The Canon City record with which is consolidated the Canon City cannon. (Canon City, Colo.) 1911-192?, 1919-08-28
WONDERLAND Of
SCENIC BEAUTY
IS UNCOVERED
Near THIS CITY
Rivals Garden of Gods and Is
Easily Accessible to the
Tourists.

A wonderland of scenic beauty. n
valling in the diversity OF its attrac-
tions the famed Garden OF the Gods
at Colorado Springs. may be opened
up TO tourists visiting Canon City
next year if the plans being worked
out by Secretary r. a. Bradbury of
the Chamber of Commerce are carried
into effect. Twelve miles north OF
Canon City and one-fourth that dis
tance west of the old Cripple Creek
road in the Garden Park district. in
a locality almost inaccessible to travel
by lack OF trails, is situated terri
tory some two miles in length and
perhaps half mile in breadth. that
contains more marye'ous canons. bal
anced rocks. pinnacies. caves and
other natural wonders than can be
found elsewhere in Southern Colo
RADIO within an equal area The place
has been known. OF course to the
ccwpunchers and ranchers of Garten
Park for many years. but owing to the
difficulty of its approach is TO large
extent terra incognita to the pubic at
large Hundreds of Canon City peo-
pie have caugh. \ glimpse of the tops
Of the chimneys and fanciful carvings
of nature in this favored locality,
away of to the left of the road in
making the trip to the Cripple Creek
district. but have never taken the
trouble to investigate its mysteries.
little dreaming that it was worth the
effort
Last Saturday Frank Higgins. who
knows the country in the vicinity OF
Garden Park as well as the book
lover does his favorite volume. took
Secretary Bradbury and A II. McLain
on tour OF exploration into this sur
prisingly beautiful section. and they
were amazed by its attractions. Mr..
bradbury succeeded in getting while
there large number of photographs
of its more salient characteristics
which may be seen at the Chamber of
Commerce rooms by all who care to
look at them
The geology of the district is red
sandstone and the forces OF nature
during the ages of the past have cut
and carved il into canons and gurliss
of multitude of shapes and sizes.
rendering it not unlike a great painted
picture of SURPRISING interest. There
are cliffs of an almost crimson hue
hundreds of feet in heirht which the
most darins Alninist would not at
tempt to climb. but which astonish the
heholder by the brilliancy OF their col
orins. There are balanced rocks OF
the sare tint weighing hundreds OF
tons which appear to be so nicely adj
justed that the hand OF man might
send them crashing into the valley be-
low. There are towering pillars OF
amazing size which have stood for
thousands of years like senfineis or
guards overlooking TIE SURROUNDINGS
as If TO protect them from some imag-
mary DANGER or intrusion. One OF
these pillars. unusually symmetrical
in it's outlines, IS 30 feet in diameter
at the base and more shan 100 feet in
heiEhth. 1t Is a SOFT OF obelisk. or
Pompev's pillar. and is one OF the fea-
lures of the grounds There are 9TH
ers similar to Il. although smaller and
less distin gushing. The carvings of
wind and rain frost and snow in the
face of the rock DURING unnur,bered
generations. have transformed and
chis'ed il into myriad of mystic
shapes and forms in which the imag-
NATIVE mind is able to visualize tho
features and contours of hundreds OF
creatures. some of which never were
in sea. earth or air. or the waters un-
der the earth. The soft. red sand
stone has admirably lent itself to the
handiwork of nature and its sculpture
has been at once fanciful and artistic
The property on which this treasure
ground of beauty is located is partly
on the HOLDINGS of Willard Biddix and
Wade HAMPTON. the remainder Is
within the boundaries OF the Federal
domain IT can be easily acquired for
public pleasure ground. and It Is
believed that highway for automo-
bues and other vehicles can be con-
lstructed Into 1t without great expense.
On Friday OF this week Frank l.
Smith. in company with Mr.. Brad
bury and County Comissioncr @, v.
| Hodgin. viii visit this wonderland OF
nature and endeavor to locate a route
| hv which a rors nav he built into t.
| II such an undertaking Is found to be
| feasible IL n probable that next sum-
| mer will find these matchless grounds
opeu to our home people as picnic
resort. ~ we'll as to tourists and Wis
Iifore to Southern Colorado They VIII
lie I great scenic asset to the state.
II nay b worth stating IN this con
1870 fhak n vnn ON -Four Ma