Durango semi-weekly herald., 1905-09-04

| the CANYON not long ago. and tn,
guides had TO blindfofd her. tie he
hands behind her and strap her to
mule. 1t took them seven hours t,
get her back 10 the hotel
The other day y Polish teweler from
New York. named Ratskoff. got up Al
; O'Clock in the morning to see the
sun rise and did not come back TO the
hotel for As hours, He says he wan
dered along the rim Of the canyon
until he thought he had gone far
enough and then concluded TO save
time by cutting cross.lots through the
woods. There was nothing To guide
him He was city man and not ac'
customed to steer by the sun. so nc
| wandered around and around until he
was tired out and laid down to rest.
He slept all night and resumed his
wanderings next morning. He kept
going and resting at intervals until
| shortly after daylight on the second
| morning he suddenly came upon the
rear of El Tovar. He saw men stir.
ring In the power house and rushed
Into that building before 1t could dis
| appear from his sight. Before he mad
| time to tell his story he collapsed on
The tloor from weakness. for he had
not had a mouthful TO cat or drink
since dinner the night before he start.
ed on around In n circle all of this
time. He could not have seen moro
than "A mile or two from the hotel:
because there are trails and wagon
roads in every direction He does not
remember seeing any Of them, and
dozen frontlersmen and Indians
were searching for him all of the sec
ond day and night. and building fires
on high points 10 attract his after.
tion. They did not think Of search
Ing nearer than five miles away
This is the first experience of tao
kind since the new hotel was built.
and the trails are so well marked that
II is almost impossible for a man to
get lost even II he tried.
The Grand Canyon is within gov.
ernment forest reservation sixty by
eighty miles In size About two-thirds
of 1t is on the eastern and the other
third is on the western side. The
timber Is in fairly good condition
There was a bad fire two years ago
which ruined several hundred acres
OF fine forest, but there is little dan
ger of its recurrence because of the
vigilance OF Captain Fenton. the su-
perintendent, and his corps of forest
ers.
II is thirteen miles from one rim
of the canyon to that on the opposite
side, and there are two trails by which
the western side may he reached One
of them. the Bright Angel trail, IL op-
posite the new hotel, and although II
is eighteen or twenty miles to the top
the climb is comparatively easy. 1t
follows stream Of clear, pure. cold
water which comes tumbling down
narrow canyon on the western side.
and Major Powell during his first
memorable exploration Of the canyon
called It the Bright Angel river be-
cause ii was such u grateful discov-
cry.
Captain Fenton says that the coun
try on the western side of the canyon
Is much better than that on the east
ern side; that the timber is larger
and thicker water Is more abundant
and there are great many deer and
other big game. The forest reserve
includes a strip of thirty miles along
the edge OF the canyon, and west OF
that. to the Utah line. the land has
been taken up by Mormon ranchmen,
who have large herds of cattle. Near.
ly all of the inhabintants of that cor
her OF Arizona are Mormons. John
Meadow massacre, had a ranch at a
ferry over the Colorado about u hun.
dred miles north of here, where he
lived In concealment for more than
twenty years, He was finally discov.
cred identified arrested convicted
and executed for completely In the
murder Of caravan of people In
northern Utah while on their way to
California His widow now keeps
hotel at Holbrook, Ariz.,- one of the
most important stations on the Santa
Fe road, and several of his sons and
daughters are living In this locality.
Everybody who comes here wants
to go TO the bottom Of the canyon,
and the hotelkeepers, have made care
ful arrangements so that the novel
journey may be taken with the least
fatigue and DISCOMFORT possible. They
have fifty or more sure-footed horses
and mules. and n dozen guides. who
go mp and down the trail almost ev.
cry day the year around and are ac-
customed to looking after both reck-
less and timid people. 1t is dusty
journey, and suits OF coarse blue linen
wide-brimmed straw hats and other
suitable clothing are provided for peo
pie who have come unprepared. with
divided skirts Of various dimensions
for the women to wear In the saddle.
Everybody is compelled to ride astride
There is not side-saddle in this part
of Arizona. ."
The guides carry canteens of water
and lunch is served at little oasis,