The Telegraph Girl
XXX
R ROMANCE OF THE CHEROKEE STRIP.
By Captain Tack Crawford
( Continued. )
God bless her ! And she called me
Fred ! Her heroism fanned yet bright
er the flames of love in my heart , and
I felt that her language indicated that
she held me In more than ordinary re-
sard.
sard.Were
Were I dealing with fiction I would
write a lurid description of a desperate
conflict between the sheriff's posse and
the outlaws , but as I am dealing in ac
tual experiences , and the story will , no
doubt , be read by many acquainted
with the factn , I must adhere closely to
the lines of truth. The special stopped
about a mile north of the station to al
low the posse to disembark , and , by ad
vancing noiselessly , surround the depot
and capture the robbers ; but , alas , for
the well-laid plan , the noise of the train
was heard , and fearing a trap , the
scoundrels , leaving me a parting cursa ,
hastened from the office , mounted their
horses , which had been secured near by ,
and made their escape before a shot was
fired.
A few months later , while on leave
of absence granted me from tjis hand-
noais station given me in a beautiful
Kansas town , a telegram was handed
to nxe as I stood in the parlor of Mrs.
Hankin's pretty cottage home in Ar
kansas City. I read it and handed it
to the little woman dressed in bridal
robes who stood at my side. Then the
chief train dispatcher read it aloud to
the assembled guests. It ran as fol
lows :
Topeka , Kan. , May 10 , IS
Mr. and Mrs. Fred Saunders , Arkansas
City.
All the officials of the Santa Fe com
pany join in warmest congratulations ,
with the sincere prayer that the new
lives you to-day begin may never be
shadowed by a cloud of care. While we
regret the loss cf the valued services
our little heroine of Red Rock , we
Slean satisfaction frcm the fact that we
will yet hold her husband , and will
aiso feel that she , too , ia a cherished
member of the great Santa Fe family.
May the sun of true happiness ever il
lumine your lives.
( Signed ) R. B. GEMMELL ,
Supt. of Telegraph.
"I am commissioned , " added the dis
patcher , "to place these two envelopes
among the gifts from lovir.g friends on
this table. They bear slight tokens of
appreciation of valuable services from
the Santa Fe Company and from the
"Wells-Fargo Express Company. "
There was an envelope addressed to
Carrie , and one to myself. Each con
tained a criep , new , uncreased ? 1,000
greenback.
HIS LIFE'S MISTAKE.
"Why did I never marry ? Well , I'll
tell you. "
The little crowd of listeners looked
interested as Col. Wiley , the handsome
white haired bachelor , settled back in
his chair , as if to more comfortably
relate the story of his escape fram mat
rimony.
"I was very much in love , but you
'would know that when I tell you that
she was as fair and lovely a girl as
hese Virginia skies ever lookad down
pon. A true southerner.she was loyal
.to her state and was proud to say that
'her ancestors were among the F. F.
V.'s.
"While a slender little creature , she
was a splendid horsewoman , and knew
every inch of our rugged mountain
roads. Of course that was just be
fore the" war , and I was a young chap
then.
"Her name was Lucy , a good , old-
fashioned came that we southerners
still cherish , and do not change to the
more airy Lucile , as do our northern
neighbors. It doesn't matter about her
surname ; you'd all recognize it were I
to divulge , so I shall be silent concern
ing it.
"She was the daughter of the house
and had two large brothers , who look
ed upon Lucy as a mere baby and
guarded her quite as zealously. I first
3iad to win their friendship before get
ting anywhere near being even a mere
acquaintance with Lucy.
When the war broke out both
brothers were filled with the enthusi
asm of the battlefield , and by constant
allusions to their bravery , and adroit
carefully worded remarks concerning
their excellent appearance in the uni
forms cf the confederate gray , I soon
won them completely over. As for
Lucy , she regarded me with suspicion
for some time , but suffice to say that
when I marched away into the fire and
thunder of Shiloh a little golden curl ,
a locket enclosing the photograph of a
pretty girl , and a Bible , her gifts , were
snugly and carefully tucked away in
the lining of my coat.
Lucy's brothers and I were enlisted
in the same regiment , and ia that way
I frequently heard from her. Their
iather , a strong minded , stubborn , aris
tocratic old fellow , had positively for
bidden an engagement or even com-
7nunlcation of any sort. She was too
young , he said , to hxve her mind turn
ed topsy-turvy with love nonsense.
