The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1870-06-21
staging in Colorado.

Inc eult0r OF the Norwalk Gdseffe
very graphically describes stage ride
out on the Rocky Mountains
1.-The road up the mountain is cut into
the rock soil Of its side, by private par.
ties, and there are over three hundred
turns in distance of two miles. We
could only think of climbing some huge
corkscrew, but so perfectly trained are
our horses that Foss has only to give the
mettlesomc fellows an encouraging word,
now and then, to keep their minds on
their business. Foss insists that his horses
have minds, and do as much thinking
as the average of humans. We confessed
to half-convcrsion to his philosophy be.
fore the day was done. The road is so
narrow that in hundreds of instances
while the hubs on one side were grazing
the inner excavated rock, the outer ones
projected half their length over from the
spokls over precipices from one to two
thousand feet below To the inquiry why
the road was not cut an inch or two wild
er, so all the wagon might be over the
road bed, Foss replied they could not af
ford to waste the money for even an inch
OF unnecessary space. But as our horses
were only on sharp walk, and seemed to
pilot the stage as unerringy as the mas
ter at the ships helm, we controlled our
nervousness while passing the most terrify
ing Of these places, by seizing either the
seat or the drivers arm with convulsiye
grasp, and holding our breath, till either
the road widcned, or the abyss grew less
deep and awful An hour had thus been
diversified between ravishing landscape
viewing, and, what seemed to us, an out
raging of all laws of gravitation and of
cause and effect when we reached the
summit, and passed over the narrow thin.
granite crust, sliding down into deer. cav
ernous canyons on either side our road
This short ridge Of crest Of perhaps half
mile, is appropriately christened the
Hogs Back AT its further extremity
commences our decent. Here Foss reined
up his team and asked all to draw their
watches and note the time. Then with
the single words, vigorously uttered
Shake 'cm out THE steeds started down
the steep, twisting, and apparently nar-
ro't,tng nray M a dead RIM, What in
sanity Of iool-hardy madness had seized
the man We knew not. All faces were
blanched, first with terror, then dread.
then wild, indescribable ntoxication rs
down and faster the horses ran, If tbe
the ascent had been tortuous, this was
doubly so. Time and again our stage
seemed full quarter over some vawnino
abyss.
The horses. as they ran in a sort wild
del'rlum (for they enjoyed it, careerrd
ht" th""e IN tn" r'ug of rircnS. tn nr,
vent their own momentum from THROWING
them Oft the edge Of the prccipice! \
twlfch on the rclns, aud occasional .sbnh,-
EN- ont, was The only sign or motion
made by FosS. He sat as cool and un.
moved as Cardiff giant, while his cargo
OF human freight, now becoming too excl.
ted to be sensiby frightened, began to
participate in part in the wild rapture Of
the painting, steaming, and still faster
running steeds. I'p!' shouted Foss. all
OF sudden, and as suddenly his horses
came to a dead stop, and we were sup,
sure enough. For the rest we OK
speak ,(at that moment no onoacss,we were
but when w, came nc, ,tnc hand with crampea
staining u. ,hd H pack scat, and the ohter
s.'"niphoa s,"'ph % :, the coat sleeve OF the driver
''cnr'iu n, had been eleren minutes ana
,var,er coming three miles descending -
s4O feet. and turning hundred an" St''
IN cures, one Of them shorter than ma s !ne
wheels of which were two hot to touch
and, taking long breath of relief We
attempted to cxpostulate, when Foss shut
US up by apologizing for not madiny bei-
Ter time, saying that he took Colfax down