The Project Gutenberg EBook of Petrified Forest National Monument, Arizona, by Dama Margaret Smith This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. Title: Petrified Forest National Monument, Arizona Author: Dama Margaret Smith Release Date: January 15, 2016 [EBook #50932] Language: English Character set encoding: ASCII *** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK PETRIFIED FOREST NATIONAL MONUMENT *** Produced by Stephen Hutcheson, Dave Morgan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net _PETRIFIED FOREST National Monument, Arizona_ Cover Illustration: _This is "Old Faithful". Just at the top of the hill it lies in stark grandeur._ _DESCRIPTIVE--HISTORICAL--ILLUSTRATED_ _By DAMA MARGARET SMITH_ COPYRIGHT 1930 Petrified Forest National Monument, Arizona _By Dama Margaret Smith_ The Petrified Forest In Arizona, that land of mystic beauties and many wonders, lies a great tract of land that, once upon a time, was covered with waters of the sea. How many centuries ago the ocean waves sparkled and rippled over what is now the desert, no one can definitely say. But from the nature of the stratum is which great logs are embedded, and the fossilized reptiles found, it is known that they were entombed during the Triassic age, many millions of years ago. Petrified logs are found over a wide area, more than a hundred square miles being covered with varying amounts of the "stone" trees. This fossilized "forest" is greater in area, more highly colored, and contains more petrified wood than any like deposit in the world. Many visitors who have heard of the "forest" drive through miles of the Reservation and ask at the Museum where they can find the Petrified Forest. Inquiry discloses that they expected to find an area of standing trees, trunks merely turned to stone, branches and all. Perhaps they have seen one or more such trunks in Yellowstone National Park and think to find hundreds of them here. Yet, when they learn the story of these fallen monarchs, and catch a glimpse of the dazzling beauties of agate and carnelian, jasper and onyx, no signs of disappointment are seen. Let the visitor but leave his car to view the logs, and step by step he is led on by here a gleaming fragment of carnelian, and there the soft sheen of jasper and topaz. It is like the carpet of Fairyland. These trees did not grow where they lie, or even within many miles of where they are found. They were carried from a long distance to this region by flood waters, and after whirling and drifting around in the inland sea then covering the land, they became waterlogged and finally sank to the bottom, where some eddy or whirlpool carried them. Here they lay for countless centuries, slowly being covered by silt and sand, while yet other logs came to rest above them. Thousands of years elapsed during this drifting and sinking into oblivion under the ooze of this Triassic Sea. And then came Old Ocean, later on in the Mesozoic Age submerging the entire region and adding its weight to the terrific pressure already brought to bear on the burial place of the giants. This pressure packed the sands to stone, and compressed the clays to shale. Already the logs were impregnated with a strong solution of silica, with iron and manganese also present, and the pressure forced it into every fiber. Atom by atom the cells of the wood were dissolved and replaced by the silica, which hardened, taking the exact shape of the cell it destroyed. While the logs were probably partly petrified before the influx of the ocean waters, a great many show that enormous pressure was brought to bear while they were yet flexible. Some logs recently brought to light by the summer floods, are mashed almost flat, cross sections measuring eighteen inches one way and more than five feet the other. [Illustration: Courtesy National Park Service Cross section of log showing natural fracture.] Nature did not slight details in this work of substitution. Even to the most minute particular the structure of the wood was replaced by the intruder. Under the microscope it is possible to identify the kind of wood represented. Dr. F. H. Knowlton has classified the major portion of these trees as belonging to a species of conebearing tree now extinct, related to the Norfolk Island Pine. The logs lay buried for numberless centuries, but natural forces were at work bringing them to the surface again. During the Tertiary Period, a slow upheaval brought the submerged area to light. On and upward it rose, until it now lies more than a mile above the level of the ocean. Freed of its Old Man of the Sea, warmed and comforted by Arizona's brilliant sun and searching wind, the region lay at rest. Slowly the fingers of time, tipped with wind and rain, broke through the heavier sandstone above, and tore away the softer layers of shale and marl. Bit by bit, the covering was lifted from the buried logs, and one by one, the gem-like wonders saw the light of day. And what a glorious resurrection it was! As the support was plucked from about them, they left their sleeping places in the sandstone and marl and rolled to the levels below. Frost tore at their vitals; rain fell into the crevices and freezing there, expanded, until many of the finer logs are now merely heaps of gleaming jewels, opaline and rose, lavendar and mauve, deepest brown and softest yellow, black and purple, blue and red. In their range of color they leave the beauty lover breathless. And these colors are permanent, too, having endured through the aeons. [Illustration: Courtesy Mrs. Adam Hanna The most noted tree in the whole reservation. The Natural Bridge. About four feet in thickness this 111 foot log measures 44 feet between the sides of the arroyo.] How? When? Why? "How did it happen?" That is usually the first question asked of the rangers in the Petrified Forest. In contact with eighty thousands or more tourists each year, there are certain questions asked so many times that one learns what the average person is most curious about in connection with these petrified trees. Here are the most popular of these questions, together with the answers, shorn of technical terms: Why are none of the trees standing? This is simply an exposed deposit of petrified logs that came here from a distance, as driftwood. How were they brought here? Probably by rivers in flood periods. This region might have been the mouth of a large river as is indicated by the crossbedded sandstone. Why are they piled up in particular spots? This was at one time an inland sea. The trees floated here, and were swept by whirlpools or strong currents into eddys where they became waterlogged and sank. How long ago was that? Men who have made a lifetime study of it, say it was from ten to forty million years ago. What became of the sea that was here? Gradual upheaval of the country, aided by earthquakes and volcanic action, raised this area and drained it. The Sierras were probably brought to their present height during these disturbances. What kind of trees are they? Mostly an extinct species of cone bearing tree. (_Araucarioxylon Arizonicum._) How big were these trees? Some of them are now a hundred feet long, and six to eight feet in diameter. The Natural Bridge is one hundred and eleven feet long. The height of some of these trees while standing was doubtless two hundred feet or more. Why did they turn to rock? They did not really turn to stone. Silica and minerals in solution were forced into the wood, dissolved it, and replaced the wood cells with their own substance. How is it polished? By a process of grinding with carborundum and diamond dust, then rubbed with leather buffer. It approaches the diamond in hardness and an ordinary emery wheel will scarcely mark it. What is the weight of the petrified wood? About 200 pounds to the cubic foot. It varies. Why can't visitors take specimens away with them? First: Because it is against the United States Law. After that comes consideration of future visitors to the Petrified Forest National Monument. When one reflects that there are about eighty thousand visitors here annually and that if each visitor took what pleased him, it is an unrefutable fact the best specimens would speedily disappear. A visitor would not be satisfied with one small piece. There would be the home folks to consider; the neighbor that fed the left-at-home cat, and the friend who loaned his kodak for the trip. These would all need souvenirs. It would be difficult to choose among several beautiful pieces and so a compromise would be made by taking all of them. [Illustration: Courtesy National Park Service They leave their sleeping places in the sides of the marl hills and roll to levels below.] What is a National Monument? An area set aside by the President of the United States to preserve regions of scientific, historic or prehistoric interest. What is the area of the Petrified Forest National Monument? 25,908 acres. Who has charge of it? The National Park Service, one of the largest and the most important bureaus of the Department of the Interior. A custodian and several Park Rangers are the immediate representatives of the Government on the Reservation. [Illustration: Courtesy National Park Service As the soil slowly settles beneath these giants their weight dismembers them. In this way they were broken in the lengths we find them now.] The Rainbow and Third Forests The Rainbow Forest lies eighteen miles east of Holbrook on U. S. Highway 70, the Holbrook-Springerville Road, open and in splendid condition the year around. This Rainbow Forest area contains a greater amount of highly colored petrified wood, than any of the other "forests" included in the Reservation. The varied and decided coloring of the logs, many of which are broken into minute chips, is so gorgeous that it has been given this name. The outstanding features of the Rainbow Forest are the logs themselves, which may be seen in all stages of preservation, some not entirely uncovered, some lying on the sides of the marl hills waiting their time to be let down by erosion, to the levels below, some almost at the top of the sandstone cap, and others in fragments at the bottoms of ravines; the Government Museum, which is free to the public, located half a mile from the highway. In this building the Government has collected outstanding specimens of wood from all sections of the Reservation. These representative specimens, both polished and unpolished form an interesting exhibit. Here too, are Indian relics found in the prehistoric ruins scattered throughout the area. Many of the sections of wood here surpass the very finest Italian marble both in coloring and composition. One huge section of a log, weighing a ton, holds all the colors of the rainbow and the intermediate tints. One may trace woodland scenes, Japanese landscapes, city skylines, outlines of animals and trees in the polished surface of this tree. This specimen was shipped to Denver and polished there, and required many days of grinding with carborundum and diamond dust. No visitor fails to admire