Nov. 



1902. 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



757 



eririp almost to the sky. " Kafjlc ClifT " it is called, be- 

 cause our glorious American bird has chosen it as a tit place 

 to build its home. Just before you is another K'ant, 

 "Mount Cutler," equally ^(^rand and impressive, and clinp- 

 ing from its side, half way to its summit, and standing out 

 in bold relief against the sky, are the " Vacant Chair " and 

 the " Hindoo Uaby," each curiously-suggestive rock for- 

 mations. 



But pass through the gate with me. 



Before us are two tremendous cliffs " The Pillars of 

 Hercules." They seem to stand squarely across the can- 

 yon, completely filling it and demanding a halt. The way 

 seems barred, and the stranger is at a loss to know which 

 way to go, but the brook has found a way, and so must we. 

 Here is a most wonderful demonstration of the action of 

 the water. For hundreds of feet the canyon at this point 

 has been worn through the solid granite. On either side 

 are perpendicular walls, nearly a thousand feet high, and at 

 one place but 40 feet apart, barely giving room for the 

 creek and roadway between them. Indeed, the whole space 

 was originally occupied by the stream, which had to be 

 crowded from its bed. 



A short distance beyond the "Pillars of Hercules," on 

 the left, is Observatory Point. This is one of the objective 

 points of the burro brigades, which leaves the terminus of 

 the electric car-line at the entrance of the canyon. 



After proceeding through the ever-changing scenes in 

 the canyon, we come to a place opposite Prospect Dome. 

 This is a graceful, symmetrical pinnacle of granite, more 

 than 300 feet in height. It stands alone in one of the side 

 canyons like a watch-tower of the god of war, its base 

 wrapped in a great cloak of dark, sombre evergreen. At 

 this place the burro trail leaves the canyon and winds its 

 way through a thickly wooded gulch to Point Lookout and 

 the top of the Seven Falls, and from thence to Observatory 

 Point, by whose base we have just come. The view from 

 this point is unsurpassed. At our feet is the canyon with 

 its mass of rended and shattered clifl's, and the stream, re- 

 sembling a mere ribbon of light, entwined among the trees 

 far beneath. Over and beyond the rugged walls, and just 

 without the break of the foothills, lies Colorado Springs — 

 an emerald checker-board midway in the picture. Far be- 

 yond are the great plains, rolling away like the waves of 

 the ocean, to meet the sky. As we turn to the west the eye 

 is dazzled with the unbroken grandeur of the mountains as 

 they stretch away, tier upon tier, till they meet the blue 

 horizon miles in the distance. 



But let us return to the canyon. A short distance 

 above Prospect Dome and we come to the foot of the Seven 

 Falls, where Nature out-does herself in a grand display of 

 mighty cliffs and rushing waters. Here the canyon proper 

 ends in a colossal amphitheater, down one side of which 

 plunges the foaming torrent in seven distinct leaps from a 

 perpendicular height of 234 feet. 



Until a few years ago our journey must have ended 

 here, but modern enterprise has overcome the difficulty by 

 the construction of a safe and easy stairway on the face of 

 the wall to its top, so that now we may ascend and enjoy 

 the beauties beyond. 



Overlooking the falls, and towering far above them, is 

 Far View Observatorj', from the top of which a splendid 

 view may be had of the falls and the canyon, and also 

 through the entrance of the canyon out on to the plains for 

 a hundred miles or more. 



Just above the Seven Fajls is the junction of the two 

 branches of the stream. The west branch, formed by the 

 melting snows of Mount Rosa, flows through Arapahoe 

 Pass, itself a beautiful canyon, over logs and boulders, un- 

 der mossy banks, giant rocks and waving bushes, past nat- 

 ural flower gardens, green meadows and thick forests, 

 where bloom in wild charm and fragrance the columbine 

 (the State flower), blue, white, and yellow ; the tiger-lily, 

 nursed and petted in the East ; the primrose, tlower of the 

 night ; lady-slippers, shooting-stars, buttercups, daisies 

 and violets. Here, also, in their respective seasons, are 

 wild raspberries, strawberries, thimbleberries, gooseberries, 

 currants and cherries, and many other fruits and flowers 

 which only attain their greatest beauty and charm in the 

 wild and unkempt thickets where Nature plants and culti- 

 vates in her own inimitable way. Here, too, we may find 

 ferns of many varieties, and some that are found in no 

 other canyou in the vicinity. 



