Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1888-06-08
GRAND SCENERY.


c'' rsee Of tho ..sIan Of the Moantains.n
The vicinity of Franconia Notch, In
uaw Hampshire, abounds in scenery
,sbich is wild and rugged, but pictu-
rosoue beyond description. Such a.
nnion of granite hills and grassy dells,
:, rock. and lake, and river, such
s.;nrline Of the beautiful and grand.
= 70 he found nowhere else in America.
The bold outlines of Mt. Lafayette
.re near at hand, with mountain-top
looming over mountain-top in the dis
..nce. Here are Cannon Mountain
ND Eagle Cliff, one on the right hand
md the other on the left, forming the
r.Ils of the Notch, while nestled In the
valley at their feet lies Echo Lake,
.,y;n sister of the mountains.
Further to the south is the Flume, a
mammoth fssure in the rocks, 700 feet
q length, and with perpendicular walls
nor 10 feet in height; and little
distance away are the Pool and Basin,
With other curiosities.
But the browning feature Of the scene
!. the wonderful Profile, the great
.tone face" of the "Old Man Of the
Maintains which keeps guard over
the Notch, and casts its shadows in the
lmpid waters of Profile Lake. This is
the closest resemblance to the human
face which has ever been found in
natural scenery anywhere in the world.
II ia carved in solid rock upon the
.outhern face # Cannon Mountain, and
measures so feet from forehead to chin,
while the top of the mountain is 1900
feet above the lake at its foot, and
nearly 1000 feet above sea level. The
outlines of the face are composed of
three great masses Of rock, one of
which forms the forehead, another the
nose and upper lip, and third the
chin.
To obtain this outline in its perfec-
ton, one point Of view is necessary-a
small cleared space, close by the noun
tain road, and on the eastern edge of
Profile Lake. Looking across the lake
from this point, the bold outlines of
Cannon Mountain loom up but half
mile away, and far up its sides, looking
down upon the valley, is the face of the
Old Man of the Mountains, stern, bold,
relentless, unchanging. HE neither
blinks at the near flashes of lightning
beneath s nose, nor flinches from the
driving snow and sleet of the Franconia
winter, which makes the mercury of
the thermometer shrink into the bulb
and CONCEAL"
Passing down the road, the Old Man s
face changes first into that of "a tooth
less old woman in mob cap" and
soon the entire outline is broken up
and the resemblance is lost. Going up
the road, the nose and face fatten out
until only the forehead is seen.
The profile is said to have been dis
covered in 1905 by two workmen on
the mountain road. 1t had, however,
been known for ages to the Indians
who attributed to it supernatural at
tributes. They even feared to fish in
the lake at its feet, or to sail their bark
canoes over its waters, from fear of the
stern face which it reflected. Many
legends and tales have been related
concerning the wonderful face. In one
of these it is represented as the face Of
Christ the Judge" Christ,.s Fude1."
Some one has written concerning it:
''Men put out signs representing the
different trades; jewellers hang out a
monster watch; shoamakers huge
boot; and up here in Franconia, God
Almighty has hung out a sign that in
New England he makes men," -
Roman's Magazine.
THE prospect of further exploration
in the direction of the South Pole grows
brighter. The Prime Minister of the
Australian colony of Victoria proposes
an appropriation of fifty thousand dol
lars for the stimulation of Antarctic
research on the part of navigators. pro-
vided that the other colonies of Aus
tralasia will ioin in the enterprise
-Oft the various geological collection!
In the British Museum, the Oldest is tn,
Sloane collection. which was acquired
by purchase in 1853. The fossils were
then regarded as mere curiosities. ant
the original manuscript catalogue, still
preserved, contains many curious en-
tries to remind the readers of the rapio
progress of the science of geology
during recent years.-Arkansaw 7rau
sler.
"A magnificent gift has been made
TO the Natural History Museum, Soul
hensington, by Captain Wardlaw Ram
sey. The late Marques of Tweeddal,
mad perhaps the finest collection o
birds In Great Britain, aud had in ad
ditlon very valuable ornithologica
hilary. This collection and the library
We're bequeatbed to Captain Ramsey
who has assigned the whole to thu
nation, together with many rare or
neurological specimens obtained b,
himself in the far East. The value o
this present is f15.Ooo.
ALUCKY FIND.
He Draws $4,000 in the Louisiana Stat
Lottery.
Charles A. Treanor, book-keeper t
the Russ Lumber and Mill Compan,
In this city is undoubtedly "a luck.
man." just before the drawing OF tn
Louisiana State Lottery in New U.