Richland beacon., 1873-10-11
STEPPING WESTWARD"
WRITTEN BY Young LADY OF RICHLAND'

ed as the golden age OF civilization. Since
the dawn of Creation men have been steadi-
Iy advancing, penetrating into the deep I'm
ish many mystencs. by proving their cause.
They turn their backs TO the East, with all
It's pollution and degradation, and their faces
toward The West, "where human nature is
stripped of its mask and plays on its harp of
a thousand strings to suit nobody but the
player
Civilization, ever wheeling her broad disk
over the land, has converted many gigantic
forests into the dwelling places Of man.
Where once only wild and ferocious beasts
roamed at will, undisurbed by human foot
steps, there are now tie habta,ions of mil
lions of intelligent beings.
The world, in its origin, was peopled in the
extreme East; love Of freedom first led the
inhabitants to wander forth from under the
hand of their oppressors; afterwards they
were prompted by love Of gain.
We find the great Assyrian empire under
Nebuchadnezzar, first extending her rule over
the civilized world. Then the power was
gained by the Persians, and all the neighbor-
ing nations were brought under the dominion
of the Medo-Persian reign. Next Alexander,
with warlike skill, obtained the sovereignty
over most of the known world and combined
the greatest powers of earth in the mighty
Greco Macedonian Empire; still farther to
the West we find the founders of Rome, with
! their successors, gradually extending their
rule until they made their dominion the ac-
know lodged mistress of the world but in
gaining this power, they lost all love of peace
and were only satisfied when they could sway
the CORY sceptre over terrified nations, who
groaned beneath the rod of unrelenting tyran-
ny. Thus onward and westward, 1.-The star
Of empire has taken its course" and the once
mighty government Of the East crumbles into
cipher compared with the Western glories
and power. When the new world was dis
by those seeking to be released from the yoke
of their oppressors, and TO enjoy the gentle
influence CT religion They found it envelop-
ed in grand and gloomy solitude, clothed in
mighty forests, whose depths had never been
broken, save by the tread Of the red man.
Now we forget its former solitude, when we
see its mighty and fruitful fields. and note the
wonderful march il has made in enlghten-
ment.
Many are leaving the East with all its civ
iIizaiion aud are stepping Westward. to that
golden land where the odds and ends Of the
world have gathered. but where time is sit-
ing people as it Sits them everywhere, the
best only coming to the surface"
| From the diversity Of natural fra lures and
general physical pecuiiarlties Gi tie Great
West, it presents innumerable examples OF
picturesque scenery and objects of interest to
devoiees Of nature and scientific research.
Some of the principal of these, are the
Yosemite Valley, which possesses scenery un
matched for wild and romantic beauty and
sublime grandeur. Through it roars the
MERGED River, which, as il reaches FL Capt.
tan, grows all hushed and quiet as if from
very awe, and then, as if powerless to do
Otherwise. shows the Great Chef how beauti
ful he is by rejecting his image from her
truthful eyes" From the crystal stream,
making its way through the mountains in
deep and dark gorges, scarcely getting a
glimpse Of sun light, except when it passes
through this valley, and tie South Dome "a
huge ROCKY which towers high above all its
companions, rising up perPendicularly on the
northern side, to the thousands of hooks, cor
ners, and woody dells, every one is full of
enchanting picturesqueness. The Geysers
are another remarkable natural phenomena.
Sometimes they send the water many feet
into the air, then again beneath your footsteps
you can hear the lashing and foaming gyra-
tons; and on cutting through the surface,
streams Of angry boiling water are disclosed.
Natural bridges across the streams, innu-
merable arches with their surface appearing
as if carved into clusters of fruits and flowers
doubtless the result of volcanic action), the
caves with their natural rooms, and the NAM
moth trees, all Of which are entitled to rank
with the most attractive of natural curiosities,
charm the lover Of the grand in Nature. Its
mighty forests and gigantic rivers are becom-
ing subservent to mans control. The untold
riches, hidden deep in tie mountains, are be-
ing brought from their lurking places, to add
to human progress and happiness, and the
uncu,ivated wastes of land are being made
to blossom like the rose. sStepping West
ward," we find the once gloomy solitude
broken by the whistle of the steam engine, and
mighty cities springing up as if by maggie
The tide Of emigration lie rapidly pouring into
this Western land, developing its boundless
resources and unlocking its vast stores Of
mineral wealth, until a new and brilliant Ia.
minary in advanced civilization is now burst.
ing forth to the wonder and admiration Of the
world.
TERRIBLE SCENE IN A SCHOOL.