The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1886-05-16

To the Editor Of THE HERALD.
You remember the quaint old axiom
OF George Fiddler:
Let vules go sarching vim and nigh.
We bides at whum. my dos and l.
Now, although do not believe in the
lazy practice Of that stay at home
philosopher. yet 1 do hold with him
that those who 20 the farthest az
not always the wisest; nor do they al.
ways see the best. This was brought
torcibly to my mind the other day
when strolling with q companion un-
der the shade of some tall trees, in one
J OF our near settlements. How often
have been whirled alsng that street
with mind intent on seeing the wonder.
OF distant scenes, and all unmindful OF
those so near at handi How foolish
and how much beauty had missed
For here, in and around this quiet little
town, not fifty miles from home, were
scenes quite as grand, quite as oeauti-
full as those had gone thousands Of
tiresome miles to see. Willard Chat is
the name of this picturesque place. is
surrounded on all sides by natural
beauty, but mostly the eye looks to.
wards the west. where the lake and its
mountainous islands show to fine ad.
vantage; and TO the east, where there is
such lot Of wild crags, that for height
and grandeur. / do not know their
equal elsewhere Ill the Territory.
1t Is hard TO arouse interest In scenes
so near to home, and of which there is
so much that is similar III character,
but do think II would be q delightful
place 70 spend a few days OF summer.
Now let me tell you what we saw IN a
five hours walk. We enquired the
nearest way to the Willard fall (plainly
seen from the town. of an old man
hanging over his cottage gate. / think
he was jolly sea dog, carried by some
wave OF fate to be stranded high and
dry in this inland haven. His coat was
patched like an old sail; in his mouth
was the inevitable black pipe: there
was pitch and roll in his m, ons un-
mistakably of the sea. and his quick
and CHEEKY answers had still the ring of
the British tar.
The falls are in a canyon. truly al
pine In its wIldness. Some of its cliffs
and walls OF rocks are simply terrific;
and the stream comes down with a
magnificent rush. There are great
naked aiguilles and towers, enough to
make one dizzy TO look up at them, let
alone looking down. About three miles
up the canyon there is a hugh noun
tain lot gneiss, think.) Where il
faces down the canyon, il is bristling
mass OF crags, jags. and splinters. but
at the back its lodges are smoothly
polished and shining. Just such q
mountain as you dream of when your
nights sleep is feverish through the
days climbing and scrambling; and
you feel yourself going down, down,
yainly catching at bits of seam grown
grass, which breaks in your grasp and
lets you slowly slide. The falls them
selves resemble those of Provo canyon,
Though hardly equal TO them in height
or volume. they form a most attractive
feature. In country less favored with
tine scenery Than ours. they would not
be so little known. 1t was a perfect
day as We went climbing up. The sun
light sparkling on snowy water and
freshly budded leaves: the sky deep
blue, with threads of cirrus, waved and
rippled across II, so high, so far and
distant that they appeared but one
shade paler than the sky itself. That il
was not always thus we had ample evi
dence, for q mile above and below the
falls there is not the slightest trace OF
road. Other places, too, have been torn
out by the floods from cloud bursts.
Boulders from hundred weight to that
of many tons had been tossed about
like children's toys: and the mountain
sides were deeply BORROWED and SCARED
where the waters had come leaping
down. We had intended to climb 10
the summit, but this proved too hard a
task for one day, at least so early in
the year. while the upper part of the
mountains still retained their covering
OF snow. We reached q point where
the boulders landed BY the stream were
hung around with pendant icicles, and
finally where the waters came from IN
der an unbroken expanse OF shining
white. The view from here looking
down the canyon and out over the lake
was splendid. The lake looked near
enough for us to have thrown n pebble
into IL from where we stood. We could
see nearly all Of the islands, and ranges
Of snow-covered mountains far beyond
the boundary line Of Utah.
Have you ever seen anything more
dainty in finish than the surround
lngs OF some OF our mountain sprinesf
Surely not There Is one by the canyon
roadside. as lovely an object as could be
well imagined. The water drips over a
huge bank. Swallowed By clumps of
maple. and fall into deep messy basin.
with delicate ferns and wild flowers
peeping over its rim. Friend II. looked
so long and lovingly at his image in
in its peliucid mirror, that thought Of
calling IL Narcissus Spring, but i pre-
fer 70 think it haunted by q dark haired.
dark-eyed nymph. and what could be .
more fitting name than that of Alfredo.
One Of the attractions about jaunt up
these steep, short canyons, is the con-
slant change in flower. and trees.
Birch, maple, oak and box elder fringe
the stream anc clothe the hills.
Midway up it are the groves Of aspen.
and at the summit only the foliage OF
thick-set pines. In three hours We
climbed from the hoxe-s and blossoms
OF spring, back into m,d-winter with its
ice and snow: and then we had the
greatest pleasure OF eversing the pro-
cess in about two honrs- - ~, -, =.
hope you win excuse my taking up
SO much valuable space in Won naner