Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1884-09-16
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our Regular Correspondent


Finding the Capital very dull, with
the government distributed around
amongst the various watering places,
your correspondent took flying va
cation last week and saw more sights
than are to be seen in Washington
Just now. Everybody has heard, late
years, Of Watkins Glen, but every
body has not yet seen it, though judg-
ing from the stream of travel in that
direction At this season of the year,
everybody will have seen it some of
these days. Having had my interest
aroused by the enthusiastic accounts
Of friends who have been there, con-
cluded l could take just time enough
to make trip to the new wonder, and
/ have never taken similar journey
which proved more enjoyable or more
replets with interesting features-not
even excepting my first trip to Mag
ara. Watkins Glen is one of the
greatest natural wonders on this con-
tinent. ! have spoken Of it as "new"
wonder because its tame has but re-
Gently gone forth, but that great crew
Use in those vast lodges Of rocks with
its wonderful caverns and beautiful
cascades was probably there when
Columbus discovered America. There
is no telling how many centuries Of
time tho elements have been employ
cd in working out the grand aggrega-
ton Of wonders and beauties which
are here presented. Fifty years ago,
only on the more complete maps Of
New York could be found the little
town Of Jefferson at the head Of Sen
eca Lake. Later the name was chang
cd to Watkins, and the Northern GEN.
trial railway pushed its line down the
Chemung Valley, touching the town
on its route to Canandaigua. Soon
after this the Glen began to attract
attention, and now palatial steamers
pillow through the blue lake where,
within the memory Of man, bark ca
noes tossed on the waves or darted
into the shadows of dropping trees.
Groves until lately the dark retreat of
a ght birds, unvisited save by the
hunter, are thronged with daily pic
MICS, while every jutting point, where
once the timid deer stole to the wa
ter's edge, is now the site of sum-
mer cottage or gay with the tents and
banners of camping parties.
The space of this letter is INSULT
cient for detailed description of the
Glen or its surroundings, and can
indulge in only few generalities.
THIS canyon as it may properly be
called, is one of the most remarkable
vet explored by man. 1t is a vertical
rift or gorge in a mountainous blu fl
with walls varying in height from 200
to nearly 400 feet, through which
rushes a mountain brook of purest
water; now roaring and tumbling over
rocks in ioamlng cascades, again
plunging over lodges in beautiful falls
and anon eddying about in quiet lit
tie lakelets in the deep ravine, down
upon which from high rugged crags
or rustic little bridges the tourist may
look and meet his or her face in the
water. The Glen is divided into sec.
tons, each of which is given dis
tinctive name in accord with some
one of its many beautiful or strange
and wonderful features. The divis.
ion at the entrance is called Glen AL,
pha, and the section at the terminus
about three miles above, Glen Omega
Near the latter point the Glen is eros
sed by the Syracuse, Geneva 4 Corn
ing Railway, over an iron bridge at q
height of 1875 feet ten inches above
the water, one of the handsomest in
the State. A short distance above
the entrance to Glen Alpha, at {
height of nearly 100 feet, reached by
beautiful stairway broken by plat
farms for resting places, is broad
safe bridge across the chasm, from
which an excellent view of Minnehah;
Falls is obtained, which is one o
the prettiest cascades i'll the Glen
Further up, the rocks assume all sort.
of fanciful shapes, impending, Deepen
ding, and quite perpendicular, unit
at point, the high and rugged wall
draw close together forming Cascade
Cavern, where the water falls over thu
rocks nearly 100 feet into cavernou