure lovers of the picturesque in nature. Just below the hotel -falls a silvery cascade whose waters are derived from Hunter’s Spring, -that bursts out of the mountain side, and perambulates through many -sequestered nooks, moss-covered and beflowered, before it drops into a -pool called Diana’s Bath, thence over Caldeno Falls, and slides into the -river. Above the source of the waterfall is a lofty ledge known as -Lover’s Leap, and to the left another promontory called Prospect Rock, -while near-by is a clear lake on the very apex of the mountain, which -visitors are told is of an unfathomable depth. - -But though Tammany is the more ruggedly picturesque, Minsi offers the -more entrancing prospect, expanding on the east until the whole of New -Jersey seems to be spread out to view. A mile below the Gap the scenery -becomes curiously pretty, for the river has worn the banks into grottoes -and fantastic forms. Here are such objects of interest as Indian Ladder -Bluff, Cold-Air Cave, Point of Rocks, Bumer’s Spring, etc., while a few -miles above the Gap there are bits of nature positively charming. -Bushkill Creek pours its contribution into the Delaware five miles from -the Gap and a few hundred yards from its outlet the stream tumbles over -a precipice twenty feet high in a sheet of water that looks like a -curtain of lace. On an affluent of the Bushkill are two other cataracts -of even greater beauty, known as Buttermilk and Marshall, both of which -may be reached in a half-hour’s walk from the river, and are within -seven miles of the hotel on Tammany’s ledge. A feature of the Water Gap, -which vies in interest with the natural scenery, is the railroad-bed -around the base of Tammany, where it exacts a space from both the river -and the mountain, in order to secure sufficient width for passage. At -this point the gap is narrowest and the cliffs most stupendous, right -where the jaws of the gorge are set in firmest resolution to prevent a -full flow of the river, and where a rushing current betrays irritation -at the impediment by a ceaseless roar. - -Twenty-five miles above the Water Gap is another section of wild and -weirdly grand scenery, where Dingman’s Creek carols through the copses -and takes a header into the Delaware, like a swimmer at the bath. -Dingman’s Ferry is a small hamlet containing a score of houses, but what -it lacks in population is made up in public interest by its picturesque -surroundings. The region is intersected by numerous streams, which are -noted for their impetuous courses and numerous falls. Of these Colosseum -Falls are the largest, and by many are regarded as the most beautiful; -but Bridal Veil Falls are more exquisitely fascinating to the artist. -The stream is not large, but the precipice is high, and so gracefully -terraced that the water makes a succession of leaps, and each time is -spread by the ledges until at its last fall it is as airy as a bride’s -veil. Its sedgy banks and bosky shelves add to the general effect in a -way that compels the thought of fairy bowers and naiads’ retreats. -Factory Falls are the largest cataracts of this sylvan region, pouring a -considerable volume of water over serrated brinks, and twisting around -in shapely ways that add ineffable grace to the boiling, laughing and -playful waters. Cadedenean Falls are almost as graceful, but are spread -over a greater surface, and fall into the creek in the form of an -outspread fan. The “Brakes and Braes of Bonny Doon” were not more -charming to the eyes of the poet than the soul-delighting coverts and -falls about Dingman’s. In the spring-time these streams are swollen to -immense proportions, and it is then that the falls display their -greatest grandeur, filling the woods with their torrential orisons; but -in summer they exhibit the most marvelous graces, for it is then the -waters are crystalline in their purity, and the dewy mosses along their -brinks look like garlands of diamonds, which the branches of bordering -thickets stoop down to kiss. - -From Dingman’s Ferry our photographer passed on to Milford, and thence -by the Erie Road to New York City, where a junction was made with the -two other photographers for a trip to the sunny lands of the South. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - CHAPTER XIII. - THROUGH LANGUOROUS LANDS OF THE SUNNY SOUTH. - - -[Illustration: TOMB OVER THE GRAVE OF WASHINGTON’S MOTHER, AT -FREDERICKSBURG, VIRGINIA.] - -New York City possesses many attractions for the cosmopolitan, but not -for the artist, who prefers nature’s solitudes to the artificial glamor -and noisy hum of a large city; hence our stay in that city was only for -such time as it required to make preparations for extending our -pictorial journey through summer lands of the southeast. Instead of -carrying our original plans into immediate execution, however, it was -decided to visit the battle-field of Gettysburg, which our artist coming -up through Virginia and Pennsylvania did not find it convenient to -include in his journey. The town of Gettysburg has a population of some -3,500 souls, and is the capital of Adams county, Pennsylvania, the -center of a blooming and bounteously-producing agricultural district. -Our route to reach the place was by way of the Pennsylvania Railroad to -Hanover, and thence by the Western Maryland Railroad, a distance of 250 -miles from New York. The landscape thereabout is undulating, -occasionally rising to hills of considerable size; but scenically there -is nothing particularly attractive, aside from the beautiful farms and -truck-gardens that clothe the knolls with prodigal harvests. -Historically, the place is imperishably famous, for here was fought, on -the 1st, 2d and 3d of July, 1863, the bloodiest and hottest-contested -battle of the civil war. From every eminence this dreadful field, though -it now smiles with plenty, still presents memorials of that ever- -memorable conflict. There is Cemetery Hill, the old grave-place of the -town, where thousands slept before the awakening alarms of cannon and -musket enveloped the scene in battle-smoke. Here it was that the Union -forces, under General Meade, pitched their quarters, because it -commanded a view of the adjacent country. One mile towards the west is -Seminary Ridge, the spot chosen by the Confederates, under General Lee, -as their vantage-point and headquarters. Now sweep the horizon and mark -the places where the battle waxed fiercest; where the dead lay thickest -and the thunder of conflict was loudest. There is Willoughby Run, where -the battle began and where Buford’s cavalry was hurled upon the steel of -Hill, and for two hours withstood the hell of ball and bayonet until -flesh could endure no more. There is Round Top, another eminence where -the Union lines reformed, with the left wing thrown around the ridges to -Cemetery Hill. There is where Longstreet struck Sickles with such -fearless resolution, and a whole day was spent in a contention for Great -and Little Round Top, without advantage to either side, but with -frightful losses to both. Now on Cemetery Hill the eyes of the world -must rest, for here it was, on the third day, that such fighting was -done as Greek nor Roman ever knew. After a lull at midday, two hundred -brazen throats were opened with boom and screaming shells; the air -became filled with smoke, and the earth was choked with dead, until -there came a lull, out of which broke a column three miles long, whose -gray uniforms soon proclaimed the advance of General Pickett leading his -army in a desperate resolve to storm the Union position. No charge ever -made was more terrible, no repulse was ever more fatal. Americans, -whatever be their sympathies, whatever their prejudices, may feel proud -of the heroism displayed by both armies on that day of carnage around -Cemetery Hill. It was a courage that glorifies America. - -[Illustration: THE DEVIL’S DEN, BATTLE-FIELD OF GETTYSBURG] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - ROUND TOP, OVERLOOKING THE BATTLEFIELD OF GETTYSBURG.—The battle that - was fought at Gettysburg on the first, second and third of July, - 1863, has been justly classed as one of the great battles of the - world. It was the final turning-point in the war between the North - and the South, and each side, on this field, displayed a heroism - that will forever shed a light of glory upon the courage and - fortitude of Americans as soldiers. Fifty-four thousand of our - countrymen gave up their lives at Gettysburg. They were - distinguished by uniforms of blue and gray then; now they are - clothed with robes that are woven without color. Let the head be - uncovered and the eye moist with tears as we stand upon the ground - made sacred by their blood. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: A VILLAGE SCENE OF HAPPY CONTENT IN VIRGINIA.] - -The 54,000 souls that laid down their arms and answered roll-call the -morning of July 4th on the parade-grounds of paradise, were our -countrymen. They were distinguished by uniforms of blue and gray then; -they are invested with robes now that are woven without color. Let the -trumpets blare, and the drums be beaten, but let it be on Memorial Day, -as salutes of remembrance for the heroes who died within the gates of -Cemetery Hill, at Round Top, the Stone Fence, Culp’s Hill, Seminary -Ridge, Willoughby Run and Benner’s Hill. - -Gettysburg is of itself a monument to human courage, but its field of -blood has been made a national cemetery of seventeen acres, which was -dedicated with imposing ceremonies on November 19, 1863, at which -President Lincoln made the greatest address ever delivered on American -soil, “With malice toward none, with charity for all.” A soldiers’ -monument was erected in 1868, which is sixty feet high, surmounted by a -marble figure of Liberty, and occupies a crown of the hill, where it is -a conspicuous object for miles, and arranged in semi-circles about the -base are the graves of nearly three thousand of the unidentified victims -of the dreadful conflict. - - “Thus sleep the braves who sank to rest, - By all their Country’s wishes blest.” - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - AN OLD COLONIAL HOUSE AT APPOMATTOX, VIRGINIA.—This picturesque old - mansion, built while Virginia was still a colony of the mother- - country, stands yet as a landmark of an earlier civilization and a - social era that has passed away. The wealthy pioneer who planned it - took as his model some still older mansion of the merry England from - which he had emigrated, and thus sought to transplant in the wilds - of America a memorial of some loved spot in his native country. Its - halls are now filled with the ghostly recollections of the past, for - even the mighty events which took place in this immediate vicinity - in April, 1865, seem almost like ancient history, so rapidly does - time speed away on the wings of steam and electricity. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: FORTRESS MONROE, VIRGINIA.] - -From Gettysburg our route was southwest to Washington, and thence by way -of Fredericksburg to Appomattox. From Washington the Richmond, -Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad runs through a sterile section, -unrelieved by either picturesque scenery or smiling field, so that a -part of it has long been known as the Wilderness, famous, however, as -the scene of many great battles in 1863-4, many traces of which are -still to be seen from the car windows of passing trains. Fredericksburg -is distinguished also as the vicinity in which Washington was born, and -where he spent the greater part of his youth. Here it was also that -Washington’s mother lived for a long time, and died in 1789. A monument -erected in 1883, in the suburbs of the town, marks the place of her -sepulture. Twelve miles beyond Fredericksburg is the battle-ground of -Spottsylvania Court House, where Stonewall Jackson received his death -wound, May 2, 1863. Indeed, the region for fifty miles thereabout is -still scarred by the strokes of contending armies delivered thirty years -ago, and cemeteries in which repose the heroic dead of both Union and -Confederate are numerous, marked by many monuments to attest the -appreciation of the living for the sacrifices which were endured in -those dreadful years of the sixties. But if the country is somewhat -barren, and gruesome with reminders of fratricidal strife, it is not -entirely destitute of the phases that lend cheerfulness to life. Here is -essentially the land of happy negroes, where poverty abounds with joy, -for absence of responsibility is contentment of mind with the colored -race. At the depot there is always a swarm of pickaninnies eager to -scramble for pennies thrown to the crowd, and the most comical scenes -imaginable occur at these tussles, for the little darkies themselves, in -an array of all sizes and shades of black and brown, a company of -tatterdemalions that would put Punch and Judy to rout, are ludicrous -enough to make a goat laugh. The street-scenes of villages near-by, as -well as in the suburbs of Fredericksburg, are equally whimsical, -presenting, as they often do, human nature in its most grotesque aspect. -Horses are rarely used by negroes for draught purposes; mules more -frequently; but bulls, cows and yearling calves are the chief -dependence, and carts the popular style of conveyance with these happy- -go-lucky people. There is no need for haste, and the loads are never -large, hence a yoke of cattle are as handy as a span of horses, and -preferable because slow movement allows more sleep on the way. The sun -makes the tobacco grow, and the rain makes music on the cabin-roof; so -rain or shine the darkey’s heart is always light and the future is -hidden from him by a veil of present delight. Such sights teach the -value of content, even if they do offend ambition, and in them the -philosopher’s stone has its hiding-place. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - AN OLD CABIN HOME IN GEORGIA.