Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1876-06-16
The Garden of the Gods.
COLORADO SCENERY.


The first thing to be seen when one ar.
rives at the loot Of the mountains is the Gar
den of the Gods. 1t is one of those curious
parks for which the country is celebrated,
but unlike most of them, it is walled in on one
side by natural palsade 800 feet high. A
single stratum Of real sandstone, from 10 to
20 feet thick, has been turned on edge,
and 300 feet of it project out of the earth.
For half a mile it plays the part Of rudely
gothic wall, and the assure, where it has
apparently been rent in two, serves as the
gateway. In color and form il is most re-
markable. Approaching it across the Mesa,
one comes upon its red summit long before
the proportions or CONGREGATIONS are meas
urable, and when, arriving at the edge Of the
plateau, the whole of the monstrous fIcade
comes into view, one is amazed beyond ex-
preston at the novelty of it. The first sug.
gestion is that of the ruins of some stipend.
Gus brick building or row of buildings, but
presently even this becomes absurd. The
eye perceives that no brick buildings could
reach this hight, and closer inspection reveals
the gypsum, limestone and mica OF the for
nation. Driving through the quilted por-
tails, we find ourselves in a natural circus of,
say. hundred acres, bearing all the evil
dences of being a park, overgrown and
neglected The natural statuary rises
out of the under.brush at singularly
regular intervals; great, grotesque shafts of
sandstone SO, even go feet high, bearing
aloft strangely modelled devices-winged
lions demons, draped figures, hideously con-
torted faces, all Of them so disposed with
relation to the space Of the Enclosure as to
suggest ornamental design. The carriage
winds, by pleasant road, through the
shrubbery, past the largest aud most inter-
| esting of these monuments, and the visitor
may see that nearly all are composed Of two
materials, the pedestal being sandstone and
the statue harder limestone or bowlder.
| could not resist the temptation to come
back to this spot when the moon swas up.
The widest, morbidest imagination can pic
ture nothing so awfuly aud systematically
beautiful as this place when lit by the palld
light, and its great walls. and its spectral
efigies fling their deep shadows across the
inclosure. The mysteries deepen not alone
when those shadows fall short in the light
itself. The sheeted figures, carved SO cum
ningly out of the friahle limestone, rise in
the uncertain radiance to an appalling sug-
gcstiyeness. The very horses we're nervous
in their presence and found myself giving
away to all sorts Of fancies. "Look !" cried
my companion, "By heaven, the shroud on
that old monster is tapping in the wind g.
a curious sensation came over me as | saw
or thought saw the drapery of ghost
swinging to and fro. We sat breathless a
moment, and the awful stiffness and desoa-
ton of the place fell upon US. Save the
distance aud answering bark of coyote far
up the mountains, or tho occasional flap OF
an eagles wing in the pinnacles Of the gate,
not sound was heard "IIere," | said,
must have come the soul Of Edgar A. Poe
in some OF his midnight wanderings. | can
almost see him entering those gates, awe.
struck and demon-impelled, to believe him.
self in another world"
We walked our horses slowly through the
entire length Of the garden, past the "bal.
ance rock, and drew up moment in amaze.
ment at "The Demon Of the Mountain.
Ordinarily this grotesque efigy will elicit
laughter from the most superficial observer
Seen at night with the intermixing lights
and shadows playing upon it, and the an
giles gone, it becomes almost terrible. II
winks its cavernous eyes at you, its cadav'
erouS jaws move as if with pain You per-
ceive for the first time as you draw back 10
dismay that this is really one of those val
leys Of enchantment where souls have been
imprisoned for ages in stone, and that as
midnight comes on they are permitted to
turn and writhe in their agony of expecta.
tion--looking toward the gates for that wand
which is to deliver them.-N Y. World.