Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1900-10-15

the IlFtI, even d HI0 OT TWO UCy OAe
the canyon, is twenty degrees higher
than at it's entrance. 'sAre there not
other canyons in the world as large as
this?" it may be asked. Yes, but none
| like this. For, see, instead of sulIen
granite walls, these sides are radiant
with color. Age after age, and aeon
E! after aeon, hot water has been spread
ing over these miles of masonry it's
varieg ated sediment, like pigments on
an artists palette. Here, for example,
is an expanse of yellow one thousand
feet in height. Mingled with this are
areas of red, resem ding jasper. Be-
side these is a field of lavender, five
hundred feet in length, and soft in
hue as the down upon a pigeons
breast. No shade is wanting here ex-
cept blue, and God replaces that. It
is supplied by the o'erspreading can
opy of heaven.
Yet, there is no monotony in these
hues. Nature, apparently, has passed
along this canyon, touching the rocks
capriciously; now staining an entire
cliff as red as blood, now tingeing a
light pinnacle with green, now spread
ing over the entire face of mountain
vast Persian rug. Hence both sides
of the canyon present successive miles
of Oriental tapestry. Moreover,
every passing cloud works here almost
a miracle: for all the lights and shades
that follow one another down this
gorge vary it's tints as if by magic, and
make Of it one long kaleidoscope of
changing colors.
Nor are these cliffs less wonderful
in form and color. The substance of
their tinted rocks is delicate. The
rain has, therefore, plowed their faces
with million burrows. The wind has
carved them like sculptor's chisel.
The lightning's bolts have splintered
them, until, mile after mile, they rise
in bewildering variety of architectural
forms. Old castles frown above the
maddened stream, thousand times
more grand than any ruins on the
Rhine. Their towers are five hundred
feet in height. Turrets and battle
ments, portcullises and drawbridges,
rise from the deep ravine, sublime
and inaccessible; yet they are still
thousand feet below US. What would
be the effect could we survey them
from the stream itself, within the
gloomy crevice of the canyon? Only
their size convinces US that they are
works of nature, not of art. Upon
their spires we see score of eagles
nests. The splendid birds leave these |
at times and swoop down toward the |
not in one mighty plunge,
but gracefully, in slow, majestic |
curves, lower and lower, till we can
follow them only through a field glass |
as they alight on trees which look to
us like shrubs.
But many of these forms are grand
er than any castles. In one place is
an amphitheatre. Within it's curving
arms a hundred thousand people
could be seated. It's foreground! IS the
emerald river; it's drop curtai, the
'adiant canyon wall. Cathedrals, TOO.
ire here with spires twice as high AS
hose which soar above the minister OF
Cologne.
Fantastic gargoyles stretch out from
he parapets. A hundred flying but
resses connect them with the noun
ain side. From any of them AS many
hats shoot heavenward as statues
Use from the Duomo of Milan: and
ZACH of these great canyon shrines,
instead of stained glass windows, has
walls, roof, dome and pinnacles, one
mass of variegated color
The awful grandeur of these temples
by the Deity is overpower,
ng. We feel that we must worship
ere. 1t is a place where the Finite /.
rays, the Infinite hears, and Immen- ,
ity looks on"
We saw the canyon first in mid ]
fternoon under a bright sun. We
listed it next morning when the sun
7as not very high. We stood on its :
rink until after midday; and again
ear sunset we stood on Inspiration
Oint, saw the sun set and the moon
Use and yet we wished for more time
D see this marvel. (
Reluctantly we broke camp and !.
5arted on our homeward way, reach :
lg our first camping place that nigh
nd back to Mammoth springs the
ext morning. Here we spent the
orenoon viewing the springs and
,eir terraces. These are hot springs,
ne water of each of which contains a a