The Andrew County Republican. [volume] (Savannah, Mo.) 1871-1876, 1875-07-30
One of the Wonders of Colorado,

The Colorado River reaches far up into
the heart of the continent for its sources.
Away up in Nebraska, there is a vast
cluster of peaks covered with snow, and
forming an Off-shOot OF spur of the Rocky
Mountains. These are the Wind River
Mountains, and among them are thousands
of bright little ~rivulets and brooks, fed by
the melting SHOWS. Many of these little
streams run together after awhile, and so
form the Green River, a river which is
cold, swift and deep. 1t crosses the roads
that lead across the continent to Califor-
MIA; and, in old times. when the emf
grants used to 90 10 the gold country
with horses or Orleans, they very much
dreaded the dangerous fOrds of Green
River. 1t flows on for more than one
thousand miles, often winding about, but
always moving southwark, through mon
strOuS masses of rock and amidst arid
plains, until it empties itself into the Gulf
OF California, and so reaches the Pacific
Ocean.
Further south than the head-waters OF
the Green River is the Grand River, which
rises near Longs Peak, in the Rocky
Mountains. 1t is born in the solitary
lakes which lie among the rocky crags
high up amidst the cold mountain peaks.
Few white men have ever looked upon
these lakes but we know that u of their
mysterious depths, hidden amid the pines
and tir-trees, come the waters of the Grand
River This Straan upitoc with tba Croop
and so forms the great Colorado, which,
as we have said, flows into the Gulf of
California. Besides these two main
branches of the Colorado, there are hun
dreds OF others; some of them have no
names; but many are named on the
maps, where you may find them duly set
down.
After these streams leave the immediate
neighbOrhOOd of the Rocky Mountains
say about twO-thirds of the way down to
the mouth of the C~OlOradO-they pass
through a very dry and rocky country.
Ages on ages ago, it is supposed the sur
face OF this region was comparatively
level, though broken here and there by
rocky peaks. Through it the streams
rushed with great speed, year after year
and century after century. II there had
been frequent and heavy falls of rain, the
washed into the rivers. and the debris, or
loose stuff, swept in, would be carried off
by the rivers. But the rain seldom falls
there, and so the rivers, left to themselves,
have kept On wearing down the rocky bed
through which they foam, until they have
plOwed deep channels far down into the
rocky heart of the land. Nobody can tell
how long the rivers have been at work
carving out these channels but there
they are, with tremendous cliffs towering
far above them !; and so smooth are the
walls OF these gOrges or canons (prO-
pass down the river by water; there is no
shore along which he may walk; but, in
general, the rock rises straight up from
the river on either side.
These canyons which we have mentioned
often run into each other just as the
branches of the stream run into the main
channel. There is a maze of them all
over the country, S o that one cannot
traverse the face of the land. these deep
gOrges 81 cut it up with channels and
abysses. The walls of the canyons rise t.
a great height-sOme of them more than
thousand feet. The scenery cannot
be called beautiful; it is terrible and sub
lime. But one must suppose that a few
weeks spent in such an awful place would
make m long for the sunny lawns and
smooth streams of a less wonderful coun-
try. Nevertheless, the great river will
always be a favorite resort for those who
love to lsok upon the mightiest works of
God in nature.-&. Nicholas for August.