The Durant news. (Durant, Miss.) 1882-1985, 1949-08-04
THROUGH
HAZE
EYES

~ flasel Drumncn
After a most enjoyable four
days spent in Salt Lake City at
tending the Gath annual conven-
ton Of the National Editorial AS
ISOLATION your editor, in COM
pany with some 800 other news
papermen and women through
out the United States, left by q
special train for an overnight trip
to the Southern Utah Parks
where we spent four days visit
ing Bryce Canyon National Park
and Zion National Park and then
going to Grand Canyon in Ari-
xona.
Arriving It Cedar City, gate
way to the Parks, at six o'clock in
the morning the entire group was
entertained at breakfast after
which We bad . short time 70 look
around at this progressive town.
During . walk we discovered q
beautiful glass enclosed outdoor
municipal swimming pool some
thing that would be Z credit to
any city.
Our group was 90 large we
couldn't al 90 together At the
same time to Bryce and Zion 20
we were split up into two groups
whiting those places on alternate
nights and the entire group were
together again at Grand Canyon.
The three parks together with
Cedar Breaks National Monu-
ment and Kaibab National Forest
In Arizona make up a region un-
matched in scenic splendor. All
are 30 close together they may be
seen leisurely on one continuous
tour--the roads are good and trav-
el Il very comfortable.
The NEA travelled through the
Parks on modern, streasnlined
Union Pacific buses and Q more
congenial group would be hard
to imagine. I was delighted to
have on the same bus Mr.. and
Mrs. Curtis H. Mullen Of Oxford,
Mississippi. where Mr.. Mullen is
publisher and owner of the Oxford
Eagle. one Of Mississippi's best
weekly newspapers. Although
Mr.. Mullen Is leader Of the Tru-
man forces in Mississippi and l
am anything else but, we don't
let our political differences inter-
1ere with our friendship-and
politics weren't mentioned. The
Mullens were the only other Mis-
sissippians attending this con-
vention Of the NEA.
As I have said in this column
many times before-America is
such wonderful country-the
most wonderful country in the
world-any way and every way
you look at it.
To see the Utah parks Is talk
ing to God--for He is every
where manifested in this unbe-
lievable land of majestic beauty
-. abs o lutely indescribable
These masterpieces Of nature
feast the eyes and feed the soul
and one feels very humble yet
strangely exhilarated to gaze up.
on such loveliness-to dwell even
briefly in such an inspiring en-
vironment.
Bryce Canyon, horseshoe shap-
ed amphitheater. is three miles
long and two miles wide and fill
led with figures cut from pink
and white limestone. Domes,
spires and temples predominant
in the erosian-cut figures which
challenge the imagination-and
the delicate coloring of Bryce is
observation-disclosures b tiful
than Grand Canyon though on a
smaller scale. Bryce is the focal
point Of interest in Bryce Canyon
National Park which is IS square
miles in size and located 80 miles
northeast Of Zion.
So In Zion Canyon is contained
the most magnificent picture We,
to be painted by the lavish HAND
of nature. 1t is truly awe-inspir-
ing whether seen in the hot bright
rays of the MONDAY sun or the
silver loneliness of a full noon
one is moved to reverent silence.
Zien Canyon itself is eight miles
long and one-half mile wide anc
more than one-haH mile deep. A
cross cut Of the formations re,
veals deposits of oceans, swamps
deserts, and floods cut through
the cons of time. The Canyon be.
gins at The Narrows at its north
end where the Virgin river, which
caused it, flows through 20 foo
valley between walls of coloreo
rock 1000 feet high. Falling a
the rate of so to 10 feet to the
mile the river winds its way pas
matchless rock formations which
have been given such fascinating
names as The Great White
Throne, The Waterman, The Pa
triarchs and Temple of Sinawava