Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1900-03-01

netic, full of life, nerve and vigor, take MOTTO.
BAG, the wonder-worker, that makes weak men
strong. All druggists, 500 or 81 Cure guaran.
teed. Booklet and sample free Address
Sterling Remedy Co, Chicago or New York
WONDERFUL PETRIFIED FoREsT.-"Ag-
ate Bridge" is the chief wonder of that mar
velous dr. cam known as Chalcedony Park, or
the petrifed forest of Arizona. The portion
of the forest where the finest of the gems
are found IS in Apache county, from seven
teen to twenty miles from Holbrook, on the
Santa Fe Railroad.
The bridge" is tree trunk transformed
into the finest agate, which spans cbasm go
feet wide. This precious gem is 10 feet long
feet In diameter at the base, taperng to s
feet at the apex, and it contains enough ma
tegial to give labor to all the lap,daries in the
world for the next generation. This log is
one of thousands, many of them broken into
huge fragments which litter the ground in
an area of above 100 square miles. The area
Of that portion of the park containing the
agate bridge is confined to few miles. 1t
is impossible to conceive Of the marvellous
beauty of this section, for the ground is COW
cred with amethyst, red and yellow jasper,
topaz, onyx, carnelian, and gigantic speci.
mems of agate of every variety. If the gems
in Tiffany's could be increased to the size Of
-four barrels and steam boilers, multiplied by
100000 and scattered over Manhattan Island
the result would give fair idea of Chalced
cny Park.
Tue primeval forest has not lost much of
its beauty, although the human vandal has
been there, and with dynamite has destroyed
logs Of priceless value, in their original form,
to get pocket full of crystals from the
heart of the tree. The beauty and interest
of the spot will not be wholly destroyed by
the present generation, and the time will
come when the government will police Chal-
cedony Park and protect its treasures.
The Indians have known the forest since
their beginning. and it was here they found
material for their precious arrow tips. They
call the petrif1ed wood chlnarump." The
white man discovered it when the United
States Pacific Railroad was surveyed along
the 35th parallel early in the sos. Jules
Marceau. the geologist of the survey, made
collection of specimens, and extensive men.
ton is made of it in the government reports.
The tourist aud vandal did not get at 1t until
1896 1896, when the Atlantic and Pacific, or San.
ia Fe Railroad was built. The first specimen
of the wood seen by the general public was
at the New Orleans Exposition. In 1885. A
display was made in Paris in 1859, and again
10 Chicago in 1893. The only place where
the stone is polished and manu- featured Is at
Sioux Falls, 8. D., and recent newspaper
article says this company is engaged ia get
ting out 81 ,O00, 900 worth of ornaments and
jewelry for sale at the Paris Exposition Of
1900. The cost of cutting and polishing the
petrifaction approaches that of treating dia-
monds, as 1t is calculated to be seven-tenths
the hardness of diamond
The scientific theory concerning the petri
faction is to the effect that, after the forrest
of pines and cedars was established, the basin
or valley became lake. This valley has an
area, approximately, Of 100 by 80 miles, and
it is surrounded by extinct volcanoes. These
volcanoes emptied themselves into the lake
and the trees became soaked with the silic-
ious water. Silica took the place Of every
fiber and atom of wood. The colors of red,
brown, yellow and purple came from the
iron and manganese in solution in the water.
All this took place before the existence Of
the Grand Canyon of the Colorado. When
nature formed that big ditch tho lake was
drained and the water, in its rush to the
northwest leyeled the stone trees, breaking
them off as smooth as if they had been sawed
This sustains the theory that the trees were
petrifed where they grew.
The fact that nearly all of the fallen trunks
lie in one direction, and to the northwest
sustains the theory that the lake was emptied
10 the northwest and into the Grand Canyon
A few ages of erosion after the draining of
the lake brings the forest down to tae pres
ent day, and has left some strange freaks.
One big tree trunk protrudes over the brow
of a cliff, looking like a cannon on fort.
Another has been left balanced on column
OF stone, presenting great T.
s. j. Holsinger, special agent of the gov.
ernment land Office, has recently returned
from the petrified forest where he went to
investigate the sdvisability of forming a
national park Of the gion. He will report
favorably on the project and will advise that
q territory Is miles by miles be included in
the park In this area lie four different
groups or forests of fallen trees, although it
does not include all of the groups of petrifac'
tions in the valley. Mr. Holsinger says there
are millions of tons of the agatized wood in
the proposed park territory. He measured
many tree trunks which were 1876 feet long
and as large as feet in diameter. He says
that one group of petrfactons locally known
az Rainbow Park" is the most remarkable
spectacle of color he has eyer seen, and SO
dazzling was the effect of the sunshine on
the brilliant confusion of stone fragments
that dizziness of his head compelled him to
sit down At Garlic, the station on the
Santa Fe nearest the petrifactions, he learned
that the Sioux Falls company had ordered a
carload of the stone to be shipped to the
factory.-Arizona Graphic.