Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1905-10-21

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upon entering place so filled with
evideces of supernatural power. A hush
fell upon all IN our large party, the
noise of the locomotive seemed de-.
secration. and as the train came to n
stop in the shadow of one of the lofti-
est peaks instinctiveIy there burst
from every throat the strains of
''praise God from whom all blessings
| flow.
/ The next place of interest is the
Canon OF the Graude. If the Royal
Gorge may be called the cathedral, it
may be well named the chapel of
nature. Tremendous rather than
splendid, massive rather elegant, it
throws over the mind of the beholder
sense OF being crushed, which in
creases with the passing miles as he
vaiilly seeks from the window of his
car TO catch a glimpse of SKY over the
impending walls of rock, and equally
vainly, tries to assure himself that
there is adequate support between
him and the raging, laundering whirl-
pool beneath. Alternating lights and
shadows falling from the SUBMITS of
higher and lower cliffs, and intensified
at times by the sudden dashing into
short tunnels and out again, are SER
mons upon the mutations of life. 1t
is not strange that the race of men
reared amid such surroundings should
be naturally religious to the point of
superstition as well as wild and bold.
From Colorado Springs a side trip
was made to the Garden of the Gods
and Manitou. The former might as
well be called the geologist's paradise :,
for it is difficult to conceive what
pleasure the gods could find in pilng
mp monstrous boulders or sticking
mountains like needles of stone into a.
plain as bleak and barren as the haunts
of death, though one can easily see
how geologist might desire nothing
better than TO dream his life away in
such a place. Such formations of
rock are perhaps to be found at no
other place: the resemblances pointed
out by the guide are largely imaginary,
but always interesting. A half day IS
drive through these wonders leaves
the impression that time has been turn
ed back so 900 years, and somehow or
other. one has wandered into play
house of the children of the giants.
Manitou is watering place located
at the foot of Pixies Peak. 1t is
city of hotels and springs, populated
by sports and burrows. At almost
any hour of the day one may see COM
ing down the principal street of the
place caravan of long cared animals |
about the size or two ear-old calves,
ridden astride by women wearing
large, broad-brimmed and pointy-
crowned straw hats and yelling like red |
men capturing a town. OF course,
there are other people and other things
in this CITY, but these formed the most
impressive sight Witnessed during the
few hours of our stay. The springs
are excellent; this is the source of the
famous Manitou water known all over
the United States.
AT Salt Lake City we found min
gled some OF the finest characteristics |
of nature, depravity and art When |
the Mormons came to this place so |
years ago theyi found only sand and |
sage brush. They have made it an |
empire with millions Of wealth and a
population of over 80. 900 souls. Who
will dare to saw that polygamvE ia
had nothing to do with the elep.ent of
population when Bingham Young
alone added SO to the romber of ,ieui.
zens OF the place, Our guide while
showing ss the points of interest
s.okA elodhentlv of the effects of irri.
ga.ion nuon the state, Dand then added
With prize Brigham Young was the
father of irrigation" To which one
of our party replied, Eyes, and OF
several others" Here is the Mormon
temple, built at cost of over "a. ooo,-
900, witniH the precincts OF which
are prefonned their vows of baptism
aud noeSrimony. and mysteries known
only to the chosen few. There, too,
is the tabernacle one of the most
wonderful auditoriums in the world
with an organ which no doubt holds
the proud distinction OF being first of
its kind. This wonderful instrument
is said to have ten thousand pipes and
renders some parts so distinctly that
one hearing the sound without know
ing where he was, or any other related
circumstance, would declare it to be
the accents of the human voice.
Our next stop OF importance was
San Francisco, of which we will
write ia our next letter.
xrn~r racpontfrfly