The Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1885-1886, 1886-07-15
DOWN TURNER'S POINT.

your right, when the train gets through tn
cut, you will have fine view Of the Gran
chaSm, says the polite conductor, lftin
bis gilt-lettered cap
Thank you very much" returns tn
quiet little lady in dark blue, quickly rails
ing her eyes from the pages of the guild
book.
90, Aunt Tina says shrilI, exalte,
voice at her elbow, let me go out on th
platform, do Iii be Just as careful an,
hold on to tine brakes as tight!o
Don't think of such thing for mo
ment!" In quick, decided tones. while he
alert eyes are upon each movement Of tn
restless lit Of humanity at her side
She is a quiet looking little lady n,
longer
Tbs train is approaching Tallulah, Tallu
lab the terrible, Geor as greatest and mos
famous wonder, and the passengers are IN
fever Of Impotence to gatch the tirst glimps,
81 the tremendous cuiun along the dizzy
edges OF which the rairoad makes it way
None more so than the wide awake bit Of
humanity referred TO, who, boy like can not
understand why it is that his twelve years
OF life do not entitle him to a greater show
OF privileges like that, for instance oil
standing on the platform as the other men
are doing
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 hint of
| the grandeur of the scene that now bursts
upon their vision
| Down through gorge # 800 feet in
depth, an over 1000 feot in width at its
narrowest point, dashes tho TaliuIah river,
over ruggedly massed bolders, in foam tossed
cascades that throw their spray IN air
nearly hundred feet
TN either side rise sheer walls of solid
granite, Worn smooth as polished silver in
many places 10y the foo is of centuries, and
like silver ghstening in the suns rays
THAT is Turner's point" says the con
ductor, pointing Just to tn right of them TO
stupendous mass of rugged granite shelves,
soil covered in many places that iut out
more prominently than the ,thers into the
dizzy gorge With tut one exception con
tnues the conductor, ait is tho high st point
on the chasm, and is full go feet ABOVE the
ted OF tho river"
~ tremendous fall that, exc aims a nerv-
Gus little gentleman behind him, provided
any one wanted to try it.
"Shculdn / think they d particularly want
to try it" returns the conductor dryIy, yet
some of tn IN DO -
Good gracious" cries the nervous little
gentleman again, you don't mean to say
that some one has fallen down there
-, no, not that; only that some of the
more adventurous have tried TO climb down
by means of the clumps of stunted verlure
you see"
And did they succeed "
"unly so far as partial descent, about
ole third of the way | be ieve'
Arrived at Ioung's hotel, about the first
person whose acquaintance is sought by our
restless Tit or humanity, otherwise Aunt
mas nephew, Swain Connor, is Monk, the
veteran guide
Il say, Ar. Monk Swain breaks forth
Immediately that he has that worthy Sc
cureiy penned in an out-of the-way corner
OF the veranda, Il want YOU to take me
down to Turner's point
'fhsw.' whistles Monk, thinking this tho
queerest one he has had to deal with vet
Then apparently determining 10 treat IT all
as "A huge Joke:
y es, certainly; and isn't there something
else on the same order that you would like
a pleasure ride, for instance, over the
Yes, If you please"
But, good gracious, don't please'" cries
The eNcltab!e little guide, losing control of
himself at once "Ihe 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 EN- went
down Turner's point"
Some one or two fool-hardy ones have |
to certain distance. but they were glad |
enough to get back, l tell you As to going
Town that way H. the bottom of the gorge |
we'll, if you are extremely anxious to Get |
I'd Of yourself, the quickest way would he |
o try the Hurricane
The very terror spot of the whole river
ays Nj Monk the next morning when ex-
hbltlng the aws-inspiring spectacle known
IS the Hurricane falls, TO Aunt Tina and her
attendant Swain,
They have been afraid to leave the botal
II hrSt because of the threatening appear
nee OF the sky, but as Aunt Tinas time is
limited, she has finally declined 60 venture
'itef mat luck seems to favor her, for
With the exception of the few drops while al
iie lhdiah Arrow rapids, there has been 10
ufther fall OF rain. Indeed, the clouds arc
o" last clearing away, while already The
right rays of the sun are struggling forth.
"oh, what beautiful yellow rainbow
RES swain, as IRON the rock on which thew
re now staining he catches sight of the ex
uisite arch, whose prismatic hues sparkle
between him and the da,biu.,
lam of the cascade
es, but yonter is a much more beauti. |
Ill one, says MIR. Monk, pointing down the
orge TO where "A magnificent bow. intensely
ivld IN It's coloring, spans the rugged
'alls OF tho canyon.
That is indeed a beauty exclaims Aunt
ina, as she turns around the better TO nd.
ire 1t. 4 don't know when have seen |
Ne oil such Intense coloring Ii the Old
'shioned child stories are to be believed {
iere must be very gorgeous treasure in.
,ed at the foot of that bow
And why not believe them" Questions |
r. Monk, who, in spite of his rough rarb /
well informed, pleasant young gentle 8
an For my part have never yet gotten |
d OF the idea that if one could really find
e end OF tue bow he would also find the a
{
Yes, certainly" s9ys Aunt Tina with a r.
ale, IF he could find the end of the bow - b
MIR Monk, questions sharp, hiyh. I
tched voice at this moment, where do Won
INK that end of the rainbow is,r
Mr. Monk turns his head to FOLLOW tho i.
recti N pointed out by the nervous brown :
lger. 81
That" be repeats with mischieyous :,
'lnkle in his eye. Why, down Turner's :. y
int, to be sure" q
Il believe, Mr.. Monk" says Aunt Tina =
am, that you told me many beautiful i
mes OK rare value had been found in tho q
eyed cliffs of the canon"
Yes returns Mr.. Monk: Several fne q
Dies sapphires, and emeralds have been ~
;ked mp, it Is said, though none of late u
We never been so fortunate as to find ono Z
Tsef with a smile, "but the guides who
re here before me stumbled upon an ex
'dlngly fine emerald in the gorge below
rner's point"
All the way back to the hotel tho words IN
own Turner's point to be sureIn keon W
ating time, syllable by syllable tbrongb W
aims busy brain "Of course it is ba 10
'sons. Where else could it begs WIN ~
nst he seen it with his own eyes resting W