The National tribune., 1899-08-03
WONDERS OF ARIZONA.
A Pe.riiied Forrest-satrrc's Creates. Museum.
Chicago Record

Chicago Record.
The Territory of Arizona is n vast mu-
scum of natural curiosities. including
many of the most wonderful in all the
world. The atmosphere, the climate, the
mountains. the soil. the rivers, the forests.
are filed with phenomena many of which
exist nowhere else. In the desert, 900
miles square, with Flagstaff as n center,
are spread out n variety of wonders of
which the people of this country have little
OF no conception.
To my mind. next to the Grand Canyon
of the Colorado the most interesting ard
impressive of the natural wonders of this
great Arizona museum is the petritied forest
which covers nearly 100 square miles.
within easy distance either on foot or horse
back from Billings Station. The Govern
ment explorers have chriStened 1t ChalCe-
dony Park.
The surface of the ground for miles and
miles around IS covered with gigantic logs.
three or four feet in diameter, Tetrfied to
the core. Many of them are translucent.
Some are almost transparent. All present
the most beautiful shades of blue, yellow,
pink, purple, red and gray. Some are like
gigantic amethysts, some resemble the
smoky topaz, and some are as pure and
white as aabaster. At places the chips of
agate from the trunks that have crum-
bled lie a foot deep upon the ground, and
1t Is easy to obtain cross sections of trees
showing every vein and even til lark.
Comparatively little of this agi = has
been used i'll manufacturing. although it
is easy to obtain. Manufacturing jewel
erS of New York have made table tops
and boxes and other articles from strips
that have been sent them, and if the ma
terial were not so abundant its beauty
would command enormous prices. Where
you can get a carload of jewelry for moth
inc not Iypiv fn Difrl
for it.
A birdseye view of the petrified forests
on a sunny day suggests gigantic ka-
leidoScope. The surface of the earth re-
sembies an infinite variety of rainbows.
The geologists say that this great plain,
cred by a forest, which was submerged for
ages in water strongly charged with min
erals, until the fibers of the trees were
thoroughly soaked and transformed into
eternal stone. Many of the trunks are
still packed in deposit of fine clay, which
was left by the receding waters, but the
erosion of the wind has pulverized much
of the clay and carried it off in the air, ex-
| posi- ~ the secrets that nature buried under
its surfaces.
One great tree spans deep gulch 40 feet
| wide. 1t lies where it fell centuries, per
| haps ages, ago, and is 4 most beautiful
soe simel of petrified wood. The rings and
the bark can be easily traced through the
translucent agate. and it is firm enough
and strong enough to last as many CEN
turies as it has already spent in its Pc
cuiar position. 1t is undoubtedly the
oaly- bridge of agate in the world, and
alone is worth a journey to see.
| The Indians of the Southwest used to
visit the petrified forests frequently to
OBTAIN agate for their arrow and spear
heads, and the material was scattered
over the entire Continent by exchange be-
tween the different tribes. from the Isthmus
of Panama to Bering Straits. The great
| deposit here explains where all the arrow
heads OF moss agate came from, and other
weapons and implements of similar ma
terial that ale found in the Indian mounds
and graves of the central and west
erl Stltes. In the stone age the agate of
the petrified forest was the very best ma
terial that could be obtained for both the
implements of war and peace of the abo-
rigines. A scalping knife could be made
very easily from one of the chips of agate
and could be ground to a very fine edge.
Many crystals were used for jewelry and
ornament also.