Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1891-02-05
DOWN THE VALLEY.


Here. between the fir-covered sides Of
the parallel ranges of mountains, Is q
valley half mile wide and ten miles
long, its upper end beginning far up In
the grim hills. IL winds about like q
river, and here and thcr, il is crossed
by a creek which seems thread of
silver trailing along the green grass
A carpet Of grass and fiowcrs-herc
and there n grove-biryss flying up and
down-a warm and gentle sun pouring
down from out Of clear June sky. As
we look down upon this valley we are
reminded of paradise. Never \ scene
on earth more peaceful One swinging
in n hammock under one Of those green
trees beside the brook would find him.
self as near To the peace and quietness
of Heaven as any spot ON earth affords
There Is herd of bufalocs grazing
afar mp the valley. There are deer in
the groves Three or four wild horses
are standing in the brook, while others
are lying on the grass a few yards
away. Harcs scampcr "a and fro in
playful mood. and there is nothing 10
frighten the most timid. The peaceful
influence is - powerful that we hush
our voices We look down
In some awful convulSiou Of nature
these grim mountains were heaved MP
| from the bowels of the carth-grim
I sterile. desolate--landmarkS OF mighty
conflict of elements. At the same time
nature created this valley a. an OFFSET.
ON the mountain il dcsolation and dc
spair. her, il beauty and eontentment
Look there
Z mn arr,ar,er sh.s Inrlr hsff~ 49,. -.
black cloud rising up into the cigar
skies But for its blae<ncss one might
believe il signal smoke made by the
Indians Ii Is a cloud trying to lift
itself over the mountain from the east
side. IL began forming fifty miles
away. and il has travelled slowly and
followed the windinas of rivers and
creeks and eNacted tribute from ponds
and lakes-drops. gills. quarts. barrels.
tons of water have been absorbed aud
lifted up as the cloud travelled and the
desolate mountains were magnets which
attracted il from its first formation
| The cloud lifts itself Ep and up, and
in its struggles IL sways like balloon
/ As il nears the mountains the vapors
are condensed and become heavier. and
a. the weight increases the struggle be-
eomes fierccr- There is no by-play OF
thunder and lightning. only black.
menaeing cloud fighting itself
UPi Up, Up,
/ All. Heaven help them, There Il
nothing but animal life in the valley so
far as We can SCI. but every on-looker
utters a groan Of despair as he sees the
cloud suddenly fall out Of sight behind
the peaks What do.es that signify /.
means that the cloud could not lift itself
high enough tn clear the mountain.
and that when its lower edge hit
that tall peak ON line with Us
there came a eloudburst- The tons of
water held in that big cloud fell to
earth with force you can scarcely con-
eeive- Trees were made into match
/ wood Rocks weighing n thousand tons
were whirled about. BouIders which
a hundred horses could not pull from
their beds were sent flying down the
mountain side like marbles Every
handful of earth. every tree. shrub.
vine, flower, every stone. rock and
boulder which could have been moved
by the blast of 4 hundred pounds of
powder, Is swept in one awful ava
lanehe into the mouth of the valieyl
We hear the crash. We feel the
mountain quiver under Us. We are
warned of what Is coming. Every liv-
ing thing below US has heard the crash
and felt the quiver. Instinct tells them
what has happened and warns them To
flee In ten seconds every living thing
in sight in the valley is rushing down
its length. Here and there a deer turns
I tot h.sr oh 1T 4
where he can ascend. and a big wolf
serambles up the almost perpendieular
bank at our feet. and there lies, crouch
and whining in terror.
Look up the valley. No man will
ever see such a sight twice in his life
time. There il n wall across the valley
"a wall of roaring. tumbling. seething.
foaming waters. It's height is eight or
ten feet and its speed is that of a rail-
road train The buffaloes were the
furthest up the valley. Watch them
coming. The herd mum bers about hfty.
and every animal runs for his life
Now buffalo. deer. wolf. horse and
hare are coming in a wild mob. and
close behind them that foam-ereSted
wave of death As il reaches the trees
they melt away. As il tears along the
sides of the valley great rocks are
ioosened and carried along.
The rush is led by n sorrel horse-his
new coat shining like velvet-his eyes
fun OF excltement-his ears laid fat
back He is two hundred feet ahead of
every thing. and we wave our hats and
cheer him rs he passes US.
Roll. TUMBLE Foam, Crash, The
waters are Uttered with trunk and
branch and bush The noise Is deafen-
ing. The power Is so great that the
mountain Is shaken. We clutch the
bushes at our side and hold our breath
as the wave strikes.
IL is over Looking up the valley we
see-whati Never a blade of yrass or
flower or bush or tree. Simply track
of desolation which nature can not
restore in dozen years.
Down the valley-the same sight.
Nothing left behind but rock and mud.
A paradise has been turned into
desolation almost in the twinkliur
of an eye Where peace and plenty
reigned quarter of an hour ago Is now
a channel of ruin-a valley of despair
an acreage over which the wolf NAV
prowi and the serpent crawl without
finding food--Detroit Free Press.
-Dashley = Waiter, a bottle of