it. Another exhibit which evokes admiration is a globe about eight inches in diameter, which was turned and polished in Germany. It was originally a big knot or burl and shows swirls of color like a child's agate marble. [Illustration: Courtesy National Park Service Showing work of erosion. This log is becoming slowly undermined by the action of the small stream.] In this Museum are fragments of wood bearing at their clusters of topaz crystals, black crystals and beautiful purple amethysts. Various explanations have been advanced as to why these gemlike formations are found in the wood. One authority says cavities in the logs caused by decay, are filled by mineral crystals, there being no wood fiber to absorb. Other geologists offer the theory that the resin and sap forced to the center formed into tangible shape by being crystalized. Be that as it may, the semi-precious stones were very much sought after, and a great jewelry concern in the East had a crew of men working in these "forests" blasting the precious work of nature to pieces in search of the jewels. Of course this vandalism ceased abruptly when in 1906 President Roosevelt issued the proclamation which made this Reservation a National Monument. In the Museum is a register, in which all visitors are expected to sign their names. In this book are found names from practically every civilized nation in the world. In this Rainbow Forest is found one of the best preserved trees with the stump, that has been discovered. It is to the Petrified Forest what the Old Faithful Geyser is to Yellowstone Park. It is the tourists' friend. This log is the favorite picture place in the entire Reservation. Here parties stop their car and visit the fallen monarch. Almost any hour of the day in pleasant weather, one can see little children playing on this big log. Here they lunch and rest, and here they pose for their photographs. The old fellow must have many happy memories collected through the ages. It lies in the sunlight at the brow of the hill, as one drops down to the Museum. Most probably before this log was broken into sections, it measured well over two hundred feet. It is now about fifty feet long, and at its thickest portion, measures six feet through. The great stump still remains as it was when some terrific storm, millions of years ago, uprooted it in its native forest. We call it "Old Faithful." A mile or two east of the Museum is the Third Forest. Here is a tangible sign that our far-removed forefathers admired the utility of the petrified wood, if they did not appreciate its beauty. The ruins of quite a castle stand on the crest of a hill overlooking the plains, and one can almost visualize the first dwellers in this mystic land. See them laboriously carrying the heavy blocks of petrified wood to the top of the hill where they are laid out in orderly rows to form rooms. In the meantime, a close watch is kept that neither animal nor human enemy may creep up unheeded. The walls have fallen during the passage of time, but each foundation can be traced. Shards of broken pottery in great amounts lie at the base of the hill. We wonder if some angry housewife fired it out at her better half as he stumbled home from a prehistoric lodge room too late to please her? Here, too, are found the workshops of arrowmakers. Chips, flaked thin as wafers, lie like bits of rainbows about the place, and show that they were broken from larger pieces by human agencies. This, we think, was done by heating the rock wood to a high temperature and then touching, lightly, the spot to be chipped with a feather dipped in water. The Second Forest Leaving the Headquarters area, where the Museum is located, the visitor drives over a winding road, beautiful in its arid desert beauty, six or seven miles to reach the Second Forest. Were it my privilege to name this lovely section I should call it "The Coral Garden". In this "forest" are many logs encrusted with coral formation. Some of them have broken apart and even the interiors are mossed with the coral, soft rose in color. The ground is covered with tiny round stones, coral colored. Here many logs are filled with crystals and the range of coloring found in the chips strewn over the landscape is marvelous. Many pebbles bear the impression of seashells, and deep in the heart of a section of petrified log was found a fossilized mussel. [Illustration: Courtesy National Park Service At one place in the First Forest a slender column of rock rises to the height of thirty or forty feet. This is the Eagle Rock.] There is little of the sandstone cap in this area, and the logs lie in the blue-gray marl formation. Here we find larger trees in greater masses than elsewhere. Many of the trees lie piled on top of others in the coulees and small arroyos, carved out by wind and rain, during the centuries since these logs first settled there. One big tree, near the road, is mashed flat its entire length of perhaps ninety feet. Evidences of bark are plain on this particular log, and where the limbs were torn off, the grain of the wood is quite discernible. One could spend hours in this area, spellbound with the beautiful sight. The Natural Bridge About eight miles from Headquarters, and three miles from the Second Forest, is the most noted tree in the Monument, the Natural Bridge. This sleeping giant lies where it was abandoned as a plaything by the waters that carried it here. Each end is firmly embedded in the sandstone rock, which was formerly the sand at the bottom of the sea. In the process of