Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1923-11-15
Dr.. Robert D. Ransome Continues
Description of Travel From
BarabOo to Los Angeles
TRAVELLERS LOOK MILE
DEEP INTO GRAND CANYON
Westward the Course Across the
Border Into the State of CaIifor-
nia--Fiind Alkali Water

nla--Fmd Alkall Water
Dr. Robert D. Ransome continues
description of the journey being
made by the writer, his wife and
Mrs. E. NJ Hoag in motor car to
Los Angeles, as follows:
Part V
At the Indian trading post where
we first looked at Navajo rugs, we
found an elderly man, his wife and an
old Indian, the sole occupants Of the
store. The post consisted of one
large room, counters on three sides,
windows barred or heavily screened.
On the right of the entrance door was
the scales, and row upon row Of
shelves loaded down with canned
goods; to the rear were shelves for
hardware and cloth and an assert
a few shelves with cloth, and piles
of the Navajo blankets. The Navajo
home or hogan as we saw it, is a
five sided log affair with a concave
roof These were scattered through
the territory we were crossing. AS
we came to the Arizona line we pass
ed State Line trading post with more
Indians and some thirty miles farth-
er on, camped at Houck, Arizona, an.
other Indian trading post where we
were shown a wonderful assortment
of Indian blankets in varied designs.
The Petrified Fore1t
In passing through this section,
tween Gallup, New Mexico and
Flagstaff Before reaching Gallup we
passed Fort Wingate in wierd and
open country. Beyond Houch, Ariz.,
we came to Navajo, trading post a
few miles from the reservation and
it was west of this post few miles
painted desert and petrified forest.
Turning south from the main road W.
came to Adamana, the northern gate
way to the petrified forest. South Of
Adamana some few miles we came
to the first forest consisting of mum
Der of pieces of stumps, following
down through the lava beds we came
to the second forest where we saw the
trees full length, lying on the ground,
1t was a most interesting sight anc
wished our time had not been so
limited. The pieces as well as tbs:
larger stumps and trees clearly show
the grain of the wood Ind one can
hardy ealize that it is a true petrf-
fed wood.
Meteor Mountain
From the petrif1ed forest our jour-
ney led over fine federal road for
some distance and then we came to
the rough road leading us into Win
show HoIbrook, a small town be
tween Gallup and Winslow is about
the terminus Of the rough road
from Gallup. With a combination or
desert and mountains the road con-
8fnues westward, gradually rising.
About twenty miles west Of Wins!ow
to the right of the road, ascending
abruptly out of the plain is Meteor
mountain. Our attention was called
to it by large derrick erected upon
the south rim. There is a short road
branching off to the right from our
main road, in northerly direction 20
this mountain. This we took and we're
we'll repaid for the sight we saw.
The Navajo Indians have a very
pretty but old legend about this
mountain and how it was formed by
the Great Spirit to show his powel
In time prehistoric meteor fell
upon the plain and so large was it
and with such force did it fall that
today there is a crater, some eight
hundred feet deep and fifteen hun
dred feet in diameter from rim to
rim. The rim is about two hundred
feet above the level Of the surround
ing plain. The property is owned
under mining patents by Philadel-
phia gentleman but it is being de
veloped by the American Smelling &
Refining company. The objective is
to recover platinum and nickel. The
explosion and impact must have
been terrific to create such a crater
Crater or Meteor mountain lies about
two miles to the right Of the auto
road instead of to the left as most
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