The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1872-12-05
1.-THE Gardens of the Gods,u

0h oaet W west, alnOSt at the
oase OF the mountain range on the
eastern side and for many miles,
continuous stone palisades have
been projected upward. These walls
are red and white and gray. Their
thickness varies from one to
hive hundred feet, and hight from
hye hundred to two thousand feet.
Think Of a solid stone wall projected
upward Of thickness equal to the
width Of Main street, and rising one
thousand feet above the tops of the
tallest structures il the city, and ex.
tending twelve or fifteen miles, from
Chelsea to the line Of the State of
Mississippi; beyond this majestic
wall within a mile the mountain
range constitutes another impossible
barrier. Between this lofty pallsade
and the abrupt cliffs are the famed
Gardens of the Gods Through
this mighty palisade, its summit Jag
ged, rent by lightning and tempest,
and worn by rain and hail, there are
three gateways, each two or three
miles from the other. The entrance
Is so narrow that our mustangs could
not gain admittance. The area of
this first garden between the pals
AIDES and the cliffs is narrow, but the
very wildnesG Of the place, and it's
deep chasms and lofty sides, and
great stones OF every hue and shape
amaze the beholder. The deep, mar
row dell is completely walled in, aud
the little gateway through which we
entered was made by nature, that
mountain torrents might have access
to the exterior world. A bright,
sparkling stream PUSHES perpotually
from the second and the larger gar
den, which is full of wonders. There
are towering crags and lofty stones
set up on end, some inclined like
the leaning tower of Pisa, and others
erect as was Cleopatra's needle or
Bunker Hill monument, all rising to
dizzy nights, and each having it's
own peculiar color. Within this
garden is the beautiful residence of
General Palmer, the President of the
Denver and Rio Grande Railway
Company. Eagles nests are visible
along the summit and within the
palisades, and there is a plateau coy
cred with bright underground, and
five hundred yards from this might
Ter than Chinese wall is the resi-
donce, at the lower base of the
mountains. Through a deep, mar
row gorge, flows the brawling brook,
and along its bed we rode beneath
overhanging cliffs until weary of
wonders, and of tho contemplation
amazing precipices and mighty
o%verhanging stones, shutting out the
These, now and then, almost
n another, and so far above
our heads that we could hardly have
heard it if the rugged OSCILLATION had
oeen accompanied by q thunder
clap.
To the broader garden one finds
access through n double gateway,
Zach wide enough for u dozen horse
men abreast. Tho stone fence, on
hand, is II solid wall of red
andstone. very thin in comparison
With its frightfuI altitude. 1t was
'ainted red, perhaps, that it might
ndure and crafty the taste Of say {
go red men. 1t is sadly weather. {
worm. There are great assures near ,
he summit, and some "pickets" five
undred feet long have fallen to the
lain, and there arc rough projec- !
.ons along the top of this mighty !
all, designed, nc doubt, to exclude |
lurians and troublesome rep il
les that were wont to invade this 1
elightful vegetable garden, when I
lltivated by the Hesperides, and
lose jolly old people we we're wont, b
boyhood, to read about in mythol- il
3ical stories. The width of this G.
Iclosure is not more than II mile, e
lille the stone wall extends west &,
ardly far into the mountains. 1t Il
estimated that five thousand peo-
Ie, during the past summer, have e,
sited these marvellous places, and, ii
rangely enough, u greater number Sc
EurOpeanshay been attracted, in Is
ew Of distance %traversed, than of y
II own countrymen.
A roadway across this garden &C
ads to Manitou Springs. Sulphur, q
IN, soda, arsenic, and all ingredi-
is that nature compounds and M
dis to healthful beverages, distin- III
Iish these fountains, boiling and
up as if expelled from the ]
this bosom by the tremendous Dr.
essure exerted by Pixies Peak. VII
10 shadow of this monarch of
ountains fails upon them each day G
.er four O'Clock, and cool b~reezes, alto
this summer time Of prairie seas, me
pure and refreshing as these peer an,
s fountains, give vigor to life, and of
shness to youth and ruddy hues par
beauty's cheek. Saratoga and of
watering places have no are
III attractivcness as is proffered side
the sublime1t mountain fastness- he'll
by boundless plains, by an atmos. 9th
ere as clear and winds as soft as mec
'se that sweep over lands most to /
ored of heaven. Weary, after a adv I'D.
& ride over many a rugged hight, of 6
leatt DY breathing tho dry at terS
sphere OF mountain and plain, at mtcd
&c o'clock On ii hot afternoon, l pro- pro-
: Jr,nl f,,,n tl,a liam alan, buI, spec