erosion, which finally carried away all of the material above this log, it ultimately came to lie on the surface of the ground. As the land rises somewhat to the south of it, water gathered there with the big log forming a natural dam. This water tended to soften the sandstone, and after a period of time it forced its way through under the log. Soon this became a free passage for the water, and resulted in the formation of the gorge which the prostrate trunk spans today. The Natural Bridge log is about four feet in thickness at the largest point in sight. Part of the log is still encrusted with the sandstone which wrapped it about, before wind and rain unshrouded it. The canyon is twenty-five feet deep, and this one hundred and eleven foot log measures forty-four feet between the points at which it rests on the sides of the arroyo. From the canyon beneath it, cedar, juniper and cottonwood trees have sprung to life and grown up to furnish shade for this comrade of another Age. They must seem mere upstarts to this old veteran! A hundred yards or so to the east, down over the rim of the mesa, is another freak of erosion, called the Pedestal Log. It is a large section, resting upon a support of sandstone, ten or fifteen feet above the level of the surrounding plain. It forms a protective cap which has kept the softer material immediately under it from washing away. The First Forest Here, again, were I choosing a suitable name for this portion of the Reservation I should not hesitate to call it "The Vandal's Paradise". It has been badly denuded of its finest specimens, and the big trees demolished by vandals. Here the despoiler has had full sway. Great trees are blown to atoms by searchers for the semi-precious jewels. Choice specimens have been hauled away by the carload. There was no law, other than one's own individual decency to protect these jeweled timbers lying near Adamana, which for years was the nearest railroad station and the only entrance to the Reservation. This "forest" is located five miles south of Adamana, and is about half a mile from the Natural Bridge. It is composed of trees, which are geologically speaking, "all out of place". That means they have all, by the work of erosion, been let down from higher levels. They are badly shattered, but, nevertheless beautiful, on account of the vivid coloring found in the fragments. Another feature of this area is the carving of the rocks into beautiful and fantastic shapes by the elements. At one place a slender column of sandstone rises to the height of twenty-five or thirty feet, and broadens at the top into a platform perhaps ten feet across. Here, for years, an eagle has nested, and the rock bears the official name of "Eagle Rock." Quite close to this rock is the "Snow Lady", a statuesque pillar against the background of an imposing cliff. After an extended visit in 1889, Prof. Lester F. Ward, an eminent paleobotanist, on the staff of the United States Geological Survey, recommended that this area be made a National Park, or Reservation, in order to preserve it from destruction and oblivion. Local leaders brought pressure to bear upon their representatives in Washington, and at least one of Holbrook's leading men, Mr. W. H. Clark, made a trip to Washington in the interest of preserving the Petrified Forest. He saw President Roosevelt in person and for half an hour talked with him concerning the reasons no action had been taken by Congress to protect the Forest. He left with the President's assurance that something would be done. This something was a proclamation by President Roosevelt on December 8, 1906, declaring the area to be a National Monument. Prehistoric Dwellers Throughout Arizona can be found traces of a vanished people. In and around the Petrified Forest, prehistoric dwellings and "picture writings" are plentiful, and of great antiquity and high development. Probably nowhere have such pictographs been so well preserved. The soft smooth sandstone was an ideal surface for the artist to work upon, and nowhere in the world, in that age, could such suitable tools be found to work with. Here at hand were sharp pointed chisels already prepared by the fracturing of wood. These chisels were hard enough to cut glass. Rounded pieces of the same material made excellent mallets. Hundreds of these have been found in the Reservation. With these rude instruments, this unknown people left for us a record of their existence graven deep in the sandstone in sheltered places. These pictures today are a lasting monument to the race that roamed this region in the gone-by centuries. These sketches depict different kinds of animals, such as antelope and mountain sheep, snakes and turtles. They are grotesque and out of proportion, but doubtless they represent, for the most part, animals that formerly roamed the western plains. Some pictures, however, represent animals that could never have been seen on land and sea, and existed only in the fevered imagination of the artist. Perhaps there were futurist artists even among those primitive men. In one scene a herd of deer cross a plain. Near that a stork stands on attenuated legs and dangles what appears to be a baby in its bill. This is doubtless the earliest picturization of a stork's visit. In another place a long line of human figures clasp their hands and drag one another up a steep incline. In the heart of the Reservation lies a mesa almost entirely surrounded by a steep cliff that has broken and fallen in ruins. On the huge boulders that have rolled to the