The Penn's Grove record., 1886-06-19
DOWN TURNER'S POINT.

Ii JOu Will lOOh OAb VA hO "iiAhOh
on your right, when the train gets
through the cut, you will have a fine
view Of the Grand Chasm,' says the
polite conductor, lifting hisgilt-lettered
cap.
t'Thank you very much" returns
the quiet little lady in dark blue,
quickly raising her eyes from the pages
of her guide book.
"Oh, Aunt Tina" says a shrill, excl.
ted voice at her elbow, 'let me go out
on the platform; dol I'll be Just as
careful and hold on to the brake as
Tight"
''Don't think of such a thing for a
momentl" in quick, decided tones,
while her alert eyes are upon each
movement of the restless bit of human.
ity at her side.
She IS a quiet-looking little lady no
longer.
The train is approaching Tallulah,
Tallulah the Terrible, Georgia's great
est and most famous wonder, and the
passengers are in a fever of Impotence
to catch the first glimpse of the tre-
mendous canyon along the dizzy edges
of which the railroad makes its way.
None more so than the wide-awake bit
of humanity referred to, who, boylike,
cannot understand why it is that his
twelve years of life do not entitle HIM
to a greater show of privileges-like
that, for instance, of standing on the
platform like the other men are doing.
He thinks his auntie unnecessarily
cautious and particular, yet he doesn't
get ugly about 1t at all. He has never
been a very headstrong, nor a very
disobedient boy, only a somewhat Will
full one at times, with strange ideas of
his own, the expression of which, after
a fashion peculiar to himself, has gained
for him among his mates the title of
''the queer fellow"
There is nothing In the bare sides of
the cut through which they are now
passing, nor in the monotonous
stretches of pine barrens left behind to
give even a hint of the grandeur of the
scene that now bursts upon their Wis
ion.
Down through a gorge 1900 feet in
depth, and over 1000 feet IN width at
its narrowest point, dasles the Tallulah
river. owe ruggedly massed powders,
in foam-tossed cascades that throw
their spray in the air nearly 100 feet.
On either side rise sheer walls OF
solid granite, worn smooth as polished
silver in many places by the floods of
centuries, and like silver g~littering in
the suns rays.
"That is Turner's Point" says the
conductor. pointing Just to the right of
them to a stupendous mass OF rugged
granite shelves, soil covered in many
places that juts out more prominently
than the others into the dizzy gorge.
"With but one exception" continues
the conductor, lit is the highest point
on the chasm. and Is full 900 feet above
the bed of the river"
"a tremendous fall that!' exclaims
a nervous little gentleman behind him,
''provided any one wanted to try it,"
shouldn't think they'd particularly
want to try it." returns the conductor
dryly, "yet some of them do"
GOOD gracious!" cries the nervous
little gentleman again, ''you don't
mean TO say that some one has fallen
down there?"
20, no, not that; only that some of
the more adventurous have tried to
climb down by means of the clumps
Of stunted yerdure you see."
"And did they succeed?"
"Only so far as a partial descent;
about one-third Of the way, 1 believe"
Arrived at Young's Hotel, about the
first person whose acquaintance is
sought by our restless bit of humanity,
otherwise Aunt Tina's nephew, Swain
Conner, Is Monk, the veteran guide.
81 say, Mr.. Monk" Swain breaks
forth Immediately that he has that
worthy securely penned in an out Of
the-way corner of the veranda. 81
want you to take me down Turner'S
Point"
'Phew!" whistles Monk, thinking
this the queerest one he has had to deal
with yet. Then apparently determln-
ing to treat it all as a huge joke:
"Yes, certainly, and isn't there some
thing else on the same order shat you
would like, a pleasure ride, for instance,
owe the Hurricanep"
"Yes, If you please"
"But, good gracicusl Idon't pleased"
cries the excitable little guide. losing
control of himself at once. "Tle thing
either way is not to be thought of for a
moment, unless you are extremely
anxious to quit this world for another"
but the conductor said some of 'em
went down Turner's Point"
IS me one or two foolhardy ones
have, to a certain distance, but they
were glad enough to get back, can
tell you. AS to going down that way
TO the bottom OF the gorge-well, if you
are extremely anxious to get rid of
yourself, the quickest way would be to
try the Hurricane"
"The very terror spot of the whole
river" says Monk the next morning
when exhibiting the awe.inspiring spec.
tacle known as the Hurricane Falls to
Aunt Tina and her attendant, Swain.
They had haan afraid To laSva the