Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1874-08-05
AMAFE4TlNg RLAyT \

Suddehiy ali tno ha,'ves pegah 70
cry crepe iepet ana incniicN stoP-
ping short SAID "book: Ihe sluggish
canailiko stream mere wounu slowly
BY ana IN pare spot III i's pohd was
tho most singular o. tress,, oo'.i-
ed IL Crlno'da because when i's leaves
are IN action bears STRIKING resch-
blnnce 10 that wellknown fossil--the
crinoid lilystone, orSt Cnthbert 5 beads.
II was now at rest however, and viii
try to describe il to you, II you can
imagine pineapple eight feet high,
aud thick in proportion, resting upon
its base and denuded of leaves, you VIII
have good idea Of the trunk of the
tree, which however, has not the color
of an anana, but dark dingy brown,
and apparently hard as iron, ,.f r.oi
From the apex Of this truncated
cone Cat least two feet in diamcter)
eight leaves hung sheer to the ground,
like doms swung back on their hinges,
These leaves, which were joined to the
top of the tree at regular intervals,
were about eleven or twelve feet long,
49,.
and shaped very much like the leaves
Of the American aguave, or century
plant. Theywere two feet through IN
the thickest part and three feet VIDE,
iapering to sharp point, that looked
like a cows horn, very convex on the
louier- Lbnt. llnder) surface, and On
the inner NOW upper surface siignt,y
eoncave. ms concaVe lace was thick-
y set with very strong, thorny hooks
llko' those upon uhe mead % tie tea@ie,
These leaves, hanging mus imp anu
lieless, dead green IN color had ~ ap-
pearance the massive strength oi oaA
npre'
Inc hpez OF the cone was rouiu'
whte, cohcnve hgure' hhe shiaiicr
pi'lte set Wl'iih ArSer one iiis
was mol mower put " y regep'acle' anu
there exuded INTO y clear treaciy
lquid, hohey-sweet ana possesseu Oh
violent intoxicating ana sop4rlnc prop
eriles' FROM uhdeiheath 'he run Sso
70 speak q lhs unqerlllos' pA,e !
series OF loiis' nary Breen toileii,s lUtili
stretched outih every uirectioil toW''rus
the horizon ! hese were seven OF
eight ieet eaeh, ana t,aapered IRON lour
inches 70 nan ~ diaihs.eh yet ,ney
stretched out sunny as 'lrqnl rous'--
Above these from between tne upper
and under cup SIX white, almost trans,
paranti paipi reared themselves toward
the SKY, twiriing ana twisting WIN y
marvellous lncessaht hloiioh ySt coh-
stantly reaching upwards, INN as
reeds ana nan as gums appaiSn,ly,
they were YET iive OF SIX iee1 tali' anu
were SO constantly ana Vigorously IN
motion, win such subtle sinu9us,
silent thropping agaih!s tne ar tha'
they ma9e me shuuuer IN spl'c ol my
sen WIN their suggestion Oh serpeh's
mayed YET uahcihg on 'neir .'ns
Here We're moi eoroiia, plst,s'stanlens'
mower, nhlhu YOU nor ho'nllg hhe ~
For Crinoida, unknown, new species as It
is, is highest akin to the eyeadatae, and
perhaps its exact prototype may be
found among the fossil cyc;adae, though
confess ! do not remember any one
that presents all ITS peculiar features.
The description am giving you now
is partly made up irom a subsequent
careful inspection OF the plant. MY
observations on TINS occasion were SUD
denly interrupted by the natives, VINO
had been shrleking around the tree IN
Their shrlll voices, and chanting what
hennck told me We're proplua'ory
hymns to the great tree devil
win sun wider shrleks ana chall's
they now surrounded one o. inc Wo-
men. and tlrueu with the points OIL their