desert below, there are pages and pages of history could one but read what is so plainly written. One figure stands alone disconsolately weeping. Quite monstrous tears are falling from his eyes, and just beneath his weeping figure a six inch bowl was found. Although broken in half by the passage of time with its destructive elements the piece of pottery, at least two thousand years old, was carefully restored and has an honored place in the Government Museum. [Illustration: Courtesy C. J. Smith Graven deep into the stone in sheltered places thousands of years ago, these pictures are a lasting monument to the people who roamed this region in the gone-by centuries.] On almost every mesa are the remains of ancient dwellings. There are arrowmaker's chips and fragments of pottery, and crude colored beads that may have delighted some wee maiden with their brilliance. The pottery shows two distinct varieties, the finger-nail decorations covering the blackened bowls which seem to have served as cooking utensils, and the finer pottery, on which the black and white tracings are as startlingly vivid today, as they were so many, many centuries ago when they were drawn by the day-dreaming housewife as she sat in the sun and painted the fanciful designs. Historical By virtue of the Gadsden Purchase, at the close of the Mexican War, what is now Arizona came into possession of the United States. At this date, 1848, there was no record of the Petrified Forest ever having been seen by white men. In 1853 Lieut. Whipple, engaged in surveying a railroad route to the Pacific, discovered the deposits lying to the north of the present Reservation. He did not, however, discover the deposits of petrified wood south of Adamana, and there is no definite record of just when, and by whom, these "forests" were first seen. John Muir claims to have discovered the Blue Forest. An Indian legend tells that one of their Goddesses wandered into the place which is now the Petrified Forest. She was hungry, cold and exhausted. When she saw the hundreds of logs lying around she was delighted and managed to kill a rabbit with a club, expecting to have a delicious supper. When she attempted to kindle a fire to cook her kill, the logs were wet and would not burn. In anger and her disappointment, she cursed the spot and turned the logs into stone that they might never burn. As travel became more plentiful over the Santa Fe Railroad and across country, great amounts of the fossilized wood were carried away or destroyed, and the people of the Territory became alarmed about their unprotected treasure. In 1895 the assembly sent this Memorial to Congress. House Memorial No. 4 TO THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA IN CONGRESS ASSEMBLED: We, your memorialists, the eighteenth legislative assembly of Arizona, beg leave to represent to your honorable bodies: FIRST: That there is in the northern part of this Territory, lying within the borders of Apache County, near the Town of Holbrook, a wonderful deposit of petrified wood commonly called the "Petrified Forest" or "Chalcedony Park". This deposit, or forest, is unequalled for its extent, the size of the trees and the beauty and great variety of coloring found in the logs. The country ten miles square is covered by the trunks of trees, some of which measure over two hundred feet in length and from seven to ten feet in diameter. Ruthless curiosity seekers are destroying these huge trees and logs by blasting them in pieces in search of crystals, which are found in the center of many of them, while carloads of the limbs and smaller pieces are being shipped away to be ground up for various purposes. SECOND: Believing that this wonderful deposit should be kept inviolate, that future generations may enjoy its beauties and study one of the most curious and interesting effects of nature's forces, We, your memorialists, most respectfully request that the Commissioner of the General Land Office be directed to withdraw from entry all public lands covered by this forest until a Commission, or officer appointed by your honorable body, may investigate and report to you upon the advisability of taking this forest under the charge of the General Government and making a National Park or Reservation of it. * * * J. H. Carpenter, SPEAKER A. J. Doran, PRESIDENT Filed in the office of the Secretary of the Territory of Arizona this 11th day of February A. D. 1895, at 11 a. m. This appeal was effective and Congress appointed Prof. Lester F. Ward to visit the Petrified Forest and make a report. The report was favorable to preservation, and acting with his usual promptness, President Theodore Roosevelt issued the proclamation which created the Petrified Forest National Monument. [Illustration: Photo by C. J. Smith The surrounding country has washed away in the passing of years and leaves this mammoth cross section thirty feet or more above the plain.] This proclamation, in part, follows: BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, A PROCLAMATION. WHEREAS, it is provided by section two of the Act of Congress, approved June 8, 1906, entitled, "AN ACT FOR THE PRESERVATION OF AMERICAN ANTIQUITIES", "THAT THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES IS HEREBY AUTHORIZED, IN HIS DISCRETION, TO DECLARE BY PUBLIC PROCLAMATION HISTORIC LANDMARKS, HISTORIC AND PREHISTORIC STRUCTURES, AND OTHER OBJECTS OF HISTORIC OR SCIENTIFIC INTEREST TO BE NATIONAL MONUMENTS * * * And, whereas the mineralized remains of Mesozoic forests, commonly known as the "Petrified Forest", in the Territory of Arizona, situated upon the public lands owned and controlled by the United States, are of the greatest scientific interest and value, and it appears that the public good would be promoted by reserving these deposits of fossilized wood as a national monument with as much land as may seem necessary for the proper protection thereof; Now, therefore, I, Theodore Roosevelt, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the power in me vested by section two of the aforesaid Act of Congress, do hereby set aside as the Petrified Forest National Monument * * * Warning is hereby expressly given to all unauthorized persons not to appropriate, excavate, injure, or destroy any of the mineralized forest remains hereby declared to be a National Monument or to locate or settle upon any of the lands reserved and made a part of said Monument by this proclamation. In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Seal of the United States to be affixed. Done at the city of Washington, this 8th day of December, in the year of our Lord one thousand nine hundred and six and the Independence of the United States the one hundred and thirty-first. THEODORE ROOSEVELT. In 1911, President Taft made a new proclamation reducing the extent of the Petrified Forest National Monument to its present size of 25,908 acres. The Blue Forest While the Blue Forest was included in the National Monument originally it is now several miles outside the present boundary. It is from this section that much of the wood used commercially is obtained. Many find this weird formation the most interesting spot in the entire country. Miles and more miles of blue-gray mounds, varying in size, formed of the crumbling marl have been beaten and blown into a semblance of numberless haystacks. It is arduous climbing to reach the top of this Blue Forest, but the view obtained is well worth the skinned knees and twisted ankles produced by rolling shale. From the highest elevation there is a view that beggars description. One cannot put into words his feeling of desolation, of helplessness, that comes in looking over the formation. Vanishing in the distance the mounds lie in rows that grow gradually smaller and smaller until they melt into the level landscape below. On the tops of these cold, blue mounds great trees lie prone, many of them shattered and cascading their jeweled hearts down the slope.... Here great piles of splintered, colorless wood are found, looking as if the chopper had just left the scene of his labors, the chips of his day's work lying scattered about. Again, a big tree broken open by the frost, or other agencies, discloses a lining of gleaming crystals, glittering and sparkling in the Arizona sun. Here the great dinosaur lived and died, and from his tomb fossil bones have been carried to universities far and wide. Here the phytosaurus and the stegosaurus breathed their last, and from here was taken the wicked looking upper jaw of a phytosaurus which had weathered the ravages of time and elements. This lies in a glass case in the store at Headquarters, where all may see it and be thankful such creatures roam this region no longer. Here, the rattlesnake lies coiled in the shade of the sombre hued cones, and scarcely troubles to sound his warning when visitors intrude. Overhead a tireless buzzard hangs suspended. No other signs of life are seen in this dead gray waste, the burial plot of the Dark Ages. The Painted Desert Many of the Petrified Forest visitors are intensely interested in the Painted Desert, lying only a few miles from Adamana. On U. S. Highway 66, six miles from the Rio Puerco, one comes to a sign: "Painted Desert Inn". A mile from the highway this inn is stationed. But before reaching the building, an abrupt climb brings one to the top of the mesa, and spread out before the eyes is the world's most magnificent palette, with the colors ready mixed,--The Painted Desert. It is a breath-taking vision that bursts on one's sight, this "El Pintado Desierto" that Coronado stumbled upon and named in 1540. As far as one can see colors mingle and glow. From the most delicate lavendar to the deepest purple, from palest pink to flaming red, greens, browns, chocolate and blues, all the colors are here. This desert does not lie in level sandy stretches, but is formed of mounds and hills, and varying sizes of "haystacks". With each hour, as the light changes in the sky, so change the colors of this wonderland. It is truly the foot of the rainbow. Walk down the trail and there is the bewildered feeling that one has strayed into an immense paint factory which has just been badly wrecked! The sand underfoot is light, almost like burnt earth, but the colors are there, mixed by the Super Artist. This Painted Desert is a fitting frame for the Petrified Forest. How To Reach The Petrified Forest The Petrified Forest is one of the most popular and accessible units of the National Park Service, open every day in the year. Westbound tourists traveling by automobile may choose between two great continental highways that will lead directly to the "Forest". U. S. Highway No. 66 passes on the north and tourists may enter the Forest either from Adamana or Holbrook. This highway brings the traveler by the famous Painted Desert. U. S. Highway No. 70 on the Carlsbad-Petrified Forest-Grand Canyon Route, winds through the foothills of the White Mountains by way of Springerville, and passes through one of the most interesting sections of the Petrified Forest. Eastbound