The Leavenworth weekly times. [volume] (Leavenworth, Kan.) 1870-1880, 1870-09-15

ing greentaek, or gIitterins sold-was duly
accepted, and, on the 23d, We took our de-
parture from Denver. The premises Of our
host were reached in the evening, and the
night preceding the day that was to witness
the beginning Of, eur mountain travels, was
spent in q 'tsnooze" Of extra sormdness, 50
that we might feel all the brighter for tbs
OCCASION The s,rmmer nights Of Colorado
are very, cool, and, consequently, we'll adap-
ted to satisfy this department. of mans
nature. .'rl tHri i.t" .n.' ~.
The morning Of the 9th at length came,
the mules were cabIed TO posts and the bridles
and harness put On, tho wagon received il.
load and We started. Ten miles over tho
level plains fetched US UP al Golden City, al
the foot of the mountains. Golden City Ina.
improved greatly since 1889, but it docs moi
yet put on the metropolitan airsof Denver, ol
the hustle and huindrum Of Central City.
We find here several large business blocks,
two or three good hotels, with fine Touring
mill; newspaper Office, and other evidences
Of quite city. 4 very fine brick cdifice i
| going ,,p in the south part Of town, which,
/ was informed, is intended for an institution
Of learning. We called at the Transrip,
Office on the way out, as well as on the return,
and found Capt. West absent which was re-
GREETED, as we desired to obtain from him
| items Of information concerning hi. town
and vicinity, which, for That reason, I am
unable to make appear here. f....,....
After a short repast in the northern suburbs
Of town, We "girded up our loins for the
| final onslaught upon the giant monsters, the
mountains. a. drive Of two miles brought
! US to Golden Gate, the. final entrance. 4
toll of sixty cents passed US in here, ard here
We were. Appearances at once indicated
that we had struck the western end Of the
road, and 1 involuntarily inquired Of my
| friend what was proposed to be, done next.
CO." he replied, The road will open up a
We progress, for that point you see there, that
seems to Join that mountain on the right,
| and block the road up, is far enough renov-
ed to permit good roadway, Al you will gee
when We get around there. Ny fears being
qrieted, We novel on; and, sure enough,
the way was amply opened up to us as We
/ went forward, rs it had been 10 thousands
that had gone that way before" The point
that thought "jOincd the mountain on the
right" was at least an hours walk from lis
summit 70 point level Herewith ON the side
| of the MOUNTAIN. uencefOrward was besel
by no fears, for this prepared me for any and
all absurdiiies and impossibilities Of this des-
| criptiOn. III .s.
Our mules-perfcttly used 10 the road
naturally fell into the only gait beast Of
burden can comfortably adopt in these re.
gions, and we logged along as comfortably
as could be expected" The scenery and
the occasion suggested poetry, Sand all that
Kind Of thing. We soon engaged ourselves
| in that line extensively. We were convers-
SMILES waited to us by every age of poetry |;
were comparing all Of the realities of our
present magnificent surroundings, rs they
rushed upon Us, with those of the famous
Alps rs we knew them from the pen Of the
historian; imaginative views were being
taken of the summit of Pixies Peak placed
the scenery along fhe banks of the classic
Rhine was being rapturously compared with
that of Clear Greek, in orr own beautiful
| of the brave when the depths of the
mountains were suddenly stirred by an ex-
cited echo that rolled through the mysterious
glcns and canOns, and mast have been re-
nlarkably startling to cvery Living thing hut
a moment previous enjoying the revcrentiaI
stiffness Of the silent air. The echo pro-
cce,led from the voice of Mr.. Dcvinny, who
had Just delivered a nervous and very ener-
getic "whoa' We were just 4! the foot Of
''Guy HILL" and indications seemed to UNI
hot Ss,,HS
going To Chalk" The Journey to the top OF
this hill was only three and half to four
miles. The acquaintance Of either Of us
after two or three Intellectual attempts TO
became very alarming, for We were sure they
would continue to grow worse. We were
correct in our presentmen!s; that mule did
not give Us another genuine pull while the
load was in the wagon. always maintained
that n mnle or horse never refused to pull
without Just cause, and my doctrine was
fully verified in this case. Nearly two days
Of hard work, and time thrown away, was
the result Of trying to work the mule on the
wTOng SIDE. .. s.- -
Night found us at the foot of this hill on
the western side, and, also, at the base Of
Douglass Mound, one Of the highest Of the
Black Hills, at the foot Of the Snowy Range,
in this latitude. The western descent Of
Guy Hill gives the traveller fine idea Of
the wonderful roads the old California emf
grants had to make and traverse through
these mountains. Here We pitched camp,
and during the night, experienced the ira
ditiOnal coOlncss 81 the mountain air. Cow
ering was largely in demand before morning
When morning came, anxious To obtain m
carly start, we we're ont and hitched up by
daylight. Our mule had forgotten nothing
since the previous day, and ~ We could not
move peg" While "waiting for some
thing to turn up" thought this the best OF.
port,,nity to try my hand ut climbing, a Sc
lection was made Of a peak rising from the
roadside on the left and terminating in Il
rocky declivitv. An hour or two, thought,
could not he spent to any greater, advantage,
and ~ started directly for the top.
Here I was, for the thousandth time, again
deceived-and wotiilly deceived this time
concerning distances. out here. Two horIA
among the thick pines, quakins asps, and
piles Of frightful rocks, brought me to the
objective spot; but, compared with the eleva-
ton which continued just beyond, was upon
a mOle-hill. So much labor must not go for
nothing, and I pushed on. Another hour
and a half, through scenes n,Ore frightful
vet, landed me exhausted on the highest
summit, thoroughly convinced that however
near place l might fancy myself to be, vet,
for aught knew, 1t might be fifty miles dis
tant. Here scene burst upon the astOnish-
ed vision that language is too common to
describe, and a scene that not every one who
visits the mountains takes the trouble to
view. From the towering height of the
mountain-at least $1,000 feet above the
level Of the seattle vast masses that COM
pose the Snowey Range, perfectly visible,
rose up to the westward in massive gran
duer, indiscribable, and lowered away above
the common atmosphere of the world into
the regions Of ncver-ending winter. East
ward, the vision extended illimitable over
the vast and level plains as over n great
ocean, -the towns and cities left miles be
hind, were at our feet rs mere dots on the
surface, and the green paths of the rivers,
coursing their way othe Father of Waters
and into the sea, lost themselves to view for
follow them farther. While lost in the con
temptation of these scenes, blending as it
were, the two parts together into one sublime
unity, another element is slowly approach
ing which, when it shall have reached the
appointed place, adds The last wonder that
nature can add. 1t is the cloud; it is the
Storm King: Away 10 the southwest here,
We notice q vast mountain whose snowy top
towers above all the rest to be seen. Near
by is the summit of another, scarcely less ex-
allied. Beyond them is seen approaching
a cloud II is just such a cloud, as, when