Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-08-09
ARIZONA'S PETRIFIDD FOREST.

Chicago Record: The territory of Ari-
Zona is a vast museum Of natural curios-
tiles, including many of the most wonder
full in the world. The atmosphere. the eli
mate, the mountains, the soil, the rivers,
the forests are filled with phenomena.
many of which exist nowhere else. In the
desert. three hundred miles square, with
Flagstaff as a center, are spread out a
variety of wonders of which people of this
country have little or no conception, but
if they We're in Europe or Asia thousands
of our citizens woul cross the ocean to
see them. Being only within two or
three days journey of Chicago, and easy
of access by frequent trains of sleeping
and dining cars and other modern luxur-
les of travel, they are overlooked by the
multitude and are practically unknown.
To my mind, next to the grand canyon
of the Colorado, the most interesting and
impressive Of the natural wonders of this
great Arizona museum is the petrified for
est, which covers nearly 100 square miles,
within easy distance, either on foot or
horseback, from Billings station. on the
Santa Fe railroad: but it can be more
easily reached by carriage from Holbrook,
where the better accommodations can be
found. The government explorers have
christened it Chalcedony park.
The surface of the ground for miles and
| miles around is covered with gigantic
i logs three or four feet in diameter. petrl-
fed to the core. Many of them are trans
lucent. Some are almost transparent. All
present the most beautiful sades of blue,
; yellow, pink, purple, red and gray. Some
are like gigantic a~methysts. some resem-
BILE the smoky topaz, and some are as
pure and white as alabaster. AT places
the chips of agate from the trunks that
have crumbled lie a foot deep upon the
ground, and il, is easy to obtain cross sec
" ~,-; - ~ ynr Nynir n pNpn
the bark, Comparatively little OF tins
agate has been used in manufacturing,
although it is easy to obtain. Manufac-
turing Jewellers Of New York have made
! table tops and boxes and other artlcIes
from strips that have been sent them, anu
if the material We're not so abunoaht 's
beauty would enormous prices.
Where you can get a carload OF Jewehy
for nothing you are Hol llheis W pay 1850
prices for It. MA. ~
A hird's-eye view of the petritled for
este on a sunny day suggests a gigantic
kaleidoscope. The surface or the eaith
,.esan,bles an infinite variety OF
The biologists say his great pia1n' no"
5000 feet above the sea. was once GOV,
cred by a forest, which was suph,elssu
for ares in water strongly charged with
MINERALS. until the fbers Of the trees were
Thoroughly soaked and transformed lnto
eternal stone. Many of the trunks are
sti,l hacked in a deposit OF me clay'
which was left by the recedlng waters
h,t the erosion of the wine mas pulVel.
ized much of the clay and carrled II oA
in the air, exposing the secrets that ha-
t1re buried under it's surface. ,o
One great tree spans a deep gulch ~
fao+ vide IT lies where it fell centuries
norhan s ages. ago., and is a most peauu-
f,l snecimen of petrified wood. Ihe rings
! and the bark can be easily traced through
| the translucent agate. II IS naAl
enough and strong enough TO l"St a.
r,anv centuries as it has already speiAih
;ts neculiar position. 1t is ~ndoup'eu'y
! tho only bridge of agate in the World anu
alone is worth 4 long journey to see
The Indians of the southwest useo 10
visit the petrified forests frequently 10
obtain agate for their arrow and spear
h,,as and the material was scattered
nvar The entire continent by exchange
hatween the different tribes, from the
;sthmus of Panama to Behring strait:
Th great deposit here explains where all
| the owhea of moss agate came from.
and other weapons and implements OF
similar material that are found IN me
indian mounds and graves or the cehlIal
/ and western states. In the stone age me
auate of the petrifed forest was the very
hest material that could be obtained TOR
hoth the implements of war and peace OF
the aborigines. A scalping knife couid
he made very easily from one or the ch'ps
If agate and could be ground TO a very
fne edge. Many crystals were used lor
jewelry and ornament also.