The Grand Canyon of the Colorado 



By Mark 

 Foniirr Snpcriiitciulc 



FOR years I have read descriptions of the Grand 

 Canyon with about the same feehng one would 

 peruse Joe Miller's joke book. I have marveled 

 at the conceit of those who had the temerity to essay the 

 task and laughed at their frantic efforts to convey some- 

 thing of its impressiveness by the mere use of words. 

 Icarus, with his wings of wax, was not more presumptu- 

 ous, though he came nearer to attaining his ambition. 

 Yet, here am I, after marveling at the courage of those 

 who have so fearlessly launched their frail bark of 

 metaphor upon the tossing sea of description, engaged 

 upon the selfsame task. I am free to state, however, 

 that mine is the valor of ignorance. 



Senator James D. Phelan said, in speaking of his 

 native State, "You can't tell the truth about California 



D.ANIELS 



;;/ of National Parks 



without lying about it." If this is true about California, 

 and nothing has occured to my knowledge to justify a 

 doubt of the Senator's veracity, it goes double for the 

 Grand Canyon. With the Senator's recital as a premise, 

 any little statement which may here appear that cannot 

 be verified will be considered, I hope, as one matle in 

 order to bring out the truth about the Grand Canyon. 

 The average person's conception of a canyon is a 

 gorge in which a river runs through the mountains. 

 Mountains in some way seem to be part and parcel of a 

 canyon. The first feature at the Grand Canyon which 

 strikes one, therefore, is the almost absolute level of the 

 surrounding territory. One begins to wonder why the 

 water did not spread over the landscape and thereby fail 

 to cut a channel. It is these very level rims that add 



LOOKING NORTHWEST FROM NEAR I'l.MA POINT, GRAND CANYON 



This photograph, better peihaps than any other in this article, gives an idea of the tremendously impressive sight of the yawning gorges and the 



inajestic boldness of the canyons, ]»eaks and plateaus. 



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