Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-09-25
"JERUSHA BEN
BY MARVIN HILL DANA.

They called him Jerusha Ben, because
when he first came to Jalisco he succumb-
ed to the prevailing fever, and through
all his days of delirium he called cOntinu
ally on the name ''.erusha.
When finally, by the fortune of a strong
constitution rather than from any partlcu-
lar care lavished upon the poor wait, he
was able to move about and converse In
broken speech with the people who had
lodged him, they renowned the difficulties
of his proper name and called him simply
Jerusha Ben
Somehow the name seemed to please
him, although he never heard it but his
face wore ID panied look, and he made no
objection to the nomenclature.
After time Jerusha Ben became strong
and hearty again, and joining company
with a commercial band of poems, began
his journey to the silver country of the
Cordilleras. After seven days hard tramp
ing he heard of q barranca of Ill repute
somewhat to the north, and as it had been
but little explored, as far as he could learn,
he determined to try his fortune in that
direction The barranca ran east
md west, and he had no cause for
missing it, for as the poems told him,
a man in balloon might unknowingly
pass it In a black night, but no man other
wise
AS matter of fact, Jerusha Ben arrived
at the south wall of the barranca by noon
of The second day. 1t was as gloomy and
wild a spot as the most eager adventurer
could demand. From his feet to the bed
of the barranca the distance was 1000 feet,
and to the east and west the huge rift ran
It's course until the eye could trace it no
longer.
These barrancas are the chief point of
unity between the Mexican and South
American Andes. They are vast crevasses,
trending east and west, gigantic canyons,
created by the mighty processes at work
within the bowels Of the earth, and they
occur at intervals throughout the whole
length of the chain In form they offer
every variety, but are usually deep riffs in
the earth, reaching oftentimes far toward
the deep recesseS whence the mountain has
its source, and revealing IN the farthest
abysses the primeval porphyries, sur
mounted by cliffs containing the animon-
ties and various other fossils of the juras-
sic and cretaceOus ages, injected with
lgneOus rocks.
Above these are often conglomerates and
other indications of the tertiary period,
all deformed by the exhalations of the vol
came vapors which corrode the rocks.
Upon the bed of many barrancas the way
is rendered dangerous by lava lakes and
hot streams, from which the steam arises
in great clouds, as if to draw shrOud of
white over the mysteries of nature, that
are here ps italy revealed. But most of
The volcanic action IN the Andes results
only In mlSts, VapOrS and scOrl8 and these
more wonderful demonstrations are rare
Yet in some of the crevasses they seem
essenced. Lava. acids and inner heat,
presented in visible form by boiling
waters, all conspire to render the man who
ventures into these places amazed by
the might and majesty Ct the earth's
forces. Deep down within the earth
enormous walls of naked rock towering
toward the vault of heaven, hateful gases
oftenhmes arising around about, curious
jets of flame from out the inches and heaps
Of dorned pumlce scattered loosely, the
ashes of past fires fallen on the way, the
hoarse murmur from a issure whence
belches forth a molten torrent, one and all
are grueSome, grand and awful.
The cliffs are often altogether impossible
but occasional breaks and ridging lodges,
decked with scanty trees that cling hardly
to the fallen !, offer hard and danger
Gus descent.
Jerusha Ben lay for an hour fiat on the
brow of the precipice gazing amazedly at
the strange sights beneath him. Then he
sought for long time to find a safe way
to tie foot OF the wall and was finally sue
cessful although his arrival at the side of
the tiny river which flowed TRANQUILITY
along the bottoms found him worn and
bruised, and his appearance sadly damaged
by the rents in his clothes He found a
decently safe place for the night among
some boulders and, by means of nights
sleep and his needle and thread, contrived
to restore his good appearance, his strength
and his courage. Then he began his
search for treasure and first tried some
washingS of the brook beside him. Gold
he found but so painfully little that in
disgust he began farther search, turning
up the stream and hoping that he might
eventually come upon some larger and
more easily attained deposits.
Strange traces of volcanic action still
showed themselves on every hand, and
]eruSha Ben was forced to take his way
with the utmost caution; for round about
him were boiling streams and sulphur
Springs, and the br ook OF pure water, to
which be had first descended, soon con-
cealeG its source. Finally his course was
stopped completely by huge lake Of lava.
which occupied the entire width of the
barrance Upon its border Jerusha Be.l
SIT him down and marveled on the mighty
handiwork of God. For this was no rude
miner, thus alone amidst the marvellous
mountains of Mexico, but man Of refine
ment and education, and so much means
OF support as are represented by these
qualities, united to an energetic DISPOSE
ton and a capital of s40O, which latter was
In belt at his waist. He had failed in
business. honorably paid all his debts.
ruined his nerves in consequence, aud had
determined to seek the wilds of Mexico
primarily because he knew that he could
more easily restore his physical and men
tai tone there than elsewhere, and secondI-
benause he trusted to his scientific knowl-
edge to enable him to dis cover gold con-
cealed amid the mysterious recesses of these
mountain caverns. There was, too. an
other reason why he had wished to get
away from home and friends and country
He had most dearly loved the daughter OF
brokendown old friend of his father
Jerusha was twenty-five years and 8
maiden altogether charming. The
fathe was a miserable old man who
had impoverished himself to all hi:
frienIs. and now lived with nj:
daughter upon a pittance of $500 s
year, which he could not waste. He cor
daily gave his consent to the engagement
between the young people, so long as hi
prospective son-in-law's affairs were pros
porous, but no sooner had the crash come