The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1885-04-01
Diamond Canon--Nonders OF
our Southwestern Scenery.

l. ~ HtAC H4tdHtlA Will " i5AL e. ~IA
81 the Peach Spring Canon. what can
We say Of the grand and imposing views
that untolded to our view at every turn
from where Peach Spring opens .ato
Diamond Canon, until We we're prevent
ed gazing any further on account oil the
huge rocks that Obstructed the canon
at tue falls. Tie walls OF tie canon
rise up IN perpendicular height from
1000 to Z 900 feet, the rocks a. smoothly
polished as marble. the terraces and
sandstone formations as articles and
finished as though chiseled and fashioned
by an expert architect or builder. As
some OF the turns in the canon the walls
were no over tortv feet apart. and near
the fall but sixteen feet. To get an
idea Of the height we stretched ourselves
out on our backs and looked up. The
immense walls seemed to touch the sky.
There is no language that can in any
degree convey an adequate idea Of tile
! grandeur, the beauty, the immeusitv Of
the mon. No photograph or picture
OF any kind can be possibly taken Of ii
and do it Justice. IT is one Of natures
handiworks that cannot be initiated or
reproduced, and the only way TO form
an opinion Of it is to see it. and YOU
will carry it through life as an enchant-
Ing dream that can ever fade and can
never be impaired to others
When we reached the falls we hitched
our horse to a large stone and crcpt un-
der the rocks, that had openings like
tunnels, and assembled to the top Of the
falls. The water had worn the immense
boulders as soomth as glass, and it was
with difficulty and a deal OF personal
risk that we accomplished it. When we
attained the highest rock we found the
walls OF the canon were apparently as
high as they were below, but the dis
lance much greater between the walls.
When we returned to the hotel we
were tired out, our feet and limbs were
sore and as night was upon US, W. post
poEed our trip to the Grand Canon until
the next day.
Mr.. Farlee cooked US a hot supper
and then prepared our beds for the night.
The hotel has a diuing-room, which is
also used as a bedroom, a kitchen, and
two bedrooms up stairs. each room
with two double beds. The food wa
good and the bed-clothing the best. He
charged US $40 apiece. and 50 extra for
our meals for two days, aud we thought
II u a SIutIC LiIlpS aAN tlItdp.
The night was "A beautiful moonlight
one, and the shadows from the tall rocks
on all sides of US made it look weird and
sepulchral. Nota sound was heard, eX-
cept the moan of the wind and the
measured music of the waters of Dia-
mond Creek struggling over the rough
stones.
Farlee's Hotel has a great number of
holes in it, and seems to have been
built with S view of admitting all the
air and light that is possible. The
moonlight came through the crevices,
and the wind played all around us, as
though it was out on a lark. But we
did not mind it, and in spite of the
wounds and bruises inflicted by the buck
board, we slept soundly, ana wakened
up the next morning in a proper condi-
ton to take in the Grand Canon Of the
Colorado.
WONDERS OF THE GRAND CANON
Breakfast over, | mounted my Duck
board horse, and in company with our
party We proceeded down Diamond Can
on TO where it empties into the Colo
RADIO. As w proceeded the walls of the
canon appeared to meet, and it seemed
as thought we could proceed no further.
One terrace rose above another, and as
we continued 10 wind in and around the
basis of the cliffs, the domes and cas tel
lated tops that lowered abOyeus seemed
to be running a race as to which one of
them should overtop the other. At last
we approached the river bank at the
point where the Diamond river or creek
empties into the Colorado, aud inst IN
front Of US arose the huge proportions of
SolomOn's Temple. 1t was Il temple not
made by mortal hands, but by the Ever
lasting God. 1t is a huge mass Of rocks
rising $3.50 feet above the surface of the
water. and shaped like a well-proportion-
ed building with a dome ten times larger
than that of the Capitol at Washington,
and with tiuted columns over five hun
dred feet high, that seem to support the
dome, and yet the dome is really a nile
back on the plain, aud is Of itself over
one thousand feet i'll height. At the foot
of this rolls the Colorado, roaring like a
mad hon, leaping over the rocks like a
fury, its waters deep and as muddy as
the Missouri. 1t is an utter impoSsibility
fol a finite mind to take it ia in all of it's
great proportions, its immensely and
grandeur. niagara Falls is $50 feet high,
the Pyramids Of Egypt less than 500
this grand monument of God $3.50 feet.
Reader, can you comprehend It or grasp
1t! We have seen 1t, and yet fail to
realize Its great height.
To properly appreciate what a stupen-
dous wonder this canon is, it must be
borne 10 mind that it extends for over
400 miles IN length, with a height of fro
one thousand to seven thousand feet, cut
through the solid rock. There is noth-
ing in the world like it; or that can APP
proach or be parallel to it.
A BURNING STONE FROM THE Sky
On Saturday night a meteor fell on the
mountain Ajusco. While falling from
the sky it lit all the heavens with extra
ordinary brilliancy and was supposed to
be Of immense size. The great bullet
now lies among some of the crags and
cliffs of Ajusco.
THE BIRD LAw.-The old law, which
applied to the whole State, has been
changed so as to exempt from its provls-
ions the following counties: Clay, Chero-
kee, Jackson, Swain, Macon. Graham
Johnston, Tyrrell, Dare, Onslow, Car
teret, Jones and Columbus. With this
exception, the old law is still in opera
| ton, and the close season begins April lst
and ends October 18th.
a Bolt FROM the FAR SKIEs.-The
brilliant meteor seen in the heavens
Thursday night last was a monster aero
lite, which is reported to have struck the
earth in the foothills about six miles east
of Chico. 1t is described as prismatic in
form, over thirty feet in length and about
two feet through. After it struck it cut
a gutter two feet in depth through the