—The old log cabin is a familiar sight in - Georgia, as well as other parts of the South. Often it is vine- - wreathed, showing signs of great antiquity, with roof of clapboards, - upon which the rain patters like the long-roll beat of the snare - drum. Homely, battered by time, and affording few comforts, yet in - such cabins greatness has often had its birth, nor scorned such - humble nativity. How many men of high estate lie down in the drapery - of fine linen and, when night has folded the earth in her sable - arms, think of the old cabin home in Georgia; of the long-time ago; - of the bubbling spring in the hollow and the gourd that hung by it; - of the grape-vine swing, and the cows mooing in the pasture; of - father and mother, and the graves on the hillside. And there is a - sigh from the heart for these pleasures of a past that have departed - forever. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: DRUMMOND’S LAKE, IN GREAT DISMAL SWAMP, VIRGINIA.] - -From Fredericksburg our route was northwest to Appomattox and thence -east by way of Richmond to Fortress Monroe, on the peninsula. We were a -little disappointed to find the site of the culminating event of the war -destitute of any special feature of interest of either a natural or -artificial character. The scene of surrender is not even marked by a -monument, and the country thereabout is a pale and somber stretch of -poorly-cultivated lands. Yet there are exceptions; for occasionally the -monotony of cabin and broken fence is relieved by prolific tobacco- -fields, pretty towns, and inviting manors adorned with colonial houses -that still preserve their old-time air of comfort and Southern -hospitality. Virginia well deserves the title of the Dominion State, not -only because she is the mother of Presidents, but because she is also -distinguished as the native state of many of the greatest men and women -born on American soil. “To be a Virginian, is to be a gentleman,” has -passed into an adage; and the country is proud of her for a hundred -reasons, which reference to history will explain. If her soil is not the -most fertile, yet her legacy is the richest, for she gave to the world -such men as Washington, Madison, Jefferson, Randolph, Clay, Lee and a -thousand others whose names and deeds are alike imperishable. Fortress -Monroe is reached by the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad, over which route -we traveled from Appomattox. It is located at the point of a peninsula, -formed by the Fork and James Rivers, which projects into Chesapeake Bay -where it joins the Atlantic. The situation is particularly favorable for -a Government fortress, and its natural and commanding advantages have -been fully utilized, for it is the largest and strongest fortification -in America. Hampton Roads separates the point of the peninsula from the -opposite land. This body of water is about five miles wide and forms the -outlet of James River. It was in the Roads that the most famous of -modern naval battles, between the _Monitor_ and the _Merrimac_ -(Virginia), took place, March 9, 1862. Two miles below Fortress Monroe -is Old Point Comfort, a very popular resort and the seat of the National -Soldiers’ Home. Newport News is nine miles above the Fortress, on -Hampton Roads; and Yorktown, the place of Cornwallis’ surrender to -Washington, October 19, 1781, is twenty-five miles north, on York River, -both places possessing great historic interest for events of which they -were the scene during the Revolutionary war. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - OLD FORT AND SEA WALL AT ST. AUGUSTINE, FLORIDA.—This old fort - possesses a peculiar interest for Americans, being the oldest - historic fortification of our country. Its construction was begun by - Menendez de Aviles, a Spaniard, in 1565, but it was not completed - until two centuries later. It was then called Fort San Marco, but - with a ruthless disregard of historic associations characteristic of - our people, it has been changed to Fort Marion, without in the least - adding to the lustre of the renown of the great Revolutionary - patriot of the South. The walls of the fort are composed of a - conglomerate called coquina, which is formed of shells and sand - brought from the island of Anastasia. Originally soft and pliable as - plaster, it becomes almost of granitic hardness by exposure, - affording a safe protection against the primitive artillery of that - period. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: A HUNTER’S CABIN ON THE CANAL, DISMAL SWAMP.] - -Crossing Hampton Roads by steamer to Norfolk, we proceeded southward by -the Norfolk Southern Railroad, through a region known as the Dismal -Swamp, famous alike in fact and fiction. The term has been indelibly -affixed to two extensive stretches of morass, the larger of which lies -between the James River on the north and Albemarle Sound on the south, -thus covering a part of Virginia and North Carolina, having a length of -about forty miles and a breadth of twenty-five miles. Little Dismal -Swamp is wholly within North Carolina, in the peninsula between -Albemarle Sound and Pimlico Sound, and while occupying considerably less -than one-third as much area as Great Dismal, is probably better known to -readers because of the tragedies which have been enacted within its dark -and gloomy districts. Speaking generally, the swamps are composed of a -spongy, vegetable soil, but without any mixture of earth, which supports -a dense growth of aquatic plants, brush-wood and timber. Sir Charles -Lyell, the distinguished geologist, was first to bring to notice the -curious fact that the surface of the swamp is actually twelve feet -higher in many places than the surrounding country, so that its drainage -is outward, except where a few small streams flow in from the west side. -The center of Great Dismal is occupied by Drummond’s Lake, an oval basin -six miles long and three wide, with perpendicular banks and fifteen feet -depth of water. In and around this lake is a veritable paradise for -hunters, for its waters abound with fish and wild fowl, and the adjacent -woods are the favorite haunts of deer, bears, wild-cats, coons and -swamp-rabbits. The region, inexpressibly dreary as it is, contributes -largely to commerce by furnishing immense supplies of timber. To -facilitate transportation the Great Swamp is intersected by canals, the -two largest being those which connect the Elizabeth and Pasquotank -Rivers, and Elizabeth River with Carrituck Sound. - -Some queer little cabins are built along these water-ways, a few being -occupied by timber cutters, but generally they are the temporary abodes -of hunters who find shooting and trapping both pleasurable and -profitable, and who work at logging out of game season. Little Dismal -Swamp, though smaller than its more northern neighbor, is very much more -dense with brush-wood, and decidedly more forbidding, because its gloomy -depths rarely echo with the voice of man, or the sound of the woodman’s -ax. Fifty years ago it was the refuge of runaway negroes, and a -dangerous place for a white man to be seen, because the blacks who hid -in its thick coverts were usually of the most desperate character, who -would not hesitate at crime. One of the best-remembered, because the -most tragic, negro insurrections that ever occurred in Virginia was -headed by a Samsonian black named Nat Turner. Under his leadership more -than a hundred armed negroes rose against their masters and massacred a -score of men, women and children. When a sufficient force of whites was -mustered to oppose them, the negroes fled to Little Dismal Swamp, where, -after great length of time, they were starved into surrender. Nat -Turner, however, was last to submit to his pursuers, and committed so -many crimes, while the search for him continued, that his very name -became a terror; but he was at last captured through betrayal by a negro -whom he trusted, and after due trial was convicted and hanged. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - PONCE DE LEON HOTEL, ST. AUGUSTINE, FLORIDA.—This photograph - represents the court of the hotel, around which the walls extend in - the form of a hollow square. The hotel itself is a revival of the - richest examples of Moorish architecture. It is old Spain of the - golden reign of Ibn-l-Ahmar transported to American shores. With its - lavish adornment, picturesque style and exquisite grounds, in which - every known tropical plant is made to add its beauty and shed its - fragrance, while flowing fountains cool the summer air, the Ponce de - Leon is not only a reminder of the great palace of Spain in the time - of Columbus, but it is also one of the best representatives of - modern convenience, comfort and artistic beauty of architecture and - construction. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: BONAVENTURE CEMETERY, SAVANNAH, GEORGIA.] - -Our next halting place on the flight southward was Savannah, the Gate -City, as it is the Queen City of the South. Next to Atlanta in -commercial importance, Savannah is easily first of all sunny metropoli -in the superb beauty of its situation and the park grandeur of its -surroundings. Here it was that General Oglethorpe founded his Georgia -colony early in 1733; and the flourishing city, from which the first -ocean steamer that ever attempted to cross the Atlantic sailed, and its -rank as the second cotton port of the United States, are striking proofs -of his foresight and excellent discrimination. - -The city is situated on a bold bluff overlooking the Savannah River, -along which it extends in a curved front for a distance of three miles, -affording excellent wharfage. The streets are all very broad and -magnificently shaded, while parks containing one to three acres occur at -all the principal intersections, charmingly laid out and beautified with -flowers, which grow in that warm climate in the richest profusion. -Flower gardens constitute one of the most characteristic features of the -place, for a majority of the residences are surrounded by ample grounds -that are abloom with flowering plants throughout the year. This is the -borderland of southern evergreens, where the stately oak is festooned -with pearl-gray mosses, and the orange and the magnolia fill the air -with delicious perfumes. Along the streets, too, are rows of flowering -oleanders, pomegranates, palmettos, bananas, laurels, bays and sweet -crape-myrtles. But of all the beauties about Savannah none rival the -charms of Bonaventure Cemetery, four miles from the city, on Warsaw -River, and reached by a shell road that is equal to any drive-way in the -world. Every grave is a flower-bed, and the long avenues canopied with -moss-garlanded oaks present a picture Arcadian in its loveliness, and -suggestive of those flowery glades through which immortals might delight -to wander. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - OLD CITY GATES, ST. AUGUSTINE, FLORIDA.—As St. Augustine is the oldest - town in America, having been founded by the Spaniards in 1565, it is - quite natural that we should find here many relics of the past - mingled with the bright and better features of modern life. The old - city was surrounded by a wall as security against attacks from the - outside, and of this wall the gates, so beautifully photographed on - this page, are about the only remaining relics. It is one of the - links connecting the present with the earliest events of discovery - in our country—a link rusty with the blood of conquest and - martyrdom. Here it was that Spanish cruelty and French retaliation - were carried to the most barbaric extreme, and cruelty is always in - need of strong walls to protect it from the enemies it creates and - nourishes. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: A HOME IN THE MOUNTAINS OF GEORGIA.] - -The country district about Savannah is somewhat similar in appearance to -that of Western North Carolina, except that its mountains are not nearly -so high. The soil, however, is practically the same, as are the social -conditions; and hence the constant reminder of that section which we -have already described. The old log-cabin is a familiar sight in -Georgia, often vine-wreathed, and showing signs of great antiquity, with -roofs of clap-board, upon which the rain patters like the long-roll beat -of a snare-drum. The picture which we present is typical of this class, -and an example as well of rural simplicity. Homely, battered by time, -and affording few comforts, yet in such cabins greatness has often had -its birth, nor scorned such humble nativity. How many men of high estate -lie down in the drapery of fine linen and, when night has folded the -earth in her sable arms, think of the old cabin home in Georgia; of the -long time ago; of the bubbling spring in the hollow and the gourd that -hung by it; of the grape-vine swing, and the cows mooing in the pasture; -of father and mother, and the graves on the hillside. And there is a -sigh from the heart. The old time was the flush of life’s morning; it is -growing evening now, and the shadows are creeping up the slopes. Soon -the present will be the “old times” to our children. How many men who -have achieved greatness would exchange their possessions and positions -for youth and the old cabin home as they see it now in their dreams! -Many, yes, very many. - -Inseparable, almost, from the log-house of the Southern poor, is the -cabin home of the negro, because the two are separated by such a thin -line of distinction that only critical inspection can prevent them from -assimilating in the minds of those unfamiliar with Southern life. There -is the same stone-chimney and clap-board roof, but the colored man’s -cabin is a single room, and the front is porchless. More hasty -construction is also noted, for the logs are laid like a turkey-pen, and -clap-boards are used again, not for weather-boarding, but as a -substitute for batten. Windows are not needed, through which to exchange -civilities with the season, for there are holes and crannies to let -smoke out, and plenty of accidental entrances for the warm summer air to -get in. It is thus at small effort and no care the worst weather is kept -out, and contentedness reigns within. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - AMONG THE PALMETTOS ON THE BANKS OF HALIFAX RIVER, FLORIDA.