Arizona republican., 1901-05-25

after Wn. Ashurst. who lost his life there in February last).s Taxi, Cape Horror, ONeill, Grant. Eternity, Sem tinel, Rowe. Cyclorama, Zuni, Acoma, Heres, Pecos, Pollux and Castor (the twin ternples), Hava-supai, Hualapai, Apache and Mohave. This brings us to point south of Powe!rs Plateau; and not far below the character of the canyon changes, becoming more mar row and gorgelike. The points on the north side do not show to advantase; being fore:hortened by the perspective, so that they apparently retreat into the walls of the main facade,
 As lover of this noble amphithea- tre-this transcendent avenue of the gods--I must complain of the shame ful manner in which n has been ma ligned by the more than enc thought less writer. Such adjectivea as awful. fearful, horrible" have been used in 1t to an inferno. Truly there Is nothing suggesting the horrible or the internal in all its beauteous and repoo,ful depths. Undoubtedly 1t would be aw- ful to fall from one of those dizzy cliffs, but, fortunately, one 'does not have to-; and it is idle to conjUre pp imag- mary horrors. The canyon is sublime and magnificent but, above all, it is beautiful, and it's beauty is even more evident than its grandeur.
 There is nameless expression in the profies of it's characteristic architec- ture that speaks to one of things un- ,,ft Ia.- hut nt of r,,. Rather, it brings to one feelings of a calm. intending peace, and a silent as- surance that ali will be well. I can not imagine a more soothing, restful retreat for ohe racked and worriel by busineos cares, or fol one whose heart throbs with some great sorrow, than to wonder idly beneath the whispering pines of the fower-strewn parks that here overlook the peaceful underworld of this vast. voiceless amphtheatre. whose mountains watch forever in the eternal silence. Infinity is in their gaze -and deep, inscrutable wisdom. So that, gazing with them. the petty things of life are forgotten. and the past and future of mOrtals alike seem but breath in the endless scheme of things. fl
 Not the least enjoyable portion of this eastern region of the great canyon is the beautiful and typical woodland and mountain scenery that forms one half the landscape. A short mile back from the brink of the gulf is the sum- init of the Colbrf0doI plAteau,G eight thousand and odd feet above sea level, and crowned with giant pines that ad- vance downward to the very verge Of the cliffs, and drop their cones into the profound depths. The grassy slopes that extend downward from the brink are clothed with the beautiful and sym metrlcal silver fir: but Jn the level and rolling backward and upward in grace full curves the forest land is a smooth. green carpet. clean and parklike as a private lawn; and the grateful eye glancec far back between the golden yellow boles of the pine trees Into dark, chady de;ls, where mosses and ferns and wild flowers carpet the ground, and thrush. oriole and robin fill the air with melody
 Even the drive to this region. which used to be such bugbear to those who wished to visit 1t, has now become a pleasure. When came I took a four horse stage at the terminus of the Santa Fe and Grand Canyon railway, and the slashing drive through shady pine forest, though a little less than fourteen miles, was a pleasure every bit of the way.
 By the way. I had nearly forgotten to mention that I discovered some very interesting fossils in going down the Red CarVon Trail" from Hances to the river. In the stratum of blue limestone which h seven hundred and fifty feet thick, and is c!assed with the lower carbonlferons series, 1 found two perfect specimens of salamander (stegocephala) about nine inches long This was about the only amphiban (except the frogs and toads) extant in those times. About thousand feet higher, in the white sandstone of the upper carboniferons. I found a large slab with over twenty footmarks of either frogs or lizards. Unfortunately I was unable to remove them, but I took sketcheG and measurements which I shall send to Prof Blake at the Ari- zona museum, for identification.
 P. C. BICKNELL.