Show A TRIP TR I 1 P TO BEAR LAKE THROUGH RICH COUNTY by james walton before leaving just a word about my home 11 town woodruff which Is locate cocat ed cd about twenty tour four miles north 0 rf the south boundary line hue of 0 rich county athis ahls littau town consists of about 40 ar or 50 0 families and Is situated at the mouth auth of the canyon cans on that tonn forms what Is now called woodruff creek but formerly foi meily birch creek near this tow Is locate a few of the largest ranches in ili the state the old C crawfurd ranch hivan having in early days twelve thousand head of cattle grazing firios in its fields one large laige ranch just south of woodruff in its days operated and maintained eighty thousand head of sheep and through the revenue derived from these large concerns with many smaller farms and ranches woodruff school was celebrated for the excellency of its building and the efficiency of iti lt teachers employed the history of come some of these large concerns would read like a romance somo some ending in a tragedy tia gedy others in suc success ceis while a few ended in failure but today they are on U more staple basis but today jou ou hear of ila ho failures though youcan s ou can hoar hear of the gradual spreading and growing of it its industries and the prosperity of its citizens for they are gradually though slowly getting together which means success let us leave halve it in its quietness and serenity though more could be said in its favor but ba our trip takes us through the coin county ity and we ve leavell leave it ten nilles miles in iii the rear and arrive it at i randolph the capitol nf rich coun ayi and its alti sens are 0 ft hustling busy bigeh of rustlers as evidenced by the general it i pro that can be seen from fible any ally you desira to li kioh look oh and aln re lives live a good many of the stalwarts stal warts that s in the he early days built the bridges and k li lied billed the snakes but w we 1 e must hasten basted on its as in time is limited as s well as our money so we eod up the hill and down thu tile winding sad arid tortuous canyon over 11 well W ell and a maintained broad road tho ftp abe jwia MA descent keep your cus s oli open nw our foot tha th brake biake for you yon glide as it if ill bi a plane and quickly cover the distance is and arrive at tile the mouth of 0 the 1 anyon banyon ra nyon where no film aim picture L lias has ever flashed from the silver screen a more delightful picture for there i pread out in panoramic ale view is the valley and the beautiful lake that lake so blue and placid ith in its unknown depth not a ripple apple stirred its placid surface so suddenly was wag this vision of beauty flashed upon usi u that my tittle little boy but five years yeara of age with joy and aniaz amazement ement at the irin grandner duer of it all and 1 pause towander to wonder it if any other being was ever thrilled with uan much rapture and delight as was expressed b ty y the lie shouts of that child shouts that echo back their refrain but this first glimpse of beauty was soon lost na as we glided down the shady strict streets adf of lake town where beautiful homed and largo large barus barns splendid public buildings electric lights water wafer system telephones and all else bespoke the prosperity of its inhabitants some of its citizens citizen are the descendants of the early pion 1 cers of the state of utah that could recite coif stories of the hardships of 0 early days that would chill teemar the marrow in ili your lones bones but those days are arc gone burled buried in the gloomy days of the past sunshine peace and prosperity is the herlya heritage ge of those splendid souls that are left we ve take on a little gasoline and pursue our way north down the broad line which on each side bide is se scon fields of hay bay grain anil and fruit and in a few minutes arrive atthe south louth end of the sake lake filere the rond road skirts its beach on the west and still west of the road are aie low rolling hills fringed with foliage and dotted nov and then with a cottage and on we rush around tho the pebbled bea beach ell catching a glimpse thru the foliage of the blue waters of the take on which dueks ducks seagulls and other water sport or quietly rest refit as if at home A sudden turn to the left takes us through an opening in the low love rolling hills on our left and the th lake la Is cut out but of view tor for just a moment and again as wo we pass through brough the cut to the north and west we wd see again on its ita beach the modern resort of bf ideal beach and along alone a natural turnpike just south of the resort on looking west along the base of the rolling hills can he be seen wavelike fields of dry farms stretching to the north and nd south until they fade from in thi distance we race lace alone rather slow in our old jit as compared with the more recent model of tho the same make but we finally arrive at garden city and we alved along through the long avenue of stately trees behind which au ati occasional glimpse 14 i muot aught of