The Republican., 1900-11-22
CAVE scHooLHoUsE.
Novel Place for Pupils to study In
the Cliffs of Central
Kansas.


Kansas.
A most novel building is that on the
banks of the Smoky Hill river, few
miles east Sf Kanopolis, Ellsworth
county, Kan. 1t is known as the home
of the cliff dwellers, and richly deserves
the name. 1t is huge cliff 60 feet
high, rising sheer from the bottom
lands along the river, and few hun
dred feet from the banks of the stream.
1t was the headquarters of an old band
of Indians, and the records of the tribe
are cut deep in the face of the wall,
still clear and sharp after long GEN.
turies of western wind and storm, says
the Chicago Times-Herald.
At the base of the cliff are limestone
caves washed out by the waters of
other days and enlarged by the people
of this generation. Doors have been
fixed in the openings that lead to the
outer air, and, of course, all the light
comes from that direction.
The caves are used by the people for
various purposes, but the most inter-
esting is that of holding the district
school. For this purpose has been Sc
lected a room II by IA feet square and
with high ceilings. In one corner has
been fitted up the teachers desk, and
the maps and charts are fastened to
the wall. The rough rocks arch over
the whole and the pupils are surround
ed by walls that are cool and solid
while the seats and desks are placed
on the earthen floor. The light comes
from the door, though there is at times
necessity of lamp when the skies
are lowering. Day after day they
study and recite in the little school, Sc
cure from the dangers of storm and
flood, for the cyclone and lightning
are not to be feared in this secure re-
treat.
Adjoining the schoolroom is another
room nearly as large, and the owner
OF the cliff finds it pleasant place in
which to spend the summer nights,
the temperature being far below that
of the outside air.
Then there is wonderful spring
that bubbles out of the earth little
farther in the caves, and the owner
has fitted up a milkroom, where a
stream of pure cold water flows all
the time around the crooks and pans
and makes the production of the cream
a profitable one. 1t is probably the
finest milkhouse in the state, and the
supply of GOODNESS is never lessened
A huge brick fireplace has been built
in the schoolroom and makes the in
terror CHEEKY in the dark days of Win
ter. The great trees outside-oak, cot
tonwood and box elder-hide the cliff
from the sun in spring and summer
and make of it delightful resort.
The Faris brothers are owners Of
the claim on which is situated this
remarkable cave and cliff, and they
have refused large offers for it. Wis
itors come from long distances to see
the novel formation, and there is many
a picnic in summer to the vicinity.
All around are wonders of the prairie
formation-huge umbrella rocks that
stand up from the sod like great toad
stools; caverns wherein are vast riches
of rock salt, the mines being worked
now with a small force and which are
likely to be of great value some day;
rock cities where there may be seen
all the fashions of houses and castles
fantastically worked out in enduring
stone, these and many more are found
in the vicinity. One college of Kansas
has an entire room filled with curiosi-
ties from this section. 1t includes mod
els of implements supposed to have
been left when the Spaniards under
Coronado came up through Kansas and
founded the villages that were to be
the beginning of a mighty nation. In
dian vessels and relics of the mound
builders are common. while petrifac-
tions that cannot be explained except
upon the assumption of the very an
cient occupation of the prairies by an
intelligent race are in the collection.
1t is rich region for the antiquarian.
as well as for the searcher for the odd
and unusual.