tourists enter the Forest from Holbrook where Highways No. 66 and 70 meet. The Santa Fe railroad, carrying The Chief, The Navajo, The California Limited and the Grand Canyon Limited runs through Holbrook and Winslow. Either east or west bound travelers on any of these trains may obtain a twenty-four hour stopover. "La Posada" at Winslow combines all the romance and fascination of the old Spanish regime with the most modern conveniences for the comfort of those wishing to make it their home while visiting surrounding attractions. From this hotel, the well known Harveycar Motor Coaches, each with its charming girl courier, conveys guests to the Petrified Forest. For those wishing to visit the Forest and resume their journey the same day, arrangements have been made to meet eastbound Navajo No. 2, at Winslow, take the guest to "La Posada" for breakfast, drive from there to the Petrified Forest, where the most interesting points, including the Museum, are visited, and then rejoin the train at Holbrook. The program is reversed with west bound tourists on Navajo No. 9. The coaches meeting the train at Holbrook make the "Petrified Forest Detour" and drive to Winslow for luncheon at the hotel, resuming train travel there. This trip affords a convenient and inexpensive means of seeing the "Forest" and is a pleasant interruption of a long train journey. Any tourist agency or Santa Fe ticket office can furnish additional information. Rainbow Lodge, near the Museum at Headquarters of Petrified Forest, is prepared to accommodate overnight visitors. New rock cabins and food supplies are available. A public camp ground is provided by the Government. [Illustration: View of the Painted Desert, near Holbrook.] PRICE 25 CENTS _Postpaid Anywhere in United States_ DAMA MARGARET SMITH Holbrook, Arizona PRESS OF WINSLOW DAILY MAIL WINSLOW, ARIZONA Transcriber's Notes --Retained publication information from the printed edition: this eBook is public-domain in the country of publication. --Silently corrected a few palpable typos. --In the text versions only, text in italics is delimited by _underscores_. End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Petrified Forest National Monument, Arizona, by Dama Margaret Smith *** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK PETRIFIED FOREST NATIONAL MONUMENT *** ***** This file should be named 50932.txt or 50932.zip ***** This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: http://www.gutenberg.org/5/0/9/3/50932/ Produced by Stephen Hutcheson, Dave Morgan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will be renamed. Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark. Project Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission. If you do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the rules is very easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and research. They may be modified and printed and given away--you may do practically ANYTHING in the United States with eBooks not protected by U.S. copyright law. Redistribution is subject to the trademark license, especially commercial redistribution. START: FULL LICENSE THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work (or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project Gutenberg-tm License available with this file or online at www.gutenberg.org/license. Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works 1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property (trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your possession. If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8. 1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works. See paragraph 1.E below. 1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the Foundation" or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual works in the collection are in the public domain in the United States. If an individual work is unprotected by copyright law in the United States and you are located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg are removed. Of course, we hope that you will support the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting free access to electronic works by freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm works in compliance with the terms of this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with the work. You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project Gutenberg-tm License when you share it without charge with others. 1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are in a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, check the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no representations concerning the copyright status of any work in any country outside the United States. 1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: 1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear prominently whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work on which the phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the phrase "Project Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed, copied or distributed: This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. 1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is derived from texts not protected by U.S. copyright law (does not contain a notice indicating that it is posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees or charges. If you are redistributing or providing access to a work with the phrase "Project Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. 