The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1872-11-30
:. The Garden. of the Gods"

Inc ioHowlng graphic Description
we copy from recent letter of Col.
Du Pre- of the Memphis appeal.
From east to west, almost at the
base OF the mountain range ON the
eastern side and for many miles,
continuous store palisades have
been projeetedupward. These walls
are red and white and gray. Their
thickness varies from one to
five hundred feet, and hight from
FIVE hundred to two thousand feet;
Think OF 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 in 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 thes 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 wildness Of the place, and its
deep chasms and lofty sides, and
great stones OF every hue and shape
amaze the behAder. The deep, mar
row dell iscofA siesely walled ia. and
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 rushes perpetually
from the second and the larger gar
den, which Is fullof wonders. There
are towering Gags and lofty stones
set up on end, some inclined ike
the leaning towerof Pisa, and others.
erect as was Cleopatra's needle or
Bunker Hill monument, all rising to
dizzy nights, and each having its
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 plateau COW
cred with bright underground, and
FIVE hundred yards from this might
Ter than Chinese wall is the resi-
dence, at the lower base of the
mountains. Throush a deep, mar
row gorge, flows the brawling brook,
and along its bed we rode beneath
overhanging cliffs until weary OF
wonders, and of the contemplation
of amazing precipices and mighty
overhanging stones, shutting cut the
sky. These, now and then, almost
kissed one another, and so far above
our heads that we could hardly have
heard it if the rugged OSCILLATION had
been accompanied by a thunder
clap.
To the broader garden one finds
access through a double gateway,
each wide enough for a dozen horse
men abreast. The stone fence, on
either hand, is q solid wall OF red
sandstone. very thin III com parison
with its frightful altitude. 1t was
painted red. perhaps, that it might
endure and CRAFTY the taste of saw
age red men. 1t is sadly weather.
worn. There are great assures near
the summit, and some "pickets' five
hundred feet long have fallen TO the
plain, and there are rough projec-
tons along the top of this mighty
wall. desigpeSnnp doubt, 10 exclude
saurians ana Troublesome rep
tiles that were wont to invade this
delightful vegetable garden, when
cultivated by the Hesperides, and
those Jolly old people we were wont,
in boyhood, to read about IN mythol-
ogical stories. The width of this
inclosure is not more than one mile,
while the stone wall extends west
wardly far into the mountains. 1t
is estimated that FIVE thousand peo-
pie, during the past summer, have
visited these marvellous places, and,
strangely enough, greater number
of Europeans have been attracted, in
view of distance traversed, than Of
our own countrymen.
A roadway across this garden
leads to Manitou Springs Sulphur,
iron, soda, arsenic, and all ingredi-
ents that nature compounds and
adds to healthful beverages, distin-
guish these fountains. boiling and
up as if expelled from the
earth's bosom by the tremendous
pressure exerted by Pixies Peak
The shadow OF this monarch Of
falls upon them each day
after four O'Clock. ard cool breezes, .
in this summer time of prairie seas.
as pure and refreshing as these peer /
less fountains, give vigor to life, and
freshness to youth and rudy hues
to beauty's cheek. Saratoga and /
Virginia watering places have no
such attractiveness as is proflered
by the sublimest mountain fastness-
es, by boundless plains, by an atmos-
phere as clear and winds as soft as
those that sweep over lands most /
favored of heaven. Weary, after o
long ride over many a rugged hight,
and heated by breathing the dry at
mosphere of mountain and plain, at
three O'Clock on hot afternoon, /
first drank from the deep, clear bub-
bling spring to which Indians gave
the name Manitou." It was
sweet as the desert-fountain's wave
To lips just cooled il time to save.
Properly enough, the most valu-
able offerings that Red Men made to
Deity were here deposited. Even
yet md feads and In
dian trinkets an forced upward by
the boiling watas, and found in the
pool below. TWAS a proper place, at
the foot of the Imperial Mountain,
to do reverence to nature Goo; and
If purity of atmosphere, beauty in
nature, and sublimi.y of wild noun
tam scenery, may direct mems
thoughts through nature up to ma
ture God, there is abolute faultless-
ness IN every incident of the earth,
ar and heaven to make this the spot
on which man should bow in humble
of Gods glory and om-