The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1892-04-03

1T was under those circumstances, we
are told by old settlers whose memory Is
yet good, that these early forests grew.
Then nature, with a long, rainy day on her
hands, one time decided that she would try
preserving forest for future use. Thus
we have here, surrounded by electric
lights and nigh livers in society. along with
the telephone and artificial ice, a slab of
wood whose bark has been abraded here
and there where the lCthyOsaurus has
scratched his warty back against it In the
mellow millions of years that left no other
history.
BECOMING SOMEWHAT EXCITED
over this great thought, bought another
beautiful 500 specimen to pound steak on.
We may not always have steak at our
house, but we propose to have something
to pound it on whenever we do have steak.
The railroad agent at Billings. Ariz.,
near where this petrItied forest is situated,
gets thirteen to seventeen letters per week
from people who want specimens of this
petrited wood. Here is one:
Station Agent Billings, Ariz.:
Dear Slr-I ask you to write me regarding
Natural Curiosity" the petriEed forest of
Arizona? Is IL a tact, ana how large an area
does 1t cover? l would be pleased TO have you
send by express some spec mems OF red moss
agate, amethyst and smoky topaz. ] would
love to visit this place il the article in St kich-
olaS S true. ours truly, !. ID. CLAIRE.
This name is not the correct one. but a
little Conceit OF my own. The agent has
many oil these letters. and wishes me to
put piece in the paper begging the public
not TO write TO him any more regarding
this matter, as 1t is breaking him down
He says that elderly maiden ladies, who
brought the war to a speedy close by
making prune pie for the soldiers, now
write 10 hlm Tor agates forgetting that he
is getting Z 40 per month from the railroad.
not specially for the purpose OF gathering
moss agates or petritied trees for others.
Sometimes he Is not sure that the freight
Will be paid or he would be more prompt TO
send things. Sometimes an unknown man
who cannot spell, TO say nothing OF paying
the frelgot orders quart OF Indian ar
roWheads and ,0t0 feet OF petritied lumber
to build a house of. This bothers the
agent, who is also telegraph operator, line
repalrer, ticket and baggage agent and the
head of family. He wishes to notify the
public by this means that hereafter it will
be impossible for him to supply petrifed
stills for those who are building in Ohio,
especially as the petrifed forest is owned
by other parties, who threaten to prose-
cute people who girdle tie trees or cut the
timber without paying stumpaze.
Yesterday RODE most all day in seat
just back OF q lady who was travelling with
a large gooseberry bush. Why do women
feel better while travelling if they can con
vey large, thorny parrot or young plum
tree or a jug OF buttermilk? 1t certainly
enhance the pleasure of travel either
for themselves or others. Every time |
would get sleepy and droop forward
would bury my face in this gooseberrv
bvsh 1t annoyed me very much, nut she
kept on carrying it, and even reproved me
for knocking young thorn loose with nv
eye.
She was on the way home to plant new
kind of seed potato and her third husband.
He was N the express car, where it was
sort of quiet. l envied him. One of the
neighbors said that he was killed by being
run over by a train because ne could not
hear it coming Poor man! He lost his
hearing most mercitully just after he was
married.
She is plain woman, but firm, with
grim determination and set teeth She
set them several weeks ago, and expects
them to come off the nest now in few
days. She says that this is the Arc de
gooseberry which she has. 1t
is superior TO the Polled Angus goose
berry, running more to jam and less to
worm than the Angus or the Isabella.
She wears white flannel yachting cap
with catskln earmuffs to it, and seal
plush cloak that is prematurely bald on the
shoulders. l judge also by the front of the
cloak that she got her wraps on before she
ate her breakfast, and then only hurriedly
ate soft fried egg and some buckwheat
cakes with real Vermont maple strip on
them.
When she reads this in her quiet little