The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1909-04-29
lCopyright by ShortstorY Pub. CO..

Copyright, by Shortstory Pub, Co,
Of the numerous canyons cut through
he mountain ranges of northern Col
Orado. few retain their original beau
~. Here, as everywhere, the ruth
3ess hand Of man has marred the per
feet work OF nature, The granite
walls and sloping mountain sides still
3zeep their awful grandeur; the
waters tumble and toss along their
rocky beds, but the whjte,hooded
peaks look down ii sorrow upon the
changes wrought since man came to
make his home beneath them.
Once the mountains were green
with spruce and hemlock and pine
from the water to the SHOW, but the
eager hunter of the early days, with
Implying hand, fred the tinder-like
forests to scare forth the game, and
vast tracts were always denuded be-
fore the flames burned themselves
out. In such places the 0ualling as
pens have sprung UP ne their
best to throw a mantle g the n21ed
slopes and hide the shameful sight
Of charre,i and rotting timber. Here
ana there from amidst their ever
rustling leaves bristles a blackened
trunk, tall and pointed like spear.
as if defying the power that laid It's
fellows low, cnd struggling bushes
and vines attempt to coax back the
glory that is gone.
In this respect Laughing canyon is
fortunate exception. Lying somewha
apart from the region of the early SET
Elements. it escaped m0lestatlon tor
years after the other regions had been
Jramped over and pro5pected. When
the inevitable discovery OF gold dld
. occur, the rush was maGe TO the
source Of tie stream and came chiefly
across the range from Black Hawk,
although fairly passabie road was
soon worn UP the canyon from lis
mouth.
BY wntirn or from what particular
circumstance the canyon received its
name has long since been forgotten
Some trace it to Indian legends, and
say that a once mighty Piute LhicI
who murdered h;s, faithful squaw and
:; through remOrse became insane and
killed himself, is here doomed tC
haunt forever the scene of his crime
and that upon still nights, when the
moon is full, and Just ar Il sinks be
; hind Mount O5alaIla, his maniaca
l'4ueh may be heard above the waters
sound echoing up and down the can
yen walls, Others who loIi 20 the
TGu1an or;e:f' attribute the naming tC
. 3uore agreeable source. They tel
US this was the home of the peaceful
corn-god and that after the gathering
Of the summers crr',) ii. me neighbol
ihp +7ineo Camped along the marrow
banks of the stream, danced and ral
and made merry with each other
This version seems the best, for n
$ one from Sunlight creek down Pre-
fescs ever to have heard the ghostl
laugh while only 10 enter the canyo
e TO realize the foundation for tt
other theory. The very air is charge
with mischief. The water3 laugh an
shout as they race among the rock
they have worn so smooth. The grea
oyerhanging houlders are Naiei
carved into ": inkled faces of old me
: ; and ancient danes, who make grin
: ( aces. wink, and smile at you as yo
pass beneath them. They are alWay
Jolly, these old people, always jokin
with each other, and ready to laue
outright at the droll exp1 essions thei
= conDaIi ioi.s assume. Up the canyC
& mile or so, where the stream
:. slowly wearing deep bed, ledg
Z leans over to watch the work Th
figure is that of a scrawny old gnom
with pointed cap and shaggy hait, VII
,t,n tnt-c on
that he fairly holds his sides. A Ii
tie farther On a snoring g1anteSs lie
stretched upon a cliff. Her face pr
trudes from a huge sunbonnet and 6
uprooted pine tree bends down
. tickle her upon the nose.
- No one remembers trouble in l. ig
ing canyon. The spirit of jolli1
seizes the traveller as soon as
passes Smiling Gate, where the ca
yon really begins.
Even the mules that draw down Il
heavy wagon loads of ore to the mil
at Boulder prick up their ears al
become mschievous when LaughI
canyon is reached.
Among the first to visit th
- charmed place were three men WI
- drifted over from Black Hawk. The
were prospectors, of course, and wi
pick and shovel made a vigorous c
pIoration of the surrounding count
q in search of the rich lead which hi
been struck at Sunlight before ths
arrived. They began the sinking
a shaft on the mountain side a hu
"a dred feet above the roadway. CO.
nature is essential in all work, and
- none more 50 than in mining.
z: needs sef-control to keep an ev,
!, temuer in slow and tedious workil
n through solid rock. The fault
n Laughing canyon lay in too much go
( nature. Only one Of the men was c
y enough to claim the gravity which
i supposed to go with years, and /
gr gray head and venerable beard we
!. no bar to the levity with which
~ three were constantly possessed L
J T. result was much sport and little nj
s ing. Indeed, the intoxicating efe
5 can hardly be withstood by any or
Il and soberness yanishes so complete
~