The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1882-05-07
OLD STONE WALL TENAN-
TRY.

| know a ruined wall whose history
dates back a century or more, no" a
scattered rambling pile of weather
beaten, nature saturated powders.
Half hidden beneath its covering
leaves and creeping plants, It seems
almost like a grave. and IN many
places it is lost beneath a covered
mound, where Nature has at last
entirely reclaimed it, and wrapped Il
IN her bosom.
This ancient landmark follows Inc
border of lane OF equal anuquiY'
formerly the wood road OF the pioneer
forester who redeemed its nelgnool-
ing sunny meadows from the WIDER
ness, and whose bands laid the wall
that, like himself, has now returned
to earth. :.
The remnants of bis old log hut. It
is said, are even now 70 % 'taceu
among the neH-yrown timber on the
mountain-side, surrounded by the
crumblei pile of the massive Jog
fence built about MS primitive naoi'
tation as a bsrficsde OF defence
against pr0wling wolves and bears
and even against Indians TOO, II the
record of the sod is to be believed; Tor
many are the tomahaWks and flint
arrow-heads that have been turned
up by the plough among these
meadows.
This wall has long since gone out
of service, but its innumerable foster
children have risen up to do duty 10
its stead; Tor here ale almost lmpas-
sable thickets of hazel bushes, dwarf
cherry and flbert juncles. with here
and there at near intervals majestic
shagbark hickories springing up
directly from its heart OF stone. Inc
sloping roots have raised and rolled
away its boGlders On every side. There
are occasional whole colonies OF pig
nut trees, and nov and then large
spreading butternut, and the fines
specimens of wild cherry to be found
for miles around-all scattered along
the length OF this ancient wall in ID
exquisite abandon.
The sharp whistle OF chlpmunK
greets you here at almost every step,
| and in such a spot there is more than
ordinary significance in that shrlll
voice. It Is voice from the heart OF
the wall, for the chipmunk is its
com panion and its historian. | am
aware that uature has given this little
fellow several black marks. It Is
doubtless a little thief, often making
havoc among the farmers stores, and
taking his regular three meals d
day from the granary. As type OF
greed his name is almost proVerblsl.
His vast subterranean store-houses
bear witness to his scquisitive and
misery procliyities, as they are often
in a single season packed with pro-
vender representing ten times his
actual need.
How often have I seen this little
fellow on the homeWard jump, his
head pulled out with a pig-nut il
each cheek and a third between his
teethI But the inference thus con-
Geyed is as andeserVing as the black
marks which he carries. II bis glut-
tony Is proverbial, it is equally provi-
Dental. He must not therefore be
condemned as a professional g0ur-
maud, for hiS true voCstion-the one
with which he is accredited IN the
book OF nature-is that of q most
skillful planter and landscape gar
derer. We have him 10 thank for
many of Dur highly priced specimens
of standard trees. 1t is from the
proVidential plethora OF his subter-
ranesn treazuTe-houses that have
sprung these noble oaks and hickor-
les, these massive chestnuts, and this
outbutst of hazel and wild cherry
among this bed OF stone.
There are other tenants that people
! its crevices. The little weasel has his
beaten tracks among them, where he
threads his way in search OF hiding
field mice that make their nests be-
reath the stones. The ohipmunE
encounters MIN IN the hallway of dis
burrow, where this dreaded enemy
has lain in wait tor MIN, and the par
fridge Ia surprised by that came
Istealthy approach while searching fol-
buds among the haze!s. - William
| Hamilton Gibson