The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1880-11-06

aStOnishncnl does not decrease, rs ne" ahu uioio
striking wonders met our gaze. The rocks re-
main unchanged in their bold and rugged forms,
with little of H. fantastic by way Of variety
while the woods, if anything, seem more charm.
Ing and lovely.
Again the creek we cross, gentle turn 10 the
left, bringing us to the gloomiest, grandcst aud
awe inspiring section of the entire glen. Climb
ing over small mountain" Of dirt and down on
the other side, we find ourselves at the bottom of
the largest alcOye or cave-l.ke formation / have
seen In this county It's proportions are simply
immense and its effect on the bcholder thrilling
indeed Standing within this solitude aud look
ing up along its vast dome, out uto the unfath
omed realms of space beyond man may well sur
mise and exclaim "what an insignificant thing is
man." while within he promises to admire the
grandeur of nature and think that
" Here's gloomy Wild
Where Indian warriors trod;
Where savage minds in solitude,
Looked up to natures God"
Moving on, the appearance Of the rocks some
what changes in formation, and beyond the walls
rise To heighth of oyer hundred feet almost per
pendiculary and as smooth and even as though
touched by the most improved process of mod
ern times Crossing to the other side, the rocks
show more fantastic forms, their summit, pie.
turcsque with wild flowers, hanging vines and
beautiful foliage far more charming and lovely
than can picture them But the "Omega" IL
the browning point OF all In order to do 1t JUS
ticc, should Dip my pen in "apaline and azure
hues."
Here indeed is sylvan beauty mingled with
sublime grandeur, and all the charms OF ma.
ture. A beautiful stream comes ripping over q
rocky ledge and in murmurng sweetness drops
into the bosom Of a cool translucent pool at the
base, which VIC named "The Pool of Bethesda"
The surrounding walls rise majcstically height
of perhaps hundred feet, "a rugged form; but
from base to summit deep foliage, lovely MOSES
and hanging vines grow proiusely, intcrmingled
with beautiful wild flowers, whose varying shades
add lovely charm TO the scene and their per-
fumes delicious odor to the atmosphere of the
glen.
About twenty feet above the pool the contnu.
alton Of the glen may be observed in the form OF
a lovely ravinc, which as viewed from our
standpoint is picture of sylvan beauty, de
lighting the hear of painter or poct,-a narrow
gulch whose rocky sides are hung with the most
beautiful masses and ferns supporting hanging
vines and summer flowers, while the inter.
lacing foliage forms canopy almost shutting
out the light Of day. IT'S the fit abode of the
fairies and all the sylvan elfs-their royalty do
main shut out from human influences; for the
massive rocks and the fathom'css pool form an
lnsurmountable barrier to any attempt on Our
part ut further entrance, so we look Wistiully
along its confines, behold it charms and regret,
fully exclaim, addressing the nympth OF the glen,
"Thou art SO near and yet so far"
But here the Hon. Perry A. Armstrong comes
10 our aid and in the most pleasing manner gives
US charming picture of the glen and ravine as
well as historic sketch Of the entire region. l
quote from an article Of his published some years
ago
"Thc Widows Canyon" through which flows
the widows Rum" was SO named over half a
century ago In honor of the late Elsie 3. Arm.
strong, who located at the point Of timber near
the head of the creek in 1881. II is small stream
of water having its rise near the dividing ridge
between the Big Nermillion on the south and the
Illinois river on the north. Its course is very
nearly from south to north. When it reaches u
point about one half mile from the bluii OF the
Illinois river, II cuts deep canyon in the ST. Pc
tcr's sandstone for distance of about ten rods
| and then leaps over II cascade OF about twenty
feet Here the canyon widens to uniform
width Of about three hundred feet and runs
thence north in u Zig-zag course to the Illinois
river bottom. The stream OF water mCanders in
a serpentine course through this immense
| crooked canyon skirting the towering rocky
walls on the one side and then crossing over to
the other-washing out caverns in It's passage.
The stone walls OF this canyon are from one hun.
bred and fifty to two hundred feet high on both
sides, usually perpendicular, but occasionally
projecting over at the top many yards beyond the
| bottom The color OF this stune ia pure white,
OF coarse grit, and ~ general thing quite soft.
Standing at any point from one end OF the canyo
| to the other, and casting your eyes up or down,
you see an immense white stone wall; while upon
the top Of the rocks on either side and upon the
very brink stand huge white pine trees, like weird
sentines upon the bulwarks of some old castle
tower, keeping watch and ward over the bcauti-
| ful canyon below, through which ripples the pla-
! end stream, like silver thread, over its pehbly
bottom The soil at the bottom is ef n rich black
loaIn and ia studded by tall, straight trees; black
walnut elm and Eastwood are the dominant
1 kinds whilst the whole surface, exclusive OF the
water course, IL carpcted In beautiful green, with
brakes and ferns ornamcnted with beautiful wild
flowers. Here the suns rays may never pene'
1 trate, and no winds can rustic the most tiny
leanet. The trees grow up straight rs an arrow
and OF great height, while the brakes and ferns
reach up To q mans shoulder. There Is but one
point above the mouth OF this canyon at which II
can be entered, and that is near the falls, aud
was known IN early days as the Indian ladder
which was constructed from the body OF a small
tree felled by the Indians and its limbs hacked oil
ut about six inches from the body So a. 10 form
tho steps upon which they were enabled to as
cend and descend to and from this canyon. That
ladder has disappeared, and a long pole is sub
stituted therefor, by the aid of which, together
with the assistance to he derived from manv small
shrubs growing out Of the creylces in the rock,
persons NAV, with some risk 10 life and limb,
gain admission 10 this canyon near its head II
NAV be explored nv entering from the river bot.
tom, and by clearing out road persons could
drive IN TO the falls and thus have view Of these
grand old ST. Peter sand. stone walls for half a
mile. This canyon would make an exquisitely
nice place for pic.nics, "a there are many caycrns
sufficiently large to shelter hundreds of people
iron, tho sunshlne and storm J. II. II.