1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms will be linked to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works posted with the permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work. 1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm. 1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project Gutenberg-tm License. 1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access to or distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format other than "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official version posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site (www.gutenberg.org), you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon request, of the work in its original "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other form. Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg-tm License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. 1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. 1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works provided that * You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax returns. Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the address specified in Section 4, "Information about donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation." * You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm License. You must require such a user to return or destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of Project Gutenberg-tm works. * You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days of receipt of the work. * You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works. 1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and The Project Gutenberg Trademark LLC, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark. Contact the Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below. 1.F. 1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread works not protected by U.S. copyright law in creating the Project Gutenberg-tm collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain "Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by your equipment. 1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE. 1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you with the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a refund. If you received the work electronically, the person or entity providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If the second copy is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further opportunities to fix the problem. 1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS', WITH NO OTHER WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. 1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages. If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by the applicable state law. The invalidity or unenforceability of any provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions. 1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in accordance with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production, promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works, harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees, that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg-tm work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any Defect you cause. Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It exists because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from people in all walks of life. Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future generations. To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4 and the Foundation information page at www.gutenberg.org Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit 501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification number is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state's laws. The Foundation's principal office is in Fairbanks, Alaska, with the mailing address: PO Box 750175, Fairbanks, AK 99775, but its volunteers and employees are scattered throughout numerous locations. Its business office is located at 809 North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887. Email contact links and up to date contact information can be found at the Foundation's web site and official page at www.gutenberg.org/contact For additional contact information: Dr. Gregory B. Newby Chief Executive and Director gbnewby@pglaf.org Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations ($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt status with the IRS. The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any particular state visit www.gutenberg.org/donate While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who approach us with offers to donate. International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. To donate, please visit: www.gutenberg.org/donate Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project Gutenberg-tm concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared with anyone. For forty years, he produced and distributed Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support. Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed editions, all of which are confirmed as not protected by copyright in the U.S. unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not necessarily keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition. Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility: www.gutenberg.org This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks.