The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1909-09-05

Navajo stories OF a great natural bridge
IN the neighborhood Of Navajo noun
tain, Dean Byron Cummings of the
University Of Utah undoubtedly began
one Of the most trying and difficult bits
Of modern scientific work Mrs. John
Wetherih of Oljato, Utah, had heard
an Indian tradition of the great arch,
Dut was unable TO secure information
OF its exact location. She repeated the
story to Professor Cummings, who i'm
medlately resolved TO visit the bridge,
make notes upon its location and pho
tograph it so that the southwest could
claim another arch that would surpass
the once famous bridge of Virginia.
only few moments before the Cum
mings party had expected to leave the
OlJatO trading post, W. 3. Douglass,
United States examiner of surveys, end
party arrived. Mr.. Douglass had heard
OF the bridge last summer from an
Indian guide, who had taken the sur
veyor to the three bridges In White can
yon. This Indian, a Piute, had never
seen the arch, but had heard the NGva-
10 traditions through another Piute !
named Nashja, who at present resides
within the Navajo reservation. Mr..
Douglass was jOuTneying southwark
with the hope of locating this great
bridge, surveying it and adding it to
the already large list of national mOnu-
ments. Professor Cummings purpOsely
delayed his work in order that Mr..
Douglass might have the advantage Of
the Navajo and Piute guides in the en-
plOy Of the Utah people. After the
Douglass outfit had rested, the trip was
begun, but on account Of the lateness
of the hour only a comparatively short
distance was covered before dark drove
the explorers to their blankets.
Early start Is Made.
Breakfast was eaten before sunrise
on the second day and the journey was
begun before the sun had quite warmed
the night air. The trail led over the
mesa, past Organ Rock and the Need
les, down the wonderful Copper can
yOn to the San Juan river, and then
along that streams rocky banks to the
mouth of Nocki canyan. Here the
party halted for both horses and men
needed rest and refreshment From the
sluggish NOcH creek the trail led up
the steep canyon wall to the mesa that
joins it with Piute canyon. The cam
yOn at this point is two thousand five
hundred feet deep. The crude Indian
path zigzagged back and forth, up
and down, in and out among huge
bOulders that had fallen from the great
wall above, covering fully five miles be-
fore the final steep jump opened out
upon the burnt mesa.
The last part Of the trail was exceed
ingly dangerOus-its sharp corners and
uncertain footing put the heavily
packed horses in the hands Of fate,
More than once it was found necessary
to Unpack the larger animals and lead
them over the bad places. One small
Indian pony. a pack horse belonging
to the Cummings party, slipped while
attempting to cross a great smooth
rock on the trail and slid down several
feet before caught and Helped to safety
from the very edge of the cliff The
animal was without shoes, a fact that
made its footing uncertain AMI par
tiCularly dangerous at this time. The
little beast started up the path n Sec
ond time, but thoroughly excited, at
tempted to run when it reached the fiat
rock again.
Falls Between Rocks.
A second time it slipped, this time
falling down between two boulders and
twisting one of its hind legs. The third
trial was successful by the aid of a
couple of ropes. On top Of the mesa
the first clear water since leaving Oh
jato was found, where late rains had
filed some shallow pools in the sand
stone. Man and beast drank from the
same pool. satisfied by the warm water.
The descent into Piute canyon was
nearly as difficult as that leading out
Of Nocki. Camp was made by the
muddy stream and supper was soon
over. From a nearby Piute hut the
Navajo horse wrangler brought wa
termelon-the first of the season. The
sight brought forth the shouts of the
entire xpeditiOn-shOUts that continued
until the melon was discovered 10 be
green. The Unripe condition of the
fruit did not discourage the Indians, !
however, and nothing but the outer
rind was left a few moments later.
The party started early the next
morning, for the country to be travelled !
was unknown and Mr.. WetheriH, who !
was accompanying Dean Cummings, |
hoped to find Nashja-bega, a Pluto |
Indian, thoroughly familiar with the
country surrounding Navajo mountain. |
It is putting it mildly 70 say that the
expedition attracted the aJyenU,on Of
the few Indians encountered en- route. |
Few. if any. white men had ever ven
tured into the sun-burned canyons be |
fore, and it is certain, that never in
their lives had the Indians Of this dis
trict ever seen so many white men at
one time.
The scenery from the mesa trail was |
most wonderful. Looking out over
East canyon, past the Colorado, to- |
ward the Henry mountains one saw a !
picture that would seem unnatural at |
any other spot. Red, pink, brown, blue |
and yellow harmOnZed with an ease |
that was dazzling, even to an artistic |
eye. Oil reproductions of this bit of |
Utah would be received with derision-
its beauty is past belief.
Canyon Is Named.
The horses were unsaddled at noon |
in a small canyon, named Natan by /
the expedition. A clear stream Of water /
ran down from the slopes of the noun |
tain, an unusual find at camping places. !
Inasmuch as the canyon overlooked the /
Colorado river for great distance and |
so impressed itself on the minds of the /
party with its cool shadows that |
farewell parting was an unpleasant 1
thought, it was decided to give the |
stream a name.
If was most difficult fo think of an