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Show i UTAH'S NATURAL "CURIOSITY I SHOP" i It is probable that the present ses-! ses-! sion of the Utah legislature will earn 1 the undying thanks of motorists by enacting a law which will render accessible ac-cessible one of the natural wonders of the world. Within a distance of five miles in this region of fantastic and marvelous marvel-ous beauty are three of the greatest natural bridges in the world. Already Al-ready has this area been set aside and proclaimed the Natural Bridge National Monument by presidential proclamation. Now it remains for Utah and the federal government to bring this remarkable spot in the San Juan country within the reach of easy travel. In the building of these huge spans Mother Nature has set an example in construction methods for the architects arch-itects of all ages. The "Edwin" is a masterpiece of airy lightness. With a span of 194 feet, a height of 108 feet and a width of 35 feet, the floor is but 10 feet in thickness. Viewed from a distance the bridge seems but a delicate tracery against the won-derous won-derous blue of the Southern Utah Bky. The "Caroline" is builded as tho' by Titans. It Is a model of the massive a synonym for tremendous strength. The span of this majestic structure is 185 feet, its height is 285 feet, Us width 49 feet and the thickness of the floor is 107 feet. The "Augusta" is the greatest bridge of all and combines the features fea-tures of the other two. It seems as though the Great Builder had experimented experi-mented with the "Edwin" and the "Caroline" and, following his experiment, ex-periment, had set up this masterpiece. master-piece. From base to base the arch measures 261 feet and at its highest high-est point is 232 feet above the canyon can-yon floor. The span is 28 feet in width by 65 in thickness. It has been cut by the chisels of the winds until it is a Bhimmering thing of awe-inspiring awe-inspiring beauty a pattern set ur for puny man to imitate. But the bridges are not alone the wonders of this great scenic region of Utah. Here are scattered works which will draw archeologists from all corners of the earth. Along the rude road which now leads from the little city St Bluff to the Bridge monument, mon-ument, a distance of sixty miles, are the relics of a prehistoric race the Cliff Dwellers whose history is now being slowly learned by Utah's scientists. scien-tists. High up along the walls of the canyons, seemingly inaccessible to any but the birds, are the airy dwellings dwell-ings of an ancient people. To all, however, a tortuous ascent will be revealed re-vealed by a careful search and In all will be found relics of a civilization older than history. The houses are found to lead into each other not separate dwellings, but apartment houses, tenements or flats. On the walls of all remain the crude attempts of the artistic soul to picture the story of his time. On the floors are the works of the marvelous pottery makers of the period. Altogether, the evidences to be found show that these Cliff Dwellers were an industrious and intelligent people who wrung a living from the rock-bound region, and who showed their appreciation of the beautiful in their gropings for the artistic through the simple means at their command. In the San Juan country, Nature also has tried her hand at other forms of building. Here one finds spire jostling Doric columns, minaret shouldering dome, a collection of all styles and ages of architecture set down in this wild region of sandstone which has been whittled into a Chinese Chin-ese puzzle by the slow hand of the elements. AnimalB, such as are cunningly cun-ningly fashioned by the toy makers of Nuremburg, weird statues destined to be the envy of visiting futurists, huge gargoyles a very riot of the grotesque all set down in a jumble of box canyons, arroyas and gorges, the most wonderful maze in the world. It is the plan of Representative Adams, father of the bill introduced in the legislature, to connect this marvel area with the Mesa Verde national na-tional forest by constructing an adequate ade-quate highway from Bluff, a distance, as has been mentioned, of sixty miles. An' excellent road is already built from Bluff to the Mesa Verde territory, and over 5,000 persons last year motored through the big forest. This number is steadily increasing and the construction of the Bluff Natural bridge road will undoubtedly bring a great number of these tourists tour-ists to the latter point. The measure now being considered by the legislature provides that there shall be "appropriated the sum of $15,000, or so much thereof as is required re-quired for the purpose of constructing, construct-ing, in conjunction with the United States of America, a wagon road or highway from Bluff, Utah, to and through the Natural Bridge national monument in San Juan county, Utah, the said road to follow the bo called 'Old Mormon Trail,' and to be called the Pioneers' trail, and when constructed con-structed to be dedicated by proper ceremonies as a memorial to the brave pioneers who labored lu the first construction of the said road in the winter of 1879-80." Not only Is the San Juan region unique for its scenic beauty, but also holds tremendous agricultural possibilities. possi-bilities. So strongly have both points Impressed themselves on H. Stanley Hinrichs, chief of the field service division di-vision of the United States general land office, that he will Btrongly urge the federal government to begin work immediately on a road which will connect the MeBa Verde park with the Mukuntaweap national monument monu-ment near St. George. Such a road will wind through and around the entire southern portion of the state and render of easy access the Utah side of another of America's greatest natural wonders the Grand Canyon of the Colorado. At present the natural bridge area is most accessible from Bluff which point can be reached by auto stage from the rail point, Thompson's, Utah. This road needs but little work to make it a delight to motorists and It passes through a region which is a tonic to the eyes and has great prospects pros-pects in mining, agriculture and fruit raising. After passing through Red canyon, the traveler crosses the Grand river on a huge bridge, built in conjunction by the state and Grand county. at a cost of $20,000 and comes into Moab, the garden spot of the district. When this thirty-five miles of road is Improved, Im-proved, Grand valley will become one of the great fruit belts of the state. Leaving Moab one still travels south to and across the La Sal mountains. moun-tains. Here is found the famous Big Indian mine, a mountain of copper ore now in process of development. A smelter is either to be erected here or on a spur built in by the Rio Grande Railroad company. Still traveling trav-eling south a few mileB, the traveler passes the huge landmark from which the mine takes its name Big Indian rock, an impressive natural monument and soon after there breaks to the view a monster castle the famous Church rock. Then one climbs Peter's hill, the steepest of the trip and drops down Into Monticello, San Juan county seat. This is the land of the dry farm, acre after acre and section upon up-on section flourishing under this type of agriculture. The first town to the south of Monticello is Vergil where is located the huge dry farm experiment station. Then comes the thriving little city of Blanding, then the ride through the tortuous Cow canyon past the Navajo Twins, a remarkable monument monu-ment which stands at the outskirts of Bluff, and then into Bluff, the oldest old-est Mormon settlement of the section and the scene of numerouB Indian wars. From here the old Mormon trail is probably the most available and cheapest route for an auto road to the natural bridges. It is now up to the legislature of Utah and to the Federal government to bo improve this highway that this area will be rendered accessible to visitors. Another bill ' recently introduced into the legislature by Representative Representa-tive Adams asks that the United States be petitioned to survey and construct a road which will connect the Mesa Verde national park, the Grand Canyon National monument and the Mukuntuweap national monument. mon-ument. I 1 |