Telegram-herald., 1889-05-10
TheObSerVel'
70 ne EalEaf q Ihs IA l.a.. HzsAI8.


moth Cave and Glzsgos Junction is llo
miles. Hers Nc change cars fog the
cave proper. distance nlAs Inl-es, rate
IT fare - 3eehls . nllIe. Beard ant room
While ~ lie cave costs trom - ~ 81
per Gay, trip through tie cave short
route, D. -. long route, s.
We arrived al the cave at O'Clock a.
IA, where Nc SeEe nost fortunate IA
meeting a party Of GENIAL travelling
COMPANIONS, young ladies' OF Memphis,
Ienn-, scquantAnces OF our former
highly respected Grand Rapids friend,
Rev , BuFfofd. The party numbered
eighteen. and several are members of
Rev Dr. Bmlofds church, and spoke
oi han Ia high terms
There were two "a the Grand Rapids
party, making twenty ia all At $50
NC Mere placed ia charge of our guide,
whose name Is Bishop. We think that
brief description ot thi, genial character
= here IN Keeping; for while others eN-
plUre these subterrauean realms Occa-
,iOnally, these men do 80 daily, until
they become almost identical With the
rock, river. and crystals found there.
Bishop, whose genial manners and
peculiar traits make him - popular
With the visitors, IS = negro. tie has
natural intelligence and wit, and the
statements of other visitors agree in
cOnceedlng to hlm an excellent kuOwl-
edge OF geology and other sciences, 80
la as they relate to the cayerns OF this
cave. Bishop IS a good listener, a close
observer, a student of human nature,
and picks up practical IDEAS from the
many tourists, and thus cOnyeTses with
amuangly ready skill. These old and
faithful guides tsOme SIX IN numbeTi,
who have now been IN service many
years, taking the places OF their aged
predecessors, feel a. though they We're
rightly entitled to be placed upon the
retired list with soldiers OF the war, for
they believe that they have gwen the
people of this country valuable and
faithful service.
Bishop Is person of remarkable tact
/ IN the handling OF large parties, and
/ seems 10 be fayOrite, both on account
OF his perfect familiarity with all parts
| of the cave, and ms exhaustless Jokes,
| adapted To every trial and difficulty
/ that naturally arises during the nine
| or ten hours steady travel OF the
eighteen miles Journey. He sand that
! the longest time he was ever IN was
seventeen hours, having a large and
/ difficult party OF several hundred to
| handle.
! Bishop IS a natural ventrilOquist, and
a wonderful singer. When We reached
/ the Echo river, his voice went
/ forth ike the sound of q beautiful
| sounding church organ. When the echo
returned 1t sIlenced every person III
the party, and seemed TO lift them
| heavenward. What more could be
/ desired by those beneath the earth? 1t
was grand lesson, full of inspiration
\ Tor those who heard II.
| Mr.. Bishop is an expert in producing
| transformation scenes rs he passes his
party from one chamber to another.
| lie has wonderful cxactneSs IN throw
| ing his lights 50 as To produce
| wonderful and beautiful effects. Civil,
| respectful, and gentlemanly as these
guides uniformly are, the tourist
| Will DO well, both to heed their instruc-
| tions rs to the exhibition of the cave,
and 10 recognize their authority while
! below. Reckless, careless, lmprudent
persons have no favor in the sight of
the guide. Many a time our bright
| Memphis lasses would lmpOrtune
Bishop to allow them To do something,
or have him allow them certain lib
critics. He would simply say, Ladies,
If am your Bishop and your guide,
then follow me" II they wanted TO
halt for specimens, he would say there
Is too much sulphur here and 1t Will
change your beautiful cOmplexlOns and
that OF your present guide. At other
times ne would say, I'VE Will not stop
now, but will take a rest on our return,
etc Thus he kept the company on a
constant move, and, though tired and
at times scarcely able to move, he
would keep them in the best of humor
The river IN the cave Is fed by Greer
River, and rises very rapidly at time:
and becomes dangerous.
1t Is amusing TO note the old name:
of chambers, rooms, streets and
avenues. Page upon page has beer
written on the Mammoth Cave. Maga
Mncs and newspapers have been tilleC
for years. and VIII continue 10 bc filled
but from all this we gain but fam
ideas; to realize the magnitude OF thi,
wonder, Il must bc seen.
Bavard Taylor wrote it up i'm 1855 fol
the New York Tribune, and afterward.
published the same IN his AT Homo
and Abroad" Every writer in tn,
country has written ms ideas for tn,
public at large, and II Will be continued
| "a hc written up by every new genera
ton. each writer giving his own version
We have been wanting To come fO
ID. a mn
! TN now. We are glad We came: woulC
not have missed It Tor gold or pleasure
but we could not be tempted to- pas
through Fat Mans Misery, The RO
tuuda. Kentucky Cliffs and the Cork
screw for the cave itself. Gray hair
/ have been turned into golden from tn
effect of sulphurlC acid. Many face
were actually brown and some anus
ingly black.
The known avenues Of Mammoth
Cave amount TO 223. and the unite,
length OF All equal l50 miles. Th'
average width Is seven yards, and tn
hight the same. About twelve million
cubic wards OF cavernous space hav'
heen exCavated hy calCarcous water an'
atmospheric vlCISsItudcs.
Three miles from Mammoth Cave j
Proctor Cave. II = represented q
having an endless variety of stalactlte
with gypsum rosettcs and other form
ations. also a wonderful number o
I dOmCs
We now march on towards the 'Nai
lov of Humility" where one of th
NJ n4rhfs lasscs loses her "sole.' Th,
, Is a low massage Of four feet high whlc'
Ird us INTO thc "ScotChnaus trap
IA 81. r-.- ,-,I .~~r,- --,r~ v-a a rvr 1rr.l