Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1905-07-18
IN THE GRAND CANON.
Guides Spin Tales to Match the Seen.


Grand Canon in Arizona there Is one
thing there that is grander than the
Grand Canon itself and that Is the
liars about the canon. These imagi-
native gentlemen are mostly guides
who have lived there many years.
Constant contemplation of the majes-
ty of that great work Of nature Is said
to stimulate the imagination in a geo.
metrical ratio as the years go by. and
consequently the tales that are spun
for the wayfarer's ears grow more
picturesque as the age OF the guides
increase.
| 1t Is no reflection on them to call
these artists Of the Grand Canon liars.
There is little deception in their tales.
They tell them not to deceive, but to
amuse.
They probably feel that the Grand
Canon is so appalling in aspect that q
themselves modestly yarn spinners.
They are.
Captain Hance Is the most famous
of these artists. Next to the canon he
is the best known institution there.
He has lived there most Of his six
ty years and he has a trail named af-
ter him. Moreover. he has a place
down in the canon where he lives and
entertains those who like to linger in
his society.
| Hance has a soft, gentle voice, and
his eye is mellow and kindly. He
speaks with a sort Of resigned and re-
gretful tone and his face is as immo-
bile as an Indians as he sets forth the
dramatic incidents Of history and fic-
ton interviewer in the traditions of
the place.
Not to meet Hance Is to miss half
the joy Of seeing the Grand Canon. He
is really part of it.
Not long ago Hance made himself
rather conspicuous one morning near
party Of tourists. He seemed to be
gathering up a supply Of meat for a
| dog. After he had made his collection
Of scraps he began to chop them up
very fine.
81 suppose your dog is quite young.
captain, judging from the care you
give to his meals?" inquired one of
the interested tourists.
"Taln't dog" said Hance.
mot a dog? What is 1t, them"
| FISH"
| You don't mean to tell me that
you are going to give all that chopped
up meat to a fish,"
Yep"
Where is that fish,"
Down in the river in the canon"
"Where?"
| Down at my place. 1 have to come
here every morning to get food for
him. Amt got enough down there
myself to feed him. He's a pretty
good size"
How big?"
Then Hance lowered his voice. and
his sad eyes looked straight into
those of the inquirer as he said.
| L
you about that fish, because I'm
afraid you might think was exagger-
ating 1t little. don't like to exag-
gerate, and I never do unless 1 am
pushed to it by some Of these unrea-
sonable tourists who never seem sat-
isfied unless you tell 'em lies-real
| lies, big lies.
ut always hurts me to lie about
the presence of such a wonderful
manifestation of nature, Of Gods
power, as this great canon exhibits.
Why. sir, what grander, what more
Oh, yes, about that fish I was telling
you of.
HE came to me during a freshet In
the river down there. You see. he
was being swept away from home and
helpless.
There Is little sort Of lagoon near
my place. Usually, when it is dry. 1t
Is several feet above the river. In
time of flood the water reaches up
there, fills 1t. and sometimes the water
stays until the next flood.
"Well, saw a big commotion COM
ing down the stream the day I was
telling you Of, and I saw a monster
salmon, my fish, being carried away.
as I told you. I had a lariat there.
the one 1 used to use when l was a
cowboy. and I just flung 1t into ne
river, caught the fish and with the
aid Of the current towed him into
my lagoon
How big was he? Well. the last
time I measured him he was twelve
feet long, but he amt got full grown
yet. He suffers from growing pains a
good deal. I can notice.
'I thought I was going to have a
fight with him. and I thought 1t
would not be long before / had part
Of him cooking in the pan. But,
Lord bless you, do you suppose
could have killed him? Not on your
life.
when he looked in my eyes. after
saved him from being carried off
into strange waters, he gave me such
grateful look and came along into
my lagoon without the least struggle.
as If to say, You saved my life. I'll
stay with you as long as / live
do you know. l got to love that fish
right there? The flood went down
suddenly and left him stranded In
that little pool on my hands. We
have come to be very good friends
go to see him every morning and he
wags his tail five times, just so (the
captain illustrates this), as a sort Of
signal greeting-never wags his tail to
any one but me, and to me five times
when he says good morning and three
times when he says goodbye, and he
sort of winks at me as IL to say.
What is the outlook for breakfast to-
day.?
Hes so friendly that can't let him
starve and he eats lots Of food, keeps
me busy hustling for him. We had
high water once since he has been
with me, and l offered him his free
dom. You see it is quite tax to have
to feed him constantly and wait on
him and although I loved him