The interior journal., 1872-07-26
rrsuto, COLORADO, July igth, is7s.

snew-A ..ew .serw-rbe n1lunsins
Pusnto, caou.po, July i7th, 1874
obrePo~deno I.isss- J~s-ais
We promised in our last 10 continu,
our letter, and endeavor 10 give you
further description Of our lofty lookout.
The first object that attracted our at
tention. when we had attained the sum
init, was large signal flag near the cen
ter; hither we went. Captain Allen ans
two other gentlemen were quietly repos
ing beneath its folds, and surroundin,
them were several packages of Roman
candies, rockets, cotton saturated with
turpentine, &c, &c.
The kouei "Ohi where was itr
Ask of would-be sensationalists far away. :
You see, Messrs. editors, IL was an
nounccd by tine press that Captain Allen
"would erect house l0x12 upon IN,
very summit of the peak, and that said
house would be filled with turpentined
cotton DC, and on the night Of the 4th,
set on fire. People are yet laboring un.
der the delusion that such was the case. ]
The idea in itself, was perfectly absurd.
How il could have originated is a mys.
terry 10 us. Few men In their senses
would undertake to lug lumber three OF
four miles up the side of PERCEPTIONS
mountain.
, When we first started up il was our
intention to carry our blankets to the top,
but We soon got bravely over such absur.
dity. We got them as far as timber line
and there we met fellow, who asked us
what in the mischief we meant by such
conduct Us those" We told him that
il was our intention to sleep on the top
that night, and We wanted to keep warm.
"Sleep on topf Why, you cant find a
place level enough for decent dog to lie
on, but il you can stand on your heads
and slecp-all right gentlemen go ahead. "
We were mad enough to "put head on
him." but we will remember him in our
prayers hereafter for such kind informa-
ton.
THE SUMMIT ATTAINED.
Afler inspecting the formidable Gre
works. we commenced a gencr~l survey
Of the surroundings. There nre some
twenty acres or more, on top, (some say
forty and some as high as sixty, but we
think the rarity Of the air had something
to do with their conclusions) Of one
strange mass of rcd granite rocks thrown
wildly, grandly and desolately together.
From the plains. the lofty peak
presents u dome-like summit, Of only a
few hundred feet in circumference, with
a spur running off to the north. The
view from the top is superbly grand.
overwhelming. majestic! We doubt If
there is such a wonderful panorama of
sOul-inspiring beauty to be seen from the
top of any mountain in the new world,
save from Mount Lincoln. To the east.
white clouds were floating some two miles
below US, apparently touching and ming
ling with the prairie, and forming a vast
ocean Of floating islands that rose and
sank with the waves. To the south, kiss
ing the picturesque foothills covered with
pine and cedar. a fairy lake cast up from
is bosom from silvery sheen Of ever
shifting beauty. North, the chain of
giant mountains, ragged and mangled
with here and there slender spire, like
that of some huge old church. rising far
above, moved on and on till closed from
view by the misty gray summit of Longs
Peak. West, the Snowy Range-away
''whcre the very sunbeams freeze as they
fallr-rose from the "blackness of dark
ness" like troubled ghosts, while Mount
Lincoln lowered above against the deep
blue sky. Our view was but momentary
for black clouds had been gathering on
all sides of Us, and soon we were to wit
ness what Biersiadt has painted so won-
lerfully-true to nature, "A storm in the
Rocky Mountains
ABYSS OF DEsoLATIos.
We wished to see the famous canon