Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1874-10-01
Letter from Colorado.
GEORGETOWN, CoLoRADo,l
September 9, 1874. {

EDS. HERALD: Agreeably to request
and promise, = now that the
work of getting settled is mostly done
and l have had time to take a general
view of things--write you in relation
to my impressions of this country, its
towns, society, the way We live, and
the expense of existing here, its eli
mate, etc. You probably remember
that our company left Washington on
the morning Of July "a, and Mr.. Jno.
Van Deman's letter from here men
toned, l think, that we reached here
the 30th of the same month. There
would certainly be very many things
of interest to tell of such a journey,
but the limits of letter forbid more
than a bare mention of a few. We
spent part of Saturday and all Of Sun
day and Monday in st. Louis, leaving
there Monday evening. My advice to
everyone coming West is to stop long
enough in St. Louis to see the city and
its principal places of interest, at
least. This city's public parks are
said to be the finest in this country,
and they certainly are for beauty and
extent, ahead of anything your cor
respondent has seen. Prominent
among these places of public resort is
Shaws' Garden, of which most have
heard, but of which no one can get
even a faint idea without visiting it,
and even a visit there of ordinary
length only leaves an impression of it
that amounts to q "hankering" for
more, especially to one with a taste and
ikingfor floral beanties. No one can
visit this wonderful place without join
ing in the expressions of astOnish-
ment and exstacy heard on every hand
from those, who, like himself have
come to sec the sights. St. Louis
chief and most convenient attraction
just now, to most strangers, is, no
doubt, her great R. R. Bridge, the oc-
casion Of opening which was celebrat-
ed on the Fourth of July last I am
not sure but brief description of this
bridge would be of interest, to many
of your readers, and with your CON
sent I'll give it in this connection.
This immense structure connects
East and West St. Louis across the
Mississippi River, and its total length
is 4 Ala feet or fraction less than a
mile. 1t is supported by tour i'm
mense stone piers which rest en- solid
rock, far below the soft alluvium that
constitutes the bed of the great river
This rock was found at 26, 78, 90 and
11O4 feet below ordinary water-line,
for each pier respectively commencing
with the West one. l found no one
who could tell me the distance from
the bread upper highway for teams,
street cars, and footmen to the water,
but l judged from my position on the
that it was nearly $50 feet. One gets
an idea of the immensity of these
piers and abutments when told that in
the structure are 103 900 cubic yards
of solid masonry, sand stone, granite
and lime stone, besides an enormous
quantity of brick used in the APPROACH
es. 1t is q two story bridge and in
this particular unique; its great arches
carry double track railways below,
and above a great highway, IS feet
broad, for teams, ETC., as mentioned be-
fore. l saw in this great highway,
abreast, one of the Adams Express
great transfer wagons, hauled by four
"staving" horses; very large four.
horse, heavily loaded omnibus "a six
mule team, with at least four tons ot
iron; and one of the ST Louis Trans
fer Co.'s great baggage wagons, piled
to its utmost, and hauled by foul
more ''staving'' grays, and still there
was plenty of room for persons on
horseback and on foot. And as this
stamping, trotting, pulling and noisy
crowd passed me on the center of the
bridge, where / sat in very comfort
able resting place, taking these notes
in perfect gale of wind, could no
help grasping the iron railing a littlt
more tightly, as l thought of the dis
tance down and;the company I'd have
but the old bridge carried it all owe
without perceptible tremOr. And 81
it does a hundred times day ever7
day of the week, Sundays not except
ed, and so it will be able to do ever,
day for hundred years to come. o
Its promenades, ,teamways, approaches
arches, buttresses, double series O
tubes that support the weights of cars
teams, etc., and many other particu
lars of interest relating to it, cannO
speak without making too long q let
ter. One needs to see the structure
stand upon it and see the enOrmou
amount of patronage it has. to under
stand what an event it's opening wa
to st. Louis; and, not only to hel
but to the whole country East an
West. And if one stands thought
fully in the presence of such a
, achievement, he must quit that pres
ence with more exalted opinion c
his kind and firmer hope of his cou1
try's future through the invention
and devices yet hidden by the hand c
time from the sight of mortaIs, bu
} fully revealed through faith in On
who made man but little lower tha
the angels in intelligence, and eve
endowed him with many, besides ply
steal, Godlike characteristics.
But to return to the journey Lea1
ing st. Louis at 9 so p. m. on Nor
day, we made the trip to Kansas CITY
through a net particularly ;nvitin
Hooking country what we passed /
I daylight-in about twelve hours. II
latter part of this distance was muc
enlivcaed by the company of M
IS, Mark Williams, a former citizen
o Washington and a son of Dr. w
liams, sr. He is welded to the Yves
as his enthusiasm on the subject full
attests. Hissdevotion to his adopt
home is, no doubt reciprocated, as
- learned that he is one of the risir
men of his county. Kansas City
ono of your rough looking towns fro
the railroad, but it is said to be &c,
business" and quite attractive VIII
ono Ueta tn IL ohanoa Of cora +