The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1878-11-22
WHOLE NO. 1885.
COLORADO SPRINGS. Nov. 18th, 1879.


Correspondence of The True Northerner.
Among the many wonders to be visited in
this vicinity, we must not forget Monument
Park, or the Enchanted PARK" as some call 1t
about nine miles north, and is little valley
some two or three miles long running east
from the base OF the Foot Hills to Monument
Greek.
At the earliest opportunity we made up a
party with Mr.. Turner aud Mrs. Streeter for
merly of Kalamazoo, my wife and two or three
from New York City, We, before moor found
ourselves on the Enchanted" grounds. be-
tween great walls OF grey sandstone-broken
up along its ridges into great blocks, winch are
piled one upon another. course after course,
resembling an enormous piece Of masonery.
Again and again the stranger fnds objects
presented 70 him so nearly ike the ruined
works Of AIT which lie scattered about older
countries, that he IS apt to forget that be is in
a region where. so far as history knows. no
civilized race has ever dwelt Here yoa NAV
readily imagine yourself in some vast cemetery,
filed with the monuments Of departed race.
Principally upon the bluffs enclosing the Park.
the mimic sepulchIa sculpture stands up
amongst the sombre pines some OF tuem
grotesque TO an extreme in their mightiness OF
fornation-such odd buresques in gigantic
moulds-here are obesks, truncated columns,
shafts and cones, and many Of these are al
most as regular in form as If they had been
turned in lathe, some having spiral line
running around them from base TO caps. while
many remind you of the most inflated style OF
hoop skirt-the fashion changes, but they are
"fiZed"-but now and then one, tall and SLIM
with caps turned jaunhly to one side puts on
all the ans of the modern tie-back
4 close examination o, the "AIonuments1
shows that they are composed Of rather
coarse conglomerate-"a an irregular mixture Of
{ fragments from all the hyprozene rocks of the
range including quartzose pebbles. pure crystals
, Of silex. various crsts!ine sandstone. gnelsa.
solitary hornblende and fedspar, nodular IRON
stone. rude agates, and gun-alnt the whole
loosely cemented in a msrlx composed Of clay,
lime and the red oxide OF iron" Nearly all OF
them are surmounted by projecting capital
Of darker color and harder texture, showing
that much Of their popularity Of form is owing
to the protecting influence of the harder capital
which appears to contain larger proportion Of
iron than tie columns themselves.
Another noticeable fact is that most of the
Monuments are on the south western ex-
posure Of the hills, and we may attribute the
formation principally TO the action Of wind 1t
is suggested by one writer, and II is a reason
able one, That the hard Gaping was at one time
continuous formation; that, for some reason
or other it cracked over It's whole surface and
that the softer material below, thus exposed TO
the action Of the weather, became broken up
into sepetate nissses. Theft began the syineili--
cal shaping which has resulted in the produe-
ton OF forms that look as if they must have
been caused by artificial means. This same
formation crops out al various points FOR
twenty miles further north, but in the more
!, majestic form of castles and fortresses. up
heaved at the base OF the mountains or high
up on a darker bluff with all their basuons,
e. buttresses battlements, requiring but little
) imagination to liken them to the runs OF
: Castles and Abbeys of the old countries. Re
turning, we stopped at Templetou's Gap, and
: under the lead OF Mr, Turner who, by the way.
is well posted in mneralogy, We picked up
, good assortment of precious stones, such az
Jasper, opas, agates, aud jssperized and agat-
lied wood, and we have become very much in
terested IN this lesser but equally interesting
production OF this wonderful country. In all
. the cities and villages there are museums
where large quantities OF these precious stones,
petrefactions, fossils, and specimen OF gold
bearing, silver, copper and lead ores are formed
for sale, aud large trade is carried on IN this
line OF business. Among them may be found
opals, agates quartz crystals, jaspers, garnets,
opalizel and jasperized woods, etc. The
Lapidaries and jewelers. are kept very busy,
cutting polishing and setting these beautiful
gems gathered from all parts CT this vast
mountain region. Wherever we went we Sc
cured samples of these choice stones. in the
rough, polished and set-aso specimens Of ores
of various kinds. In all my life l never felt
so keenly the lack of thorough knowledge of
geology aud mineralogy as here, and never
again expect to visit country where 1t can be
so we'll put to practical use.
. A. ARMS.
- % -
RESPECTFUL UNDER DIFFICULTIES. - The
American matron in Westminster abbey moves
along corridors and over the bones Of the
, mighty departed IN state of badly Suppressed
} dismay. Used TO walking reverently around
the grave Of even the humblest mortality, 70
J sec herself and brood actually treadng upon
the most majestic of tombs ia more 10 he- than