The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1911-12-08


NNAzNl line of the railroad is stu
NSg ated the little city OF VIII
.ams, Ariz. The place received Its
prcsaic name from the noted pioneer
scout, Bill Williams. who lies buried at
he foot of Bill Williams mountain
nearby The city has picturesque To-
cation, $3.50 feet above sea level ana
lis at the junction Of the Grand Can
yon railroad which leads to the won
derful erosion, some 60 miles north
The Grand canyon is acknowledged
to be incomparably the worlds grand
est natural wonder. Within the gigan-
tic stretch of the canyon, varying
from five to twelve miles in width.
the Colorado river and its tributaries
wind their ways for over 200 miles.
Most of the walls of the canyon rise
to the incredible height Of 5000 to
5000 feet, and display every variety
of curving ridge and ravine. Of fell
precipice and rocky gorge.
Fully 100 tourists, en- route to Call
fornia, daily switch off mere for view
Of the Titan of Chasms-the most
gigantic example of erosion on the
globe. The marble and gigantic walls
of this stupendous water-worn trench
are from 1000 to $500 feet high, often
very precipitous and perpendicular.
sculptured into wildly fantastic forms.
and brilliantly tinted in deep red and
yellow. brown and gray, purple and
black. The canyon is about $40 miles
long; and, through the rocky gorge,
river winds it's way with varying de-
scent The channel contracts and then
expands tortuous ribbon of silver,
whose boundaries of objects. though
gigantic in size, are lost to sight in the
magnificent environments.
Scene Of Splendor.
In some places these huge cliffs fair
ly overhang the water, and the boat
man, looking upward. can see but a
narrow strip of blue sky. Frequently
clouds gather over the top of the
gorge. and one floats along in dark
ness. From the rim above, the rush.
ing and the whitening of the waters
below may be seen, but the distance is
so great that no sound is ever heard.
Stolid. indeed, is he who can front the
awful scene and view its unearthly
splendor of color and form without
quaking. This labyrinth of immense
architectural forms is endlessly varied
in design, fretted with ornamental de-
vices, festooned with lace-like webs
formed from talus from the upper cliffs
and painted with every color known to
the palette in pure transparent tones
Of marvellous delicacy.
Never was picture more har-
monious; never a flower more ex-
Quisitely beautiful. The Grand canyon
country is not only the hugest, but the
most varied and instructive specimen
Of earth building and destruction on
the globe. Nowhere else on earth is
there such an example Of deep gnaw-
ling waters or of water high-carvfng.
New York may boast OF its Niagara;
California, its Yosemite: Kentucky, its
Mammoth Cave; Virginia. its Natural
Bridge, and Wyoming, its geysers all
wonderfully elaborate and grand in
their way, but here. In an altitudinous
mesa. is chasm that would hide them
all and then be but partially decorated.
much less filled
Wonders Of chaIcedony Park.
While the Grand canyons are the
greatest, they are by no means the
| only objects of interest in this land Of
wonders. With its castle domes, thumb
buttes and solitary sugar-loaf peaks;
its mesas Of bare rock. beds OF ashes
or leagues Of yellow and vermilion
sands. Arizona abounds in the strange
and the wonderful Chalcedony park.
In Apache county. covers 1000 acres.
amid vast desert Of sandstone and
| lava. with the fragments Of thousands
Of gigantic pines and cedars brought
by food or glacier and changed By
natures chemistry into brilliant min
erals OF exquisite colors At Intervals,
one sees on every side gulches torn
i out OF the solid rock by the ceaseless
grinding OF flint on flint. exposing
broken logs OF every conceivable
length and size. In all shapes and
colors imaginable, Throw over all the
blazing rays Of the southern sun and
You are surrounded with Jewels, miles
and miles of them. so brilliant as 70
dazzle the eyes and make Aladdfn's
/ tabled cave a rushlight in comparison
Onyx, chalced ony. carnelian, jaSper.
(; agate and every variety Of flelicatelys
veined marble, with masses ii: tur-
fyv,nfcr, ~ % v.not ~ sx,e,x, ssx.< - = :