New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-07-08
SOUTHERN COLORADO.
VISIT To THE SAN JUAN MINES.
TUE ROAD TO THE SINEs-mANIrou srRres-A


DrVvlg. Col, June 21.-There were three
o,ec,s to be attained ly trip to sethern Colorado
nav SAY foa: objects o. To learn the facts relating 70
she son Jurn mus. Which are jus; now attracting SO
much attention g. 70 learn something oi stock raising
IN that sec0r; C3l - inquire into the Agricultural a
vantares of the fcrle valleys through which run i"e
Arkansas and RIO Graude Rivers and % to crafty
he desire On my pat make long journey by stage
Two weeks careful observation enables me to speak WIN
., degree intelligence on the three principal peiHS'
and 500 miles Ia Concord coach abun@inily STATISTICS
on the fourth. -,
Tns trip la through portion OF the Vaiey ~ t"c
Platte throu.h & G son Luis valley the Al k'has val
lev and the Valley Of the Rio Gfance From Denver 10
&c forthest point reached about 400 mile more tan
hail Of which Ia traversel by stages the biV" ana
RIO rsnde Railroad narrow eau-o. extends S"hi u"l
Denrer 10 Purhlo ITO miles, and thence west to Canon
Ci. is terminals 40 miles From there To Dol NoIto
is III miles. ana from Del Norte to Fran lhs iancn
n Antelope Park through san Juan CITY, tao distance
il ABOUT 20 miles. The railroad, the bu'.dihS CT
whcA wa a hazardous enterprise considorgs tue
country through VIII L passes IS very Wei hiAlSV'''
and It's situation view Of the discovery OF the sar Juan
miros very fortunate. Aon, ia liue however, there's
ito r. attract or crafty the observation OF the Traveller
.xceut the lus.e Of snow mountains And here ict me
ssy tat drrz The entire time WIS absent from THIS
place travelling al told. well nigh 1000 miles. was
never ou4 of ,c on either side Of the valleys
the roc Ky peaks capped with snow, which also lay
III drifts ana seams along ,he sides of the mountains
We; ie weather in TIC valleys warm and genial rs
Summer InOra.ns, aud exc@pta few mes, Whine cross
liz tie P0rc Pass, never out Of sshs OF cattle OF
sbecp grazing in the l0Wialds. Ia some OF the Va!S
there were f1rsu meadows and any nrhbcr OF clear
brooks running through them, and in some places the
weather VIZ urconfortiby hot. On either hand wero
lie heat OF sunnel and DE Snow Of Winter. The RAJ
road Il nIlsf De Acknowledged does not run through
fer c country Tho land dry and bare, Ike most Oh
Tho land in Colorado md il cannot NC probably titled
"a ffprr- 70 L. nd II
for nothing whatever without irrigation ami ";th nnc
o. al Land tbs If impossible 4HG lhe ez.g Is not
good enough 20 u-e.
Their are several very pretty villages along the rail
road Pueblo OF about 1000 nheb'an1s, Il the oldest
and largest Colorado springs. the county seat OF III
Paso County. Is probably u mpo tanec TIE Later
Il vef o sive u its socety, and makes good deal OF
prctneon Co dr, buildings and str es Al 4 only tnFce
or ~ year Old and already has population 81 about
$500 mostly uldGc up ct nvdlds and En-.4-A pee pie
Unlike most Western il Is rurtanc ia ite haaits
ard has hotels N eriGa. Why bis place Is
called Colombo suriu Is more than can anlcsitis
for IN, same reason that LtD ~ Boz ca 81 - ISy
sclnclcr- becaGsc that hs Maine. There axe csi-
tainiy no springs hFe from which 10 get name. The
nearest sniscs arr Rantou. five miles distant one Of
tie mos! lharnr.. little places that ever nestl,d Ia
GIN with hotels that compare with ssratce, Newport
nnd Ioa, Branch N.,ntou fayori. resor; for Colo
rado iouab.e people. although II bias population 81
les than 500. There several mineral SPRINGS here
ir,n. snia sapbar d. Among tie attractive ri ices III
tn ycu u ere IRE Gsrn Of ihe Gods, OF the Rains 81
Montazurua'- Temple Canon of Tie Fountain, Chiann
M.su.aia, en- -,yrie. Rainbow Glcn, Tie lass, U:e
Pals the Grand P.c, Easlenans mon, and the Bead
HUI Gate l. vas 20 make criticism on Nanitou,
would ay That prone making good deal ont o!
