Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1885-03-07

The Stone Forests Of Arizona.

I Lithodendron City as yet does not figure
on the maps of Arizona. 1t dwells in the
minds eve of mixed lot composed OF
laymep and scientists, who have pitched
several tents on the banks of the Litho-
dendron River, and, baptizing the spot
with the limpid waters, have christened it
Lithodendron City, only to jump the claim
on the following morning and found an
other city of the same name al night, per-
haps 30 miles away, so that Lithodendron
is almost anywhere along the banks OF
that river that flows quickly along, like
some laggard that has fallen behind the
times. and, as if abashed, is stealing on
through scenes that bear the stamp OF long
ago.
One evening, as Lthodendron had been
founded for about the fiftieth time.
Milesan gentleman, who formed one OF
the assistants to the scientific corps of in
vestigators, was requested to bring in
some wood for the practical purpose OF
boiling coffee. Halt an hour passed. and
then the wood-cutter appeared with wild
look on his honest countenance. Now,
amt it a curious thingp" he commenced.
pointing to the ak. that looked as if it had
been dulled purposely with a file. "D'ye
known, General, forninst in the old
dart, Father Malone, long life to his wor
ship told me av a country beyand the
says where the trees and the cattle were all
turned to stone. ''Its's jokin' We air.
says I. 'Ye'll live to see the day I'm
not, says Father Malone and more pow.
err to him. I've done that thing. I'll pre-
JUICE me resignation av yer honor'll give
me pin and paper and someone to write;
I'm on the home track the very night.
Natter Look at the ak! Divil piece OF
wood butts turned to stone! The first bit
av tree | found, laid off me coat an
fetched it blow, when it flew out of me
hands. and the tree let out a stream at
light half mile long. tried five, and
each one was harder than the other, and
in the bush was stone birds sleepin' on
the limbs. and each twig weighed tom
Pat was thus the first to discover feat
ure of the valley that formed one of the
quests of the party, namely, the famous
fossil forests that have been the wonder
of everyone who has visited this region.
| The slope of the river. here about fifty
feet in height, presents remarkable APP
pearance. Not green object is to be
seen, but all about, strewn here and there,
some erect, and others PROSTATE, lie myri-
ads of pieces of strong trees, limbs, trunks
and branches of once mighty forest. So
thick are these in some places, that one
can almost imagine that this is the bed of
some creek, with all its polished boulders
laid bare, only that the remains have all
the structural beauties that characterized
them when alive. The cause of the
wholesale destruction of the stone for
ests is undoubtedly due to the extremes
OF heat and cold that have snapped them
off and hurled them to the ground. The
soil here is soft and sandy. with some clay,
! perfectly adapted to the preservation of
the remains. The size of some of these
trees shows that manv of them might
have compared with the eXtant sequoia of
the National Park. One trunk was 225
feet long and about five feet in diameter,
and so finely preserved and photographed
| in the rock. as 1t were, that until the AK
glanced from its f1int-like bark and sparks
of fire followed, one could hardly realize
the change that had taken place. The
trunks that are broken show remarkable
features. and a company, it is said. has
been organized to cut them up into various
articles of ornament, which when polished
present marvelously beautiful surface.
The color of the wood is preserved, and
veins of the richest red run here and
there. anon changing to yellow, gray or
blue. The remarkable coloring has given
rise to curious and erroneous impressions
in the mind of the noble red men (prin-
cipally Navajoes) that summer in the To-
cality. They have a legend that their
forefathers Were vast and powerful race
and that they conquered a mighty giant
that lived on the Lithodendron. The fos
sill trees they consider his bones or parts of
the skeleton, and the red stains, and even
the lava beds. the blood which ran from
him.-Cor. NY Erening Post.
Practical RecjneS