The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1917-04-07
CHAPTER K.
The New Rodman-

There are no more beautiful valleys
anywhere than those cut by he waters
of primeval floods through the foothills
of the great snow-covered Rocky noun
tainS. The erOSiOnS and waShingS of
! untold centuries have flung out in front
OF the granite rampartS of succession
| or lower elevations like the baSti0nS OF
| a fortress. At first scarcely to be dis
| ttnguiShed from the main range in
height and ruggedneSS these ravelins
ana eScarpmontS gradually decrease in
altitude and size until they turn into
series of more or less disconnected.
softly rounded hills. like outfIung
| earthworkS. finally merging themselves
by gradual slopes into the distant
plains overlooked by the great peaks
Of the mountains.
'he monotony of these pine-clad,
Wind-Swept slopes is broken even in
the low hills 10y out -thrustingS of stone
sometimes the hard igne0uS rock. the
granite of the mountains. more fire.
quently the softer red sandstone of
period later, yet inefTably old. These
cliffs. butteS. hills and meSaS have
been Weathered into strange and fan
taStic shapes which diversity the land
Scape and add charm 10 the country.
The narrow cunonS in which the
>noW-bed streams take their rise grad
ually widen as the water follows its
tortuouS course down the mountains
through the subSiding ranges and out
among the foothills To the sandy, arid.
windy plains beyond. Al the entrance
of Gne of the lovelieSt of these broad
and verdant valleys, Il short distance
above its confluence with narrower.
more rugged ravine through the hills,
lay the thriving little town of Coro-
nadO.
Some twenty miles back from the
town at place where the valley was
narrowed to a quarter of mile. and /
separating it from the paralleling ra-
vine, rose huge sandstone rock called |
Spanish Mesa. Its top. some hundreds |
OF feet higher than the tree-Clad base |
OF the hills, was mainly level. From /
Its high elevation the country could be |
seen for many miles, mountains on one |
hand, plains on the other. II stood
Ike an island in sea of verdure. Lit
tie spurs and ridges ran from ii. To-
ward the range il descended and con-
tracted into Il narrow saddle. vulgarly
known as "hOg-baCk." where the
granite of the mountains was hidden
under deep covering of graSS-grown
Earth, which formed the only division
between the valley and the gorge or
'avine. before the land, widening. rose
ntO the next hill.
The people came from miles away
o see that Interesting and curious
mesa. much more striking in its ap-
,earanCe than Baldwin'S knob. the last
oothill below it, TranScontinental
ravelerS even broke journey To visit
L The town proSpered accordingly.
specially as it was admirably situated
IS place of departure for hunters. eX-
'orerS. proSpectorS and adventurerS
Who sought what they craved in the
VIII nils. There We're one or two good
hotels for tourists. unusually extensive
general stores of the better class
where hunting and prospecting parties
Quiz be- "Ut,itred. and the hi.h-livin.
'AlEaNa-ant Cattl" ranChcrS could grr
What they demanded. BESIDES nh
.''>' There were the modest homes Of
he lovers II the rough but eXhilaratfng
'"A h'"I'h--iE.uG life Of the Rocky