lovely homes orchards gardens garden 4 and lawne berry patches loaded with de 4 licious berr berries Jes trees tree weighted down with purple plums red apples and yel low pears and under whose boughs look out tu in shy welcome rosy cheek checked cheeked ced and black eyed children making azoic a picture that would thrill the soul of any real roan man or woman but on we speed though loath to leave the icv lovely ely picture behind but space forbids further comment on the little town huddled us as it is between the lofty magnificent mountain on the west and the emerald green 0 the lake lak e on the c east ast and this taking in ili all focuses in ili my eyes and inter parted b by my brain as the most beautiful spot pot in ili tho the state of utah but we pass it fleeting ting as a movie aua and then pause for a rest iet and gas and refreshment at lakota the modern re rc sort situated on swan creek the source of power r and liht light in rich ilich county there we are arc soon comfortably housed in one of the many cottages that laces faces the beach and soon the odor of coffee and ba bacou cotullas has a tendency to quiet my somewhat over wrought nerves but let esget us pet back to the beauty odthe of the spot and take a roii run up tile the creel creek whose source of supply is one lie spring anil and its water turns the wheels that once in the glin dim past drove the old stone burrs that ground wheat to flour and the spindles that raided the wool that fed and clothed the early settlers of rich county Col laty and amyott as ou ascend the canyon rn ell the right can be seen the old moss mass covered thoom and penstock dripping with watering water Wate rind and a almost ser screened bened from view with vines arid foliage blage its wheels have al ilace been hushed in sl lenad k tile tho rm mn nants nanta ot ol 01 its former activities and lise usefulness full falness ls strews surroundings near 1 b coi cog i wheels pulleys anti ami omnis lie sui sunken kea and covered Jil i the momy surface tha once blace was the fattic ne of 11 alft fe j and animation eliat the ilent loss hand of time has ha almot erased L d I 1 was waa thrilled with the salilo amo strange feeling that I 1 experienced while passing over oer one of ft the gretat battle fields of tile south whery frag fragin manta tints 1 ot 0 the conflicts flicks that once shocked th tild with jd d ground atlay at my feet produced ini me l me he larne fi kellug as aa did tho old ld battle fieldin field in tho the south eucly 11 1 t I 1 feeling Is not i a checren i one so 0 6 wll wl cassup pass up the canyon and take a casts i ot the power plan talk its t sur stir Toun soundings dings so up the roald made alp slippery by the shower of the provi night afoot and alone I 1 wound my wil avei over a road cut through breci and tilt the bushes and in places just room rom for the road and ahe roaring and plunging ot nf the creek at lf its side and arrived at the power plant on approaching the cottar ne benr mr the power house whose door N aris edg slightly ajar on which J F rapped but no rf response d in the window were loners flowers the step and front yard lean clean and well kept while on the hill bill close hv bv i parden pave gave silent evidence of the 06 fertility of the soil and the mildness of HIP valley everything ecco thing seemed so boutet save the muffled sound or of the water as it drove the turbine transmitted power to ta the dynamo which sent rent out over the wires tile the stream of power pow ec and light to the inhabitants below performing perform ine inz its miraculous trip ap parent patently ly alone then rushed and tumbled in its restless rest lesa haste to the blue take below for a moment my mind dwelled upon the kind hind of men and their makeup that bring about such strange and miraculous things but this thought though was wn poon replaced by mv thoughts of admiration as I 1 cast nv mv eyes ali up me hc mountain beholding behold ing that which is far more strange 4 and mirl icil lour ions the beauty of nature wrought by b that unknown baile power before which we bow in meek a nd ind holy reverence the crest creif of the with it cloud and just below its fringe a narrow strip of white crystal snow with black solemn looking pines that stood out plain and ill in contrast to the SR of th ahr snow which gradually blen blended dd into the brown parth with the various i colors of pink red vellow tellow and arey produced by the early autumn abst and trees still and dripping from the recent glittered elitt ered tand sparkled like a christmas tret tree tin sied and spangled with diamond onil dust I 1 feasted nty my eyes on the beauty ot of the mountain until night ohad chased the brilliant brillIan thues hues into that color dark then I 1 slowly returned my steps to the cottage b by the lake where wife and kiddies awalt await rie me the day was waa over ever and weary I 1 then sought my banki and atis was lulled to rest by the of the lake as aa it lashed the pebbled bench beach and soon was wrapped in the veil of dreamless sleep thus ended a perfect day |