abide. THIS may Le ia fred rom tie Garden OF the
GUis and othcr lighoun ling names. Canon City a.
before stated j. the terminus OF rhc Denver and Rio
Grand l,.ad. 70 is place o. 1000 Inhabitants ana
very prospectus. IT. has several churches, two banks
two newspapers IN academy, and two or three faro
banks IL, Territorial FcuteataTy also situated here,
aAd LleTe several mineral springs.
ST CT RIDE.
The stage for the "rlcer country" the mining
regions was informed. left at O'Clock in the morning
Vas ont O. bed o'clock In The stFeeta tEere were
dozen or more Gr,ase.s," or n0ndcscript Mexcals'
with faces OF WureTcrs and clothes ragged and s''
thai obey bs.eiy called tr wretehcd forms Most
had hnvcs TevOvscs strapped 10 their waists
and they louuccd about only half Aae 70 what they
couid steal st O'Clock the STAGE was al the door
Of Tie hotel. l had expected from the char
ae.cr ~ tie country tIubiodown old rattle
trap OF staee and pair Of skeleton
horses or mules. Instead, there stood before tie
dooras aEe four IN hand OF matched eys you could
dnd ia NcN-York. on the box ~ a new Concord coach
driver and express messenger There were no
passens,rs IN the stage Ny con Farion Ia Mr. Green
OF nrookyn Who made the ascent Of Pixies Peak viii
me- and 1 were 10 he its only occupants The dAor
swung open we took seat, tlc driver gathered up
hi r,ins SPOKE sAarply his horse and went
a bounding, pace through the valley Of the Arkansas,
bui up a pretty grade. II little unpleasant at
first and also a lttle dlicIli 20 get the motion
Of tnc stage snTy to observe that te driver did
not try B. avoid stones, and that 1igatng dches
were not within MS vision. II occasionally bumped
asainct ceue Of the kept the fact 10
sc,os The diver would certainly not bo Interested III
TIE circumstance.
Nine miles FROM Canon City were brought up with
turI and crash. a stage station. Tie driver
threw tie -hI and LEFT 10 Tie ground instant
The press messenger dsnOuntod quickly, and the
door o. the coach was thrown open. We got out Just 10
see lat vas GONG and 10 rub the tops Of our heads
and wonder II The ceiling or the roof Of the coach
was spmtercd. -Four other matched gray horses
were led from the stable-aU haEDessed and
ready for their work In two minutes time
they were hooked 70 the stage. the drivers whip
heard, and we again way over the Noun
taius. Ten miles farther again changed horses.
and again a four-horsc OF gIays led out Away
we again mountains. through streams, along
precpIoss, the horses tue jump. This experience
Continued for neatly thirty hours. Tic horses were
changed every tea twelve miles and each time four
matched erays took the place OF the relieved team.
There Is q world II human nature and hunOT ia a stage
driver Icy the most important people Oh the road
They have hearty hatred of sh3us and prctense, and
better judges Of human nature DO not travel the road
Ther idea are or dna ami there il quantne,s about
Their that Is refreshing IL is privilege 10 ride
on The hos and talk with Ia the drive o. la miles
from CaDon Cts bel &Orte there three drivers
who relieved each other every nine zen hours. From
them Tsincd that the stage horses tnat
numbered about 100; That t.ey al gray, and
could for ysell THAI they were al we matched and
superior animals Each travels from eight fifteen
mles daa remarkably easy Tip it seemed to me, but
Tie drivers they coull not stand than Lat, the
wa they h.G 10 DC driven, and tin speed they
quiIed 10 make made Remark 20 George, one Of tie