The true northerner., 1886-11-04
THE GARDEN OF THE GODS.
Tho Wonderful Sights to Be Seen Neal
Colorado Springs.

Colorado Springs.
II is but q natural transition from
the "Valley of the Angels" to "the
Garden Of the Gods'-a few weeks ago
in the former, and now among the stone
gods of the latter. The garden lies
about five miles from Colorado Springs
and two from Manitou, and is at the
veyy foothills of the Rockies, and the
result of the erosion of huge masses of
highly colored sandstone. Formerly
massive ledge cropped out here, ex-
tending south toward Cheyenne Noun
tain. At first it was perhaps covered
with earth and grass-the former the
washIngs of the range-but the wind
and rain of centuries exposed it, and
finally the ledge stood bare, and being
extremely soft and friable it quickly
wore away, not regularly, but here and
there, soft portions giving way quickly,
the harder parts showing greater re-
sistance, so that now the stone re-
naming presents the most grotesque
and remarkable appearance imaginable.
From the east the disconnected
masses present a massive front; but
viewing them from the north or north
west, what were apparently mountains
are now seen to be thin slabs, of
curious and wedge-like appearance, as
if rocks several hundred feet high had
been shaved down to such an attenua-
tion that they could hardly hold
together, and in pairs and groups
planted in the soil.
/ approached the garden in an un-
usual way-by horseback over the roll
ing prairie-and as we reached the last
elevation before descending into this
favored spot we stopped our horses and
with them enjoyed the view. 70 the
east vast sea of rolling prairie, with
here and there white spot, like ship,
telling of the great cattle interests of
the State. Away to the west, almost
above us, rose the Rockies, cut and
scared by innumerable canyons, the
ridges and ranges rising higher and
higher, eliminating in the whlte-robed
king, Pixies Peak.
On the north slope of Cheyenne
Mountain is the grave of Al. H." fac
ing the gateway of the grand canyon
and the Garden of the Gods. Imme-
mediately at our feet the latter lay,
strange mixture of vivid greens-the
carpet of grass-reds, whites and grays
the latter the sandstone rocks. Some
of the lofty monoliths had windows in
their tops, where one might well imag
inc some Turkish morning call to
prayers was made. A group of huge
rocks to the left were divided, forming
natural pillars several hundred feet
high; and after winding down into the
valley we passed between these grim
sentinels and were In the garden. At
every turn the rocks take new shapes
Now they are slabs cut from some red
hot volcanic rock and placed here by
some Titanic worker to cool. SO vivid
are the tints, so utterly crude, vivid, and
unharmonious, that we can almost feel
the glow
A few steps on and all has changed.
The slabs which have been pyramidal-
shaped monuments now seem to take
human form, or resemble a group of
mammoth ten-pins, and these huge
buwlders on the mountain side are the
balls with which the gods are wont to
bowl. But there are no gods here, as
they could never have so long resisted
the temptation TO bowl some of these
gigantic pins into the valley below.
The road winds about among the
lodges, so that the strange forms can
be examined from any point, and per-
haps at what is called the Man tou en-
trance are seen some of the most re-
markable formations. Here an acre or
SO is covered with stone toadstools, SO
exact that they might we'll be taken for
the giga ntic growths of some former
age hardened into stone and exposed
as are the foss forests of Arizona. In
some the top portion was six or seven
feet in diameter, while the stem would
be hardly as large as a mans body.
Everywhere about here ruin and dis
'ntegration was apparent. Great
ledges were bent and broken, hanging
n space ready to fall.
Weird faces, contorted bodies, arms
lifted up in supplication, strange,
reptilelike forms-in fact, there was
nothing that the imagination could
picture but found place in this motley
assemblage. BY the road, and destined
some day to roll into it, stands a
bowlder weighing perhaps hundred
tons, that can easily be rocked, so
deftly has it been balanced by wind and
rain.
North of the Garden of the Gods is
smaller continuation even more re-
markabe. This is Glen Erie, the
property of Gen. William j. Palmer,
who has converted the entire region
into beautiful park, throwing it open
to the general public. The monoliths
here are extremely peculiar. One rises
to height o three hundred feet and
is scarcely six feet in diameter; enlarg
ing at the top and leaning trihe, it has
the appea ance of grotesque human
being or statue 1t is called the Major
Domo, or, as an old Scotch lady in
formed me at little house at the en-
trance, where curiosities were sold at
were named a ter the Major Dormer."
Letter rom Co 'Orado.