"She made no effort to disobey , but
when she gave me the curl and locket
and looked at mo through tears that
were just falling from her great blue
eyes , I felt that in the battle of hearts
I had not lost , and that in due course
of time I'd claim the indemnity of war
and call little Lucy my own.
"This bllaeful condition continued
for six months or a year. Then came
the usual uncertainties , nusplcions and
jealousies that BO frequently disturb
love's young dream and bring despair
to youthful lovers.
"It was this way : Our first lieuten
ant was a dashing young cfllcer , as
fearless as a young lion and so hand
some that the' privates soon dubbed
him 'Master Prettyboy. ' We were
cleaning our muskets one day , prepar
atory to the morrow's fight , when Mas
ter Prettyboy came strolling along and
paused near us , saying to Jim , Lucy's
brother : 'I received a charming letter
from your sister today. She sent her
love to you two boys and asked me to
tell her how far you both ran at the
first fight. '
"That night I went to Jim and asked
him If the first lieutenant and his sister
had long been friends.
" 'They played together when ba
bies , ' he answered. 'Sis thinks a heap
of him. '
"That was enough. From that hour
my visions of sweet Lucy were blur
red with the mist of Insincerity and
faithfulness. To be sure , we were not
engaged , but we understood , and our
eyea had asked and answered the ques
tions which our lips were forbidden to
speak.
"My love-life as Ibsen calls it died
one day when the first lieutenant ,
beaming and smiling , hailed Lucy's
brother with : 'Congratulate me , old
boy ; she says she'll have me. '
"Well.the war ended as you all have
perhaps heard ere this , although some
of our mcssbacks here in the moju-
tains refuse to believe it. When Lee
surrendered I was the superior officer
of the handsome first lieutenant , whom
I hated and envied with equal passion.
I came out of the army with a cruel
wound in my shoulder , and it was
months before I came back to this part
of the country , where I had found
and loved and won my pretty Lucy.
"The old-time scenes and associations
( although the war had brought many
grievous changes ) seemed to open my
emotions anew , and one Sunday I de
cided to go to her.
"I had gone perhaps half the way
when I came to a switch on which
stood a dilapidated locomotive. AD
"I LOVE YOU , DEAR. "
engineer and his assistant were en
deavoring to polish its rusty wheels
and boiler. They were discussing the
pros and cons of matrimony.
" 'There's no use In talkin' , ' said one ;
'there's mighty little sincerity ia wom
en. '
" 'That's true , ' reiterated the other.
'I went to the war engaged to the
sweetest girl you ever clapped eyes on ,
but when I came back she was mar
ried to a cowardly cur that never saw
the smoke of a musket. '
"So I was not the only one , I
thought. I retraced my steps , boarded
a train , and a month later was digging
a gold mine in the Grand Canon of
Colorado.
"Years later T was at the depot at
Denver awaiting a train to take me
back east , and was much surprised to
find myself face to face with Lucy's
brother Jim.
"That night we talked over old
times as we smoked cur cigars and .et
memory drift back to the exciting days
of ' 64. I thought of the dashing first
lieutenant and casually asked :
" 'And whatever became of Pretty-
boy ? '
" 'Why , didn't you know ? ' he re
plied. 'He married my sister Kathar
ine '
" 'Your sister Katherine ? ' I gasp
ed. 'I I never knew you had any sis
ter but Lucy. '
" 'She's a half-sister. My father was
married twice , and Katherine always
lived with her grandparents. Say , by
the way , ' he added , 'we thought at one
time that you were rather smitten with
Lucy. '
"You can imagine my eagerness to
reach once more dear old Virginia.
How beautiful the dusty old town look
ed as Jim and I sprang from the train
and almost ran down the stret toward
his old home !
"Our footsteps sounded loud and
drear as we walked across the porch
and Jim opened the door. Jim tramp
ed along the hall shouting and laugh
ing and asking if the place were de
serted.
"Then his mother , bent and gray
and her once beautiful face furrowed
with lines , came softly toward us. She
fell into Jim's arms , sobbing as she
did so.
" 'It was thoughtless for me to come
without telling you beforehand , ' he
said. 'I might have known it would
upset you. '
"She but sobbed the more and could
not speak. Then she took Jim's hand ,
and I following , led us to an upstairs
room and gently pushed the door ajar.
