The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1878-06-15

ters of the Pottawatomie Indians under Shah
bonah and Wauponsie, from 1881 to 1885, The
walls of this canyon afforded shelter from wind
and storm, and the snow falling in the canyon
remained until thawed by the warm spring
weather, preserving much of the vegetation for
the sustenance Of their ponies, whilst the
heavy timber along the river bottom attracted
the deer and wild turkey within reach of their
hunters Farther down the river on the same
side we find another canyon of nearly equal
grandeur, but not so long. In this canyon,
upon the west side, is found
FIsHBERN's CAVE;
so named after Jacob Fishbern, Esq, the pres
cnt owner of the land at that point The rock
is perhaps one hundred feet high, and starting
from the top 1t has been undermined and
washed out underneath to distance of twenty
six yards or nearly eighty feet. and extends
north and south some three hundred feet The
current of the creek has changed to the cast
side of the canyon, leaving this cavern some
twenty feet above the level of the creek, thus
forming dry foundation of light sand with
here and there a tutt of grass or vegetation,
and forming an acove or recess of sufficient
size to hold hundreds of people. The echo
from this cave is really astounding | have
frequently stood under this shelving rock and
talked by the half hour,-solitary and alone
musing upon this, to me at the time, strange
phenomenon.
HORSE SHOE CANYON.
Passing down on the same side of the river
some three miles, we come to recess in the
giant rocks about two rods wide and ten rods
long. Entering it and following it south one
is amazed to find no stream of water and that
it has been washed out by high water in the
Illinois river,-that at the south end it is
rounded and wldened, thus forming perfect
horse >h"c in shape The walls on either side
are perpendicular or shelving over, and are
from seventy to ninety feet high. The bottom
is like that in Widows Canyon, covered with
trees and ferns, towering vines, and beautiful
wild flowers 1t is canyon cut out of the
rock to the level of the ground A team
might be driven to the very edge ere it would
be perceived or expected were it not for the
pine trees along the upper edge.
TURKEY FOOT CANYON.
About eighty rods west of Horse Shoe Can
yOn is a small canyon near its outlet and fol
lowing it up about thirty rods it increases
both in size and depth, on account of the sur.
face Of the land rising as you go south. At
this point il divides into two separate branches,
having a sharp angle of old ST. Peter standing
nearly one hundred feet. The walls are near
ly if not quite as high as that of Widows
Canyon, though much closer together; the
bottom is composed of similar soil and similar
vegetation. AT Il distance of about eighty
rods are
IVY FALLS,
where the water of the small stream leaps
over cavern some forty Ieet. The sides
of this canyon are about one hundred and
twenty feet high, and are fcstooned by wild
ivy many of the vines being from forty to six
ty feet long. On the west side Immediately
opposite this watertall IA huge pine tree stands
supported by a single flat stone
about twenty inches thick, running out eight
or ten feet without any support from below,
the rock beneath having been washed away by
the water in the stream. The bottom Of the
canyon, like the others, produces very tall tim
Der, and immense brakes, ferns, and wild
flowers, whilst along the crevices wild flowers
grow profusely.