The Blackfoot optimist. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1907-1918, 1911-12-07

vs. elSQIy miles west VI AlUu-
Ne& querque, N. M, on the main
NAN line of the railroad is stu
W ated the little city of Will
liams, Ariz. The place received its
prosaic name from the noted pioneer
scout, Bill Williams. who lies buried at
the foot of Bill Williams mountain
nearby. The city has picturesque To-
cation, $3.50 feet above sea level, and
| is 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 it's 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 Cali
fornia, daily switch off here 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 240 miles
long; and, through the rocky gorge.
the work of centuries, the turbulent
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.
Ting 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 a 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 OF
the globe. Nowhere else on earth II
there such an example Of deep gnaw
, ing waters or of water high-carving
I New York may boast Of it's Niagara
I California, its Yosemite; Kentucky, 1T
Mammoth Cave; Virginia. it's Natura
4 Bridge. and Wyoming, its geysers-al
! wonderfully elaborate and grand ii
/ their way. but here. in an altitudinou
! mesa. is chasm that would hide then
all and then be bat partially decorated
much less filed.
Wonders Of Chalcedony Park.
While the Grand canyons are tn
Q greatest, they are by no means tn
only objects Of interest in this land O
wonders. With its castle domes, thumb
buttes and solitary sugar-loaf peaks
q It's mesas Of bare rock. beds of ashe
OF leagues of yellow and vermiliol
n sands. Arizona abounds in the strang
!. and the wonderful. Chalcedony parl
d in Apache county. covers 1000 acres
:. amid a vast desert of sandstone an
lava, with the fragments of thousand
d of gigantic pines and cedars brough
:. by flood or glacier and changed b
natures chemistry iAto brilliant mir
4 erals of exquisite colors. At interval.
% one sees on every side gulches tor
out of the solid rock by the ceaseles
t. grinding of flint on flint, exposin
# broken logs of every conceivabl
length and size, in all shapes an
If colors imaginable. Throw over all tn
y azing rays of the southern sun an
you are surrounded with jewels. mile
g and miles Of them, so brilliant as :
b dazzle the eyes and make Aladdin
tabled cave a rushlight in comparison
y Onyx, chalcedony, carnelian, jaspe
e agate and every variety of delicatel.
veined marble, with masses of tn
e quoise, of garnet. Of rose quartz, {
Ii topaz, Of emerald-all bewilder an
r surprise the beholdec.
" And this IL not all. In many local