, 1874-12-26
COLORADO,
A Trip Over Hoosier Pass.
The Magnificent View from the
Summit.
Mineral Rtclies-.-0Il Tom Alien and
Ills Lode.
The Abandoned Town Of Mont
gon1ery.

Sfecht ChrFtsro',dc1lce a. The CAtt10o Tribune.
CANON CRY, Cul., Dec. 31,-Colotndo clinat
Is nlwaya beautiful: there il delicious warmth,
and charm, aud plcaanntness, about It, caiclllat
cd to expand tho lungs nntt intoxieatc tilt
senses; but 1t Wis mover displayed to better ad
va''tago than III October last, when wn crossct
that noted spur OF the n,aln range lying midwn,
betwecn tho mining towns Of A1nn and 13rocn
rlt!Eo, md known by rrosroctora aud lill,lota n!
TIE 1Io0s1En rAss.
Tho distance is about 20 miles; butt owing to tht
broken natnre Of the gro,fud. a,i,l tue many al
most perpendicular pitches, good horsa a1,t
skilsful ridcr require from twelve to thirtec,
hours 10 make tic trip Tho pass wns first dis
coverod, creased. aud named, by Fremont, III one
Of Its aclontiiio expeditions 10 tAoao regions but
Of 1ate yours, tho road or trai leading over Ii
llas 1oen allowed to fall to docay,-a better md
moro expeditions route having boon opened to
Dtccklnr!tlgo and tho gold placer 1ninoa Of Sum.
NIT County, BY wny Of Hamilton, situated near
tho northern boundary Of tho South parls.
Drcclinridyo being located OH tho wossorn slope
If tha main range, tho principal bulk OF tho
travail and supplies from Denvor, Central, Col
orado Springs, Pueblo, and Cauon City, comes
by why Of tho 1attcr route. Tlio road is hard
and smooth, and an ordinary span OF mules
can l,aul q ton Of 1lour, bacon, pota-
tops, canned fruit, miners. supplies, AMI
other gross material, up aboyo the
clouds, ind settle down Into tho vnlloy again,
with tho groatest case, toll bciag rclgtously OK
acted, however, ut tho rnto Of 10 conts milo,
irrespective Of l1oof or conveyance. OwinE to
tho violent enow-Btorms which aot ID about tho
19th Of October, and continue till tho tst of May.
the road is only hept !. open during tho winter
b!ochcd up from QUO ond OF tho -paas to tha
other. Whom th!B occura, tho Dreckin,idge 1nnit
and supplies nre forwarded on Bnow- shoes, md
| instances nre reported of mon Who Bingly .ant
| alone, took over from 75 to 100 pounds III tlia
manner. It il rather tircsomn business, however,
and but fow arc inclinod 10 adopt it us profess
| sion.
The American Continent may be secured III
| vaiu for SCENERY that partalies more of
THE SUBLIME AND sTurEHDoug,
ttati is to ba found III tho vicinity Of Dreckinrigo
aud tito looaler Pass. Hero Is d region of lofty
| mountains, hugo apars,- dizzy canons, fearful
procipicca, fantastic rocks, sparkling streams.
| charming rnrks. aud high. shnrp peaka, Which
givo rse to the SOURCES Of soma Of tho mort I'M
portant streams, stlch M tho Dno, Eago, Pinto.
and Arsanaas. together with their tributaries, Of
which the Swan and Snake ltrers are tho most
;ningle their watora with tho hlissIsaippi; tho
rest tiow TO tho Pacific. This groat GROIN OF
peaks and nlountasu-nlnsscs is principally
composed Of n part Of tho front or main range OF
tho llocky Mountains. embracing It's eliminating
~
ulncer or Mantczuma Range, Dto River and
rnrE Kangos. oil form ,an intersection, and then
unite i'll QUO Erund cllain to tho Uncompagu
Mountains, which skirt tho san Juan Valley on
the Bputll,
lIoosior puss has an altitude Of 10000 feet
and il covoroa with scrnggy pines to tho very
summit To tho right, M yn1 approach tho min
ing towns Of Fairplay aud Alma, miles distant,
stands
tho grim old aen.inel OF Saturo's treasures
hsre%n ,'!i aronnd,-cool, solemnt majestic
zeaiE zetEts 's sdcs sffis aoked nP r t. ua% tho
cry gorge, every rnylne, stands ont i'll bold re-
lief; tho n>inerB' calins plainly visible, and
enc can almost bolso'd tho Flagstaff OIL the renlI
10 tho left Of tho ass is another giant mountain
which stretches up oyor 13,0U0 feet, una yet has
mover been honorel witll i,al1lo. A long eral-
nal decline slopes toward the Platte to timber
ls'c; ai,f, OIL tho occasion Of our trip. tlis was
covered with snon. looking W blou! and iospi-
table AZ NIL Arctic landscape.
arrived ut tho summit about noon, a,,il. dts-
mounting from my faithful horse, turned him
loose to srazo upon the stllntud but nutritious
grass, and. sseeting large, fiat bowlder, sae
melting tho snow rapidly, and had eosxet out n
large humber Of porcu.us. Of ali sizes and all
degrees Of impndelco. One old I,atriarch, more
aggressive tlan tho rcst, soo1ncd disposed to re-
and showed his teeth in a worry suggestive mali
her. roSo]vcr-sllot settled tho alIairs Of earth
10 far as ho waa concerned and ho settled down
to bocomo food for tho bnzzartls. -
TIE PANORAMA Uaro1.DED
was ono can never forget. 10 tho Gust and |
south. stretched ont like map, with it's ravincA.
utd Eorgcs, aud mountains waH tho South Park,
in the contre Of Whie tic Plato gloarlod like
throad Of silver. James. aray'a, mud Lincoln
Peaks stood crowtling over III, md wo could seq
tina very source Of tho Platte, whore it emorgcH !
from all always frozon lake. Now nld then, a |
cloud with moisture it. ita bosom, would come
bobbing along just overhead, creating damp, !
no.nont BY i bllrst OF sunshine. At my foot.
autl 30 visible that tho windows Of tho houses
could bo counted, wore tho mnng-townA of
Quartzville. D1ckHhiu, Montgomery. Duit-
the light Of furuacos. while tIle a1nolto
won't upward in t1cecy columns. Behind could |
10 traced the valleys Of tho Blue, Swan, aud
snaka Niyors, to tha very borders Of the Middle |
Park, 80 miles away and to tho west, i'll all thoir
glory. stood revealed aomo Of t.o more promi-
mont otatlols of the 0nunison 1.iyer Inngo.
When Frempnt first croHsed this pass, ho bnilt |
rude monument OF stono: but 1t las boon torn
down by Ynn1as md the acson OF tic ooments
u1nent, however, IL required; tile pass itself IL
bold and picturesque onollglrto command atten-
tion on tlo score Of scenery alone, but added to
tiilB ure
M.sEMs1. ,!1ostEs,
which grow mora fascinating ~ they are doysl-
opcd. hight upon tllo summit, md not nors
than 200 yards from the tra two entorurising
minors haro struck gold lodo, and are taking
weatosn slono we strlko tho gold placer mines,
which extend down the Duo mud 1p the Swa,l
aud Snake lltyora; and the majority Of tho
clams, though. discovered yearR ago arc still
worked on tllo hydraulic system.
Pushing along tho road, tho attention of tho
trhyoior il diroctad to o small log cnhin wl,icl,
stands III tile oago Of clnsnp Of suraygy piuos.
Tho roof IL covered with bark and q majestic
i