The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1877-08-30
"Look to your rides we'll
For this Is the Canon OF hell;
The Red CanOn.r

The Red Canon.'
At the south end OF this pass the government
has found II necessary to establish military post
Tor the protection Of travellers jOurneylng 10 and
irom The Hills, Leaving Red Canon we enter up
on vast stretch ofTolllng plain.land carpeted in
most places with rank growth OF grass, the pre-
vailing green ot which is often finely relieved by
uashes OF rich colors Of flowers which grow In
Wild confusion.
crossing the Cheyenne River the favorite rem
devious OF numerous chlyGlrlc Road .Agents' in
their attacks upon Black Killers, we soc dlmly
outlined far ahead Of us the Rawhide Mountains
passing which we come upon peculiar butte or
cliff formations which at intervals are scattered
along the road for many miles These butes are
OF grayish white color are formed Of clay and
sand evidently indurated and compaoted by the
presence OF trace Of Calcareous earth they ara
easily cut with knife, and by the erosiye action
OF the elements have been formed In mauy curl
Gus and fantastic shapes. Al OVENS Ranch one
ofour party discovered traced against the evening
SKY clear and most artistic reproduction of The
Sphinx, which seemed wonderfully perfect In
every detail, as we were able To Judge by limited
knowledge OF the original gained from pictures
Az another place, one Of The cliffs has taken Tn
iorm OF colossal human hand Of maryelouslv
perfect proportions But II is when they assume
architectural FORMS which they frequently do,
that these formations are more interesting.
Riding lesurely along through an atmosphere
OF crystalline purity TO aid his vision, the tray-
eler who will give the slightest play to his fancy ia
entertained with slowly moving panoramic dis
play Of gigantic Cathedrdls castles and fortresses
modelled IN every school ofarchiteCture known TO
ancient or present times, Vast structures some
times half concealed by the debris of their ruin,
and embellshed with every garntureof pinnacle
OuITess ana irleZe, Of turretand battlement para.
pet rampant and bastion-a review of the dreamy,
nimy forms which, often as the "Argosies Of
Cioudlahd,' ,Westudy and admire, when gided
ana glorihed IN the rosy erubescence of glowing
sunset they float against the Western sky, caught
IN more substantiafou In these mural walls
OF Natures handician.
Crossing the North Plat on three span wrought
iron bridge made by King of Cleveland, we come
rather abruptly upon Fort Laramie. Just before
reaching the Fort we pass to the left of the ceme-
terry wherein rests the body of Princess Monica"
who was the bright and comely and fayorite
daughter of Spotted Tail Some ten or twelve
years ago Monica became desperately mitten
boy, then stationed at the Fort, and sought and
improved every opportunity to manifest her pas.
sion tu his presence but to all her gentle wooing
the pale faced stole OF her choice offered no dali.
Lnce OF reciprocated love, gave no token of re.
'ponsiro affection, aud this dIsky bloom of the
plains, bughJed by unreQutted love, faded and
Wttheied, aud many miles away In the mountains
whittier She had been taken for her declining
health, died ut 'he early age Of eighteen of bro.
ken heart' Monicas dying request 10 her father
lhal her body se laid to rest near the scene of her
sorrow, was carried out. and she was buried In
tbe cemetery attached TO the Fort, or rather, &C.
cordllg to the custom Of her people, the cofined
remainsrest upon platform reared eight or ten
feet above the ground forming conspicuous OBJ
Jet to attract the eye Of the traveller passing by.
who Is told The simple stOry Of her death.
Unfortunate Monica, filled with the romantic
zeal OF a misguided and rare poetic idealism that
set M idols which, had she lived longer, would
have toppled and been swept to ruin before the
iconoclastiC realities Of u selfish world in dying
conquered many Braves" andhe death was not
without good to the enemies of her father greatest
Of his race and ruler of the Sioux, who made to
his dying daughter pledge never again to make
war against the white man, q vow he has ever
held in sacred association with the memory Of
his lamented Monica, and kept with religious
fidelity.
Fort Laramie at the confluence OF the Plat and
Laramie rivers seems an oasis of civilization float
ed out and anchored in waste of barbaric sur.
roundings. With the well preserved remains Of
| its ancient sod fort and low rambling buildings,
intermingled with the modern, tasty cottage
homes of the officers 1t presents pleasing picture
Of past and present. and to the individual weary
Of the world who, with none of It's ambition or
aspirations has reached that beatifc plane of
millennium existence where "contentment Is bet
ter than wealth." this isolated military cloister Of
fers quiet retreat, only disturbed by the minera-
ture ''pomp and parade" of garrison life.
Leaving Fort Laramie we directly attain a good
view of Laramie Peak, sixty miles TO our right, a
'heaven.kissing hill lifting his head amid clouds
which have killed and crowned him with snow
and purpled in the dstancehe stands the monarch
Of the Laramie Black Hills. Keeping these Hills
In sight for ninety miles south we hailed with glad
cheers the sight of Cheyenne, first caught from the
brow Of a HILL and soon the hum and hustle of its
traffic broke the monotonOus quiet, and mingled
with the whistle of U p locomotive was borne
to our ears a sweet medley isochronous with the
music of the worlds industrial forward march. -
ZBB DAVIS.