San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1878-11-23
The Care Of L,,rav.

,:.,overed about one mile west OF this
,oun and about three hundred yards
north of the Newmarket and Sperry-
Vile turnpike. The finders determined
10 saw nothing Of what they had dis
covered, batpurchased the tract land,
which contained about thirty eightacrcs.
accordingly when the sale took place
thew bid il in at five hundred dollars
which was considered n fair price by the
uninitisted.s sd my 'Ss9sE.
Yoars Sorespopacnt having an .invi-
.ation to visit the cave, in company with
Judge Stewart, Of tie Page county
court, and several ladies, proceeded to.
the place of interest. After each had
been furnished with eandle,we der
scended the temporary stairwaya dis;
lance Of about thirty feet 70 The entrance
nroper; which is now about six, feet high
nv three in width. y The entrance is
surmounted by a massive rock made by
nature into well finished archway, and
downward aboutbten feet more, when
We come to level floor. Here we found
ourselves in an immense room nearly
one hundred feet square with height
of probably forty feet. The ceiling was
Of smooth limestone, save where large
masses of stalactites hung here and
there in clusters. The walls Of tho
apartment were formed Of every con-
ceivable color of stone, shaped into all
kinds of Fittings and columns, the whole
covered with brilliant gloss. In the
centre, facing the entrance and imbed-
ed in the rock of the floor is double
figure, as of two persons clasped in each
others arms and in a stopping posture.
The features of one, though indistinct,
would seem to be those of another wo-
man. The other face appears to be
pressed closely to the body of the first.
The limbs are distinctly visible, as also
part of the arms. Certain it is that they
do not belong to the natural formations
of the cave. At the further end of this
room an immense column, fifteen feet
in diameter, rises from floor to ceiling,
spreading ont at the top on either side
like branches of huge oak, and form
ing two archways, through which we
pass in different directions to other
chambers. Passing to the left, through
the lower arch, we proceed through
three or four small chambers, all COW
cred with thousands of stalactites of the
most brilliant colors, and reach room
which is almost a fac smile of an old
Roman chapel, supported on all sides
by Corinthian columns of bronze and
blue and white, with ceiling Of buff.
To the left stands out in bold relief
from the wall as perfect a shaped organ
as I ever looked at, The pipes are
separate, and so distinct that you have
to feel them to dispel the illusion.
In this room collected several speci-
mems of stalactites, and also the most
perfect imitation of pieces of sponge l
have ever seen. In the middle OF this
room is mound of blue stone with
polish that reflected our faces. Masses
Of caulifower seemed to be growing
over the mound, and on one side several
punches of grapes. One of these punches
was so perfect I could scarcely realize
that it was natural formation. 1 could
with little trouble have cut it of, stem
and all, and was very much tempted.
Retracing our steps through several
rooms and corridors orr guides took an
opening to the left and led us through
several other rooms and over several
beautiful little streams of limpid water
to the edge of small precipice. Fol-
lowing the edge of this precipice few
yards We found place to cross, and
suddenly found ourselves in the vesti-
bule as if of large theatre. On every
side of us were beautiful white columns
and pillars, looking as if they had been
sculptured from the whitest marble. A
lew steps further brought us into the
auditorium room of the theatre. In all
my life never saw grander structure
above ground. Three tiers Of galleries
seemed to stand out before us; We SEEM
ed to be in the orchestra circle, with the