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Show TREE-DESTROYING RIVER. Western Stream That Chews Up Vegetable Veg-etable OrowtliB Along Its Banks. Tho Gila river enters tho Colorado Jusl west of Yuma, nnd wo crossed ltd angry waters through ti mazo of odd lea and whirlpools through which Immense: quantities of driftwood wero whirling In mad raco. Escaping the worst of i tho turmoil, wo reached tho town at I racing speed and mado triumphant lauding, with half our Journoy ac compllshcd, writes Q. Q. Copp, In liar' por's Magazine. At most places nlong tho shoro tho river had reachod tho lino of older growths and was lovellng the larger trees by hundreds wherever a bend of tho river dlrcctod tho force of tho current cur-rent against tho far shore. Trees ten Inches In diameter nnd 20 to 30 feet high wero constantly toppling Into tho Insatlablo river. Tho fall of these largor trees was always graceful. Tho first Intimation of It was a distinct shiver thnt ran through tho cntlro tree, but wan most marked In tho upper branches; a moment mo-ment later tho treo would bend gracefully grace-fully forward as If bowing- to Its enomy. An Instant's pause and It would sink slowly Into tho rushing waters that had readier to and loos-cnodtho loos-cnodtho Inshore roots. Treo after tree of this larger growth would start down tho river broadside to tho current Slowly at first it would roll over und over, tangling its branches into a great skeleton wheel, rolling faster and faster as tho branches became moro Impacted and presented fowor projecting points to catch and hold a moment In tho shallower shal-lower reachos. Eventually tho branches would bo worn oil In such progress, leaving only tho tougher roots to retard It. Then the denuded treo would give up tho strugglo, and whirling Into tho lino of least resistance, resist-ance, would float head on down stream until caught by the spreading roots In somo shallow. |