Daily Yellowstone journal., 1888-07-31

nothing near II by which its height can
be in any way measured-for the nearest
farmhouse is at least half a mile distant
it appears at the first glance absurdly
inferior TO the imposing idea of il con-
veyed by artists and travellers. But when
once you reach II and stand beneath the
mighty shadow Of its outer bowlders, the
smallest Of which towers several yards
above your head, you begin 10 look upon
the Druids and their architecture with
somewhat more reverence.
With all it's grandeur, however, the
shape Of this famous ruin undeniably
conveys at first sight the grotesque inn
preston Of a child's first essay in building
toy house. The recurring feature of
two upright blocks with third laid upon
them croSswise is just the style Of archi-
lecture which one may see growing up
under the hands Of some little Tommy or
Freddy in any nursery Of London or New
York. Perrault or Hans Christian Ander-
sen might have made tne capital of the
idea Of a baby giant who had begun TO
build a toy house on this spot, and then,
having failed to complete ii to his own
satisfaction, had partly knocked it down
in fit Of rage, leaving tie fragments to
be the wonder Of all succ seding genera
tions.
In its original form Stnehenge ap-
pears to have been simple ing Of enor-
nous granite blocks, set upright in the
turf few feet apart each lair Of bowl
nafs ll.l 4 "a a0l. -
their tops. On the northe-l, side this
formation is still tolerably pr served, al
though most of the cross meCcs have
fallen, and the bowlders them selves are
So thickly covered with moss and lichens
that the rugged granite is almUsI hidden.
The southern side of the circle. on the
other hand, is now well nigh DESTROYED,
and the few blocks which still remain
erect lean forward as if just about to fall
among their PROSTATE comrades. Unmis-
taxable traces Of an inner ring Of smaller
stones are still visible within the larger
| circle, and Just between the two stand
those two pairs Of gigantic "uprichts'
| tsurnounted by cross slabs Of propor-
tionate sizeJ which figure SO prominently
in all pictures and photographs Of Stone
henge. 1T a little distance TO the north
Of the circle, just at the edge of the high
way that runs westward 20 Warminsier,
towers vast solitary bowlder-the out
post sentinel Of this army Of giants :
overlapping by two or three feet at least
the tallest Of its colossal brethren.
BY what agencies these mighty masses
,f granite were transported and arranged
In he remote and barharous age 10 winch
they belong viii probably be always as
great mystery as il is now. Countless
antiquaries have expended upon the sub
ject the contents Of what they are pleased
to call their brains, all fatty contradict
ing each other as a matter Of course, and
each insisting upon his own theory as the
only one worthy Of the slightest atten-
ton. But hitherto the results attained
have been on a par with the discovery Of
The learned critic in the old story. who
found out that the ''Iliad" was NOT writ
ten by Homer, but by another person Of
the same name.
But the occU- ants of the ancient ten-
| pie. whll en,er il. are Of a widely diff
ferent sort frun the antiquaries or men
Of letters. Shockheaded BOYS are Flay-
ing leapfrog over the fallen stones. Red
faced country pumpkins are drinking beer
in the shade of one Of the ngest bowl
ders, empty bottles, egg shells. cigar ends
and scraps of greasy paper lie strewn on
every side. The moment / appear q
photographer agent thrusts half dozen
"yiews into my face, while fat mar
ket woman offers me a basket Of cakes
ihdiggs,ible enough TO choke an ostrich.
Under such circumstances naturally cut
short NY tour Of inspection and take my
departure as soon rs possible.-David
ker in New York Times.