St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1899-08-05

bridge formed out of q petrified tree
This tree was originally over 200 feet
high, and is now SO large in diameter
that 1 have q friend who has ridden
horseback across it. This is one of the
most astonishing and wonderful
bridges in the world, and that trans.
continental traveller who journeys from
the east to California is not wise who
fails to spend the one day that is nee.
essary to visit this wonderful bridge
and the equally wonderful forest by
which it is surrounded.
To the Indians Of Arizona this for.
est has been an inexhaustible mine
For, from here. from time immemorial
they have secured pieces of agate, jas.
per and other, petrified wood. of which
they have made some of the finest ar.
row points, spear heads and stone
knives ever constructed. These abo
riginal specimens have been found scat.
tered all over the middle-western por'
tion of the United States, thus showine
that the Indians of this region made
quite trade Of petrified wood ar.
ticles.
The petrified forest region is really
divided into three distinct sections;
the first section, which we have visited
and two others. About two miles te
the southeast Of the first deposit i,
the second. This il about the same
size as the first. but there is much more
of the petrified wood in the same
amount of space. The whole region
is wild, barren, desolate, cut and
scanned. There are SO many wild gorges
in it that now and again it presents an
appearance as If it had been taken in
some gigantic hands and twisted ou,
Of shape.
Yonder the soil looks as If it must al
one time have been boiling mud, thrown
out from vast volcano.
Six or seven miles further, going due
south, the third deposit is reached
There is an immense area Of wood here
all found on the southwest side of ths
mesa. Immense trees, or split sections
have kept the mesa from washing away
as rapidly here as elsewhere, and many
of these logs are still scattered over
the plateau.
1t is = frightful desert region, and
had an experience here that was AZ
novel as it was unpleasant. We had
come further than we had intended
and were not provided with 4 suffi.
cheney of water. The weather was in.
tensely hot. and soon our little stock
of water was exhausted. The thought
Of waiting until we got back home
was maddening, but I saw no other
course. Adam. however. knew a tricl
iar better than waiting. Riding along
until we came to the dry bed of q
stream, that seemed as If not a drop
of water had been in it for ten years
he quietly took the saddle and bride
from his horse, and, tying rope around
its neck, turned it loose. With an in.
stinct as unerring as that of the bird
in its flight, the horse went to q Ger.
tain spot in the wash and commenced
paving the sand with his feet. He
threw il out with almost as great ra.
pidity rs a dog paws the earth from q
squirrel hole, but in far greater guam
titles. l stood and watched him in
amazement, while Adam said: "Oh, he's
smart, he in Did you never see hoss
dig for water? That hoss haA saved
my life many . time, for he Can find
water If it's to be had, where you and
me would lie down and die. Now zee
him!"
With intent gaze the horse drew back,
and steadfastly watched the hole hs
had made. In . few minutes hall
bucket Of water had collected at the
bottom Of the hole, and, though the
water was neither cosl nor fresh. It
was better than nothing. We quenched
our thirst, and in the cool of the even
m9 returned to the ranch.
q. WHARTON JAAEA