" 'She died but an hour ago , ' the
mother said , but I heard as if in a
dream. Then going to a table she took
up some letters , and , trembling and
sobbing , handed them to me , saying as
she did so : 'Lucy left these. She said
there was one for you. '
"There was but one sheet and on It
but a line or two simply : 'I did not
forget , and I have waited patiently. I
love you , dear. ' " Chicago News.
Secretary of State Day Does Not
Know When Spain Will Answer ,
SPANIARDS NEVER DREAMT IT ,
marshal Campos Talks of Some of Spain's
Kocont Surprises Says It "Would IJo
JIadnoss to Think of Rejecting ? Presi
dent McKInlcy's Conditions.
WASHINGTON , Aug. C. The cabinet
convened in regular session promptly
at 11 o'clock to-day. Some special
significance was attached to the pres
ence of the naval board of strategy
Rear Admiral Sicard , Commander
Crowninshicld and Captain Mahan.
The definite and long-expected an
swer of Spain to this government's
terms had not been communicated ,
though it had been expected that this
session of the cabinet might have the
opportunity of considering the formal
Spanish note of acceptance. Secretary
Day , in entering the cabinet room ,
put at rest all reports that the formal
answer might be in the possession of
this government by saying that the
answer of Spain had not reached this
government.
MADIUD , Aug. 5. The conferences
between the political leaders upon the
subject of peace terms continue. Senor
Silvela , the Conservative leader , acting
in behalf of Senor Castelar , the lie-
publican leader , who was prevented by
illness from being present , has con
ferred with the premier , Senor Sagasta ,
upon the subject. lie said Senor Cas-
terlar , although an advocate of peace ,
was of the opinion that in negotiating
its conclusion , the goverdment "should
remember the Virginius affair , when
the energy displayed by Spain in deal
ing with the United States saved
Spanish interests , and he thought
every effort should ba made to pre
serve Spanish sovereignty over Porto
Rico. "
Senor Silvela added that he person
ally did not favor any change of policy.
The Liberal , Moderate Republican ,
publishes an interview to-day with
Marshal Martinez de Campos , who is
quoted as saying : "I openly favor
peace. Everything that has happened
in this war could have been foreseen ,
but the most peesimistic could never
have imagined that our misfortunes
would be so great the destruction of
Montejo's and Cervera's squadron's ,
the surrender of Santiago and the
rapid and unresistcd occupation of
I'orto Rico. No ono could have imag
ined it , even taking into considera
tion the superiority of the United
States.
' 'Neither the present government
nor any other can change our situa
tion. It would be madness to think of
rejecting President McKinloy's con
ditions. The Liberal party can bring
about peace , but Sagasta should not
be asked to sign it. Such a course
would not be prudent and another
Liberal cabinet should be constructed. "
AN OFFICER DEAD IN PONCE ,
Captain Hubert , Eighth Infantry , Had
Seen eighteen Years of Service.
WASHINGTON , Aug. G. Adjutant
General Corbin to-day received the
following cablegram : "Captain Edgar
Hubert , Eighth infantry , d'ied of brain
fever at 7 o'clock last night. Notify
his wife at Fort Russell. Gilmore. "
Captain Hubert was born in Georgia
and appointed to West Point from that
state. He was graduated in 1850 from
the military academy. He was highly
accomplished in military matters and
was regarded as one of the most intel
ligent nnd energetic officers in the
army.
BRITAIN GROWLS AT RUSSIA ,
The Chinese Question Cruises a Now
Uneasiness in JLondon.
LONDON , Aug. 6. There is great un
easiness on all sides here in view of
the Chinese situation , which is re
garded as bringing an open conflict
between Great Dritain and Russia
within measureable distance , and it is
universally felt that the Marquis of
Salisbury's lack of backbone in yield
ing to Russian aggressiveness is re
sponsible for the dangerous complica
tion which can only be overcome by
the prompt and most firm intimation
that Russia's open opposition to Brit
ish commercial concessions must cease.
EASY FOR THE BANK ROBBERS
igan People Afraid to Arrest Safe
BlotversVho Stole So.OOO.
RICHMOND , Mich. , Aug. 5. A success
ful bank robbery was carried on by
six men last night. They secured
about § 5,000 in cash and 54,500 in notes
from the Union bank. There were
three explosions which awakened
many people. Alvin Barnes was or
dered into the house with the threat
that they would shoot him. George
Robinson and Ed Barrett saw the rob
bers , but did not molest them. The
safe was a complet ? wreck , nitro
glycerine having been used.
