New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-09-20

the popularity and SrangeneSs OF the Nearly
the whole field of view is filled with these mountain
forms belonging to tho range itself: the peaks evee
Of the National range make no great figure above
them against the eastern sky. Only the west and
northwest, beyond the exquisite gray knobs Of
| Granite Mountain and the Crested Butte we can
see that the country hattens down toward the
| horizon into broad valleys and extensive pateaus;
from which. again. rise other dim ranges Of blue.
lined and spotted with white. To the north, the
imposing masses Of the two great mountains mon
toned before shut off the view of everything be-
| yond; but we knew that they the eliminating
points of the range in that direction the whole
| front Of the Capitol was turned toward us, but We
caught only glimpses of the great snow-fed Of tho
White House.
THE PHOTOGRAPHERS TRIALS.
have attempted no description of this wonderful
view, but only an enumeration of some of its
features The vocabulary Of admiration would
soon become exhausted in dwelling on its attrac-
tons / wish | could say that accurate and
complete depletion of it was land away in the pho
tographers boxes But the day. which had begun
dazzlingly bright ~ usual, turned out most I'M
favorable one for our operations. Ere we reached
the top, we had endured peting shower of mingled
hail and rain; the dark clouds that brought it
rolled away over the Capitol, and formed gloomy
background that set off wonderfully the dark
majesty of that rugged peak. Then, after an
hour of mingled cloud and sunshine the shower
began again drppingly; we bid under the
rocks from its force. but it grew thicker. and
thicker; and when at last the mist shut us closely
in, we gave up hope and made our way down to our
horses and back to camp, pursued all the way by
heavy rain, which had not ceased when, tired and
wet we crawed into our blankets. day spoiled
by such weather IN this dry climate has been so raro
that we feel little abused as we'll as unfortunate
when such one comes as if some one had treated
| us with injustice, frustrating our just and reason
! able expectations. Mr. Jackson had been able to
| get but half the sweep of the horizon before his
| work was stopped; but this included some OF tho
most characteristic parts of the scene and forms an
invaluable addition TO his store of studies in mous'
tain forms and combinations.
| LEAD MINES JUST OPENED
The time will perhaps come when this region will.
be visited Ike the Yosemite anu .~..owsGone Ma
tiona Parks for its picturesque beauty and intense
scientific interest But it must first become moro
accessible and inhabited; and for that it must be-
come economically valuable. Perhaps that fate lies
| before it in no distant future. A new mining dis
trict is just opening in the neghborhood, at tho
! head of East River, within ten miles of Gothic
Mountain, which is attracting much attention, and
holds out fair promise Of successful working. The
| ore is argentferous galena, of which principal
lode 16 to 80 feet WIDE has been traced for over half
mile; nor is it the only one. successful body OF
mines would call into use the agricultural resources
| of the valleys, which are much above the average.
| and we shall see permanent population scattered
along the streams, in the mountains further east.
| Then, for result, all the peaks and guches and
| creeks will get Names by a more natural process
than that of baptism by survey. Nomenclature Is
one of the trying duties of an exploring party.
| hat for shall this vVhole
which we have just left be styled The name Of
! Elk Mountains, found on some of the maps, seems
quite too trivial retain especially the elk to all
appearance, have taken up their residence else
| where We should like to call it the Chromatic
range, from its wonderful bues F; but that is an
appellation of too learned cast to become popular
and win acceptance.
| BRIEF TASTE OF CIVILIZATION.
The bad weather which bafled on White
rock pursued us for some days longer; two to six
smart showers were the regular durnal allowance.
and once we had downright foggy morning, usher
ing in an almost unmtigated wet day. That was the
day we recrossed the Red Mountain Pass and the pho
| torapher got some iine cloud and mist and noun
tain effects from near its summit the way over.
| The view of the National range we came out
| from the de6les into the valley of Taylor River.
seemed still more grand than when we saw it last.
| We camped one night amid the intricate moraines
at the western base of the pass admired the I'M
riyaled glacial scorngs and polishngs all down the
| valley of Lake Creek; we enjoyed the beauty
| of the Twin Lakes, set in the edge of the noun
| tains and rejecting their lofty SUBMITS and, it
| must be added we sat down with immense satsfac-
ton on chairs at the Lake House. for the first time in
| three weeks, and satiated ourselves milk and
cream and the products of wOmen's cookery. Here.
only few miles up the valley, we are directly OPP
poste of the greatest peaks of the range bohex
ceeding 1900 feet. One named Mt. Ebert last
month after the present Governor of the Territory.
by party of miners apprecatve of his services in
procuring the revocation of the San Juan order.p
they left plate to that effect the summit y the
other we have known as Massive Mount or Grand
Mount from the peculiar grandeur of its
outlines and immensely of its proportions.
North of the latter the range falls off in
hight, not showing for dozen miles any summit of
more than II 900 1900 feet then it rises again
into the Mount of the Holy Cross which We are next
ovsit.
Near U.s. the valley shows remarkable river ter
races as well as the mOranes which distinguish its
whole course Close by lis is the remnant plateau Of
an immense one some three four hundred feet
above the present river bed, and smooth and regu
lar as a table The valley bottom is richly grassy
and there are occasional ranches upon it. The river
is turbid with the mud washed into it from the
placer mines in the gulches Yet the region is not
what it once was, as regards the prosperity of its
mining interests. After quitting this valley, we
cross the Blue River range and traverse the Middle
Park. toward Longs Peak, and shall probably DO
for many days out of all reach of maiks.
GENERAL NOTES