Evening journal., 1922-07-05

strolled, well entertained by a fluent
guide who pointed out to us many
curious formations which we other
wise might have missed.
On one natural shelf stood an old
Southern gentleman, embracing a
maiden; on another, sort of natural
stage with a series of formations
which looked at a distance for all the
world like a chorus in a modern
musical comedy emerging from the
wings, everyone in step. From the
ceiling above hung the "smokehouse
key" a relic. from what l could
gather. of older days in the South,
when that article was a very much
guarded one. being, as 1t was. the
means of entrance to the place
where all the meats were kept
throughout the year.
The ceilings are studded through
out with stalactltes. some of them
being curiously crooked; in fact, one
tourist asked If they might not be
the petrified roots of the apple trees
in the orchard above. There are
certainly some funny things said in
this world. II reminded me of the
psuedo-tourlst. n newly-rich or a
social climber, l believe. who stood
on the brink Of the Grand Canyon
for the second time and said: MY
word but il is so much dirtier than
ii was when I was here last"
But we kept moving and finally
our guide took us, through a narrow
past the Rock of Ages. "
an immense rock which must surely
weigh several hundred tons. into
chamber which was wholly dark.
When he switched on the lights. how
ever, the rest of the caverns seemed
like mere hole in the earth. For
here was an immense chamber, over
100 feet high, filled with multitude
Of stalagmites which seemed to
kneel as IL in supplication. to beau
.iful statue set in rock over forty
eet above the ground and silhouetted
against some cleverly-
lights. They, the cavern people, CALI
Il the Pope, but 1t seemed to. me
20 be more like Montezuma, the Az
&c, or indeed. like the Mohamme-
ians facing the East. 1t was GER
ainly breath-taking.
We could not linger all day. how
yer, and so the guide conducted us |
through several rooms studded with |
'urloIs figures of lions. gorillas. /
southern ladies in hoop skirts and /
,ther seeming incongruities to the |
Pool of Siloam," the browning .
eature, in my opinion. of the whole /
Quincy. l cannot hope TO describe |
t. II was a deep, low recess, we'll /
lighted, as was everything else. con-
aiming a perfect mirror of clear, .
rystal water. which reflected the
above so remarkably that 1t .
eemed like a double fairyland. 1t
vas really beautiful. The lights.
he colors of the various formations
nd their fantastic arrangement, all
ave It a splendor which l have
iever seen equaled.
We went to the surface to see IL
We really were under that old apple
and, sure enough. it was
here. And so we drove off, salts
led that We had seen things as
eautiful as the Luray, or the End
ess, or the Mammoth could offer.
The feature which struck me most
bout the whole thing was this:
Iere in the valley of Virginia is one
f the beautiful natural wonders of
he world. To Delawareans these
averns seem a long distance away
nd yet they are less than a days
ravel by automobile. Why. any
ne could start out from Whining
on in the morning and be in either
It, Jackson or New Market that
light And in the meantime he
-ould have seen many beautiful and
istorlc spots in Virginia. not the
EAST important of which is Har-
er's Ferry Then, early in the
forming. he could see these Shenan-
oah Caverns and head back home,
he had to get back the same day.
would be a wonderful trip and
hen l get home I'm going to try to
range a trip down with some of
lie boys.
The caves are newly opened, as
ave said In time there will be a
otel there. They are on the main
ne of the Southern railway and a
My two miles from the New York {
'-Atlanta Highway. 1t would pay
'ery man, woman and child to see
lem.