The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1880-10-21
A Trip to the Great Geysers.

In the late afternoon, the sky being
somewhat overcast, ..Koch," tile guide,
thought it good time to sec the
"Great Geysers." From the hotel
piazza they did not look "sreat" in
any sense of the word. In fact all
we could see was a constant steam
cloud. drifting up and away from a
rusty brown streak OH the hillside
But the place turned out to be Internal
ly interesting. The approach is very
deceptive. A winding trail from the
hotel leads down to Sulphur Crock
cool and clear; and over a rustic
bridge and a series of steps on the Op-
posite bank you come to the mouth
ofGeyser Canyon, where Pluton Greek
tumbles along its hot and sulphur
blue-yreen water, rs the first intima-
tion OF the toll and trouble and cauI-
dron bubble further up the narrow
and smoking way. Across the back
again, i'll and out, over and around
rocks and under laurel bushes the mar
row trail leads into the great laundry.
First, we step up to the ''DeviPs Of
ticc"-but not to settle, as many Of us
will have to do some day; but pass
through ''PrOserpine's Grotto" to sit
i'll the ''Devil's Armchair" The
"Devil's Kitchen" n little further OH,
is more than ordinarily fascinating,
although the old fellows diet appears
to be principally hell-broth. This
kitchen is cross between the "Poo-
die Dog" range and a steam firc-en-
gine. Here and there in the shelving
rock are little springs and basins,
boiling, bubbling, blubbcring, and
only waiting for some carrot-haired
Eastern tourist to fall in, in order to
transform the whole ravine into a sa-
worry soup-house. just outside the
"Devil's Kitchen" is the s'Devil's Ink
stand" and the "Devil's Punch bowl"
und "Geyser Smoke-stack," and "Wit-
ches' CauldrOn," and "Devil's Cano-
py," and tue Safety Valve" and tho
''Steamb, at Spring." and the ''Devil's
Pulpit" and the devil knows what
else. These things have been SO often
described that it is II crime to do it
again. Suffice it to say, that there is
a Canyon filled with frctting steam, and
boiling water, and spongy mineral
streaked ground, that smokes like
the ruins of recently burned city.
CommotiOn everywhere. Water hot
enough to boil eggs harder than Phar-
aOh's heart. Steam that putfs and |
blows and shrieks and wheezes aud |
climbs up your trousers-legs, and |
lakes all the starch out OF the Boston
undershirts, and brings
the bandoline out of the New York
girls hair, and turns the bismuth
powder on the San Francisco belle
than her bang. 1t is as
though the devil had upset here his
entire apothecary shop and then turn
,d OH the hydrant. Leaving the CAN
ION, we come suddenly Oh the post
,fficc," and the ''Lovers' Retreat" and
he Lovers Leap" and the Lava
Beds" and the Indian Sweat t-bath,"
where the natives i'll their early days
lsed 10 parboil their old rheumatic
,ucks. While pitching pebbles into
he nozzle of the Devils Tca-kettle,
Koch" told us of all sorts of wonder
ul springs-the iron spring, the hot
cid spring, the eye-water spring, the
spring, and n dozen other
none of them half as in
ercsting or nimble as the "Rix
pring, when he saw what he took for
II bear reaching for a leaf" A bear
kin had been stuffed and placed OIL
he hillside, and by strings cleverly
Ontrived and worked from behind q
rec the fraud was made to 60 through
car motions to lie. One look was
nough for everybody, the guide in
udcd, and the boys beat the lovers :
,treat all to pieces in their frantic .
ldeayors to shake the dust of that
ill-sidc from off their flying feet
he bear adventure wound up the
rst day to every bOdy's satisfaction, +
San Francisco AayOnaut.