# A Lady's Life in the Rocky Mountains

A LADY'S LIFE
IN THE
ROCKY MOUNTAINS
By ISABELLA L. BIRD,
AUTHOR OF SIX MONTHS IN THE SANDWICH ISLANDS ETC, ETC.
WITH ILLUSTRATIONS.
SECOND EDITION.
LONDON: JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STREET
1879
[The Right of Translation is reserved.]
ESTES PARK.
Printed by K. & R. CLARK, Edinburgh.
TO MY SISTER,
TO WHOM
THESE LETTERS WERE ORIGINALLY WRITTEN,
THEY ARE NOW
AFFECTIONATELY DEDICATED.
Note
* TABLE OF CONTENTS.
* LETTER I.
* Lake Tahoe—Morning in San Francisco—Dust—A Pacific mail train—Digger Indians—Cape Horn—A mountain hotel—A pioneer—A Truckee livery stable—A mountain stream—Finding a bear—TahoePages 1-16
* II.
* A lady's "get-up"—Grizzly bears—The "Gem of the Sierras"—A tragic tale—A carnival of colour.17-24
* III.
* A Temple of Morpheus—Utah—A "God-forgotten" town—A distressed couple—Dog villages—A temperance colony—A Colorado inn—The Bug pest—Fort Collins.25-39
* IV.
* A plague of flies—A melancholy charioteer—The Foot Hills—A mountain boarding-house—A dull life—"Being agreeable"—Climate of Colorado—Soroche and snakes.40-48
* V.
* A dateless day—"Those hands of yours"—A Puritan—Persevering shiftlessness—The house-mother—Family worship—A grim Sunday—A" thick-skulled Englishman"—A morning call—Another atmosphere—The Great Lone Land—"Ill Found"—A log camp—Bad footing for horses—Accidents—Disappointment.49-72 ​
* VI.
* A bronco mare—An accident—Wonderland—A sad story—The Children of the Territories—Hard greed—Halcyon hours—Smartness—Old-fashioned prejudices—The Chicago colony—Good luck—Three notes of admiration—A good horse—The St. Vrain—The Rocky Mountains at last—"Mountain Jim"—A death hug—Estes Park.73-96
* VII.
* Personality of Long's Peak—"Mountain Jim"—Lake of the Lilies—A silent forest—The camping ground—"Ring"—A lady's bower—Dawn and sunrise—A glorious view—Links of diamonds—The ascent of the Peak—The "Dog's Lift"—Suffering from thirst—The descent—The bivouac.97-118
* VIII.
* Estes Park—Big game—"Parks" in Colorado—Magnificent scenery—Flowers and pines—An awful road—Our log cabin—Griffith Evans—A miniature world—Our topics—A night alarm—A skunk—Morning glories—Daily routine—The panic—"Wait for the Waggon"—A musical evening119-142
* IX.
* "Please ma'ams"—A desperado—A cattle hunt—The muster—A mad cow—A snow-storm—Snowed up—Birdie-—he Plains—A prairie schooner—Denver—A find—Plum Creek—"Being agreeable"—Snowbound—The grey mare.143-146
* X.
* A white world—Bad travelling—A millionaire's home—Pleasant Park—Perry's Park—Stock-raising—A cattle King—The Arkansas Divide—Birdie's sagacity—Luxury—Monument Park—Deference to prejudice—A death scene—The Manitou— ​
* A loose Shoe—The Ute Pass—Bergens Park—A Settler's Home—Hayden's Divide—Sharp Criticism—Speaking the truth.167-192
* XI.
* Tarryall Creek—The Red Range—Excelsior—Unfortunate Pedlars—Snow and heat—A Bison calf—Deep drifts—South Park—The Great Divide—Comanche Bill—Difficulties—Hall's Gulch—A Lord Dundreary—Ridiculous Fears192-207
* XII.
* Deer Valley—Lynch law—Vigilance Committees—The Silver Spruce—Taste and abstinence—The Whisky Fiend—Smartness—Turkey Creek Canyon—The Indian Problem—Public rascality—Friendly meetings—The Way to the Golden City—A rising settlement—Clear Creek Canyon—Staging—Swearing—A mountain Town208-223
* XIII.
* The Blight of Mining—Green Lake—Golden City—Benighted—Vertigo—Boulder Canyon—Financial straits—A hard Ride—The last Cent—A Bachelor's Home—Mountain Jim—A Surprise—A Night Arrival—Making the best of it—Scanty Fare.224-238
* XIV.
* A dismal ride—A Desperado's tale—"Lost! Lost! Lost!"—Winter glories—Solitude—Hard times—Intense cold—A pack of wolves—The beaver dams—Ghostly scenes—Venison steaks—Our evenings.239-252
* XV.
* A Whisky Slave—The Pleasures of Monotony—The Mountain Lion—"Another Mouth to feed"—A tiresome Boy—An Outcast— ​
* Thanksgiving Day—The new-comer—A literary humbug—Milking a dry cow—Trout-fishing—A snow-storm—A desperado's den253-270
* XVI.
* A Harmonious home—Intense cold—A Purple sun—A grim jest—A perilous ride—Frozen eyelids—Long Mount—The Pathless Prairie—Hardships of Emigrant Life—A Trapper's Advice—The Little Thompson—Evans and Jim271-284
* XVII.
* Woman's Mission—The Last morning—Crossing the St. Vrain—Miller—The St. Vrain again—Crossing the prairie—Jim's dream—"Keeping strangers"—The inn kitchen—A reputed child-eater—Notoriety—A quiet dance—"Jim's" resolve—The frost-fall—An unfortunate introduction.285-296
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.
This work was published before January 1, 1929, and is in the public domain worldwide because the author died at least 100 years ago.
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