The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-01-21

the Ozark topography. Cataract creek, in
Baxter county. Ark. may be taken as a
type Of the peculiar formation. Riding his
sure-footed mule up the gorge, the traveller
suddenly comes face to face with lofty
overhanging cliffs which bar further prog
ress and present an enormous amphithea-
ter closing in two-thirds OF mile. me
tops Of the cliffs are $50 feet from the
ground. They project over far enough 10
shelter the space in which regiment OF
men might camp. In two places streams
Of water from springs. one OF them TWO
feet wide, flow to the edge and plunge
downward, becoming spray before they
reach the rocks below. The mountain
brook into which the two streams unite in
the center of the amphitheater noisiiy
passes down the gorge 100 yards and sinks
out of sight. Under the cliffs Of the box
canyons are the favorite roosting places
for wild turkeys. In the early days, when
hunting was limited to home needs. focks
numbering 500 might be found there. shell
tered from the winter storms. Away back
in the ages when the different strata were
being deposited and before they had had
time to harden, a mammoth whirlpool ate
ont the ampttheater and left it for mans
wonderment. The Ozark country pioneers
could think of no better name for this par
cause hunter of most deliberate move
ments used to camp there and wait for the
turkeys to come to him. And Slow Joe 1t
is today. There is much that is picturesque
in the Ozark country and very little that
is picturesque In the nomenclature.
The bottomless well is still shown to
travellers near the south bank OF White
river. Descendants of the man who settled
near It and gave his name to Laffsrty's
creek preserve the story Of the wonderful
phenomenon Of 1911. That was the year of
the New Madrid earthquake. which shook
all of this region, and which may be re-
sponsible for some of the geological mar
wells. "Old Man" Lafferty told the people
that there came great shock. He looked
out toward the river and saw muddy wa
ter squirt in great quantity to a considera-
BILE height. There was an explosion at a
spot near the bank. When the disturbance
was over he went to the place where the
explosion had been and found this bottom
less well. All attempts to sound it nave
failed.
Marble falls is the Lodore OF the Ozarks
There are two falls. distinct and separated
by distance of three quarters of a mile.
One of these falls is hidden. The other
is in full view. A stream of water three
feet deep and ten feet wide rushes forth
at the foot of the cliff. It comes from a
much higher level but how much higher
no one knows. STOPPING down and peering
under the stratum of rock from beneath
which the water rushes one can see that
short distance within this water has a
considerable fall. 1t tumbles down from
somewhere above with rush and roar
and an accompaniment of foam which tell
OF continuous and rapid descent for some
space. view of this stream bursting
forth from bounds with the muffled rum
bic coming from underground Is even more
impressive than that nearly a mile be-
low where the mass slides off ledge and
drops In q beautiful sheet, crystal clear,
sixty-five feet.
Lost rivers are innumerable. In fact,
the stream which does not lost itself sew
eral times before II concludes to run along
on top OF ground in an ordinary fashion
Is an exception A ride of half a day
along north Arkansas valley will fur
nish repeated Illustrations OF the peculiar
character Of the channels. A creek run.