The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-05-09


/ be forgotten i'm these vilds. But the
path of the dragon is now beset with
/ pitfalls and rocky sleeps We must
/ leave it to skirt along the base Of the
/ great cliffs, hugging the walls closely
/ TO escape abysses that reach almost to
their feet. Some spectacular gymuas-
/ tics are now required by both horse and
rider, but unless they end fatally you
generally reach the river, where a deep
ford offers another opportunity Of dis
| posing of yourself. SIN. it is not SO
I bad. Drowning is much pieasanter
than having your neck broken.
Ultimately, in our case, we reached
I the camp of surveyors working on the
( reservoir project under A. A. Clark,
chief engineer. It was close on to midi
might, and the young moon was setting.
We had started early i'm the morning
from Green River City. had nooued at
Forsmau.s ranch, and spent the after
noon and half the night I'm coming some
sixteen miles around and about Ia -
direct line we were now four and seven
tenths miles from Forsman's. Still. it
must be confessed that 1 had spent a
lot Of time sketchiuc, photograph
asking fool questions and getting data
for this article. ANY sensible person
could ride from FOrsmau's to- the camp
at Sheep bridge i'm three hours.
Driving takes longer We had left
FoTsman's IN q comfortable blackboard.
with provisions and a case of eggs. We
reached camp on horseback. Anyone
can nave the pieces of doubIstree. SIM
/ EletTee, whinletree and baGuE wire
strewn along our wOonlit course a
rescue party ON the following day
brought in some egg shells i'm a sunny
sack.
A Mountain Bridge.
] We are now I'm the very heart OF San
| Rafael Swell Sheep bridge consists of
J several thin poles eleven feet LONG rest
ing OF narrow lodges at the top OF O. box
canyon only six feet across. The whole
river is fifty feet below. runuiug ON
bed thirty-five feet wide. ON this frafI
bridge sheepherieTs have crossed their
fOCks 10 save a detOUT of many miles.
This point has been selected for tine site
of a masonry dam 1S5 feet high that
will create the Mexican Bend reservoir,
covering the BOSTON, of the canyon u
a great depth for two and a half miles
of its length. Some beautiful meadow
land and groves of fine cottonvoOds
viii be submerged. but in return a lake
will be formed of unrivaUed interest
and wonder. I'm a launch upon its wa
| tiers, one viii be able TO thread the laby-
rinths of the surrounding gOrges, pass
| ing between narrow walls up mini8-
ture fiOrds, with cliffs Overhangiug and
huge mOnOIiths springing from the
depths. The spires and arches Of vast
cathedral forms viii be reflected on sts
/ bosom, their hugs bulk and graceful or
| namentatiOn now outlined in wine-cOl-
ored mass against the sky, OF shot at
sunset with orange and crimson and
gold.
Delights for the Painter.
! Color. color everywhere. To paint
these scenes as they really are taxes
every resource Of the palette. In places
l the Triassic cliffs are sunburned TO a
/ jet black; the cleaning white dOmes OF
Jurassic sandstone are like caps OF
/ snow: there are belts Of pale green and
I lemon running along the futed cornices
/ Of PeTmian rock Nearby, the orange
| and ochTe cTags, and the huge towers
/ of POmpeiian red startls the eye, but IN
l the distance, shOne upon by the bril-
liant, cIoud'sss blue Of the sky. they
pale into tender violet and pink as they
fade, line after line, spire after spire,
lin the infinite distance.
1t is quite within reason TO believe
/ that before many years have passed.
! this new wonderland viii be a popular
resort for tourists. because a reservoir
with 1S5 feet head and a line with
hundreds Of feet more fall has great
/ power posi- bilities. and a trolley line
/ from Green River City to Mexican Bend
/ has already been seriously c1usidereE
/ i'm connection with the power plant.
/ Nature has not been uiEgardlv I'm the
/ bestOwaI of scenic attractions upon this
state. but those wild combinations of
monumental rocks and lonely plain. like
| the bridge country and the upper val
/ leys of the Rio Virgeu. are far away
/ from railroads and require days to
reach. But Black Dragon canyon is
within an hours trolley ride from Green
I River City. and iu some respects ufl
compare with any of them.
There Is much JOY To- be had i'm a visit
/ to San Rafael Swell and those who
make the effort viii return prouder
/ than ever of wonderful Utah.