Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1891-04-01
THE STORY OF lie kaouNTAIN.
It Tells Of the Wonderful Awe-InspIring
Power of Nature.


Power of Nature.
Beginning at the base of the noun
tain and running back for mile-dark,
grim, silent and making score of
twists and turns is it goes, is what they
call canyon.
It is the grave of ages-the tomb of
silence-the trail over which q man.
maddened by loneliness, hunger and
despair, would go to his death.
If you peer into the awful darkness
you may see the fiery orbs of the grizzly
or the panther. If you walk little way
you may rouse -rattlesnake. Nothing
else seeks this retreat; no other living
thing could endure the monotonous mid
night and the terrible silence.
One day-no man knoweth when-the
people of the past ages who dwelt be-
side this mountain arose to find the
morning sky blood-red and angry.
There was no stir in the air. The sun
was long in showing its face. and it
seemed to mock and jeer the people as
it looked down upon them. The birds
cried out as they flew wildly about
The wild hares came to crouch at the
feet of the awe-struck people. The wild
horses stood and shifted the air and
paved the earth and trembled.
"What is it?''
White lips framed the query, but none
could answer. The atmosphere grew
leaden; dust arose from the earth to OBJ
Scure the sun; men and women clutched
at something to keep their feet. Then
earth and sky suddenly crashed to-
gether, and such was the rending, grind
ing, tearing that the walls of ten thou
sand terror-stricken people could not
rise above it. 1t was hours before the
ground grew firm and solid-before the
dust settled down-before the blue sky
appeared to cheer the hearts ready to
burst with terror and despair.
All eyes turned toward the mountain
A great chasm appeared. 1t was as if
nature had placed her fingers in crew
ice and with one mighty effort opened a
wide dark pathway into the bowels of
the earth. The united strength of all
the people of the earth could not have
done that, and no wonder that man fell
down and hid his face = ashamed,
abashed, realizing his nothingness.
Look up there.
We have made half the circuit of the
mountain, and are now on the north
side. There is rocky, steep-faced cliff
before us, extending out for 200 feet
on either side of the center. You see
a great seam extending from top to bot
tom-ragged, cratic, sinister in its way.
On this side dwelt thousands of other
strange people-people stranger to us
f1aY, thu M xrrlnco Av16 IN
the cliff caves. There came to them
just such an angry sunrise-just such
menacing sky-the same warnings
and forebodings of some awful disaster.
"What is it?" they asked of each
other, but none answered They were
almost helpless with terror, when some
one was seen seeking the shelter of the
canyon whose mouth yawned before
them. 1t broke the spell, and with wild
shouts and hurrying feet a great
| throng passed into the rift. They were
crowded further and further-they were
packed closer and closer as the tide
| flowed in.
Then they spoke to each other in
whispers and waited.
Crash!
Crash!
On one side the mountain Nature tore
pathway through tree and rock and
| dirt deep into the bowels of the earth.
On the other side she seized the sides Of
the grim ravine and brought them to-
gether as you might the sides of paper
boat. One cry in chorus, one long-drawn
shrek of horror from the thousands
packed in the cruel trap, and then all was
still.-Detroit Free Press.