The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1880-11-06
ALONG THE ILLINOIS.
Canyons and Glens.--The Switzerland OF the
Mississippi Valley.

THE CANYONS.
Twas September the twelfth,
Al ,.,it. 80 x..r.. "A 4, a L. Inc ~

| AS viii Milligan, Of Grand Ridge; 'ye local, Oh
1.-THE TRADER; Trcss, Wilson and 81. ID. H., )" (of--
well-most any place. took seats in Deans best
turnout bound for a day among the wondroua
glens and canyons Of La Sale county, along the
region OF the beautiful Illinois river. The day,
to all intent and purposes so far rs we were con-
cerned, was lost to city lifc but a day OF pleas
ure and an age OF wonderful experience obtained
from mysterious world, as 1t were, as well as
an exhaustless store of sublime and lovely CLEAN
ngs the recollection OF which will never fade
frcm the tablets Of our memory.
"There are more things In Heaven and earth,
| IIorato,
Than are dreaInt Of in your philosophy"
says Shakespeare; and right here may well say
that there are more grand scenery and more won
derful sights in the way Of canyons, rocks and
glcns in La Sale county than large majority OF
Its Inhabitants ever dreamed Of; and 1t is not say
ing too much when assert that the grandcst o.
all is incognita to ninety.6ve per cent. OF the
people of Ottawa, and that not one in hundred
knows anything about them or how to reach
them.
"The Canyons" il we except the "Horse
Shoe and one or two more, are hard to
reach with any degree Of pleasure or safety to
vehicles, and the path is quito risk to pedestri
ans but once you have taken them IN" their
sublimty and grandeur SO improssos you that
even though you were sure OF losing your way
or getting hurt you would venture again and
again and regret the fact Of not having seen them
| before!
/ Taking an early start on the morning specified,
We were soon skipping west on the south side
road along the "historlc banks" Of the Illinois
no doubt rolling over the ground made red by
the blood Of poor Lo," in his struggle with con
tending braves long before the I" Pale-face'
dreamed OF his existence; while at the same time
we were being entertained 10y WIN Milligan's
narration OF some Exciting fox hunt on those
bluffs beyond; n rafting chase after wolf up
this creek to our left or glorious deer hunt over
that prairie during the "bappy days Of yore,"
his horse and "St. Hubcrt's pack' coming IN
for all the praise In order 10 make 1t more inter.
esting-if such u thing could be. He knew the
ground to perfection and had hunted over every
foot OF it IN other days. SO with his life.lke
sketches of this event and that, time and our
selves rolled on rs lively as MONDAY dream
and before we thought we were even outside the
suburbs, viii announced our first stop, which
proved to be the entrance to "Thc DEVILS Den, "
as it is familiarly known.
Leaving our carriage, we first stopped to ex
anime the
SALT SPRING,
which is located few miles down the river. This
spring comes boiling up out OF the earth in grea
quantities through hole about two feet in di
ameter. The now is somewhat intermittent, ant
In, I lima and tf
seen the great salt springs OF Salna, near SYRIA
cuse, n. Y, and those OF the Saginaw, as well al
those Of less notoricty. none OF which seem tt
equal this In volume OF water; and yet while al
those have mentioned, as well as poorer ones
are being worked for all they are worth, this Ii
going to waste, seemingly of no consequence
Can 1t be that the saline Ia not in paying quaint
ties? Or il IL like the rest Of our untold wealth
that lies hidden along these bluffs, waiting onl,
for time and few FIRST class funerals to let mel
OF energy nerve ana ambitions AS well as those tina
would love to see Ottawa what she long should
have becn,--a great manufacturing city, step IL
and push thingsg 1t is about time this freezing
process which has been going on for 80 man,
years should stop, and the few old fossils OF hal
a century ago step down and out, to proven
! Strcator ana other suburban towns from captur
ing the future manufactures Of Ottawa.
70 reach from the Salt Spring the wonderful
work Of nature known by the hunters and neigh
boring residents AS
"THE DEVILS DEN"
or Armstrong Canyon" or "The Widows Run,
as Perry Armstrong calls it, in honor OF the lat
widow Elsie s. Armstrong, our courselay through
a beautiful shady grove, composed for the mos
part Of young trees, but occasionally "fores
king" as here and there ian "old timer" woul'
conspicuously loom up before us. With very lit
Tie expense this might be made the most inter
esting picnic ground in the county, which
combined with the wondrous works OF natur
that are to be seen further up the glen, woul'
surpass anything OF the kind in the state OF Hi
nos. The entire surface is level, clean and grassy
while the trees with their magnificent foiag
would make splendid shade for man and beast
Following on through this charming grove, WI
cross IL clear, cool stream that slides silent.
down to the river not far below, giving no indi
cation OF the subimity through which 1t ha
passed In its wanderings since leaving the placit
pool from which it issued half mile or so w
the glen.
Our tramp was onward, and scaling fence
and crossing the creek once more, we came sad
denly TO a stop and looked around us in astonish
ment. We cast our eyes to the right,-grea
massive rocks tower upward, as we would guess
hundred feet or more; TO the left they are, II
anything higher and more rugged In form and
shape. Beyond, through the dense growth Of
timber endless walls OF rugged rock meet the
eye. Hcavcnward we turn our gaze and far
away upon the lofty summit OF these mighty walls
our eyes rest on deep foliage and verdant covered
hedges, while great oaks, pines and elms raise
their majestic forms, towering upwards till their
leafy tops would seem to kiss the sky. Here the
sublime grandeur OF nature frowns down upon
sf1 nd