We stroll up along the left or south branch of the 

 stream for a quarter of a mile through a beautiful grove of 

 aspens and majestic pines, and among great granite boul- 

 ders, to the foot of Boulder Point, where we commence the 

 ascent of Midnight Falls, one of the most beautiful in the 



canyon. It is surrounded by alders, willows and birch and 

 giant firs, pines and spruce, which, even at noon, almost 

 exclude the sun's rays, and always make a cool and quiet 

 retreat. 



Just above the Midnight Falls, and along the west base 

 of Boulder Point, are Granite Rapids, where, for 100 feet, 

 the water rushes through a narrow trough in the solid Hint- 

 like granite cut by the ceaseless wearing of the never-tiring 

 little brook, as it has, for ages, rushed downward to the 

 greater leap below. A few more steps bring us to the Sil- 

 very Juanita Falls, where the water for SO feet rolls and 

 rushes over the cliffs, breaking into silvery spray and 

 sparkling in the sunlight, plunging at last into a beautiful, 

 crystal pool, clear as air, with a pebbly bottom, and sur- 

 rounded by magnificent, stately balsams, firs and spruce. 

 Here is the place to sit for hours, communing with the 

 brook, forgetting all care, and even the world outside with 

 its hurry and noise, uninterrupted unless by some squirrel 

 or bird. 



It is practically the universal verdict of visitors to South 

 Cheyenne Canyon, that there is no place accessible to tour- 

 ists, and of the same extent, which surpasses it in scenic 

 attractions, and few that compare with it, not excepting 

 the Yosemite Valley or the Alpine Gorges. The entire 

 canyon, from the entrance to Juanita Falls — a distance of a 

 mile and a half — presents a succession of the grandest 

 views to be imagined ; while the beautiful brook of crystal 

 water, a flora unsurpassed in variety and beauty, and the 

 finest falls in Colorado add to its surpassing attractions. 



We do not think the foregoing description is very much 

 overdrawn. It is truly an Eden of beauty, and some day, 

 if ever we can get to Colorado Springs again, we want to 

 repeat the trip to South Cheyenne Canyon, burro ride and 

 all. But Mrs. York was the only one of the party that 

 didn't enjoy the burro method of travelling. Next time 

 she will ask to be excused, though, if we do say it, she 

 looks " as fine as a peach," perched up on her burro. 



By the way, the name of Mrs. York's burro was 

 "Satan." He looks like him, doesn't he ? But Mrs. York 

 could hold him down all right, that is, if 150 pounds {pure- 

 gold weight and value) could hold down a couple hundred 

 pounds of " Satan." 



The Minnesota Convention of bee-keepers will meet 

 Wednesday and Thursday, Dec. 3 and 4, 1902. at Minneapo- 

 lis, in Plymouth Church, corner Eighth St. and Nicollet 

 Ave. Among the good things on the program are these : 



Song—" The Honeysuckle and the Bee " — Miss Edith 

 Dexter. 



"Something of Benefit to Beginners in Bee-Keeping " 

 —A. E. Hooker. 



"Some of My Experience in Keeping Bees in Minne- 

 sota " — Wm. Cairncross. 



"Disposing of Our Crop of Honey to the Best Advan- 

 tage " — S. Lindersmith. 



" Bees on a Poultry Farm "—Victor D. Caneday. 



" Honey Exhibits "—Walter R. Ansell. 



Address by Superintendent Gordon on the honey ex- 

 hibit at the Minnesota State Fair. 



" Bees on the Farm "—Mrs. D. C. Hazleton. 



" Use and Abuse of the Honey-Bee "—Frank Yahnke. 



Address by G. L. Dingman, State Dairy and Food Com- 

 missioner. 



The program says : " Please do not forget to buy your 

 tickets for the Horticultural meeting, and take certificates 

 for them to get reduced railroad rate." 



Why Not Help a Little— both your neighbor bee-keep- 

 ers and the old American Bee Journal — by sending to us the 

 names and addresses of such as you may know do not now 

 get this 'journal? We will be glad to send them sample 

 copies, so'that they may become acquainted with the paper, 

 and subscribe for it, thus putting themselves in the line of 

 success with bees. Perhaps you can get them to subscribe, 

 send in their dollars, and secure for your trouble some of 

 the premiums we are constantly offering as rewards for 

 such effort. 



