, 1874-05-09
NARR0W-:GAUGE.
A Trip Up Clear Creek Canon,
Coioiraaidioo,
Experiences; ,i i; = ii a ehic;aIg,ot,ain. 20 .

1o,ths Editor of,7he chtcaao Tri5Rne:
sih' Dontcr is tho ootitro or m i,1,por tA1t
systoin Of nd.1ow- gapgo tatlroada not to bpoals
Of tho toadh ol standard gatgc, Which, IN thon,.
solves valuable interests to tho city and s,lr-
rounding country. ,...,
All tho narrow-gsugc linea III trla 1ocnlIly nm
wast OF tho longitudinal lino at Dcliyer, oxEoand.
Ing III variouBa directions. 5r: ,,.
The topography Of the country through which
tlgae roala i,sh iH Foneralfyo of rugged nnt,1ro;
ahd eurfhco aultab1o for railroad purposes ii 40
scatco, t1o etaaob are ID stoep and tho course
Of tho valleys and cauons hro 30 tortuous that Ii
will readily ,bos sobn TINT tho conhtrr,ctlon OF
1atTow-gaago roada th6re Ii matter Of neees-
city as Eotwsert thobo and thoHo OF thp staudaru
e It., 8N in.) gauEs, when the in1menin6 cost
and difacu1tios attending the building OF tho
latter, over the former, atc constdured.
In i gonerally level cohhtry where ppsody,
Combined with safo. tranBt a an object bolioyo
tho standard-gaugo railroad to be- tho most dc.
eirable; but, for mountainous region, whero
tho facilities for construction aro nioa9ro, and
comparatively low rate Of speea IL nocoasary.
owing to lloayy grades, and to insure safety to
person aud property, tho narrow-gauge g foot}
road seems to meet the requirements, and beotnia
to be quite popular In Tho ocA1ity mentioned.
/, But it was not my Intention to write III aftiolo
discussing tho nolits or, domsrits Of narrow
gauge railroads, bnt simply to describe my o.
porionos (novcl to mo, dvel1cr III tho lind Of
etandardEaugo railrohds), during fecont trtp
up Clear Crock Canon (nsar Donvor) to tho gold
mining regions on the
"HAnnEn-oouaE"
railroad (aH tho Deuvsrtoa aay), which auscends
it,.
Early ono morning, after our matutinal ro-
froahments,- ,-a1l solids, Of courae, and manipu-
lated with knives and forks,-Jim and sat,n-
tered out to emily tho Dsnyor ahunshino and
snilr of tic subtitle ar Of tint famous olinaate.
Wien my companion suddenly exclaimed, "Ahal
My boy, have itl' How would You like -,
but mover mind; como along with nc; RI show
you lomothing."
"whofo now. said I, ou1r:ious1y, mueoeihjly fol-
lowing. 80.
"Uoloraao' Central " - ssNarrer-Gause ~
"cloar Creek Canon" wero all Tho words I
could catch as haatened along in Jiinu's wake.
"Very we'll, my oovoy," thought I; ~ don't
know whero we'ro going, but suppose It's al
riEht.n
Wo soon found ourselves on train ., tho
Colorado Central Road, speeding over the plains
for Golueu, which stands upon plateau hidden
within the foothills that skirt the nlountain-
range, and Which, though u mloa wost of Doii;-
yer, appear TO stranger to bo within Thirty
causng thls illusion.
Here let mo say TINT thu gauge Of tho Colorado
Central Rond betveon Donyor and Goldeli-a
dihtanue of about II rni1et-fu standard thbeotin-
try bore heing sufficiently open 70 render con-
Black Hawk, are Of 5-foot gauge, and it is Of
th,b portion Of tho road that nv skatch viii
treat. 80 a,y, ::
We reached Golden in .due timc. md nlighted
and then glanced a. Tue harrow track, tie I rail- M
EXTENDING LIKE THREADS
along tbe high e.nbankment and around the
sharp spur of q hill, I waa compelled to protest
tonS x e9mpanSn va nSnn;.. r., so,n. >,,,, 49,, :,
road III thia train II ' N'"'
"Tut,. tutl I'hopo 'vooa 'a{nft gbinae to be i
baby, Como along il said hc;
THIS was enough1 The Conductor criod s.All
al W osS VIM of ia.
tait friends tllring nv mind, and fceinr thanR.
I'LL that my will yas inato then dashed out, and
with desperation Jumped Oh tlio rear car tryilg
tine aeconf, md tlio litto byiek- built civ of
Goldon, with It's busy mills md furnacos* was
auon Lost to Wow bohind tho 'hij}s.
For several minutes gcfQtinizei tbo fnteriodr0f
ot1r petita cnr-whch MAS about 25 feet 1ni9r ard
tset Widc. and cannb1o Of geatiny nl;ni,t thirty
peMons-aud noticed that the1n Win a :rnw nf
double seats on one Side; and Gne Of Of siueio on
the Other, leaving narrow paasse eeWay st 80 that
occupants Of tho 1eft cnd Of tlio double sodts,
westward, would sit exactly in lie contra 81 tho
chr. This is perl,apB TIC most nrnctcnblo tiion
Tor arranging tho aoata. TIC ,stove nd vater. @
tank wcro il tho middle ct the CIR; On ioitTer
side. Tbe crimsoi-cushioned Seats. tGe bright
req wipdow.curtaine. the raisod ro6i with III VI.
rlopatod glass, which cast beautiful huos MI
around. ind MANY other Dloderu 'immoToysminpf5
rendered. tic car 10th attractive aid comf0rta.
bio. .:''';
but Inuy Iny attention is drawn. from the ingnec-
tion by lin tueging st nv elccye. wIo. Viii
malice afqrothonght. pointed to = huge masus Is Of
rock which protected fer over the track, and 6o-
meath which tle train was about to PASS,
,~.- "u0u!'
said /, ehudiofrinaly, elancur I'M Mt tho huge Oh
1cct which seenud ready to iafl froan ite rrau-
ito sb1H md Grl1sh 10 atoms Iii bolow:arri +
iieM nv breath viii, fear 1intii va ind rngaod
snfoly hnroud., a": =. =
And tien Ne werc forly III the Cauo;it, and On i,
eyory asfdo--in front behind. to tho 'right, aid
t. the loft-rose Great orars, aid ciifrs.
md Hills. which sppnarod to fowar tn