Dentil on the Fast HlfilL
TornKA , Kan. , Aug. G. While the
fast mail that left Kansas City at 2:30
o'clock this morning over the Atchison -
son , Topeka & Santa Fe was Hying
westward near Elinor , fifteen miles
beyond Emporia , at 6 o'clock this
morning , both main rods of the en
gine , No. 2(53 ( , snp.pped suddenly. The
fireman , Charles Foley , jumped , but
the engineer. J. Rollo , used the air
brakes and stopped the train on the
track. Foley , who is a Tcpeka boy ,
was picked up dead.
A woman begins to look faded about
the time she casts withering glances
\
GENERAL WHEELER'S ' REPORT ,
The Old Cavalryman's Account of the
Santiago Action.
WASHINGTON , Aug. G. The follow
ing is the report of Major General
Joseph Wheeler upon the opsrations
before Santiago de Cuba :
BEPOIIE SANTIAGO , Cuba , July 7. 1898. To
Adjutant General Fifth Array Corps Sir :
After the ea i wai2at or Juno 21. I pushed for
ward my command throuirh the valley , .Law-
ton's and Kent's coinmnnd's occupying the
hills in the vicinity of that pljco. After two
days' rest Lawton was ordered forward , and
the night of the U9h instructions ware given
by Major General Shift : r to this officer to
attack Caney , white the cavalry division and
Kent's division were ordered to move forward
on the regular Santiago road. The movement
commenced the moralajf of July 1. The cav
alry division advanced and formed its line with
Its left near the Santiago road , while Kent's
division fjrmed Its line with the right joining
the left of the cavalry division.
Colonel JlcClernard of General Shatter's
staff directed me to give Instructions to General -
oral Kent , which I complied with in person , at
the same time personally directing General
Sumner to move forward. The men were all
compelled to wade the San Juan river to get
into line. This was done under heavy lire of
both Infantry and artillery. Oar balloon having
been sent up ri ht by ihc main road , was made
a mark of by the enemy. It was evident that
we were as much under flro in forming the line
as we would be by an advance , and I therefore
pressed tht-command forward from the cover-
in ? under wliluh it was f onno.l. It merged into
open spae in full view of tin enemy , who oc
cupied breastworks and batteries on the crest of
the hill which overlook i Sintia o. OClcers
and men fell at every step. The troops ad
vanced gallantly , -soon reached the foot of hill
and ascendad , driving the enemy from their
works and occupying them on the crest of
the hill. To accomplish this required courage
and determination upon the part of the officers
and men of a high order , and the losbcs wc.-e
very severe. Too mucli credit cannot oe given
to General Sumner an 1 General Kent and their
gallant brigade coinraan-ler-i , Colonul Wood
and Colonel Carro 1 of the cavalry ; General
Hamilton S. Hawkins , commanding tlu First
bricjde , Kent's d.vision , and Colonel Pearaon ,
command ing the Second brigade. Co'onel Car-
roil and Major VY'Csells were enabled tore-
turn and resume command. General "Wyelcoff
commanding Kelt's Third br gade , was killed
atl2tJ ; Lieutenant Colonel Worth took com
mand and was wounded at 12:13 ; Lieutenant
Colonel Liscum then took coram ind and was
wounded at 12iO , and the command then de
volved upon Lieutenant Colonel livrers , Ninth
infantry.
Upon reaching the crest , I ordered breast-
wor.is to be constructed and sent to the rear
for shove s , picks , spades and axes. The em
my's retreat from the rlde was precipitate ,
but our men were so thoroughly exhausted that
it was impossible for them to follow. Their
siocs were -soaked with water by wadinj the
San Juan river ; they had become drenched
with rain and v/hen they reached the crest they
were abe utely unable to proceed further.
