Lewiston evening teller. [volume] (Lewiston, Idaho) 1903-1911, 1908-07-24
RAvENNA PARK, SEATTLE.
Most Beautiful Natural Scenery or
Puget Sound.

| Inc most Deautlful natural par
| | have ever seen is Ravenna park
here at Seattle. 1t has been yer,
! carefully guarded for years by 1t
| owner, William w. Beck, his mail
object being to preserve it in 1t
native entirety and to keep out van
dalism.
The city is considering the advis
ability of purchasing this nativ'
woods for city park, but the own
er's price, which | think is abou,
100000. somewhat staggers thu
city fathers.
| suppose this large tract was pur
chased for mere song, but the city
has now grown out to it and sur.
rounded it. and the owners have ex.
pended thousands of dollars on it.
There is an admission fee of %
cents charged, mostly for the pur-
pose of keeping out destructive In
dividuals.
AS you enter the shaded aisle of
the forest you notice that here is
one spot where the hand of nature
has excelled, and it may be called
her masterpiece.
On the left there is dashing
brook, which comes tumbling to-
wards you, dashing over innumera-
BILE obstacles and forming a success
sion of waterfalls. 1t is very
brook and one of its bah
bling waterfalls is named Kreidler's
falls. in honor OF the famous violin
list, who visited it and Immediately
afterwards improvised piano reci-
tai Of its pearling melodies
On the other side is a darksome
ravine, screened and guarded from
the sun and the winds by giant
hemlOcks and frs. Across its bed
are many fallen trunks and b,arch-
es, some Of them having cculnb!ed
to dust; and from some of these
there have sprung up cedars. which
ire now also aged, but are green.
their liveb having been nourished
md sustained alone by the mould
,ring and decaying trunks and the
nosses clinging to them. In fact
he ravine Is completely s,:rcuje1
With moses and covered with vines:
Ind there are places there where
never yet has trod the foot of man.
Passing on up the wooded path,
ve come to numerous springs, some
Z them were as pure as crystal.
While there was one chalybeata,
mother impregnated with iron, and
till another with sulphur. These
re carefully guarded annd walled
With stone.
Leading OF from this main aisle
; bit of Indian trail. which at
ONE time must have led far OF in
o the heart Of this great northwest
IN forest. As I walked up the
path. which was quite
idden and overhung with '--ch.
>. I fancied could understa I'D
Of the abortngine's love
{ the forest and its seclusions.
he air was laden with the pun
ent odor Of the pines annd the hem
'cks. and the path was covered
18th tufted grass. And in the
cart Of that woods, I thought, Ii
ou'd appreciate somewhat Of the
ndian's resentment of intrusions
pom his beloved solitudes.
Retracing my steps I came to
rove OF giant hemlocks and cedars
nd f1rs-Quite the largest trees
ad ever seen. They grew straight
nd strong, and one old sentinel,
hich for centuries had spread out
8 great arms protectingly. had
zen appropriately named Adam.
Another grand symetrical fr. the
ost beautiful OF all. was called
Robert e. Lee," which told us
lainer than words could express.
lat Mr.. Beck. the owner. was a
'utherner by birth and education.
Mrs. Beck is musician. and she
I'd named magnificent fir in hon.
OF the king Of violinists, that
eat Poe who has a forest of frs
Id pines and hemlocks on his
aautiful Austria-Poland estate, at
osna; its name is "Paderewiski"
But there is giant of the forest
lere which measures sixty-three
ct In circumference. and It looms
hundreds of feet. It is the
'andest Of all the stately trees of
Re forest, and in honor OF It's hu-
an protvpe, who has shielded and
iarded the forests. Mr.. Beck has
lmed this tree Roosevelt"
JULIA RANDOLPH SPOFFORD.