The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1905-12-21

H1:J PoSIS were established in New
MeAlco and Utah, the government at
oenpeeu exploring the Colorado to
opGn up navigation. An expedition
unuel Lieut.. Ives started out but was
SUN t opliged to abandon the river and
ton at Fort Defiance. That is the his
tory OF the Colorado river and CANYON
up to about forty years ago.
IN 1869 Major J. W. Powell under
took TO explore the river with nine
men and four boats and landed some
one thousand miles from the place of
starting, minus two boats and four
men. Later he made several more
tripS' as did other adventurous travel
elS, many OF whom lie buried at inter
W., vais along the course of the Colorado
Inc COLORADO is one of the greatest
rivers OF North America. Formed
IN Utah by the Green and the Grand
II passes through the northwest cor
ner OF Arizona, becomes the eastern
boundary of Nevada and California
and flows south until it reaches the
Gulf OF California, Mexico.
The little silver thread as it looks
from the rim of the CANYON. when
reached is a wild, raging, roaring tor
rent. In places the channel is narrow
ana very swift and, with $40 rapids,
dangerous falls and cataracts, is path
way terrible to contemplate.
John L. Stoddard in his illustrated
lectures on travel and scenery speaks
OF the Grand Canyon as "a mighty cash
IN natures barred breast; a cash 200
miles IN length and mile in depth,
from which is flowing a stream of life
blood called the Colorado"
Thprp lint o,o
Nowhere in the world has its like been
found. 1t has been here in all its
grandeur, exactly as it is, for what to
us is an eternity, unknown, unseen by
human eye. 1t is only within a quar-
ter of a century that the Grand CANYON
has been known to the civilized world.
1t is scarcely known now. The Santa
re built It's branch road in here to the
canyon in 1902. Previous to that travel
was more difficult, journey from rail
beng made by the old stage coach. [
wonder how many of our eastern
lIlends-aWay down east, as we say
know or realize that out here in Ari-
iona, only few days journey from
them and at small expense to see, are
SO many wonderful thmgS-yes, Won
ders OF the world, not to be eQualled on
all the globe | am sure | knew yprv
little OF this until coming west, and
often now | am amazed and wondering
as some new point of interest is dis
cuSSed IN my presence, or meets my eve
III IA local paper OF magazine | believe
there is and can be no dispute that no
other equal area on earth contains so
many supreme maTvelS SO many as
founding sights, SO many masterpieces
OF \ ature's handiWork, as is included in
Arizona and New Mexico. OF the Grand
Canyon region. The largest and by far
the most beautiful of all petutied
forests: the largest natural bridge in
the world, 200 feet high, over 500 feet
span, and over 600 feet wide up and
down stream, with all orchard on it's
top and miles of stalactite caves under
It's abutments; the largest variety and
display OF volcanic action iii North
America, with SO mile lava flows, 1900
foot blankets of creamy tufa cut by
scores Of canyons, hundreds of craters
and thousands of square miles of lava
beds, baSalt and cinders, and so much
volcanic glass that it was the chief
tool of the prehistoric population: the
largest and most impressive villages of
cave dwellings in the world; the many
stored cliff dwellings, castles and forts
and homes in the face of wild precipiccs
or upon their tops; the twenty-six
strange communal town republics of
the descendants of the ''cliff DIV el!ers,"
the modern PueblOS, some in fertile
valleys, some dixie Acoma and Moki)
perched on barren, dizzy cliff tops; the
strange dances, rites. dress and customs
OF this ancient people who had solved
the problem of irrigation, siX-story
house luIldng ana clean self govern
ment long before Columbus was born.
some of the most notable tribes of saw
age Nomads like the Navajos, whose
blankets and Sllver-Work are emf
nent, and the Apaches, who have
probably been the greatest and most
successful warriors in history: all these
and great deal more make tins part Of
the southwest wonderland without a
parallel, and at the head Of the list
stands the Grand Canyon.
| talked with many tourists during
the week | spent there, several OF whom
had Travelled much abroad, and one and
all unanimously exclaimed at the won
ders of the canyon, saying they had
never before realized there was any
thing SO stupendous in America, far ex-
ceiling anything they had seen in their
foreign travels.
CllaS. +. IuIll1lS, 6ulLoI Ol ull6 Out
West" magazine, and author of such
volumes as Strange Corners of Our
Country" ga Tramp Across the CONT
nent" and others, has travelled over
North and South America, is intensely
patriotic, believing in America for
Americans, and knowing this great
southwest so thoroughly as he does, has
always longed to have the tide of eager
tourists tu>n toward this, away from
foreign travel, and come to know and
realize that this is an unmatched Won
derland l have quoted some of his
ideas as voicing my own, and so much
more perfectly than my poor brain can
form the words.
Words are most inadequate to de
scribe the Grand Canyon. 1t must be
seen to convey the slightest idea of its
grandeur and wonders. 1t is well
worth trip all the way from the distant
State of Maine Everyone going from
the east to California should get stop
over ticket at Williams, and the small
sum of Sc. 50 will bring them to the
brink of the canyon, where good hotels
furnish comfortable accommodations
for $500 and $500 per day, and for
those who have money to burn" to
use a slang expression, I'll ToVar fur
nishes the wherewithal for the modest
consideration of $500 to $500 per day.
A team for drive along the rim, is
hut II M A puidp and DOny for a daV