The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-03-05

rock" which rises 600 feet above the
current of the Russian river. At this
Time owing to the copious rains which
have fallen at the headwaters the river
is at flood. The volume flowing down
the precipitous channel is enormous. The
banks are flooded and the speed of the
current is frightful. Near where the can
yon is deepest and narrowest Squaw rock
rises in all its grandeur. The story is
that of an Indian maiden fleeing from
the embraces of a chief and taking refuge
on this rock. Driven to despair at the
prospect of capture, the maiden threw
herself from the Hottest elevation into
the river, dying for love.
There are some elements of improbable
ty in the story, for the stolid Indians have
very little sentiment about them, but
"quen sabe."
on the left bank of Gray creek, one Of
Austins tributaries, stands the remnant
of a once magnificent redwood, six feet
in diameter and twenty high The devel-
opments at the top of the stump would
indicate that it is only a she'll from top
to base, for growing out of the top of the
truncated redwood and reaching a hight
of seventy-five feet with a diameter of
one foot or more where it leaves the red
wood trunk, it is an alder tree. The clos
est scrutiny fails to reveal the trunk of
the alder reaching the ground below; yet
it requires abundant moisture-presuppos
es that it does reach the water sweep
ing its base of the redwood stump. A
popularity of this alder is that it blooms
earlier in the winter and holds its foliage
later than it's numerous companion alderS.
Long after its companion trees have lost
every vestige of foliage it continues leaf
laden, bright and green.
Another curious combination of tree and
spring is found at the head of a short
canyon leading down into Gillian creek.
In the summer months the canyon is dry
but there is good spring at the desig-
mated locality if the searcher can't find it,
You will look in vain for evidence; search,
but find it not
We had seated ourselves in the shadows
of a grove of large redwoods. The day
was warm and a cool drink of water de-
sirable.
There is a fine spring within dozen
steps Of u.s." said my companion. See if
you can find it."
A careful search was barren of results
Rising from his seat, our companion led
the way TO the foot of one of the great
redwood columns whose topmost branches
breathed the air 80 feet above our heads
and pointed to the spring
Forest fires, in past years, had burned
out cavity in the hole of the tree at its
base. This cavity was about four feet
downward two or three feet below the
ground surface. In the center a hole six
inches in circumference had been burned
through to the earth beneath and up
through this opening boiled a spring Of
excellent water. The water did not over
flow its meager wooden bowl, consequently
its presence was not detected from the
outside surroundings.
very large redwood stands on the
summit of high ridge three miles from
and overlooking the ocean, being on the
lands Of Capt. J. L. Lancaster, which
bears peculiar markings on its trunk. 100
feet above its base. These scars appear
to be Of comparatively recent date and
look as II they had been made by cannon
balls or the heavy limbs of some adjacent
tree rubbing horizontally across IL back
and forth. But there are no adjacent
trees nor any evidence Of there ever hav-
ing been a companion tree that could
have produced the scars The presume
ton is that the strange marking was
made by meteors In their flight to the
EARTH
The madrona hereabout sometimes ex-
hibits curious freaks IN It's varied growth
One, the most remarkable In this vicinity.
Is a tree, having a diameter of one foot
or more, that grows upward for q few