The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1898-03-09
JAYA'S GIANT TREE.
ARBOREAL SIAMESE TWIN HUN
DREDS OF YEARS OLD.

Padajerain - Crowned With Gorgeous
Orchids, 1t Wooes tho Worship and
Wonder of Men.
Undoubtedly the largest tree the world
has ever seen is the giant tree in the island
of Java. This monarch of the eastern for
ests stands on the site of what in ancient
times was the city of Padajarian, the glo-
ries of which, now long since departed,
were of so magnificent a character as to
have been extolled in the songs of contem-
porary poets who hourished in those re-
mote days who never tired of telling of its
grand buildings, its magnificent palaces,
and, above all, of its wonderful tree
Earthquake and time have long swept the
city and its people away into common
oblivion and have left little save the sur.
viving poetry to tell of the existence Of
this beautiful city. But the great tree
still remains, which the devastating earth
quake shook, but could not destroy. This
Veritable vegetable giant, which spreads
out its great branches over large area Of
ground, formerly overshadowed the great
palace of the native princes who ruled in
times long anterior to the Dutch sway and
was ever the wonder not only of the whole
city and island, but also of the East In
dian continent generally 1t still stands
as recording monument, linking the past
with the present, and commands not only
the wonder and admiration of visitors
from distant parts, but the alteration of
the Indian natives, who worship at its
shrine.
The place where this great wonder of
nature stands is called Batutulico Con-
tiguous to it's base is a small wooden house
where several Mohammedan priests and at
tendants reside, who perform daily native
religious ceremonies and services To their
especial care is committed the COnservancy
of this monarch Of the forest and also the
custody of number of much priced and
venerated relics of the departed city, and
from the fees received for the exhibition of
these and showing the wonderful tree they
manage to derive a fair income, for the
tree enjoys an odOr of sanctity much be-
yond all else in the island, and attracts
not only the faithful to its shrine but also
the curious from far and near.
1t stands contiguous to the wayside and
forms an imposing and striking feature in
a landscape by no means otherwise deficient
in natural grandeur, on an elevated plain,
freely visible from all sides, attracting the
attention of all cOmers even in the far dis
lance. So noble is its appearance so ma
jestic it's port that once beheld it can never
be forgotten, Shining rivers, waving fields
of golden colored cereals, woods and noun
tains, together with live volcano in the
background, complete the picture It's
trunk is of such great girth and dimen-
siOns so vast that a score of men Joining
boi
ly embrace it, Botanical data are not
forthcoming for the determination Of it's
age for it is deemed too sacred a subject
to allow of proper expert examination
being made
Perhaps the greatest marvel, though, is
that it is in reality two trees blended. as it
were, and welded into one, and, still more
curious to relate, two trees of the same
genus, but of different species Both have
grown together and form an indivisble
common trunk Of enormous size. The dis
tinctive features of each species appear I'M
mistakably in the branches, and reveal the
very remarkable difference in the color of
the foliage. At q little distance off this
presents a truly strange spectacle. The
leaves of ono are of a lively and beautiful
green, while those of the other are of
much deeper shado on the upper surface
and pale on the under The one has long,
slender, dropping branches adorned with
elegant foliage, refreshing to look upon
From its majestic appearance this kind
used to be planted in front of the palaces
Of the native rulers Its larger branches
put forth fasciCles of roots, which, instead
Of descending, as is common among plants.
to the earth, have crept along the old
trunk wrapped their strong arms around
it and ultimately blended themselves with
it. The other Species less graceful per
haps in growth has shorter, more rugged
and hustler branches, and by these and the
color of its leaves is readily distinguished
from its twin relative. Below, both be-
came, so to say, fused into one mass, min
CLING sap and fiber together The trees
both belong to the natural family mo
raceae, a race which has given birth to sew
eral other giants of the vegetable world
They are of the genus flcus.
On arriving at the base or entrance of
the tree the visitor today who has come to
inspect its wonders is met by the priests in
charge, who proceed to perform forthwith
some slight religious ceremony, at the ter
mination of which an invitation is given
TO ascend its aged sides, which is done by
means of the countless lateral branches
and the aid Of peasants who are at hand
to render assistance to all who require it in
the journey aloft, On arriving at the hor-
ticultural plateau or tableland at the sum-
NIT words fail to at all adequately describe
the lovely scene which meets the eye in all
directions. 1t is literally clothed all over
with elegant flowers and parasitic plants
Orchids in "a multitude of species have
crawled up many withered branch and
flung down gorgeous flowers, roots and
laave= in a. waviEQ n,2ss of fantastic
re- e W.