Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1867-02-19

E~IfEFAALLEAN NEfT" Ng.|F EeHlIE UflUT1fN.
CaL-sonloquizingJ What a t~hrtee-douhle
Was I. to take This drunkard for a god
And worship this duu fool
GEOLOGY OF COLORADO-MR. DEN
TONS THIRD LECTURE AT CHI
A few years ago the region now known
As Colorado was regarded as a desert.
To-day the great American desert has
vanished and in place of il are prairies
covered with bufialOes and deer, while
the mountains beyond are as rich in
metals as Sinbad's valley Of diamonds.
Colorado occupies from g to Al degrees
Of north latitude, and from the I02d to
the Tooth degree Of west longitude. II
is $50 miles long and 80 miles broad, and
contains l05,SlS square miles.
The mountains of Colorado traverse
500 miles Of the length Of North Amer
ca. They are known In Mexico as the
Sierra Madre, and elsewhere as the
Rocky mountains. The mountains pass
ing through Colorado are not a single
chain, but consist Of numerous spurs.
These iBclOse large bodies Of land which
are called parks. These parks contain
green meadows, covered with pine, aspen
and other trees, which look as If they
had been planted by a msster hand.
They are envirOned by tall, shaggy
mountains, most beautiful to behold.
AT Denver the river is as if u
stood in q vast amphitheater. The tall
est peaks arc reached by a gradual
ascent. The beauty Of this mountain
scenery is beyond description. One
looks OF the mountain chain and is con-
stsntly deceived as to distances. Noun
tains fifty miles distant seem not more
than ten away-the atmosphere is so
clear. In the mountains where the
miners are at work, there are scenes
which one can never forget. In some
places flowers may be plucked that have
pushed their buds through a covering Of
ice. One range Of mountains consists
Of horizontal layers Of lava. and the
mountain sides have been cut away bv
water and ice, so that IN some cases they
sre five thousand feet high and abs0-
lutely perpendicular. The scenery is in
expressibly magnificent here. The morn
ings are almost always cl0UdIess. The
speaker saw but two cloudy mornings
during three months. There are three
kinds OF valleys In that territ0ry. When
the mountains are elevated there are
valleys Of depression. Such valleys are
those where Black Hawk, Central CITY
and Nevada City are located. Then
there are valleys Of eTOsion-vaIlevs cut
Outby the action Of water. There issucb
a valley near Nevada City enviroued bv
perpendicular walls. In some places the F.
water has cut out the rocks g mile in alb
sOlute depth.
Then there are valleys made by the eie-
walton Of the adjoining earth, while the
OF the valleys themselves has re-
manned unchanged. The st. Louis val
ley Is an example. Among the rivers Of
{ hnInTann are fhn Arl-an1na 81 49,
Platte. They both commence in the
mountains. At times the water in both
OF them Is lost to view, sinking 10 the
sand. ArailrOad may be quite as easily
constructed in the valley Of the Arkan-
sas as IN that Of the Platte, up which one
is now being constructed.
These two rivers viii enable agricuIm-
rists to irrigate all the land necessary for
supporting the whole population Of Col
Then there are the head waters
the Rio Grsnde, the White and the
Bear river.
On the vegetation Of Colorado, the
most important is the grass. The great
plain east Of the mountains is covered
with a thin covering Of grass. It starts
up IN the spring, but in the hummer il
dries up, and on this dried grass or bav
the buffalo feeds and grows fat. The
Of grass grows in the mountain re-
gions. Frequently men 20 up on the
high mountain lands and cut hav and
bring 1t down into the valleys.
There are no hard wood trees in the
territory, with the exception OF a
scrub oaks. Pines are the most prev-
alent. At the time when trees cease 70
grow, pines are as thick as mans body.
and no taller than a man. There is a
plentiful supply Of wild currants. Choke
cherries, larger and sweeter than those
indigenous here, are found. There is am
abundance Of grapes, from which a very
good wine Is made. The cactus is COM
mon. The variety called the pncklv
pear is frequently seen. The "EIkhorD
grows as tall as a man, and the
'rUit looks like "a fruit; in the noun I
aims is the " globe cactus"
CRIMINALS, the greatest share belong TO {
order TodeahG, or gnsWing animals. q
The prairie dogs are the most common :
animals. Wolves are common, both on
he plains and in the mountains. Pears /
re common, including black, brown and
bears. Q
On the plains are the Cheyennes and )
he ArrapahOe Indians. In the noun Il
are the 1utes. The latter are
tunted, somewhat short, and exceedingly a
Ond OF Ornameutation. There is INF 4
A@1I 0aAAk a. NAGAA HgALMHs 81
They believe in a God who is ALI good q
md a devil all bad, and in beautiful D
uniting grounds which all good Indians q.
hall one day Inherit The Indians are ~
oOmed TO determination as civilization
dvances. o.,
Colorado has a history, and much older IN
more Important than people geuer- Al
lly imagine. Il is written on its racks I.
amt rocks are found in considerable
bundance on the western sl0pe of The gl
-Ocky mountains. 10 is also found in
afgenuferous rocks. Next come the
i~etamorphlc rocks, which are well rep
near Black Hawk. Nearly an OF
mining Is done IN these rocks. Next u
ONE the silurian rocks. These are "a
'und in the Middle park and the St y
'Ouis park. The devOnian and carbon- Re
erOus formations are also found. Coal A
found IL Colorado. On the Grand On
yer il is washed out from its banks be
penurian rocks are numerous in the ili
astern portion Of the territory. The to
formations, as well as the ter 10
airy and drift, are also found iu sbun th
ance. From these rocks the ancient so
istory Of the country may be read be
ROCKY mountains are as Old as The Dc
furian period at least. These noun bu
lins prooaDly appeared at their origin vi
Re long cDaln u Islands just emerging III
the sea. The mountains wera iauts 10
scause the concealed surface n ~ lis
nth vas 50 thin il could moi sDnnarI
II mountains. 'PPo1t
In the carbOniferOus times the NOM If
ins became wider. Middle nsrL - rig
scame a swamp, covered with a dan IL ac,
agetation, making darkness a. for
~, and this vegetation was 49, col
rmed into the coal, now in eyietana qu
ere. In the -cretaceOus perioJ - isii
curtains sank. The ocean cov.- Oti
lOut hye-siXths of the counfry - ira
aspects were dubious. Crefacsan jec
cks are sometimes found 9090 ~ tn,
,oVe the plain. Baculites. scsnbI,S alo
d ammonites are found in - see
undaDce, all indicative Of the cre7aoo to
, period. Ie"ce- go
With the tertiary period the NOM eia
ms rose again, There were two io-na the
zes IN the territory then. besides 49, be
Cdes. Gigantic palms rreU 80 ina
Denver City is now. Gum 49, oh
: 4rees grew and masses of gam a.
eonnd ia the condition Of the bsrI a.,
ainf Fossil turtles are found in IN ~,
.osfiou. Even perfect insects have q
= Isen found. In The n~eighborhood ~ Gr.
Nam CITY, during The tertiary period, Ee,