Charlevoix county herald., 1909-01-09
TNLIW BUTTS NEAR
INDZAN WILLS.

Il
LNDZAN WELLS.
If present plans do not miscarry,
and If the people of Arizona are per-
mitted to have their way, little cor
ner of the Painted desert, equal to two
townships in area, will soon be de-
clared a national monument, and set
aside for preservation forever in it's
present condition, for the use and en-
joyment of the whole people.
There is no more beautifully indef-
mite term in American geography than
1.-The Painted desert" There are rail-
road maps that confine the name to
a narrow strip of territory along the
Little Colorado river; but anyone ia
miliar with the southwest knows that
there are at least half score of other
regions of equal or greater extent
fully as deserving of the title. George
Wharton James defines the Painted
desert region as extending from the
Rio Grande west to the Calico noun
tains, the Salton sea, the Mojave des-
ert. It's northern limits are some
where among the plateaus of southern
Utah, while it's southern boundary
must be sought somewhere down in
northern Mexico. 1t includes the Col
orado desert, the Grand canyon, the
Mongollon plateau, the Tonic basin,
the Verdi, Hassayampa and Salt river
valleys, the Petrified forest and the
Superstition mountains. Not all of
this vast region is desert in character,
and only a relatively small portion of
its desert eXpanses deserves to be de-
scribed as painted.
Yet the conditions of color and hare
ness that first suggested the name eX-
list in places throughout this whole
vast stretch of country. Parts OF it are
as fertile as any of the worlds garden
spots. 1t contains some Of the noblest
virgin forests in America, including a
number of national forests, aggregat-
ing many millions of acres in extent.
1t is crossed by the Continental divide.
The lofty peaks of the San Francisco
and San Mateo mountains, as we'll as
the lesser heights of the Zuni, Super
stition, Mogollon, Pinal and other
ranges are within it's borders. 1t is
crossed by one of the great rivers of
America-the Colorado; and hundred
smaller streams, such as the Little Col
orado, the ella and Virgin rivers, Bill
Williams Fork and Havasu, Walnut,
Oak, Willow, Diamond and Bluewater
creeks drain other portions. Portions
of the desert area are mere wastes of
natural sand-but other portions are
chaotic bad lands upon which the
Master Painter of the universe has
spread a divine harmony OF color that
shames the widest flights of the ina
gination.
Transcontinental travellers never
fail to wonder at and admire the
standing rocks, red cliffs, black lava.
precipicss, extinct volcanic craters
and tall white walls that lend variety
to the view the whole way from 1sleta
to Gallup. West Of the Colorado river,
the chocolate-colored mountains and
hills that shade from gray to black.
and from brown to crimson compel the
notice Of the least observant. All these
are of the Painted desert-but they are
no more than tantalizing hints of the
greater glories that lie beyond the car
window perspective.
Most Of those who forsake the Pull
mans and ever after boast of close
view Of the Painted desert inspect ii
only as an incident Of trip to the
strange towns of the Hopi 1ndians-a
long and wearisome journey Of hun
dred miles or more from Canyon Dia-
bio. Winslow or Holbrook. The por-
tons one sees on such trip are not
those most worthy Of inspection-for
the wagon roads follow the lines of
least resistance, irrespective of the
scenery. Nevertheless. no traveller
over either route will ever forget the
wide outlook over the gaudy, super.
heated sands. the fantastic sky lines
the black, grim volcanic craters and
basalt cliffs, the orange and carmine
bad lands" of the Painted desert
Its coloring is as rich as that OF the
Grand canyon, and more varied. The
prospect is limited only by the powers
of human vision. The winds and
storms and rushing waters of ages
have chiselcd basalt. clay and sand