The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1924-08-15

NdAAN 49,
or the national monuments chosen for nlustra-
ton Bryce Canyon has Just been given natlonai
park honors. A bill for it's creation as the Juan
National park was passed in the closing hours ol
the last session Of congress Its feature $ d ooA
canyon three miles long and two miles wlue, cut
1000 feet into the Paunsaugunt plateau of south
eastern Utah. There is a wonderful variety OF
erosional form, which are painted IN every coior'
shade and tint OF the spectrurn-reds, plnks,
creams, tans, lavenders. puppies, blues, green's
chocolates and whites. 1t takes high rank among
natural wonders. The act provides that before
Bryce Canyon becomes Utah National park, all
lands in the area must be conveyed to the United
States. Utah and the Union Pacific own $40 acres.
The Fortified Forest contains the most wonder
full collection of petrihed trees In the world. These
trees lie in three groups, which really are not for
ests at all, for most OF the trunks were washed
to their present positions on an eroded plain by
prehistoric foods from forests far away. Many
of the trunks exceed 100 feet in length. One log.
Ill feet long. bridges a canyon As feet wide. The
state of liberalization of the wood almost places
1t among the precious stones. Not only are chal-
cedony, opals and agates on view but even Jasper
and onyx.
The DEVILS Tower is an extraordinary mass of
igneous rock and is one Of the most conspicuous
features of the Black Hills region of Wyoming. II
has been a landmark from prehistoric times. First
there Is the level plain. then a rounded wooded
hill 600 feet high and on top of that the tower, 600
feet high and a mile In circumference. Its sides
are huted by great columns which stand perpen-
dicuIar, except where they flare out at the base
and in at the top. These columns, about 6 feet In
diameter, are mostly pentagonal, but some are
four-slded and some six-sided.
Ell MORO National monument Is a landmark to
thrill a good American. Two enormous connected
rocks of vari-colored eroded sandstone rise abrupt
ly from the arid plain. One suggests a castle and
is called Ell MORO. The other is called Inscription
Rock because 1t bears priceless historical records.
For nearly four centuries ago these walls echoed
the clank of the steel harness of Conquistadores
and the prayers of Franciscan Martyrs. There
was a spring there and a shallow cave and soldier
and priest turned aside to them from the old Zuni
trail. And there they cut their names and the why
and wherefore Of their comings and goings-
An inscription perhaps as important as any Is
this, cut by Don Juan de Onate IA years before
the Pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock:
Paso por aqui de adelantado don Juan de onate
del descubrimiento de la mar del sur a Is ell April
del 1906
Passed by here the provincial chief Don Juan de
onate from the discovery of the South Sea on the
18th OF April 1905.
This approximately fixes the date of the found
ing of Santa Fe, as 1t is known Onate fixed his
capital there upon his return from the Gulf of
Scarcely less interesting is the inscription, here
with reproduced. by Don Diego de Vargas Zapata
LuJan Ponce de Leon:
Aqui estaba ell Geni On Do de Vargas auien con-
quisto a nestra santa fe y la real corona TODD Ell
nueva Mexico a su costa ano de 1892.
Here was the General Don Diego de Vargas. who
conquered TO our holy faith and the royal crown all
Mexico. at his own expense. year OF 1892.
The Indians had risen against the Spaniards In
Santa Fe in 1850, massacred them and driven them
and destroyed as far as possible all traces of
civilization and Christianity. For twelve years
hey enjoyed their ancient Independence. 1t was
Diego de Vargas who reconquered the region In
693.
There are more than 80 Of these inscriptions.
they contain names great In those times-Nieto.
Who escorted the first missionaries TO Zuni in 1929; ,
.utan, who avenged the murder of Fray Francisco
.etrado In 1892; Archuleta, UrIbarri-and so on
own into the first half of the Eighteenth century.
Where In ali the world is there a more fascinat
IL historical relic than Inscription Rockf