Mexico weekly ledger., 1919-05-29

/ OuS NhAAo
red beds of rock just above and pre-
sents the appearance of a solid red
wall with here and there recesses with
overhanging roofs; the next layer Is
a green shale about eight hundred
feet thick with a basal formation of
sandstone of about two hundred feet
and the final layer is a dark granite
with rugged edges for a depth of one
thousand to fifteen hundred feet. Thus
there are seven layers as distinct as
those of a layer cake often seen on
the family dinner table.
We shall not attempt to d~escribesthe
wonderful and grotesque cliffs, gorges
and formations, which n sees on ev-
cry hand, some resembling various
animals, while others are as hard and
smooth as a piece of masonic with its
many colors.
The Grand Canyon was first discov-
cred by the Spanish in 1910 but moth
ing was really known about it until
1869 when Major John Wesley Powell,
who lost his right arm IT the Battle
of Shiloh, in company with his brother
made a successful voyage down the
| Colorado River in a rowboat from the
| Green River, Wyoming to the Can
yon. In recent years several other
persons have made the same voyage
successfully but a great many have
lost their lives in an effort to do 50.
We shall never forget our ride along
the south rim of the Canyon for a dis
lance of fifteen miles. 1t is called the
Hermit River Road and is built along
the very brink of the abyss where, in
places not ten feet away there is q
sheer drop of two thousand feet. We
doubt if there is a similar road to be
found anywhere in the world. 1t is
truly a skyline drive where one feels
as if one is actually riding over the
roof of the world. We also shit the
trail" on our last day at the Canyon.
This we did on the back of a Missouri
Mule, and permit me to say in passing,
that if anyone ever invents a brake
half as good as the hind leg of this
mule, there will be no more skiddirg
of automobiles. 1t is known as the
Bright Angels Trail and is a narrow
cork screw trail formerly used by the
Tonic Indians leading from the south
rim of the canyon down to the very
waters edge of the Colorado River,
a distance of seven miles with a fall
of about one mile. In many places the
trail is not over three feet wide with
solid cliffs on one side and sheer drops
on the other varying from one hundred
to six hundred feet and at one place
for a distance of about thirty feet
there is an abrupt drop of several
hundred feet on both sides of the
trail. We were compelled on two oc-
casions on account of the extreme
danger to dismount and proceed on
foot. 1t requires three hours for the
descent and four for the ascent. The
mule fairly skated down on his front
feet and seemed to walk up standing
upright on his hind legs. When the
mule skated up to the curve in the
trail, his head and neck would extend
over the precipe, he would then
twist his front feet into the new dir
ection and actually use them as a
pivot for swinging his body into line.
and all this time l had both eyes shut,
clutched tightly the horn of the sad
die with both hands and with great
t%repidation put my faith-shall I.say
in the Lord or in the mule.
1t is always % or 80 degrees hotter
at the bottom of the canyon that it is
at the top, so that as one goes down
in the summer time he meets the Their
coming up, and as one comes
up in the winter time he meets the
thermometer gong down.
We have given you only a crude idea
of the Grand Canyon but it is the
best we can do and if you would know
it better, then you must see it for
yourself for it is not only a geologic
but a reality of indescribanle
beauty, whose history and mystery
will remain one of the greatest attrac-
tions of the world for all times to
come.
Very truly yours,
J. S. MCINTYRE.