YELLOWSTONE FALLS, Yellowstone National Park.—After the water of the Yellowstone releases itself from the deep, symmetrical pool at the foot of the Upper Falls, the river turns to the left and flows through high bluffs for a short distance, until its sea-green water leaps from the top of the Great Falls, three hundred and sixty feet deep, into the profound, abysmal solitude of the Grand Canyon. This great mass of water breaks into fleecy columns and sheets of glistening foam as it descends; but it strikes the pool below with such a great concussion that it is forced upwards in fountains of spray and clouds of mist.
GRAND CAÑON OF THE YELLOWSTONE, Wyoming.—This wonderful gorge, whose scenic beauty is not equaled anywhere, has a scene of enchantment surpassing all expectations. From the Lower Falls it reveals the most varied groups of crags and rock ever beheld. It passes through a volcanic plateau, forming broken walls of barbaric richness of coloring that almost defies description. Red, purple and yellow predominate, and with the white foam of the rushing river through the bottom, and the dark green of the forest upon the plateau, form one of the grandest natural sights in earth.
ANIMAS CANYON, Colorado.—This canyon is between Durango and Silverton, and the scenery through it is of surpassing grandeur and beauty. The railroad follows the course of the Animas River (to which the Spaniard gave the musical but melancholy title of "Rio de las Animas Perdidas," or River of Lost Souls) until the picturesque mining town of Silverton is reached. To the right is the silvery Animas River, which frets in its narrowing bed, and breaks into foam against the opposing boulders, beyond which rise the hills; to the left are mountains, increasing in rugged contour as the advance is made, and in the shadow of the rocks all is solitary, weird and awful; the startled traveler loses all apprehension in the wondrous beauty and grandeur of the scene.
GRAND CANYON Of THE ARKANSAS RIVER, Colorado.—There are no words which can properly describe this great and magnificent canyon, the crowning attraction, the wonder of wonders, the marvel of marvels, in Colorado's scenery. This canyon is seven miles in length, and presents the grandest scenery in the world. This photograph represents the Royal Gorge, where the canyon is three hundred feet deep. As it is not sufficiently wide for railroad and river to pass through, the road is carried above the river, on a hanging bridge, which is shown in the picture.
MOUNTAIN OF THE HOLY CROSS, Colorado.—This mountain is without doubt the most remarkable and the most noted of the Rockies, on account of the cross from which it received its name. Near the top is seen the cross, formed by deep crevices in its side, which are filled with perpetual snow and ice. The sight of wildwood, of tree-crowned slope, of rocky heights, of silvery cascades whose white threads of water are occasionally seen wearing away rifts in the rocks, renders the mountain one of the most enchanting of the many mountains in Colorado.
MANITOU AND PIKE'S PEAK, Colorado.—Manitou was known to white men long before Major Pike discovered the peak, and is noted for its famous soda springs, whose health-giving properties were familiar to the Indians from time immemorial. To this favored spot they made their pilgrimages, and in grateful recognition of the beneficent characteristics of the waters, they named the place in honor of the Great Spirit, and bestowed upon it the musical and significant title, Manitou. It is visited by thousands of tourists every season, and many make the ascent from here to the top of Pike's Peak, which is seen in the background.
SUMMIT OF PIKE'S PEAK, Colorado.—In 1806 Major Zebulon Pike first described this wonderful snow-capped peak, which now bears his name, and which he called the "Great Snow Mountain." When the mountain first dawned on his view, he was one hundred miles east on the plains. This noted peak towers to the height of 14,147 feet, and its top is covered with perpetual snow. This photograph represents the U. S. Signal Station on its summit. The top is now reached by an incline railway from Manitou, and from it the traveler may behold one of the grandest sights in Colorado.
GATEWAY TO THE GARDEN OF THE GODS, Colorado.—Why this wonderful valley, which has not the appearance of a garden, was named the Garden of the Gods, no one knows; but, no doubt, by reason of its apt alliterations, the name has become so popular that it would be foolish to change it. There are many remains which show that Titanic forces have been at work here. It does not require a lively imagination to discover in the garden an endless variety of beings, such as the lion, the seal, the elephant, birds and reptiles of imitative forms. The most noted object is the Great Gateway.
CATHEDRAL SPIRES, Colorado.—The stranger passing through Manitou should not fail to visit the Garden of the Gods, in which are located the Cathedral Spires, wonderful rock formations, standing upright, with pinnacles several hundred feet high. The wonderful region in which these spires are, in point of attraction, ranks with the sunny slopes of Italy, and the rugged grandeur of the Bernese Oberland. The scenery in this locality is so varied, so grand, and so impressive, that contemplative pauses must be made in order that the eye may grasp all the charming details of the view.
LIFE IN OKLAHOMA, Oklahoma Territory.—Oklahoma Territory is a beautiful stretch of country, abounding in vast and fertile plains. In the eastern part, the soil is particularly rich and well irrigated, making it almost as productive as a garden. The territory was formerly the special domain for all the Indian tribes, but this original race seems to be gradually becoming extinct. The above photograph represents a scene in Oklahoma County. This county is nearly in the centre of the territory, on the line of it railroad which has recently been opened. Owing to its admirable adaptability for agriculture, it is fast becoming populated. The picture suggests the most primitive rural simplicity.