Notwithstanding this condition , these ex
hausted mca labored during the night to erect
bres > tworks , furnished details to bury the
dead and carry the wounded back in
Improvised litters. I sent v/ord along the line
that reinforcements would soon reach us and
that Lawton would join our right and
thai General Bates would come up snd
strengthen our left. After reaching the
cre.it of the ridge General Kent sent the Thir
teenth regulars to assist in strengthening our
right. At midnight General Bates reported ,
and I placed him in a .strong position on the
left of our line. General Lawton had attempt
ed to join us from Caney , but when very near
cur lines he was Ured upon by the Spaniards
and turned back , but joined us next day at
noon by a circuitous route. During all the day
on July 2 , the cavalry division , Kent's division
and Bates' brigade were engaged with the en
emy , being subjected to a fierce flre and incur
ring many casualties , and later in the day
Law.on's division also became engaged.
During the entire engagement my staff per
formed their duties with courage and ability.
STEPHENS ON EXPANSION ,
Missouri's Governor Thinks It Is a Scheme
of Capitalists to Control the Senate.
JEFFERSON Criv , Mo. , Aug. C. In
view of the fact that the Democratic
party will be called upon next week to
meet the question of territorial expan.
sion , Governor Stephens han the fol
lowing to say regarding the annexa
tion of the Philippines and Porto Rico :
' 'I oppose the annexation of the Phil
ippines oa any terms. We should not
add to our citizenship classes of people
incapable of appreciating our princi
ples of liberty and individual rights.
The people of Missouri should resist
to the uttermost the policy of drag
ging into the Union alien populations
of the undeveloped lower races of man
kind , to be governed by oligarchies ,
consisting of the agents of capitalists ,
who wish to hold all such subject territories -
ritories in reserve for admission as
states , hoping thus to control the
Senate and the electoral college
against American voters. We should
adhere to the Monroe doctrine and re
member the advice of our fathers and
keep free from entangling alliances
with foreign nations. We did not
enter the present war for the conquest
of the Philippines. We wera guided
wholly by motives of sympathy and
humanity , and to carry the liberty
and life to the starving and persecuted
Cubans. We have for the present suf
ficient territory for all purposes. " '
Trials of aiadrld Editors.
MADF.ID , Aug. 5. The censorship of
the papers is now conducted with the
utmost severity. The military censor
has cut out numerous articles in all
the leading papers , including the mili
tary journals. Everything having the
remotest reference to the peace nego
tiations is suppressed and the censor
ship is especially severe upon criti
cisms of the American government's
pretensions. These articles cut out
are replaced by poems , tales and mis
cellaneous matter.
"Wales May Visit Aznerlci.
LONDON , Aug. G. It is reported , in
connection with the Anglo-American
movement , that strong endeavors arc
making to get the Prince of Wales to
visit the United States and Canada
next summer.
To ITelcotno tlio Soldiers.
New YOP.IC , Aug. (5. ( The brave boys
in Cuba , when they rctiirn to this city ,
will meet with a warm reception. A
committee has been formed and will
meet on Monday afternoon in the east
parlor of the Waldorf-Astoria to dis
cuss plans for welcoming the &oldiera
home. Many well known men have
consented to serve.
Tcx.is Ucmoorats Expanders. *
GAI.VJSTO : > , Texas , Aug. G. The
state Democratic convention adopted
the platform indorsing mild "cxpau- *
PICTURESQUE AMERICA.
The Overland Koato and the Grand
Scenic Beauty Encountered.
The story of the "Overland Route"
has been told in prose and poem by
those who have a right to claim the
best knowledge of it ; those who toiled
over the plains driving oxen In spans ,
which pulled great caravans of freight ;
those who hopefully bore the heat and
burden of the day , buoyed up and en
couraged by the hope of an El Dorado
in the mountains of the west great ,
noble hearted men who sought In the
glorious west the reward which seemed
never to come near their doors in the
populous east. They were brave and
kind hearted , bold and gentle , and the
story writer loves to dwell on their ad
ventures and depict their hair-breadth
escapes , and tell of their hopes and
their disappointments. In one sense
theirs Is the story of the lives of many
who read , and a chord of sympathy is
touched by the skillful telling of the
story. Everyone who has read these
tales of the west has felt an instinctive
desire to see the spots , hallowed at
least in memory by some story , which
has served to pass an hour away ; and
each one has longed for an opportu-
nity. Those of the present day have
the best of the earlier members of this
mutual admiration society , for they can
now make the trip in comfort , free
from peril , and surrounded by all the
luxuries incident to modern travel. In
stead of toiling over the calcined track
of those who preceded them , the trav
eler of the day simply selects "The
Overland Route , " the Union Pacific
system , and , as much at home as
though in the quiet of some New Eng
land village , glides swiftly over a
splendid roadbed , and allows his eyes
to feast on the magnificent scenery af
forded.
The highest point en this "Overland
Route" across the continent is 8,217
feet , at Sherman ; hence those who fear
the results of great altitudes are re
lieved of that apprehension , as very
little difficulty is experienced.
"Echo Canon , " says an English trav
eler , "is a superb defile. It moves along
like some majestic poem in a series c !
incomparable stanzas. There is noth
ing like it in the Himalayas , nor in tbo
Sullivan Range. In the Bolan Pass ,
on the Afghan frontier , there are in
tervals of equal sublimity ; and even as
a v.'hole it may compare with it. But
taken for all in all its length ( some
thirty miles ) , its astonishing diversity
of contour , its beauty as well as gran
deur I confess that Echo Canon is
one of the masterpieces of nature. "
Such is the verdict of one observer ,
and another in describing it is equally
emphatic : "So far in our overland
journey we have met \\ith no striking
instance of that most frequently occur
ring feature of these regions the can
on. iVhat in the far west is so termed
Is sometimes a narrow chasm in the
mcuntains.the bottom of which is often
the bed of a stream of water , the cliffs
on either sides being nearly perpendic
ular or even inclining towards each
other. Echo Canon has every feature
of impressiveness strong , determinate
color , majestic forms and a novel
weirdness. Usually the descent into
the canon begins soon after leaving
Evanston ; the air coming from the
mountains is inspiring ; the afternoon
light is growing mellower , and all the
conditions are favorable to the highest
enjoyment.
At Castle Rock may be said to be
the true beginning of the exciting ride.
"He must be a very close observer , in
deed , who can comprehend all the va
ried beauties and curiosities that fel
low. The high abrupt wall on one
side , so smooth that it might have been
cut with a saw , the lofty hills on the
other side , and the glimpse of moun
tains whose snows never melt , are In
spiring and interesting. But they are
cot ] the only things that make a jour
ney through Echo Canon memorable
for a lifetime. "
The Castle is one of the most perfect
of all those striking objects whose vast
proportions show them to be the worn
of nature alone , and yet whose sym
metrical forms and adherence to ar
chitectural rules seem to stamp them
as the works of man.
At first the cliffs are neither very
lofty nor precipitous , though always
picturesque. The slender stream
creeping along beneath them is fringert
with the hardy willow , and on every
shelf , and up to the summits of the
rocks , the dwarf cedars have obtained
a. footing , their russet foliage and dark
spots of shadow giving a mottled ap
pearance to the landscape. It is al
most incredible , the tenacity which
these cedars have on life ; give them
the narrowest ledge on the smallest
cranny in the parched rock , and they
go on growing , making up in hardihood
and fantastic curve in trunk and limb
what they lack in size. Soon the
cliffs grow higher , more barren , mere
savage in form. In color , also , th y
change. At the canon head they are
of a yellowish gray , in some places
even ashen ; now they stand up. stalk
and bare , and of almost a blood-red
color. At one point we are whirled
past a chaos of tumble rock ; the whole
face of a lofty cliff has fallen at once ,
leaving the part yet standing of a fresh ,
bright hue , that it will take a thousand
years of summer sunshine and a
frost to tone back into the general
color cf the surrounding heights. O.i ? "
can well imagine the roar , the volume
of sound , that went rolling across the
hills when fell that mass. of
During the so-called Mormon war ,
when Johnson's army was oa its way
to Utah , there were a nnmber cf stone
work fortifications erected on the crests
of the cliffs.
From these old rock works , perched 1
like crows' nests on high , a splendid
view of the canon may be obtained.
