The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1892-02-17
were mighty near it, and afterwards
were mighty tight


shouted "Whys", and received the
ready reply, at tried to throw itself
overheard and got hung"
These guides are fertile in expedients
for lending additional attractions to the
natural beauty of the place, and by
skillfully casting their light against the
rocky walls where the black, oxide
stained gypsum and creamy limestone
are in strong contrast, they seem to
evoke strange, fantastic pictures OF ami
mails that might have lived in some pre-
historic age. Or, by Withdrawing the
torches of the sight-seers, and burning
magnesium behind distant rock, the
white light conjures from between the
mighty boulders what seems statue OF
sculptured marble. The finest of these
ethereal visions is that known as the
bust of Martha Washington.
But the most beautiful transformation
scene is that witnessed in the Star
Chamber. Here we were seated on
convenient stones scattered about and,
all our torches being extinguished, were
left in such blackness of darkness as
can be found nowhere else. Our guides
went SO far away, and the silence be-
came so uncomfortable, that we relieved
the oppression by singing the comfort
ing stanza,
;ka n dor tba down
Darkness be over me, my rest stone,
Still in my dreams I'll be
Nearer my God to Thee"
One waggish young gentleman re-
marked that it was rather inappro-
pirate, inasmuch as we were so far un-
foreground. Soon dexterous manipu-
lation of the light by the distant guides,
played upon the lofty vaulted arch of
the chamber, causing the glittering
points of innumerable tiny stalactites
to simulate the Milky Way, until we
could easily imagine ourselves gazing
up through some rocky gorge into the
starry heavens. Then again the dark
ness fell as the guide babe us Good
night, with promise to meet us again
next morning. With silence almost
painful, we awaited the next transform
alton and were soon rewarded by a
faint CLEAN of light that flickered,
glowed, increased, and finally bathed
the whole scene in roseate tint, until
we almost expected to see Old Sol him
self peep from behind the distant rocks.
The Growing of cocks and other farm
yard sounds aided the illusion, and the
Star Chamber alone is worth a visit to
the Cave.
1t is said that not more than one in
fifty ever take more than the short
route, including as it does, all the above
named attractions, and the only part of
it that requires STOPPING posture, be-
ing the Valley of Humility.
But at least half of our number were
so enterprising as to get ready for the
long trip by nine o'clock the next morn
ing, though they had not retired until
after one o'clock. They were weary,
way-wOrn set on their return, looking
as though the Fat Mans Misery and
Corkscrew had proven tough tussle
for them. Howbeit, they were enthus-
astic in their account of the wonderful
Echo river and the fun they enjoyed
while sitting on the shores of the-classic
Lethe, or partaking of lunch in the
Bandits Hall.
So many ask, odd the Cave equal
your expectations?", and we reply that
it did, save in one respect. We had
read so much of the alabaster drapery,
the glittering stalactites, and the spark
ling jewels of this famous cavern, that
we could scarcely believe our eyes when
we saw that dull oxydation has so
coated all the formations that the gilt
ter and sparkle existed in the guide
book alone; for, save in the Star Cham
Der, we noted nothing of the sort.
Nevertheless, it is gallery full of
weird, grotesque and beautiful scenes
in wonderful setting of their own, and
we emerged into the everyday world
with feeling that we'd been on a visit
to fairy land.
At 4:30 p. M, Jan. II, the Leoncita
retraced the nine miles to Glasgow
Junction, where it was taken up by the
south bound train on the Louisville q
Nashville X. r., we'll equipped and
courteously oflicered road to whom we
were greatly indebted for many favors
during our journey to the Gulf.
District Passenger Agent Morse ac-
the party to the Cave, in
order that nothing might be omitted
that would add to our comfort, and Col.
G. p. Atmore, g. p. A. of the l.. & N.
r. r., together with f. o. Mccormick,
e. p. A. of the G.. II. Il ID. X. r., did
much to secure favors for us from other
roads, thereby gaining the gratitude
and goodwill of our entire Association.
We can heartily recommend them both