The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1876-07-28
PONCHO PASS.
The Great rark of the Rocky mouniai,

| The Great Park of the Rocky Mountains
| The altitude of the Poncho Pass il
| about ten thousand feet above the leve
| of the sea. From its northern declivity
| the waters flow into the Arkansas river
and from the southern side the water
| shed runs down into the north end of the
San LUIS valley. This great valley, OF
park, is in all respects the most interest
! ing and remarkable in the Rocky noun
| taips. 1t is a puzzle to the geologists,
and lust how and when it was made, and
whether by fire or water, are Questions
not easily solved. tt might have been in
the ages long ago an island sea. 1t
might have been an immense crater from
which the material came to form the
surrounding mountains. 1t might have
been a part of the undisturbed crust of
the earth before all around were broken
up by volcanic fires. 1t might have
been gently elevated to its present alti-
tude of seventy-five hundred feet above
the level of the sea, while the internal
forces of nature were riOting in
fire, and the melton mass which
boiled and bubbled over half a
continent, was being lifted into in
Vulnerable forms. Commencing at
the Poncho Pass, the Sangre de Cristo
range of mountains bound the San Luis
valley on the east, extending for one
hundred and twenty miles or more to the
southwark in the direction of New Mex
leo. The valley on the southwest is
bounded by the Sierra Membres, extend
ing from the Pass to the southwark in
more broken lines, and composing for
one hundred miles east and west, and
f6r at least one hundred miles north and
south, that picturesque and surprisingly
grand section of mountain country, in
tersperscd with numerous great river
valleys and innumerable mountain
streams, and with almost marvellous
mineral deposits of silver, gold and lead,
known as San Juan. The San Luis
valley lying between these mountain
ranges is not less than one hundred and
twenty-five miles long, and at Del NOrte
seventy-five miles from the upper end, is
not less than sixty miles wide. On all
sides it is surrounded by snOw-capped
mountain peaks, lifting their lofty sum-
mits to the regions OF eternal snow.
Like the great Salt Lake valley, the
San Luis valley has no outlet. 1t is
vast elliptical bowl, into which
half hundred streams pour
down their waters from the
surrounding mountains. Some of these
streams have the magnitude of rivers.
Rear the center of the valley is d large
lake, or rather succession Of lakes OF
itiarshy gr6tiiid, iii which there is an
abundance of water in the early spring
and simmer, but which mostly disap-
pears as the dry season comes on in the
fall. Mr.. Chas. f. Aiken, of Wheeler's
exploring expedition, says that these
takes "offer attractions to water-birds
unsurpassed by any other spot in Col
orado. | found large numbers of water
fowls congregated about them. Along
the sunny shores of the larger ponds,
focks of birds, sand-pipers, and avocets
found abundant food. for in all these
waters are myriads of small marine in
sects. The marshes swarmed with ducks,
of which there we're nine or ten species,
and on the open water, RATS OF beau
tiful snow-geese foated seIenely."
Some of the early explorers main.
tanned the theory that the center OF
this valley is in reality an old crater,
and from its enormous throat came
forth the material which forms the
adjacent mountains. 1t would seem to
be better theory, however, that an in
land sea or lake once existed there, and
IndI III WIS UIOIGSu out ny InC NOICdiIC
eruptions which have occurred in the pro-
gress of time. The general altitude OF the
valley is seven thousand feet above the
level lot the sea. 1t has many of the charac
teristics of the valley in which the City of
Mexico is situated. The climate Is not
as warm in the summer as it is in Mex
leo, but | venture to say that there is no
place on the American continent where
the climate is more healthful and invigo-
rating, and both in summer and winter
extremes of heat and cold are less likely
to occur. With the exception of corn,
most of the crops common to this lati
tude are grown in the valley. Potatoes,
wheat, barley, oats, turnips, onions, cab
bage, and the usual variety of agricultu-
raj products are produced by irrigation,
and with much certainty. have never
seen potatoes produced of such superior
quality, and the same may be said or
oats and wheat. The facilities for irri-
tation are good, and as times goes on,
and the increase of population and con-
sumption demands it, all the land con-
venient to the streams, and for many
miles away, can be cultivated success
fulIv