W. H. Eicleing , whcse language we "
have used before , has written a beau-
tiful description cf this view , iwhlcU
we cannot do better than quote :
"From such a point of view aa Hans-
Ing Rock , or the ridges above It , a
much better idea of what one may term
the tumultousness of the surrounding
country can bo obtained than from the
bed of the canon. The earth Is split
by a score of transverse ravines , which
extend like blue veins from the main
artery and mar the face of the country
with shadow ; Isolated columns , posi
tive and brilliant in color , stand alone
In their chromatic glory , without a vis
ible connection with the main rock
from which they were originally de
tached ; old groups of conglomerate ,
much like Inverted wine-glasses in
shape , and plainly banded with several
strata of color , sprout like so many
monstrous mushrooms ; and , clasping
all within their basin , are the circling
mountains cf the Wahsatch. and Ula-
tah Ranges. "
Shrill blows the whistle as we cut
across the pioneers' road , and the
echoes are prolonged , striking against
the t red cliffs to rebound from height to
1i height 1 and die away up in the shaggy
ravine. We have passed tlio "Steam
boats , " the "Rock of Gibraltar , " and
the "Monument Rock- , " standing lonely
in j its lonely ravine. As we flash by
wonders numerous and unnamed , tuo
afternoon sun is streaming down slant
rays and lighting up the southern sldo
of the cliffs and casting long blue
shadows across our path. The some
what y harsh and Incongruent colors of
rock and foliage are brought into
harmony , and the mind suddenly re
ceives the impression that the won
derful picture presented by the cliffs ot
Echo Canon is one to dwell in the
memory for a lifetime. At last the
locomotive , giving another resounding
whistle , passes round a sharp curve ;
Pulpit Rock , famous the world over ,
is on our right hand ; we can almost
touch it. We have entered a valley
running at right angles to the canon ;
this is the Weber. A few moments
more and the train slackens its sp ° ed
at the cluster of houses called Echo
City.
Pulpit Rock is so called both from
its shape and from the supposition
that Brigham Ycuns preached from it
his first sermon in Utah , addressed to
the pioneers then on their way to Salt
Lake Valley in 1S47.
Yv'eber Canon ! To those who have
made the great transcontinental trip
over the Union Pacific railroad , the
name will revive the memories of a
host of imposing scenes the Devil's
Gate and Slide ; the Wilhelmina Pass ;
the turbulent Weber River sweeping
onward and awakening with its angrv
voice the echoes from cliff to gorge ;
the long , black tunnels ; the dizzy
bridges , a kaleidoscopic change oC
wonders of nature and art. To those
who have not yet made the notable
tour , who have yet to learn from .ic-
tual sight the peculiarities and gran
deur of western scenery , the name will
serve to put their expectation on tip
toe , for , of all the canons passed
through by the rail between the Mis
souri river and the Pacific ocean , this
one has earned the reputation of con
taining the most wonderful scenes , the
strasgest sights , some that will be
long remembered for their wildnesa
and grandeur alone ; and others , be
cause they are most striking examples
of some of the distinctive features la
western scenery.
It is a trip which everyone should
take , varying the climate , the akitutlo
and general environments of business
and care , and it can be taken so com
fortably and at such reasonable ex
pense in the splendid cars of the Union
Pacific system that it should be de
cided upon at once as the one next to
be undertaken.
F. P. BAKER.
"With a "Wall of Water.
The idea of protecting buildings
against fire from without by means ol
a water curtain , to be made to fall
all around the structure , appears to be
gaining favor , having the indorsement
of sone of the most experienced pro
fessional experts in this line , and the
plan is exciting special attention ia
Chicago , where it is being applied tc
the great public library building. Tha
arrangement is extremely simple. A
seven-inch steel water main is laid
around the top of the structure , upon
the broad stone table formed by the
top of the coping , this pipe having con
nection with force pumps situated in
the basement , and , through perfora
tions properly arranged , insures the in
troduction of a substantial sheet cl
water from cornice to pavement
around the whole or any imperiled portion
tion of the building. The arrangement
cf the system of piping is such as I"
enable operating in prescribed sc'-
tions ; additional relays of smaller
pipes are also placed in position above
windows and doers , in order to com
plete the curtaining of those points ir
the most serviceable manner , shout !
the curtain in the main be broken by
wind impingement against the build
ing.
IIoxv to Pronounce Alfjcr.
"How do you pronounce the nnnG
cf the Secretary of War ? " is a ques
tion asked many times every day. and
as in most cases people do not know
different pronunciation is given bj
each. "Allgc-r , " hard g. "Awejar , " and
"Aljer" have been the most frequent
pronunciations. As Camp Alger ha *
caused the name to be on the tonsur-
so many , tie private secretary was
asked to give the correct pronuncia
tion , so all may now rest assuroJ thai
they have it right if they say "Ahljer. "
pronouncing the first two letters as ia
the exclamation "ah , " bringing in the
in the only way it can be enunciated
and the last three letters as in jerk
The first syllable is not as if spell'v
"awl. " although this error is made fre
quently. Richmond Times.
