Poetic Eulogy to Green River and the Rocky Mountains

Poetic Eulogy to Green River and the RockyMountains

The editors of the Era are indebted to Mr. S. W. Ward, ofRock Spring's, Wyo., for this photograph which he solicited fromits author, Mr. W. J. Stroud ("Rocky Mountain Bill," the Wyo-ming scenic photographer). Mr. Stroud has traveled over andexplored more of Wyoming territory than any other man living-.I fe is said to have climbed its every peak of any importance, andrecently hoisted the Stars and Stripes on the summit of Fremontpeak, elevation 13,790 feet. Mr. Stroud is in possession of hun-dreds of copyright pictures, including "movies" of Wyomingscenery, and wild game. Describing his photo on the oppositepage, he writes, in the following poem in prose, his impression ofthe scene as the grand old stream leaves the mountain "land ofglistening snow" to pursue its windings, like a silver thread, overthe great deserts of sand:

"This scenic grandeur was taken near Mr. John Hay's ranch,with Green river in the foreground. The snowy mountains arefading away; the roar of the river's gushing waters is hushed asit leaves the land of glistening snow; its cooling, quiet resorts areexchanged for the scorching sun and sand of the great desert; itsdeep valleys of perennial flowers, snow-capped peaks, and ripplingfountains are abandoned for a journey of a hundred miles overshifting sands. In imagination, a song of sweeter music thanthat of the 'Lost Chord' steals over the soul in the hushed silenceof eventide. The bugle note of an old bull elk, far away on someelevated spot, challenges the world to battle, and is heard no morefor a hundred miles—then we enter the beautiful canyon Ladore."

W. J. Stroud.

ROCK SPRINGS, WYOMING.