—This is a - typical Southern scene, and one of the most delightful to human - senses that could be imagined. It is so perfectly in accord with - nature that in imagination we can hear the bursting of the buds as - they grow beneath the fructifying influences of the Southern sun, - and feel the soft, hazy atmosphere as it gently rolls in from the - cooling waters of the sea, and floods the intervening spaces of the - moss-covered trees. In the Garden of Eden there must have been many - bowers such as this, where Adam and Eve whispered the first vows of - devotion and human love. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: THE HEAD OF HALIFAX RIVER, ABOVE ORMOND.] - -Through Georgia and into the land of orange groves we sped, stopping a -day at Jacksonville, and then hurried on to San Augustine, the oldest -town in America (founded by the Spanish in 1565), and possibly the most -interesting. It is a link which connects the present with the earliest -events of discovery in our country—a link rusty with the blood of -conquest and martyrdom. Here it was that Spanish cruelty and French -retaliation were carried to the most barbaric extreme, and the -enslavement of native Indians began. Passing through the first ordeals -of settlement, a century later it was bitterly afflicted by raids of -Indians and the plundering of pirates, so that its growth was prevented, -and not until the British surrendered possession to the United States in -1821, did the place show any indications of permanency, or that it would -attain to any importance beyond what it had before reached as a very -small village. - -St. Augustine is located on a narrow peninsula formed by the Matanzas -and San Sebastian Rivers, and is separated from the ocean by Anastasia -Island. From a place of little consequence, in the last few years it has -become distinguished as the most popular winter resort in the South. -Several things have conspired to bring about this change, chief of -which, however, was the enterprises of Mr. H. M. Flagler, who, -recognizing its favorable location, resolved to convert the town from a -listless, sleeping, poverty-stricken village into such an Eden of -loveliness as the arts of man can create. In accomplishing this object -he spent $6,000,000, and the improvements are of such a character as may -well satisfy his ambition. The Ponce de Leon Hotel is a revival of the -richest examples of Moorish architecture. It is old Spain of the golden -reign of Ibn-l-Ahmar transported to American shores. And strange -coincidence it is, that the year in which Columbus set sail on his first -western voyage in quest of eastern lands, the year of the Moorish -Expulsion, the beautiful Alhambra, most magnificent building that ever -graced the earth, was given over to vandalism and spoliation. The Ponce -de Leon, with its lavish adornment, picturesque style and exquisite -grounds, in which every known tropical plant is made to add its beauty -and shed its fragrance, while fountains cool the summer air, is a -reminder of the great palace of Grenada, and the chivalry of Spain in -the time of Columbus. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - AVENUE OF MOSS-COVERED OAKS, NEAR ORMOND, FLORIDA.—Laying aside the - question as to whether the command to work, that was imposed upon - our first parents, was a curse or a blessing, it is easy to conceive - that one reared among such scenery as this, where there are but few - wants which the spontaneous growth of nature does not supply, would - naturally regard hard labor as the greatest curse that could be - pronounced against mankind. Here, side by side and of their own - volition, grow the orange, the pomegranate, the fig, the melon, and - nearly all the other fruits and vegetables necessary for the support - of physical existence, while life is made delightful with the - blossom and odor of thousands of bright-hued and ever-blossoming - flowers. Here let us rest and dream, and think of work only when the - flaming sword of necessity drives us forth to exertion. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: PALMETTO HUTS NEAR TITUSVILLE, FLORIDA.] - -But the interest to St. Augustine visitors is not confined to the Ponce -de Leon, glorious as it is, joined though it be to its almost equally -superb annexes, the Cordova and Alcazar, for the city is filled with the -relics of an olden time, and associations that are almost painful to -recall. Along its water-front extends a sea wall one mile in length and -ten feet broad, built of coquina and coped with granite, forming an -incomparable promenade between the old Franciscan monastery, now used as -a barracks, and the ancient fort of San Marco, now known as Fort Marion. -Though not the most formidable, these antique fortifications rank all -others of this country in interest. Their construction was begun by -Menendez de Aviles in 1565, at the time of the founding, but were not -completed until two centuries later, all of the work being performed by -enslaved Indians. The fortifications cover about four acres, and the -walls are of coquina, a conglomerate of shells and sand brought from -Anastasia Island, which, soft when dug, hardens by exposure. The fort is -a splendid example of the best military architecture of the time, being -in the shape of a trapezium, surrounded by a wide and deep moat, and -with walls twenty-one feet high, sharp bastions at the corners, thick -casemates, and subterranean passages and vaults which might serve -equally for refuge ports or dungeons. That some of these were used for -the latter purpose is proved by the fact that in one of the least -accessible dungeon-rooms, the entrance to which was accidentally found, -two skeletons chained to the wall were discovered. What a story of -suffering these might tell if they could speak! - -In the earlier centuries a wall extended across the peninsula, which -protected the city from attack on the north side, but nothing now -remains of this defence except the old city gates, at the head of St. -George street. These are massive square towers fifteen feet high, -pierced with loop-holes, and at the base of each is a sentry-box, which -the guards occupied when on duty. - -Near the center of the business part of the city is the old slave- -market, adjoining which is the _Plaza de la Constitucion_, containing a -monument erected in 1812, commemorative of the Spanish Liberal -Constitution, while another monument stands in front of the old Market, -which was erected in 1879, in honor of the Confederate dead. - -Besides being a great winter resort, St. Augustine is a place of some -commercial importance, its largest industry being the manufacture of -palmetto hats, while in the convents a fine quality of lace goods is -made, by girls and the nuns in charge. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - RUBBER OR BANYAN TREE, ON BANANA RIVER, FLORIDA.—We are now among the - wonders of the semi-tropics and the paradisaic delights of a - marvelous sun-browned land, where the mocking bird opens the matin - competition in the college of vernal hymns, and the palmettos are - vocal with the softly stirring breeze. The landscape is a dreamy - haze of incomparable loveliness, where a feast of flowers is - perpetually spread, and the voice of peris may be heard down under - the green waters of a murmuring sea. The ocean is so near that the - music of its rolling beach comes like a gentle lullaby through the - clustering branches of the scented trees, bringing the hush of the - still small voice that reminds us of the presence of Deity. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: IN THE DEEP PALMETTO SOLITUDES ALONG INDIAN RIVER.] - -It is about seventy-five miles from St. Augustine to Ormond by the -Jacksonville, Tampa and Key West Railroad, one of the branches of the -Plant System, whose terminus is Daytona, five miles below Ormond. -Indeed, nearly every road in Florida is the property of the Plant -company, which has proven a factor of incalculable benefit to the State, -and has reaped correspondingly great reward. Ormond is located on the -head of Halifax River, which is a part of the Indian River Lagoon, -connected by the Mosquito Haul-Over, or canal. We are now in the sub- -tropics, and among the paradisiac delights of a marvelous sun-browned -land, where the mocking-bird opens the matin competition in the college -of vernal hymns, and the palmettos are vocal with the softly stirring -breeze. The landscape is a dreamy haze of incomparable loveliness, where -a feast of flowers is perpetually spread, and the voice of peris may be -heard down under the green waters of a murmuring sea. Only a thin -stretch of golden beach lies between the mainland, on which Ormond is -located, and the ocean, so near that the billows are distinctly heard -beating against the shore. Along this water-front of lagoon and sea are -gleaming sands so hard that step nor wheel make any impression, and so -inviting that nymphs might make it a playground. West of the village is -a typical hummock of tropical growths, penetrated by a glade that is -embowered and sweetly shaded by massive oaks gracefully festooned with -pearl-gray mosses, and palmettos that flaunt their tangled, rustling -branches before the beaming sun. Hereabout, too, are groves rich-laden -with fruits as golden as those that were plucked by Hercules in the -garden of Hesperides; where the orange and the banana bend beneath the -weight of their own deliciousness, and pour out their honey to the bees -in rich extravagance. - -At Ormond boat was taken for a trip down Indian River, a journey which -all the speech of adjective and imagery cannot justly describe. Indian -River and Halifax River are not streams, but shallow lagoons, strips of -the ocean enclosed by narrow tongues of sandy beach, severed by -occasional inlets through which the billows break tumultuously. Its -extreme length, for the two are now joined by a canal, is about two -hundred miles, and though rarely more than three feet deep, and in -places less, the lagoon is navigated by a line of stern-wheel boats, -which, in winter-time, are crowded with excursionists, notwithstanding -their sleeping accommodations are confined almost entirely to cots in -the cabins. One line runs to Titusville, and there connects with -another, which carries passengers as far south as Jupiter, the southern -limit of the river. In the last year (1892) a railroad has been built -from Titusville to Rockledge, and is being pushed southward, so that in -another year or two the trip to Jupiter may be made by rail. But the -boat journey, though beset by some harassments, consequent upon narrow -passages and low water, will lose little of its popularity, because it -will always remain one of the most delightful that can be taken. The -connection between Halifax and Indian Rivers is by means of a canal that -requires constant dredging, and through which it is difficult to pass -with boat when the wind is blowing hard; while at times it is so choked -with sand that the boats have to be literally dragged through by means -of hawser and capstan. New Smyrna is a town of some importance, as is -Titusville, but besides these, the landings are of no consequence as -trading-places, consisting of never more than one or two stores and as -many houses. This sparseness of population increases the interest of -travelers on the river, for the charm of primeval beauty and -attractiveness thus remains. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - ROCKLEDGE, ON INDIAN RIVER, FLORIDA.—Rockledge is a resort of great - popularity, but of no commercial importance, for it does not contain - a single store. For beauty it is almost unrivaled, being richly - adorned by nature and lavishly ornamented by the arts of man. The - large cabbage palmettos that grow up wildly along the coquina banks - were suffered to remain, and between them avenues were laid out and - covered with shells, so that from the river there is a long prospect - of gleaming walks ramifying a shore of brilliant green. Here also - the orange grows to its most delicious perfection, likewise the - lemon, banana and grape fruit; and such a breeze of perfume greets - the incoming passenger as paradise itself might exhale. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: SPOUTING ROCK, NEAR JUPITER.] - -As a rule the banks are covered with spiney-palmetto, which is almost as -difficult to eradicate as Canada thistle, and hence few attempts are -made to reclaim the land, as the cost of clearing exceeds the value. But -at occasional intervals the banks are diversified with orange groves, -and bananas are also raised to some extent, but the chief industry is -fishing, for the river abounds with sheephead, pompano, mullet, cavalli, -and green turtles. Rockledge is a resort of great popularity, but of no -commercial importance, for it does not contain a single store. For -beauty, however, it is almost unrivalled, being richly adorned by nature -and lavishly beautified by the arts of man. The large cabbage palmettos -that grow up wildly along its coquina banks were suffered to remain, and -between them avenues were laid out and covered with shells, so that from -the river there is a lovely prospect of gleaming walks ramifying a shore -of brilliant green. Here also the orange grows in its most delicious -perfection, likewise the lemon, banana, and grape fruit; and such a -breeze of perfume greets the incoming passenger as paradise itself might -exhale. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - ORANGE GROVE AT ROCKLEDGE, INDIAN RIVER, FLORIDA.—A trip down Indian - River is a journey that all the speech of imagery and adjective - cannot justly describe. It is here that the orange reaches its best - perfection, and on every hand are groves laden with the yellow - fruit, while the more modest banana bush bends beneath the weight of - its own deliciousness, and pours out its honey to the bees in rich - extravagance. Nature is so luxurious in her productions that she - supports nearly all the plants and trees and flowers belonging to - this delightful climate, so that within the limits of an orange - orchard may be found nearly everything that grows in the semi- - tropics. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: LAKE OKEECHOBEE, FLORIDA.] - -The river at Rockledge is nearly six miles wide and furnishes the finest -sea for sailing, for the salt-air is present, and the dangers of heavy -billows are absent. Across this expanse lies a broad strip of land which -is divided by another lagoon called Banana River, along which is a -charming vista of wood that has been named by some admirer Fairyland. -This strip of forest-growth is beautiful enough to justify the name, and -wandering through groves of oranges, palms, magnolias and paw-paws, on -shell-walks of snowy whiteness, fancy pictures a troop of dryads -picnicking among the trees, and drinking nectar from flaming begonia -flowers that sprinkle the woods with scarlet. At the lower end of -Fairyland is a natural park in which gnarled oaks spread their giant -shadows over a lawn of grasses, and on the margin is a grove of pine- -apples, the fragrance of which almost stifles the odor from the orange- -blossoms. A single cottage is the only habitation in this poetic -retreat, before the door of which are lofty paw-paws waving their -feathery crests, and a gigantic rubber, or banyan tree, whose branches -woo the soil and have taken root therein. Only one other specimen of -this remarkable tree, of equal size, is found in the United States, and -it, too, is a native of Florida, being one of the chief curiosities of -Key West. There are other species that exhibit a disposition to fix the -points of their drooping branches in the ground, but it is peculiar to -the banyan to send out shoots from its main stems, which, instead of -growing upward, point straight down, and even before reaching the ground -the ends put out root-tendrils, which strike into the soil and firmly -attach themselves as soon as they reach the earth. As the boat proceeds -southward from Rockledge the way grows in interest, for we soon reach -what may be called “the region of water-fowls.” Ducks, coots, water- -hens, absolutely cover the river’s surface, while pelicans increase in -number until we reach Pelican Island, where they swarm by thousands. The -rising of water-fowl before the boat is a wondrous sight, and the -beating of their wings on the water produces a sound like a heavy fall -of hail on a dry clap-board roof; there are positively millions, and the -commotion which they create is almost pandemonium. Another remarkable -sight which we witnessed was a school of porpoises that had strayed into -the lagoon (for they are not commonly found there) which, being -frightened by the boat, made a retreat across the river in such -precipitation that the shallow water was beaten into foam, leaving a -streak of white behind them that marked their course some time after. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - A PINEAPPLE GROVE ON INDIAN RIVER, FLORIDA.—A pineapple grove is one - of the most enjoyable places in the world. The broad green blades of - the plants, the golden reddish yellow fruit, and the pleasant odor - that fills the air form a combination of the most delightful - character. No one can fully appreciate the delicious flavor of the - pineapple until he has plucked it ripe from the plant and eaten it - on the spot. The fruit that goes to market is cut when only half - ripe, and thus loses the best part of its flavor, and is spongy and - tough in comparison with that which is allowed to mature before - being gathered. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: A CAMP OF CONSUMPTIVES, NEAR LAKE WORTH, FLORIDA.] - -The character of the shore vegetation also changed, the spiney-palmetto -giving place to mangroves that grow so thickly a man might almost walk -on their tops. In these deep forests wild game is abundant, including -deer, bear, panthers and ’coons; and on our journey we saw a ’coon that -had so little fear it scarcely moved even when the boat brushed the limb -upon which it sat. When night falls upon these solemnly somber deep -woods a sense of dread steals on the traveler, though he be in a gay -crowd on a good steamboat. The river narrows for nearly ten miles -through the mangrove thickets, and during this interval the banks are -within reach from both sides. The passage is tortuous, too, and the boat -requires slow and careful handling, frequently the bow striking one bank -and the stern the other, while the electric bull’s-eye light penetrates -and flashes like a Druid’s fire dance in the tangled copse where many -slimy and uncanny things have their haunts. An alligator’s grunt, a -loon’s cry, a frog’s hoarse croak, and a snake-bird’s piping are some of -the sounds that animate the solitudes, and cracking branches betray the -proximity of some wild beast whose eyes are like lanterns in the -darkness. - -After hours of patient working, Jupiter Narrows are passed and the boat -speeds on, her iron hull often grinding on the oyster-beds, and long -waves breaking over the shallows. Eden is then reached, and the odor of -the pine-apple is perceptible in the air. A stop is made to allow -passengers to go on shore and visit the pine-apple grove near-by, where -that excellent fruit is cultivated successfully by a gentleman who first -lost a fortune in the experiment. A mile below Eden St. Lucie Sound and -River extend several miles inland towards Lake Okeechobee, twenty-five -miles distant. It is proposed to connect the lake with this river by -means of a canal, and thus drain the swamps and everglades of Southern -Florida. Another shorter canal on the west would connect the lake with -Caloosahat River, and thus two outlets would be afforded, which would -speedily accomplish the purpose of the company that has undertaken the -enterprise. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - A BANANA GROVE IN FLORIDA.—The banana plant is one of the most - beautiful growths that can be imagined. Its broad, luxuriant leaves - are of a bright green color, changing to maroon and orange as the - season advances and the fruit begins to ripen. The latter, when it - reaches the delicious yellow stage of full maturity, does its part - in helping to dress the field in the most beautiful livery of - nature, presenting a scene of gold, green and maroon surpassing the - powers of pen or pencil to depict or portray. The Spaniards, from a - fancied resemblance of the transverse section to a cross, supposed - the banana to have been the forbidden fruit, and that Adam saw in - eating it the mystery of redemption by the cross. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: THE ONE-OX SHAY IN FLORIDA.] - -Twenty-five miles below Eden is Jupiter, the southern termination of -Indian River, a little town that derives its importance from the -Government light-house which stands before the inlet to warn vessels off -the dangerous reefs outside. The surroundings, however, are very -delightful, especially the beach, which is strewn with the prettiest -ocean-shells that ever a pensive person gathered, including an -occasional pearly nautilus, a perfect one of which we had the good -fortune to find. Near-by is the Spouting Rock, a coquina formation that -rises into a bank and which has been hollowed at the base by incessant -dashing of the billows. Into this grotto the waves plunge with such -force that they drive out through an opening in the top of the rock like -a colossal fountain, and are scattered by the winds into a shower of -rainbows. A narrow-gauge railroad runs south from Jupiter, a distance of -eight miles, to Juno, its terminus on Lake Worth, where tourists take a -steam launch for Palm Beach and are then in the land of the cocoanut. -The voice of eloquence grows coarse when it attempts to paint the -beauties of this o’er fair summer-land; a land where warm zephyrs stir -the hazy air with breath of perpetual bloom, and sensuous perfumes fan -the cheeks of languorous day. In this Arcadian spot of beauty, where the -air is passionate as a lover, wooing and kissing the flowers, tossing -and embracing the fronds of the cocoa-trees, there is a joy like -retrospection; a communion with the rapturous soul of nature; a -commingling with the creatures of our sweetest fancy; a balmy, delicious -sense of gratification that lulls and etherealizes; that bridges the -gulf between the real and the ideal; that builds substantial castles in -clouds of gold, and makes everything a slave to our desires. The banks -are pictures of beauty, the gardens are beds of perennial delight. Lake -Worth is separated from the ocean by a strip of land less than half a -mile wide, and this narrow tongue of what was once bare sand has been -converted into a stretch of tropical exuberance. For a distance of four -miles there is an unbroken glade of cocoanut-trees, while nearer to the -sea-shore are banana groves, and trees bending to the ground with -guavas, sapodillas, oranges, lemons and other tropical fruits. At -intervals there are gardens full-bearing in February with beans, peas, -tomatoes, and along the walks are flower-beds that flame with color and -lade the atmosphere with nature’s incense. To walk through such a grove -of fruitful delight is to fill the heart with ecstasy. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - A COCOANUT GROVE ON THE BANKS OF LAKE WORTH, FLORIDA.—There are but - few of the wants and conveniences of mankind to which the cocoanut - palm does not contribute something. Without exception it is the most - useful tree in existence. It attains a height of sixty to one - hundred feet, and a diameter of one to two feet; while it is - resplendently crowned with numerous feather-like leaves from - eighteen to twenty feet long. The flowers come in clusters, and at - first have a beautiful milk-white appearance, which, however, soon - changes to a yellowish color. They are beautiful for their varied - combinations and great number rather than from any individual grace. - Each tree will produce from eighty to one hundred nuts per year. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: SCENE ON THE OKLAWAHA RIVER, FLORIDA.] - -The air of this southern region is not only languorous but, in the piney -districts particularly, is balsamic, and hence thousands of consumptives -go to Florida for relief which they cannot find elsewhere. The -Everglades are not what they were formerly pictured to be before -exploration revealed that instead of impenetrable swamps they are -sections of very thickly timbered lands, whose only drawback are spiney- -palmettos, which render travel through them very laborious. But at -several places I saw parties of consumptives encamped not far from -Indian River, and also in the vicinity of Lake Worth, where they spent -their time in hunting and fishing, and claimed great benefits from the -exercise as well as from the restoratives contained in the air. - -Returning from our trip down Indian River, we left the steamboat at -Titusville and took train for Enterprise, at which point we embarked on -boat for a run down the St. John’s River as far as Palatka. The journey -was very different from that on Indian River, yet the sensation of -pleasure was not wanting, for the stream, though the largest in Florida, -is, nevertheless, characteristic, sluggish, rather shallow and margined -with a thick growth of timber and brush-wood. The landings, while more -important than those on Indian River, are generally small villages whose -principal population are negroes. The industries in Florida are not -varied as in other States, but consist mainly of fruit growing, fishing -and phosphate digging. Manufacturing there is none, practically, and the -people derive their largest revenue from tourists, who pay as much for -oranges, cocoanuts and pineapples at the places where they are grown as -is charged for the fruit in our Northern cities. Yet there are signs of -rapid growth in Florida, and the State has a bright future, for it is -settling up at a marvelous pace, and with an excellent class of -immigrants. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - AN ORANGE GROVE NEAR PALATKA, FLORIDA.—A full-grown orange tree, - loaded to the ground with its yellow, ripe, luscious fruit, is a - delightful object to gaze upon. Oranges do not drop from the trees - of their own accord as soon as they are matured, like most other - fruits, but they hang by the stem until they are plucked off, and it - is said that the longer they remain the sweeter and juicier do they - become. Experience seems to prove the truth of this theory, for we - have never eaten oranges elsewhere so deliciously sweet as when we - took them from the tree with our own hands and ate them on the spot. - Owing to the peculiarity of the fruit it is no uncommon thing to see - ripe oranges on a tree that is in full bloom for another crop. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: EXCURSION LAUNCH ON THE RUN, FLORIDA.] - -About Palatka are many very fine orange groves, and the city is in a -flourishing condition, largely through the business of fruit growing. In -writing of the St. John’s River Mr. Edward King says, with truth well -told: “The banks are low and flat, but bordered with a wealth of foliage -to be seen nowhere else upon this continent. One passes for hundreds of -miles through a grand forest of cypresses robed in moss and mistletoe; -of palms towering gracefully far above the surrounding trees; of -palmettos whose rich trunks gleam in the sun; of swamp, white and black -ash, of magnolia, water-oak, poplar and plane trees; and where the -hummocks rise a few feet above the water level, the sweet-bay, the -olive, cotton-tree, juniper, red-cedar, sweet-gum, and live-oak shoot up -their splendid stems; while among the shrubbery and inferior growths one -may note the azalea, the sumach, sensitive plant, agave, poppy, mallow, -and the nettle. The fox-grape clambers along the branches, and the -woodbine and bignonia escalade the haughtiest forest monarch. When the -steamer nears the shore, one can see far through the tangled thickets -the gleaming water, out of which rise thousands of cypress knees, -looking exactly like so many champagne bottles set into the current to -cool. The heron and the crane saucily watch the shadow which the -approaching boat throws near their retreat. The wary monster-turtle -gazes for an instant, with his black head cocked knowingly on one side, -then disappears with a gentle slide and splash. An alligator grins -familiarly as a dozen revolvers are pointed at him over the boat’s side, -sullenly winks with his tail, and vanishes, as the bullets meant for his -tough hide skim harmlessly over the ripples left above him. For its -whole length the river affords glimpses of perfect beauty. It is not -grandeur which one finds on the banks of the great stream; it is nature -run riot. The very irregularity is delightful, the decay is charming, -the solitude is picturesque.” - -I may add to Mr. King’s description the regrettable fact that the -animate scenes which he pictured are no longer to be witnessed on the -St. John’s River. The persecution of alligators by travelers on the -steamers has resulted in the practical extermination of those curious -creatures in that stream. They are now protected by a State law, but it -came too late; where alligators were plentiful five years ago they are -now a curiosity, though in some parts of Florida, where travel is not -heavy, their number is not yet diminished, but every year they are -becoming scarcer, and in a little while they will no doubt be extinct. -Not only are alligators persecuted for the mere sport of killing, but -thousands are annually destroyed by professional hunters for their -hides, which make an excellent leather. The taxidermist also finds his -business increased by the sale of stuffed specimens to visitors from the -North, while great numbers of the young are caught and sold to the -lovers of curious things for pets, all of which contribute to their -rapid diminution, and their total extinction is therefore a matter of -only a short while. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - A PALMETTO GLADE NEAR PALATKA, FLORIDA.—The palmetto is intimately - associated with the history of the South, having on several - occasions been adopted as the national tree and emblazoned on the - flags. It has also done good service on many occasions as material - for forts and breastworks, the tough and spongy nature of the wood - being well suited for such a purpose. No wonder, therefore, that it - is regarded with a certain degree of love and veneration by the - people who live within the limits of its growth. As a forest tree, - or for the ornamentation of lawns, nothing could be more beautiful, - as may be inferred from its elegant appearance in the photograph - before us. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: SILVER SPRING AND OCKLAWAHA STEAMBOAT.] - -Palatka is a pretty town of 3,500 inhabitants, and situated in the heart -of the orange belt. Besides its picturesque surroundings and importance -as a shipping point, it is healthfully located on high ground and in the -midst of a piney region noted for the blandness of its climate. Florida -has been transformed within the past very few years by the Plant -railways from a state of comparatively sandy desolation, without roads -through its dense growths, into a country of great advantages and -thriftiness. Fruit trees have supplanted the coverts of palmetto, and -there is health and prosperity abounding everywhere. The “Florida -Cracker,” as her languid, backwoods, one-gallus type of slovenly, slow -humanity is called, has not yet wholly disappeared, but the transition -to more industrious and cultured citizenship is going on, and it is -particularly apparent about Palatka. The old-time conveyance of an ox in -shafts hitched to a cart of uncertain age is not quite obsolete, but it -survives more as a relic than as a thing of every-day service; and -people who visit Florida on a winter trip, people in fine linen who are -able to fare sumptuously, are more given to using the ox-cart, than are -the permanent inhabitants. In the mountain districts of Colorado -tourists ride burros; in Florida they affect a preference for the -harnessed ox. It is the influence of locality that diversifies custom. -Another curiosity in Florida, peculiar alike to Cuba and the tropics -generally, is the palmetto hut, an unsubstantial structure roofed and -“weather-boarded” with palmetto leaves, but which furnishes protection -from the sun and rain. These huts are usually built to serve as -temporary abodes for orange-pickers, and are therefore usually within or -near the groves. Throughout Florida it is the custom to sell the orange -crop on the trees, the purchasers being fruit dealers from the North. -These dealers employ trained pickers, who work throughout the season, -going from one grove to another, until the gathering is completed; -usually they provide their own supplies, likewise their shelter, and the -palmetto hut serves them both well and economically. When the fleas -become so thick as to crowd the occupants, they burn the hut and build -another. It is the cheapest way yet discovered of getting rid of these -elusive pests. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - HOME OF THE ORANGE-PICKERS IN FLORIDA.—A curiosity peculiar to - Florida, and the tropics generally, is the palmetto hut, an - unsubstantial structure roofed and “weather-boarded” with palmetto - leaves, but furnishing ample protection from sun and rain. These - huts are usually built to serve as temporary abodes for orange- - pickers, and are therefore generally within or near the groves. It - is the custom to sell the orange crop on the trees, the purchasers - being usually fruit dealers from the North. These dealers employ - trained pickers, who work throughout the season, going from one - grove to another until the gathering is completed. These pickers - generally provide their own supplies, likewise their shelter, and - the palmetto hut serves them both well and economically. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: SCENE ON THE SUWANEE RIVER.] - -At Palatka we took boat for an excursion up the Ocklawaha River to -Silver Spring and Ocala, the head of navigation on that stream. Of our -many trips in the East, West and South, this proved to be the most -unique, the most wonderful, the most sensationally picturesque. -Ocklawaha River is at once a lagoon, a narrow lake, and a swamp, but at -no place does it have the appearance of a flowing stream, for the -current is scarcely perceptible. The shore-line is indicated by a -profuse growth of water-vegetation and cypress knees, while at places -the river is so narrow that lofty trees interlace their branches above -the low smoke-stack of the boat. And what a boat! It is well adapted to -the trade, and to that end is unlike any other steamer that ever sat in -the water, a thing of indescribable shape, an object of surprise and -curiosity. On this queer craft fifty people may ride in comfort during -the day, while attention is attracted by the alligators, cranes, loons -and snake-birds along the shore, but the night must be spent in vain -regrets and fighting mosquitoes. No chance to get lonesome on this trip; -there is too much to see in day-time and too much to do at night. But it -is a novelty, an experience, a sensation worth more than the discomforts -that must be endured. Along the Ocklawaha alligators are still -plentiful, because shooting is not allowed from the boat, and there is -no other way to approach them within gun-shot distance. The lazy -monsters may be seen sunning their corrugated backs on nearly every log, -and in their company huge water-snakes are often found, associated with -big and little snapping-turtles, the three species forming a congenial -but most repulsive family of reptilian cousinship. The water being half- -stagnant is black with a vegetable dissolution, and yet so transparent -that the bottom may at times be seen. But if the creatures that haunt -the river are offensive, the sight is compensated by the wonder which -they excite; while the dense woods that margin the shore are resonant -with the carol of birds and jewelled with their brilliant plumage. - -The trip is remarkably interesting, but the greatest charm that attaches -to the stream is found when the boat reaches Silver Spring, the most -exquisite pool that was ever rippled by dip of oar or skimmed by lap- -wing. Tradition tells us that this is the marvelous rejuvenating spring -of which Ponce de Leon heard fabulous tales which lured him to the dark -interior of Indian-infested Florida. If his eyes ever gazed into its -crystalline depths surely he must have believed that his quest for the -magic fountain had been rewarded. The clearness of the water may be -likened to the air itself, for at its greatest depth of eighty feet -objects on the bottom may be clearly and distinctly seen, likewise the -fissure through which the water pours up like a veritable fountain. A -peculiarity of the spring is the prismatic colors which are reflected -from any white or shiny object thrown into it. To test this curious fact -I cast in a piece of broken crockery and watched with keenest interest -the fragment as it sank in a zigzag motion to the bottom. No rainbow was -ever so brilliant as the colors which flashed up from this piece of -saucer, nor did ever jewel gleam with more scintillant beauty. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - A HOME IN THE SHADES OF SOUTHERN PINES.—If Ponce de Leon and his - doughty Spaniards had remained in Florida and built them homes like - this, under the shades of the health-giving pines, instead of wading - through swamps and morasses in quest of the fountain of youth, they - might, and probably would, have lived to be hale and hearty old men. - Abodes like this, in the balmy air of the Sunny South, are fountains - of life within themselves, where, free from worry and the necessity - of making a living, one has but little to do aside from living and - growing and being happy. Such homes, with contentment, are more - worthy of being sought after than the wealth of a thousand Crœsuses. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: A BAPTIZING ON THE SUWANEE RIVER.] - -The flow from Silver Spring is so great that a deep river one hundred -feet wide is formed, which, after a course of nine miles, joins the -Ocklawaha. This stream is called the Run, and a little launch, or tug, -plies over this short course, carrying visitors on an excursion which, -if brief, is incomparably delightful. Five miles from Silver Spring is -Ocala, on the Florida Southern Railroad, to which point we proceeded, -and thence north and west by the Savannah, Florida and Western, and the -Florida Central and Peninsular railroads to New Orleans. Ocala is on the -border or north limit of the hummock lands, and thereafter the journey -was through pine-barrens which are so infested with dwarf palmetto that -it appears to be an impossible labor to clear it away. This is the home -of the deer and likewise of the rattlesnake, very monsters of the latter -being more plentiful than game; but north of Gainesville the country -presents a change for the better, being much higher and undulating, with -hills that are 300 or 400 feet above the ocean level, and the soil is -exceedingly fertile. The vegetation, too, loses its tropical character, -orange groves disappear, and fields of tobacco and cotton occupy the -landscape. - -At High Springs we crossed the Santa River, a tributary of the Suwanee; -at New Bradford we touched the banks of that historic river, and at -Ellaville crossed the stream and halted there a day to pay to it the -tribute of a respect aroused in every American heart by Foster’s -mournful pastorale, “The Old Folks at Home.” Who has not heard “Way down -upon the Suwanee River”? and who hearing the song has not tried to -picture the desolate plantation and the dreary heart that went up and -down the solitudes of the deserted cotton-field sighing for the old -massa and missus, who will never call for Pompey again? In a small boat -we rowed down the river, which was as still as death, and almost as -motionless. The faint sound of a saw-mill at Ellaville was the only -thing that gave reminder of our proximity to civilization; and when at -length even this link was broken by distance, it seemed as if all -creation had gone into mourning. The spell, while mournful, was yet -dreamily charming, and instinctively, under the influence of such -lonesome isolation, we sang with the fullness of appreciation, “The Old -Folks at Home.” Never before had song such sweetness, never had one so -much of sadness, to me; and when the last note died away there was a -feeling of oppression in the silence that ensued. The old song brought -up visions to which we were unused: a fallow-field where once was -bounty; a large white mansion with its long porch fallen in decay; a -magnolia-tree with a mocking-bird’s deserted nest ready to fall from its -dead branches; two grave-stones, green with moss, in the pasture, and an -old darkey bowed in prayer. The Suwanee has its source in Okefenokee -Swamps, Georgia, and after running its course of nearly three hundred -miles, empties into the Gulf of Mexico, just above Cedar Key. At some -places the river has considerable width, but never sufficient depth to -permit of navigation by any craft of considerable size. Its banks are -occasionally high, as at Ellaville, but generally they are flat and -overhung by oaks thickly festooned with moss. The current is sluggish -and the water seldom clear, carrying as it does a thick vegetable -solution. The stream is neither beautiful nor romantic, save as it -acquires the reputation for being both through the song that has made it -as famous as our largest rivers. - -[Illustration: A SECTION OF BIENVILLE PARK, MOBILE, ALABAMA.] - -The country about Ellaville is fairly well settled, though the place -itself hardly ranks as a hamlet. We arrived on Saturday, and as no -trains run on Sunday we were compelled to remain over, and attended -church in the forenoon and witnessed a baptizing later in the day. The -administration of the ceremony proved to be a great event in the -unruffled lives of the people, and many came long distances to witness -the immersion of four candidates, three women and a man. The sight of a -baptizing, while common enough, possessed for us unusual interest -because the place was Suwanee River, and having the consent of the -officiating minister, we took a photograph of the crowd on shore, a -heavy cloud overcasting the sun immediately after, so that a picture -could not be made of the baptizing. From Ellaville our journey was -continued westward through Tallahassee and on to Mobile, where a short -stop was made, and thence to New Orleans. Mobile is not only one of the -oldest towns in the South, but is among the earliest settlements in -America, the exact date of its founding being in dispute. The place is -known to have been the original seat of the French colonization in the -Southwest as early as 1702, but its growth was so slow that the Colonial -Government was transferred to New Orleans in 1723, and with the change, -the little importance which it had acquired became lost, nor was it -again recovered until the place became a rendezvous for corsairs under -the infamous Lafitte, from 1810 to 1815. Its greatest prosperity, -however, dates since the civil war, though some years preceding that -troublous period Mobile had become a considerable port, her chief -shipments being cotton, coal, lumber and naval stores. - -[Illustration: AVENUE OF TOMBS IN WASHINGTON CEMETERY, NEW ORLEANS.] - -The entrance to Mobile Bay is commanded by Forts Morgan and Gaines, -which are thirty miles below the city, and on the east side of Tensas -River are the ruins of Spanish Fort and Fort Blakely, all of which -played an important part in the defence of the city when it was attacked -by Admiral Farragut, in August, 1864. One of the most desperate battles -that was fought during the war took place in the harbor, when Farragut -ran the blockade with a squadron of ten powerful men-of-war headed by -his flagship, the _Hartford_, and encountered the Confederate fleet -inside. One of the Union ships ran onto a torpedo and was instantly -blown into fragments, but the other vessels met with little opposition -until at the moment when Farragut thought the battle won, he saw with -surprise the dark body of a strange vessel flying the Confederate flag -and bearing down upon him at great speed, evidently intent upon ramming -and sinking his ship. The _Hartford_, by a piece of good luck and -skilful handling, managed to avoid the intended blow, and then followed -an engagement that has few parallels in fierceness. The strange gun-boat -proved to be the _Tennessee_, one of the most powerful and destructive -that the Confederate Government had sent into service. The Union iron- -clads closed around their black and terrible antagonist and battered her -with their heavy prows of steel until the unequal contest was ended by -her surrender. Forts Gaines and Morgan were also captured, but Spanish -Fort and Fort Blakely still defended the city, which resisted all -efforts at its reduction until April 12, 1865, three days after the -surrender of Lee. - -Mobile has grown greatly since the war, and now has a population of -nearly 35,000. It is situated on a sandy plain that rises into high and -very graceful hills. Notwithstanding the barren shore as nature made it, -the arts of man have supplied the deficiency of soil and made of the -streets bowers of lovely shade, so charming that much of the city’s fame -is due to the noble trees that arch all its streets. Bienville Park is -one of the prettiest spots in southern lands, noted far and near alike -for its massive live-oaks, magnificent magnolias, and handsome fountain, -a place swathed in delicious airs and luxurious with the richest and -most beautiful vegetation. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - A PLANTATION HOME IN MISSISSIPPI.—This is one of the few old-time - Southern mansions that survived the shock of war and still remain as - landmarks of the golden age of the South country, when the wealthy - planters owned armies of slaves and entertained with a hospitality - even more than princely. As a rule these mansions have fallen into - decay, even where they were not wholly or partially destroyed, for - when the master and his sons left their bones to bleach upon some - distant battle-field, the light of the home went out, and the weaker - members of the household, reduced in many instances to pinching - poverty, sadly but bravely took up the battle of life in less - favored localities. But prosperity promises once more to smile upon - the South, and the old mansions are being rebuilt, but the old faces - are no more seen beneath their roofs. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -Westward from Mobile the route was by the Louisville and Nashville -Railroad along the Gulf border of Mississippi, through some of the -loveliest intervales that vision ever wandered over. The air is warm -without debilitating sultriness, for the Gulf of Mexico tempers the -atmosphere with refreshing humidity, and a constant breeze shakes the -perfume out of flowering shrub and tree. Many beautiful places are -passed on the run of one hundred and forty miles from Mobile to New -Orleans, some of which are more or less noted as winter resorts, such as -Ocean Springs, Biloxi, Beauvoir, Pass Christian, and Bay St. Louis. -Beauvoir has a place in history as being the residence of Jefferson -Davis for several years after the war, and where he died. The way is -beautified also by many palatial homes and well-cultivated plantations -that attest the thrift and prosperity of farmers of the New South. - -Between Pass Christian and Bay St. Louis the road crosses an inlet of -St. Louis Bay on a steel trestle, and a few miles further west passes -over Pearl River and enters Louisiana. The land is level, and cut up by -innumerable bayous, and after crossing the narrow outlet of Lake -Pontchartrain, called Pigolet’s, the road runs along a tongue of sea -marsh for a few miles, then plunges into a dismal swamp, where the -alligator’s bellow and the cormorant’s cry are the only sounds that -disturb its stillness, save when a train goes growling by. “The sea -marsh is dotted with many lakes, where green vegetable rafts of lotus -leaves and lily pods turn slowly with the tide or float lazily about, -blown by the breath of a salt breeze sweeping in from the Gulf. But in -the ghostly gloom of the swamp, the forest trees are like an assemblage -of monstrosities, great gnarled trunks and knotted arms of moss-draped -oaks, clutching at the fan-shaped fronds of palmettos, while the mixture -of crooked bodies and twisted leaf-stems of the latonia appear as if -they were the bodies and outstretched arms of horned goblins appealing -for release.” - -New Orleans is a very old city, settled by the French in 1718. Like -other settlements of these early times, it has passed through many evil -vicissitudes and been in turn a possession of France, Spain, and the -United States. A singular thing in connection with the city is the fact -that it is built upon ground that is considerably lower than the surface -of the Mississippi during high water, and that it has no more -substantial foundation than an alluvium deposit which has been going on -for centuries, constantly extending into the Gulf, the point of outlet -of the Mississippi. To prevent overflowing, the city is protected by a -dyke, or levee, which is fifteen feet wide and fourteen feet high. This -earth-wall follows the river’s crescent winding a distance of ten miles, -while another extends across the rear to protect the city from Lake -Pontchartrain. To secure a firm foundation for some of the large -buildings, cotton-bales have been used on which to build, as piling is -of no service. But that this character of basis is no disadvantage is -proven by the fact that New Orleans is noted for its mammoth edifices, -public, church and commercial, which give no sign of insecurity. The -place is essentially cosmopolitan, for in no other city is the -population more mixed, nearly every street being occupied by a different -nationality. Commercially it is next to New York as an export city, and -easily holds the honor of the leading cotton port of the country, from -which one-fourth of the world’s supply is floated. She is likewise a -city of many charms and great historic interest. Within the city proper -occurred a terrible scene following the rebellion of 1763, when France -ceded the place to Spain, while at its southern outskirts is the battle- -field on which Jackson won his glorious victory over the British under -Packenham, January 8, 1815. The city passed through another storm of -shot and shell in 1862, when Farragut compelled its capitulation after a -terrible bombardment. But these scars have long since healed, and New -Orleans, despite plagues and wars, has held her position as Queen City -of the South and one of the great metropoli of America, with a -population now of 250,000, which is rapidly increasing. While New -Orleans is famous for the romance with which her history is invested, -for her immense importance as an export city, and also for the beauty of -her parks and magnificence of her private residences, the curiosity of -strangers is no less attracted by her cemeteries, which are unlike those -of any others in the world. In earlier times it was the custom there to -bury the dead in shallow graves, but this practice was finally abandoned -for the more sacred and sanitary one of enclosing the bodies in tombs -above the ground, and then hermetically sealing up the mortuary cell. -This became a necessity because of the nature of the soil, where water -is reached at a depth of two feet below the surface. Some of these tombs -are mausoleums made of stone or iron and of beautiful architectural -designs, but the more common form of disposition of the dead is in a -wall pierced by cells large enough to contain a coffin, one above the -other, to a height of seven or eight feet. There are thirty-three such -cemeteries in New Orleans, in one of which (Greenwood) is a monument to -the Confederate dead; and in another, the National, at Chalmette, the -Union dead are similarly honored. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - FAIRY GROTTO, MAMMOTH CAVE.—There is a remarkable absence of - stalactitic formations in Mammoth Cave, Fairy Grotto and the - Maelstrom being the only points where they are found in any - quantity. But on the other hand, it contains an unexampled wealth of - crystals of endless variety and incomparable beauty. There are halls - canopied with fleecy clouds, or studded with mimic snowballs, and - others displaying various grotesque resemblances on the walls and - ceilings. Two avenues, each a mile long, are adorned by myriads of - gypsum rosettes and curiously twisted crystals, called - “oulopholites,” or cave-flowers, which are unfolded by pressure like - a sheaf of wheat forced through a tight binding. This charming - embellishment of clusters and garlands is frequently seen curling - outward, like roses, composing petrified bouquets that cover the - snowy arches. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -Having completed our work in New Orleans, and a tour of the Southeast, -or at least that portion which is noted for its semi-tropical -characteristics and great picturesqueness, we took train on the -Louisville and Nashville Railroad for Mammoth Cave, to make an -inspection and photographic tour of that world-wonderful natural -curiosity. To reach the Cave our route was northeast through Birmingham, -Nashville, and thence to Glasgow Junction, at which point connection is -made with a little spur of the Louisville and Nashville Road, which runs -directly to the Cave, a distance of twelve miles from the Junction. -Mammoth Cave is in the eastern part of Edmondson county, Kentucky, -eighty-five miles south of Louisville, and its entrance is in a forest -ravine nearly two hundred feet above Green River, where the banks are -very steep and high. It is said to have been discovered in 1809 by a -hunter named Hutchins, while pursuing a wounded bear that had taken -refuge in a wide crevice that led directly into a broad chamber of the -Cave. The history of this discovery is not sufficiently definite to -enable us to know which one of the two points of entrance was thus -accidentally found. The present opening used is in the ravine mentioned, -but the original mouth is believed to have been the aperture that is -nearly a quarter of a mile above, and leads into what is known as -Dixon’s Cave, a disconnected branch of Mammoth Cavern. - -Luray Caverns are lighted by electricity, so that photographing its many -chambers and beautiful stalactitic formations is easily accomplished; -but though Mammoth Cave is the largest and best known of the world’s -great subterranean recesses, and visited by about 6,000 persons -annually, no provision has been made for lighting, beyond the crude -method of guides who carry torches and candles. To photograph its dark -rivers, avenues, configurations, and strange sculpturings many attempts -have been made by the aid of magnesium lights, but without satisfactory -results until Mr. Ben. Hains, of New Albany, Indiana, made special and -most careful preparations to do the work which had so often failed in -the hands of others. Several weeks were spent in the cave testing the -powerful artificial lights which he had provided, and by dint of -perseverance he was at last rewarded by the most perfect results. To -this enterprising gentleman we are indebted for the use of the -photographs from which our reproductions are made. - -Mammoth Cave first came into notice and importance about the year 1812, -when it was discovered that the cave contained vast beds of niter, -sufficient, as was stated at the time, to supply the whole population of -the globe with saltpeter. Gratz and Williams were the owners, and -established a very large industry in collecting the nitrous earth by -means of ox-carts and shipping it to Philadelphia, where it was used in -manufacturing the gun-powder that enabled us to triumph over England a -second time. The region is essentially cavernous, as Professor Shaler -estimates that in this carboniferous limestone district of Kentucky -“there are at least 100,000 miles of open caverns,” but very few of the -five hundred caves and grottoes of Edmondson county contain nitrous -earth. On the other hand, there have been very few evidences of -prehistoric occupancy discovered in Mammoth Cave, while in Salt Cave, -its neighbor, and almost a rival in size, archæologic remains, such as -fire-places, burnt torches, sandals, and moccasin-prints are numerous; -and in Short Cave, also near-by, the mummified bodies of several small -animals and a few human remains have been found. White Cave is half a -mile from the Mammoth Cave entrance, and the two may be connected, -though the communication has not been discovered. But there is a decided -difference in the formations that characterize the two. White Cave is in -some respects similar to Luray Caverns in its exquisitely charming -variety of stalactites. In the first chamber, “Little Bat Room,” as it -is called, we find many lovely creations and a few objects of great -interest to paleontologists. In the second room is a piece of -stalactitic drapery, which has been very appropriately called the -“Frozen Cascade.” “Humboldt’s Pillar” and “Bishop’s Dome” are other -wonderful examples of the effects of slowly percolating water bearing -lime in solution. In this same cave, some seventy years ago, were found -huge fossil bones, of the megalonyx, or giant sloth, bear, bison, and -stag, and scattered among these animal remains were a few human bones. - -But while the adjacent caves each possess an interest peculiar to -themselves, Mammoth Cave must continue to remain the most remarkable -cavern in our country, not only for its size, but likewise for the -marvels which exploration of its labyrinthine avenues has revealed. To -Professor H. C. Hovey’s admirable and scientific description of the Cave -I acknowledge my indebtedness for a larger part of the information here -imparted, from which, also, liberal extracts are made, though without -quotation credit. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - OLD STONE HOUSE, MAMMOTH CAVE.—The dry atmospheric condition of the - galleries of Mammoth Cave led to a belief some forty years ago that - a continuous residence within these dark precincts for a definite - period would be beneficial to consumptives. The experiment was - therefore made by building a number of stone houses or huts at a - point about a mile within the cave, in which a colony of invalids - took up their abodes and lived in deep seclusion until it was - demonstrated by the death of several of the sufferers that they - derived no benefit from the surroundings. Relics of two of these - stone huts still remain, but they exist now only as curiosities, no - one having spent a night in either of them for many years. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -The entrance to Mammoth Cave is arched by a rock-span of seventy feet, -thence leading by an easy descent down a winding flight of stone steps -to a narrow passage through which the air rushes outward with great -force in summer and is drawn inward with corresponding violence during -the winter, a phenomenon due to the inequality of temperature between -the air inside and out of the Cave, for the temperature of the Cave is -uniformly 54° Fahrenheit at all times. The atmosphere being thus -constantly agitated, is kept constantly pure, for while the lower levels -are moist, being no doubt connected with Green River, the upper avenues -and galleries are always dry; conditions which were one time thought to -be particularly favorable to consumptives, as well as to those suffering -from other wasting diseases. The experiment was therefore made, some -forty years ago, of building thirteen stone houses at a point one mile -within the Cave, in which a number of invalids took up their domicile -and lived there in deep seclusion until it was demonstrated that -whatever might be the salubrity of the atmosphere, consumptives derived -no benefit from it, a number dying in the Cave. Relics of two of these -stone huts still remain, but they exist now only as curiosities, no one -having spent a night in one of them for many years. - -The main cave is from 40 to 300 feet wide and from 35 to 125 feet high, -divided into a great number of rooms and winding avenues, the extent of -which has not yet been determined, for exploration of the Cave is far -from being complete. Some of the best known rooms are, first, the -Rotunda, in which are ruins of the old saltpeter works, and where the -skeletons of two men were found several years ago. Beyond this is the -Star Chamber, where the protrusion of white crystals through a coating -of black oxide of manganese creates an optical illusion of great beauty. -Another department is called the Chief City, a chamber of nearly two -acres space, with a vaulted roof 125 feet high. The floor is bestrewn -with rocks, among which have been found charred torches of cone, and a -few other evidences of prehistoric occupancy. There are also shown some -mummified bodies, preserved by their inhumation in nitrous earth, -utensils, ornaments, braided sandals, and other relics, but all of these -were found in Salt and Short Caves, near-by, and removed to Mammoth Cave -for exhibition. The main cave ends four miles from the entrance, but is -joined to other spacious chambers by winding passages leading to -different levels, so that while the cavern area is perhaps less than ten -miles, the total length of the avenues is supposed to be 150 miles. - -The chief places of interest are found along two main lines of the -explored portions, from which side excursions may be made. The “short -route” may be covered in about four hours, but it requires nine hours to -traverse what is known as the “long route.” Audubon Avenue is the first -leadway, interesting for the swarms of bats that hang in huge clusters -from the ceiling, but it is not until Gothic Avenue is reached that -stalactites and stalagmites are met with. This passage leads into the -Chapel, at the end of which is a beautiful double dome and cascade; -thence we pass into the Throne-Room, with its royal formations of -surprising splendors, which compel visitors to stop, and elicit -exclamations of wonder and admiration. The Bridal Altar is almost -equally grand, with its frosted pillars of pearl-white, and the -convolutions of their magnificent pediments that may be likened to -clouds in the sky of cave. Indeed, these vertical shafts or petrified -columns are among the most surprising features of cave scenery. They are -not confined to the Bridal Altar, however, for they pierce through all -levels, from the uppermost galleries to the lowest floors, and even find -lodgment in the sink-holes. - -A block of stone that is forty feet long by twenty feet wide is called -the Giant’s Coffin, and when viewed from a certain angle the resemblance -to a funeral casket is so great that even if attention were not called -to it, visitors would hardly fail to be a little shocked by the sight. -There is a narrow passage-way around the coffin, which followed leads to -a large vault called Gorin’s Dome, in which there are six pits varying -in depth from 65 to 220 feet; truly, awful pits to fall into. -Notwithstanding the treacherous character of the floor, Gorin’s Dome is -one of the finest chambers in the Cave, for it is charmingly festooned -and pillared with stalactitic formations. Mammoth Dome, which is at the -termination of Sparks Avenue, is probably more interesting, because -besides having its walls draped with a marvelous tapestry, the great -wonder of the room is immensely increased and beautified by a cataract, -which falls from a height of 250 feet and fills the apartment with its -musical splashings. The Egyptian Temple, which is a continuation of the -Mammoth Dome, contains six massive columns, two of which are quite -perfect and eighty feet high by twenty-five feet in diameter. Lucy’s -Dome, which is three hundred feet high, is the loftiest of these monster -shafts, the equal of which cannot be found in any known cave in the -world. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - BEAUTIFUL BOW VALLEY.—One of the peculiarly attractive and - picturesquely exquisite portions of British America is mountain- - begirted Bow Valley, 500 miles east of Vancouver, along the Canadian - Pacific Railway line. The region is wondrously diversified and - marvelously beautiful, holding within its compass not only a valley - of paradisaic charms, but also mountains of startling grandeur, with - crystalline lakes reposing on their bosoms, range breaking beyond - range, snowy crests gleaming with sunlight splendors, forests tinted - with softest hues, streams that murmur and cascades that roar, while - the valley is aflame with the richest colorings of daisies, - buttercups, bluebells, heather, wild pinks, anemones, and brianthus, - a symphony of beauty, a colossal bouquet decorating the marriage-bed - of nature. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - GIANT’S COFFIN, MAMMOTH CAVE, KENTUCKY.—This remarkable and weird - curiosity is composed of a huge block of stone forty feet long by - twenty wide, and when viewed from a certain angle the resemblance to - a funeral casket is so great that, even if attention were not called - to it, visitors would hardly fail to be a little shocked by the - uncanny sight. Standing within its presence it is almost impossible - to divest one’s self of the belief that he is gazing upon the last - resting-place of some tremendous giant, the guardian genius, - perhaps, of this lugubrious subterranean abode; and it is with a - sigh of relief that we pass on to more inspiring and splendid - scenery. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -The Maelstrom, in Croghan’s Hall, is one of the deepest and most awful- -appearing pits yet discovered, and until 1859 no one had ever ventured -to explore its dark recesses. It is at a remote point in the Cave and -seldom visited, because the way is beset with obstacles, while the sight -is neither reassuring nor compensating. A son of George D. Prentice, -however, braved the dangers of the pit by permitting some of his friends -to lower him 190 feet by a rope to the bottom, but his experience was of -little value, because he found nothing of interest to reward him for the -trouble. Some pretty stalactites are near this pit, and also in Fairy -Grotto, but in the deeper recesses there is a remarkable absence of -these formations. Indeed, considering the character and extent of -Mammoth Cave, its poverty of stalactitic ornamentation is surprising. On -the other hand, it contains an unexampled wealth of crystals of endless -variety and incomparable beauty. Besides the sparkling vault of the Star -Chamber, which is 300 feet long and 80 feet high, there are halls -canopied by fleecy clouds, or studded by mimic snow-balls, and others -displaying various grotesque resemblances on the walls and ceilings. -Cleveland’s Cabinet, and Marion’s Avenue, each a mile long, are adorned -by myriads of gypsum rosettes and curiously twisted crystals called -“oulopholites.” These cave-flowers are unfolded by pressure, like a -sheaf of wheat forced through a tight binding. This charming -embellishment of clusters and garlands is frequently seen curling -outward, like roses, composing petrified bouquets that cover the snowy -arches. - -This curious feature is even more marked by the stalactites in Mary’s -Vineyard, where they appear in the form of an aggregation of spherical -prominences, resembling clusters of grapes. Other chambers are drifted -with snowy crystals of sulphate of magnesia, and the ceilings are so -thickly covered with their efflorescence that a sharp concussion of the -air will cause them to fall like flakes in a snow-storm. - -Many small rooms and tortuous paths, where danger lies, are avoided as -much as possible; but even on the regular routes through the Cave some -disagreeable experiences are inevitable, while about the deep pits peril -is always present. The one now known as the Bottomless Pit was for many -years a barrier to all further exploration, and until a substantial -wooden bridge was built across it. Long before the shaft had been cut as -deep as now, the water flowed away by a channel gradually contracting -until at a point called The Fat Man’s Misery the walls were only -eighteen inches apart. The rocky sides are beautifully marked with waves -and ripples, as if running water had been suddenly petrified. This -winding-way conducts to River Hall, beyond which lie the crystalline -gardens that have been described. It was formerly believed that if this -narrow passage were closed, escape would be impossible; but a few years -ago a tortuous fissure called the Cork-Screw was discovered, by means of -which a good climber ascending a few hundred feet finally lands 1,000 -yards from the mouth of the Cave, and cuts off nearly two miles. - -The waters, entering through numerous domes and pits, and falling, -during the rainy season, in cascades of great volume, are finally -collected in River Hall, where they form several extensive lakes, or -rivers, whose connection with Green River is known to be in two deep -springs appearing under arches on its margin. Whenever there is a -freshet in Green River the streams in the cave are joined in a -continuous body of water, the rise sometimes being as much as sixty feet -above the low-water mark. The subsidence within is less rapid than the -rise; and the streams are impassable during a greater part of the year. -They are usually navigable from May to October, and furnish exceedingly -interesting as well as novel features of cave scenery. The largest body -of water is called the Dead Sea, embraced within a basin formed by -cliffs sixty feet high, above which a path has been made which leads to -a stairway and thence to the River Styx, a body of water that is four -hundred feet long and forty feet wide. Lake Lethe is the next water- -basin, enclosed by walls ninety feet high, below which is a path that -conducts to a pontoon at the neck of the lake. Thence a beach of the -finest yellow sand extends for 500 yards to Echo River, the largest of -all, being nearly one mile long, from 20 to 200 feet broad, and varying -in depth from 10 to 40 feet. Two or three boats are placed on this -Lethean or Stygian stream, in which visitors are taken from one end of -the river to the other, and the trip is of such novelty that the -remembrance of it is imperishable. To see the boats approaching, in the -weird light of flickering torches, is like a vision of a spectral crew, -funereal, sepulchral and almost horrific. The arch overhead is -symmetrical but irregular in height, and is famous for its musical -reverberations—not a distinct echo, for the repetitions are so rapid -that they merge and become a prolongation of sound that continues for -nearly half a minute. The long vault has a certain key-note of its own, -which, when sounded, produces harmonies of almost incredible depth and -sweetness. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - THE BRIDAL ALTAR, MAMMOTH CAVE.—The Bridal Altar is one of the most - magnificent spectacles of Mammoth Cave, with its frosted pillars of - pearl-white and the convolutions of their magnificent pediments that - may be likened to clouds in the sky of the cave. These vertical - shafts or petrified columns are among the most surprising and - beautiful features of cave scenery, and when brilliantly lighted - they present a scene of splendor surpassing the utmost stretch of - the imagination. Let us not, therefore, wonder that this is a - favorite resort for young married people, who come hither in the - rosy blush of their wedding dawn to plight the faith that makes them - one for time and eternity. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -In these Plutonian regions of perpetual night, where vegetation is only -imaged by petrified efflorescence, many creatures find a congenial -abode, and become so accustomed to this dark habitat that they cannot -live elsewhere. Of the twenty-eight different species here found, the -most remarkable are a blind and wingless grasshopper with extremely long -antennae; a blind and colorless cray-fish, and a blind fish which grows -to the length of six inches. These fish possess the additional curiosity -of being viviparous, or producing their young in a living state, instead -of by eggs. Occasionally other fish are caught in the running streams of -the Cave which are identical with species common in Green River, thus -proving the subterranean connection that exists between that river and -the Cave streams. - -The strongly marked divergence of these blind creatures from those found -on the outside led Agassiz to believe that they were specially created -for the limits within which they dwell; but the opinion now generally -held is that they are modifications of allied species existing in the -sunlight, and that their peculiarities are to be accounted for on the -principles of evolution—the process of change being accelerated, or -retarded, by their migration from the outer world to a region of silence -and perpetual darkness. - -Having concluded our examination of Mammoth Cave, we departed by the -Louisville and Nashville Railroad for Louisville, at which city train -was taken on the St. Louis Air Line for Wyandotte Cave, which was to be -our last objective point in completing our extensive photographic tour -of America. This very remarkable Cave, though not so generally known as -Luray or Mammoth, is about ten miles south of the Louisville and St. -Louis Air Line, in Crawford county, Indiana, and is only five miles from -the Ohio River. We reached the Cave by way of Milltown, thence to -Corydon, and from that point by private conveyance a distance of eleven -miles. Entrance to the Cave is by way of a large opening in a hillside, -the aperture being about six feet high and twenty feet wide, through -which there is always a strong circulation of air like that noted at the -mouth of Mammoth Cave, while the temperature is likewise uniformly 54° -Fahrenheit. A short avenue leads into a chamber known as Fanueil Hall, -whose dimensions are 200 feet long, 50 feet wide and 25 feet high; -thence the route conducts through Twilight Hall into Columbian Arch, -which resembles a railroad tunnel, so symmetrical is the excavation. -Washington Avenue is next entered, which, followed, brings the visitor -to Banditti Hall, where the ceiling rises to an immense height, and the -walls are jagged, as is the floor, with protruding rocks, so that this -chamber is both forbidding in appearance and difficult to traverse. At -this point the main gallery branches, one avenue leading to what is -known as the Old Cave, and the other conducting by a longer route to -more interesting apartments than those before passed. Through a narrow -crevice the visitor gains a room called the Bats’ Lodge, and beyond this -is Rugged Mountain, which is in the center of a circular room, where -Epsom salts of sparkling purity and vast quantities of gypsum in -efflorescent beauty cover the arched vault. Seen under torch-light the -effect is indescribably magnificent, and is the first striking -intimation which the visitor receives of the extraordinary grandeur to -which he will be presently introduced. Following the long route we cross -a lovely sand-deposit known as the Plain, but find an abrupt termination -of this level walk and are compelled to climb the rock-bestrewn Hill of -Difficulty, then squeeze through a small passage-way from which we find -present relief by emerging into Wallace’s Grand Dome, one of the most -magnificent chambers, as well as the largest, in the Cave, being 245 -feet high and 300 feet in diameter. In the center is Monument Mountain, -a tremendous stalagmite formation above which is an immense dome -beflowered with curling leaves of gypsum that bear a wondrous likeness -to the foliage of the acanthus. At the apex of the mountain is a -stalagmite one hundred and twenty feet in circumference, which has been -broken by some force into three columns, which, viewed from the base, -admirably counterfeit three monuments, or ghosts clad in robes of -gleaming whiteness, from which fact the chamber takes its name. Visitors -are usually treated to a superbly grand sight while examining the -splendors of this hall, for the guide disposes his company about the -base of the mountain, and ascending to the summit he extinguishes his -torch in order to bring the visitors under the influence of dense -darkness for a few moments. Suddenly the peak is lighted up with a -dazzling splendor, as the guide touches off green, blue, red and orange -lights, bathing the chamber in a sea of flaming beauty and bejewelling -its lofty arch until Aladdin’s Cave of our imagination is reproduced. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - THE RIVER STYX, MAMMOTH CAVE, KENTUCKY.—Some idea of the grandeur of - the waterways of Mammoth Cave will be obtained from the following - description: The largest body of water is called the Dead Sea, - embraced within a basin formed by cliffs sixty feet high, above - which a path has been made leading to a stairway and thence to the - River Styx, which is forty feet wide and four hundred long. Lake - Lethe is the next water-basin, enclosed by walls ninety feet high, - below which is a path that conducts to a pontoon at the neck of the - lake. Thence a beach of the finest yellow sand extends for five - hundred yards to Echo River, the largest of all, being nearly one - mile long, from twenty to two hundred feet broad, and varying in - depth from ten to forty feet. Two or three boats ply this Stygian - stream, in which visitors are taken from one end to the other, and - the trip is of such novelty that the remembrance of it is - imperishable. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - ENTRANCE TO PILLARED PALACE, WYANDOTTE CAVE.—There are many grand and - splendid halls in Wyandotte Cave, of which the most attractive is - Pillared Palace, in which gypsum and stalactites occur in the most - charming and imposing forms. This hall is particularly entrancing in - its sumptuous and architecturally beautiful decorations. It is from - five to six feet high, forty or fifty wide and several hundred long. - The ceiling is a complete fringe-work of stalactites, while the - floor is as thickly set with stalagmites, many of which uniting with - the former produce pillars of the grandest proportions, beautiful - beyond the power of imagination to describe. Drapery of every - conceivable style is seen in the utmost profusion, some of it - transparent as crystal and resonant as a silver bell when struck - with a metal substance. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - THE THRONE, WYANDOTTE CAVE.—Although less celebrated than Mammoth or - Luray Caves, Wyandotte fully equals them in many of its wondrous and - beautiful formations. The Throne and the hall in which it is located - are truly marvels of Nature’s handiwork. Imagine great bunches of - white, delicate, branching coral, twisting, curling and interlacing - itself, serpent-like, into every conceivable fantastic shape, and - you have only a faint idea of the truly extraordinary scenery of - this glorious temple erected by Nature. In all directions are to be - seen fantastic examples of stalactite formations, and marvelous - decorations of whitest gypsum. Huge rocks, overhung by galleries of - creamy stalactites, with vermicular tubes intertwined, while frozen - cataracts and vine-like pendent forms cluster along the walls in a - profusion almost incredible. -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -Beyond Wallace’s Dome there are a hundred halls of great magnificence, -in nearly all of which are seen fantastic examples of stalactite -formations, and marvelous decorations of whitest gypsum, Milroy’s Temple -being a very exhibition-room of these exquisite curiosities: huge rocks, -overhung by galleries of creamy stalactites, vermicular tubes -intertwined, frozen cataracts and vine-like pendant forms of -stalactites, cluster along the walls in a profusion almost incredible. -Imagine great masses of white delicate branching coral, twisting, -curling and interlacing itself, serpent-like, into every conceivable -fantastic shape, and you have only a faint idea of the truly -extraordinary scenery of this glorious temple erected by nature. Other -halls of almost rival splendor are known as Snowy Cliffs, Frosted Rocks, -Fairy Palace, Beauty’s Bower, The Throne, and Pillared Palace, in all of -which gypsum and stalactites occur in the most charming and imposing -forms. Pillared Palace is particularly entrancing in its sumptuous and -architecturally beautiful decorations. It is from five to six feet high, -forty or fifty feet wide and several hundred feet long. Its ceiling is a -complete fringe-work of stalactites, while its floor is as thickly set -with stalagmites, many of which latter unite with the former, making the -grandest pillars. Drapery of every conceivable style may be seen, some -of which is as transparent as crystal and rings like a silver bell when -exposed to a light blow. After Pillared Palace comes the Palace of the -Genii, which for delicate formations even excels the former. Here are -found stalactites of every conceivable form, many of them as white as if -they were made of sugar or whitest marble. - -Passing through Fairy Grotto, Neptune’s Retreat, and Hermit’s Cell, the -visitor enters a larger chamber invested with the same charming -ornamentation, and in the center is a rich canopy of stalactite -overhanging a stalagmite which has been likened by some imaginative -person to a chair richly upholstered. This is called the Throne, a -designation appropriate enough, for it is one of the most royally -beautiful curiosities in the Cave, as the illustration will show. - -That portion known as the Old Cave, while scarcely so interesting as the -galleries and vaults of the long route, contains several halls of much -interest and one, called the Senate Chamber, which rivals Wallace’s -Dome. In the center of this room stands a mountain whose top is covered -many feet deep with stalactite formations, upon which stands the Pillar -of the Constitution. This is an immense stalagmite measuring seventy- -five feet in circumference and thirty feet high, reaching from the top -of the mountain to the ceiling above, fluted and carved after a manner -that would have put to shame the most extravagant architecture of Rome’s -most halcyon days. The world has not yet produced, so far as civilized -man knows, anything of the kind to equal it. A writer says of it: - -“Before us arose a considerable hill, upon the top of which stood, like -a column supporting the ceiling, a vast stalagmite like an immense -spectral-looking iceberg looming up before us, appearing as though it -had just arisen from the foaming waves of the ocean, on a dark and foggy -night. In the uncertain light of our lamps it presented an appearance -grand, if not appalling; but when the Drummond light had been set off, -all this changed to the most unearthly beauty. The ceiling above, with -its long fringes of stalactites, came out to view, and the great pillar -could be seen in all its grandeur and beauty.” - -Beyond this is Pluto’s Ravine, where stands Stallasso’s Monument, a -large white stalagmite, marked all over with pencil inscriptions, some -of them sixty years old, composing an autograph album of wonderful -curiosity, containing hundreds of names which to fame are otherwise -unknown, and effusions of doggerel poets whose reputations, alas, will -no doubt be forever restricted to the limits of this cave chamber. A -short distance beyond Pluto’s Ravine is the termination of this section -of the Cave, and from this point return is made to the open air. A -ramble among the subterranean glories and petrified splendors of -Wyandotte Cave was a fitting conclusion to one of the most interesting -tours that was ever taken through the picturesque regions of our -country; a tour affording so much information, pleasure, adventure, and -profit, that the remembrance must forever remain a source of intense -satisfaction and delight. It was with feelings of deep regret that we -separated after the completion of our work, and each returned to his -respective home, to take up anew the old labor which we had laid down -when the start was made upon our long journey. During the trip our -photographers took five thousand pictures; many of these were taken -under unfavorable conditions, and upon development were found unworthy -of reproduction. Many others were excellent and well deserving to rank -with those which we have here used, but there is a limit to all things, -and ours does not exceed the space occupied by the 520 odd views which -we have presented; these, however, are fairly representative of the -incomparable scenery that charmingly diversifies our native land, a land -kissed by the lips of liberty, bounty, and beauty, and blessed with an -amplitude of powers, under the exercise of which the largest freedom, -benefits and sovereign rights are obtained for the whole people. - - - [THE END.] - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Glimpses of America, by James W. 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