The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1918-12-19

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strange efigy there is legend of
q bold and ambitious warrior of
the Incas who, leaving his Indian
wife, started out in search of
wealth and power. Many sunsets
followed the day of his departure
and still the watcher watched in
vain. It seemed that the bold and
ambitious warrior was never to re-
turn. Before the home of the
abandoned woman another warrior
raised his voice in passionate out
bursts of entreaty, seeking to cap
ture the affections of one who
needed him not. But despite the
truthful fidelity of she who watched
and waited by day and night, pray
ing to her heather god for the re-
turn of her loved one, many ugly
tales we're whispered among the
tribes. And when one day the
lost one did return, laden with
treasures and with light of conquest
in his eyes, the false tidings
reached his ears. With savage
fury he fell upon the innocent
woman and dragged her by the
hair to the edge Of the cliff, seek
ing to avenge an imaginary wrong.
When the innocent victim of his
wrath made final despairing ap-
peal to the god who, though an
swering her prayer, had denied
her hearts desire. The mountains
trembled, the god of the Incas
spoke, and the figure of the avenger
remained petrifed. From that day
on the tribes worshipped the eff
gy as personifying the might and
power of their god.
Admitting that the telling of the
legend may have helped while
away the hours of many a noun
tain twilight, the fact remains that
the dimensions of the image
strangely suggest that the bad,
bold warrior was very much puffed
out with rage at the time of his
petrifcation. At least he must
have been suffering from a swollen
head, for the size of the petrifed
image is indeed such that had the
hero been caught alive, his scalp,
petrified in the calcareous waters
of the Inca, would have made a
bowl of sufficient dimensions to
contain as fine a brew of punch as
ever graced a festive Christmas
board in the merry days of little
old New York.
Another one of natures wonders,
Lake Titicaca, situated on the top
of the Andes Mountains at an alti-
tude of about $4,000 feet, is one of
the most beautiful lakes on earth.
This lake is 145 miles long, and 20
miles wide, with a depth of about
400 feet. It is nearly as large and
resembles Lake Ontario. There
are many steamboats, on it's silvery
waters with registered tonnage
of more than 700 tons. which would
be credit to the ocean service.
There are many tourists who 60
from Mallendo, a seacoast city, by
rail to Puno, at which port they
cross the lake by steamer on their
way to La Paz, and other cities
and mining towns in that vicinity.
The memory of my journeys
through parts of South America,
and many other parts of the world,
is a possession worth more than a
bag of gold. Although not al
ways sailing on a satin sea, it is a
possession which no man can take
away, and it is capital which will
earn high rate of interest as long
as 1 retain the power of reminis-
cence. It is a memory of a few of
the wonderful sights of natures
handiwork. It is a peep into a
wilderness Of stern. ominous
mountains, swirling creeks, mighty
rivers and flower-laden banks, here
and there smiling plateaux with
palm trees and green fields, grassy
lakes, racing torrents and, crown
ing all, the snow-capped submits
of natures highest mountains.
Such is a brief description of a