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Show ZION CANYON, THE NEW WONDERLAND Beauties and Wonders of this New Scenic Attraction Graphically Described De-scribed by Howard S. Nichols. A short time since the Salt Lake Route issued a handsome, richly illustrated il-lustrated booklet on "Zion Canyon," Utah's new wonderland, which besides be-sides displaying the highest perfect-1 tion of the printer's and photographer's photogra-pher's art, is very interesting reading, read-ing, even to the people of this section of the country, who are familiar with much of the subject matter. We believe be-lieve that the text of the book, which is written by Howard S. Nichols, is of sufficient interest to warrant reproduction repro-duction In these columns, and we will therefore commence publication this week and continue it through our next two or three issues as space will permit: Zion Canyon, stupendous in depth and overpowering in peaceful magnificence magnif-icence and beauty, was not known to the public until 1917. Some intrepid Mormon pioneers ex-: plored it in 18U, but as it lay hidden far away in the mighty mountains of southwestern Utah, close to Arizona and Nevada, few outsiders heard of it during the next fifty-six years. Then all at once through vigorous! and concerted action by the United , States government, the State of Utah, 1 Washington County and the Los An-' geles and Salt Lake Railroad (Salt Lake Route) this extraordinary' re gion was made known and made accessible ac-cessible to the world. It is expected that Congress will decide to preserve its pristine splendor and make the. entire district Zion National Park. U. S. engineers made a most substantial substan-tial automobile road inside its boundaries, boun-daries, and this was connected with a similar state and county highway to Lund station on the railway, through the efforts of former Governor William Wil-liam Spry. The Salt Lake Route put in effect a satisfying schedule for travelers; an excellent motor stage line began operation; and the famous Wylie-Way camping service known to all Yellowstone National Park visitors, vis-itors, was established n Zion Canyon by W. W. Wylie. Thus, five and one-half decades af ter Its romantic discovery, this secreted secret-ed territory was suddenly and simultaneously simul-taneously disclosed to and put within reach of the American people. A new type of country in contour and climate, is found in this southwestern south-western corner of Utah and adjacent parts of Arizona and Nevada. It Is strange and attractive. It suggests a cross between two types, between the warm plateau region of Central Mexico in the Sierra Madres, and our Rocky Mountains. It has some of the bold beauties of the Rockies combined oddly with certain southern airs and graces. There is no repellent harshness harsh-ness here and you feel .t friendly attitude at-titude even in towerinp rliHFs. You HH n canyon gateways of such spa cious hospitality that your imc 'un-tion 'un-tion leaps again as in boyhoid fancies and Arabian Nights dreams of trawl in foreign climes. Brigham Young, the great colonist and President of the Mormon Church, long ago gave the name of Little Zion to this channel of the Rio Virgin, because be-cause of its startling profoundly, amazing beauty of coloring, rock walls, towering domes and vegetation, and its surpassing peace which suggested sug-gested to him a Heaven on earth. There in, indeed, a most pleasing tranquility tran-quility in the entire region, which soothes the nerves and satisfies the eye. The tremendous hush of tall deep canyon, however, was too much for the superstitious Indian of early days and although they sometimes mr.de daylight hunting raids into it after ill er, bear and bison, they never ramped or spent a night within the vast gorge. Nor could the friendly Mormon settlers with whom in later years the Red Men traded freely, ever m ,iH 1 I" i uade any one of them to sleep in the canyon. The inducements offered of a white man's cabin, bed and pe culiarly good food, were useless. The Indians always left before sundown, gravely explaining that Mukuntuweap was a place of great spirits, who would punish in the night all intru ders. But today, weary of city clamor and smoke, civilized men and women find this prodigious cleft in the wil-ileiiies.s, wil-ileiiies.s, clean, quiet and most refreshing. refresh-ing. The newly opened land of beauty and rest is now comfortably accessible. accessi-ble. By modern magic of transportation transporta-tion combining a great railroad, automobiles auto-mobiles and good roads. Zion Canyon has been brought within easy reach of (Continued on page o.) ZION CANYON, THE NEW WONDERLAND (Continued from first page.) all. Yesterday it was forty-eight hours of hard tenming from the railroad; rail-road; today it is but six hours of inte resting scenic motoring from the platforms of the transcontinental caravans car-avans of the Salt Lake Route. You leave the train at Lund after breakfast in the morning, and step into in-to a big high-powered machine for a smooth spin over the ood new county highway to Cedar City. The plateau lies beneath you level ej a floor. On the right rise Table Battel against the western sky, and in succession you see from Iron Mountains, Granit Peak and Cedar Valley. Cedar City, pretty foothill town of 3,000 happy people, has an nir of thrift and a good hotel where you enjoy en-joy a remarkably satisfying luncheon. I The handsome buildings of the Utah Agricultural College branch, the fine schools and swarms of automobiles here surprise you. You roll away in the machine again. The dark green cedars enrich the charms of the landscape. land-scape. Many of them are so perfectly symmetrical that they seem to have been trimmed by other hands than those of Dame Nature. Hamilton's Fort, with its thick stone walls shows how the Mormon pioneers at times had to assemble for protection against the Indian hordes. Mt. Henry, miles away, scratches the sky. Kanarraville, tiny hamlet, waves , a greeting as you pass by. DixieNa-tional DixieNa-tional Forest with its sylvan wealth is on the right. The great Pine Vallev mountains stretch their mighty heads toward the heavens. Hellevue town, and To-uerville To-uerville with its four yearly crops of lucious figs, bask in the sunshine as you slip by in your big ear. The thoughtful guide points out to you on the right the famous Silver Reef Mine, known all over the west, and the Hurricane fault, familiar to ge-' ologists in all lands as the greatest fault known in all the world. This most startling formation has attracted attract-ed mining engineers and mineralo gists from nearly every geological institute in-stitute In America. The total length of Hurricane Fault is more than 200 miles; wcherever seen it forms an important topo-gruphic topo-gruphic feature, and it finally disap-, pears under floods of lava in the Tushar range. It represents a terrific displacement of the earth's surface anil an upheaval beyond comprehension. comprehen-sion. In fuct the entire region is of ab- smsfcsUieete.eTgsaray Jsj. ..J v - orbing interest to scientists and laymen lay-men because Of its natural wonders. Cliffs ding their unassailable heights into the clouds and gorges yawn nro-dieinusly. nro-dieinusly. it is a land of magnificent distances and glorious vistus. Wherever the eye looks, there is a scene worthy of a e.reat urtist. Crater- of extinct volcanoes am numerous. The White Buttes catch your aye on ,he left. Red Bluffs further on swell upward like prodigious terracotta sculptures, La Verkln creek winds serpent ine-Iike among the hills. The views suggest some enchanted land of imagination. Kockville is a lusty little town of stone houses und log cabins in a narrow nar-row valley. Grandly the rock walls rise above the homes of the .sturdy pioneers. pi-oneers. The pears, strawberries, peaches and other fruits and vegetables vegeta-bles of this region are most delicious. |