El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1901-01-12

like Tie Vi DdhOld
Below this. in another canon, the
sculpture is marked by queer. eccen-
trio pinnacles projecting above the rag
ged sBy-line-spires, fingers, needles,
natural bridges. and every conceivable
form of peaked and curved rocks.
About the center of the eastern
stretch of the river the attitudes of
the canon walls decrease slowly and
almost imperceptibly until the river
completely surmounts the great lime
stone formation which has been the
chief matrix of its prison walls.
These walls to their termination, look
in the river securely from approach.
In this eastern stretch the immediate
gorge of the river is generally canon
with a canon. Within a double can
on of this type MacMahon had once
been caught by flood q He eHdeavor-
ed to escape to the uplands, in order
to make his way to the railway. After
three days Of attempt he finally reach
ed the summit of the immediate canon,
only to find another wall, invisible
from the river, which it was utterly
impossible to surmount. Fortunately
the river had meanwhile subsidized, and
ne escaped by resuming his boats.
There is a break in the continuity
of the canon near where the river
crosses the 1O2d meridian. This inter-
d
stream soon begins to descend again in
to a rock-bound trough. In this por-
ton. as as far east as the mouth of
DEVILS River, some of the most beau
tiful and picturesque effects are found.
The walls are no longer of orange col
or. but are of chalky limestone of pur-
est white, which weathers into great
curves rather than vertical lodges. In
one canon. for instance. the walls are
-o6 int ft0 orly hi "a
pendicular pillars. resembling columns
of the Egyptian type. each of which is
over one hundred feet in height. I'm
fortunately the kodak films were ex-
hausted, and the glass plates failed to
receive the impression of this artis
tic scene. In other places the river
has gradually undermined a channel
far beneath great ledge OF overhang-
ing limestone, the summit OF which
projected as smooth, slanting gables
overhanging the stream under which
we sailed for hours. -ai-ai 1''f
Beautiful as were these canons, and
prolific as they were in game and in
caves of wild honey the hardships we
had endured were telling upon the
temper of the party, and we no longer
appreciated the noble surroundings.
We longed only to escape from the
walls upon which we now began to
look as a prison. Ten hours of hard
rowing each day. every one of which
was burGened with the additional la
Dor of dragging the boats over danger
Gus rapids. constant wetting by wading
and ducking, the baking due to mer-
CHESS sunshine. the restricted diet,
made no better by Serafino's ignorance
of hygieEic cooking and Shortly con-
slant addition of bacon grease to every
article together with the ever-present
apprehension of danger. had put us all
in a condition of Quarrelsome, nervous
tension, which is dangerous state in
camp, no matter how friendly all may
be. and it was with pleasure that we
finally sighted Ionged-for landmark
indicating a point where we could
abandon water.
Opposite the village of Langtry, near
the top Of vertical cliff some three
hundred feet high, is small bluff
cavern. Poised on the edge of this
inaccessible cavern is huge pile of
sticks skilfu1y entwined into what is
perhaps the largest birds nest in
America. Since the trans-Pecos coun-
been "a landmark. and until lately was
inhabited by a pair of eagles which
here Fannaunlly brought forth their
young. A few years since, however, a
company of colored soldiers were sta
toned near this place. and with the
instinct which prompts men to shoot
at every living thing. they killed the
BIRDS which even the hardened from
tiersmen had long protected $780,
We landed the contents of our boats
upon little beach opposite this nest
A messenger proceeded mile and a
half to the village of Langtry and Sc
cured a packhorse. which conveyed
our belongings to the railway station.
1t was gratifying 10 see once more even
the crudest habitation of man. We
We're received by famous old from
tiersman. whose hospitable house is
decorated with a peculiar sign read
ing:
xxx Xxx Xxx X x