The Portland daily press., 1877-12-14
Colorado Letter-II.
A Colorado Winter-The Denver and Rio
Grande-The Divide e-The Saratoga Of
the West-What a Maine Rancho Own
er il Doing.

To the Portland Press.
The winter air was clear and cold as was
borne away from Denver on the a. N. train
of the Denver 8 Rio Grande Railroad, and the
irrgating canals had ice on their margins. The
road is of three foot gauge, and we tripped mer-
rily from sile to side, as the train whirled
around the sharp curves. As we sped south
ward the Rocky Mountains, grand and awful,
lowered ever on our right, while on the left the
brown and treeless plains rose in long, low hill
locks like rolling sea. Sometimes wire
fence was seen.enclosing vast tract, and here
and there were small ranches with sheds and
corrals hard by. Short-horued cattle red and
white galloped away from the track at the
sound of the whistle, and once we passed
ranch on which deove CT horses were feeding
Oa side track at way station were seven
teen carloads of Texas cattle on their way to
Denver; they were packed so closely head and
tail that their wide horns had no swinging
room-a mostessential precaution for the safe
ty OF the beasts, but cruel injury to their
feelings, as it deprived them for time of their
familiar pastime of goring something
Fifty-two miles south of Denver is the Di-
vide, wooded mounsain spur projecting east
sinking into the plains eighty miles away. The
railroad crosses it at a point twenty-five hun
dred feet above Denver. As the train climbed
the upgrade to the Divide lofty bluffs rose on
either hand, with steep sloping sides and tops
as fiat as tables, seeing which one appreciates
the significance attached to the name of the
residing place of that eminent character, Truth
ful James.
At Divide station on the summit is lake (as
they call it here; it is a narrow sheet of water
not so large as the "Basn' in Portlaud) which
has two outlets, one at the northerly end empty
ing into the Platte, and the other at the south
ery and flowing into the Arkansas river. The
waters meet again in the Mississippi. As the
train descended tina southsrly slops of the Di-
vide, the sun streamed warmly in at the win
dows, and there was a marked difference 10 the
temperature of the air. Ga a bluff to tie left
stood Castle Rock which in its contour bears
striking resemblance 10 a ruioed castls. In
front, however, with openings between, are
vast columns, such as the lildecs of the pyea-
mids might have mads 10 sustlio tha IN assiva
roof OF aa Egyptian temple. W. passed
other bluffs surmounted each By the washed
aud wasted ruins of a crumbled mountain,
aud soon We We're i,ioed on the lef, by a mouu-
tain steam that with many lelps aud wind
ings kept by the side OF the track and followed
US to Colorado Springs.
Colorado Springs $50 called because there
are mineral springs at Msni:ou six miles
away is seventy-five miles south Of Deayer,
and although at much higher altitude, has
warmer and more equable climate. Itcontains
thirty.fve hundred inhabitants. and. after the
fashion Of western towns, calls itself a city
and its municipal affairs are duly managed by
a mayor and aldermen. notable feature Of
this city is that it has always maintained
local prohiblsory Law, aud on this issue rather
than the ordinary political divisions, the officers
are chosen in their annual town msetings--I
beg its pardon; municipal elections, should
have said. Tue law is enforced with such rigor
as to restrict the sale Of liquor entirely to the
the apothecsry stores, which is great help to
he trade in community so healthy, and in
40 wise incouveniences reputable citizens, and
the travelling community generally. This city
IS the most beautiful in the State, and along its
vide streets planted al the sides With trees are
pretty cottages, and here and there larger resi-
1ence. each surrounded by veranda and a
spacious yard. Ia all the United States there
s perhaps no community more marked by cul-
ture aud refinement than this littls city lying
At the foot of the Rocky Mountains. Invalids
that find benefit ia the Colorado air, young
uen of education and ability from the old
States that come here to make their fortunes
u stack-caisng, younger sons of good English
families that are here for the same purpose
i've at Colorado Spriogs or on ranches in the
country around it. Tourists from everywhere
visit it, aud travellers that have come to hunt
% the western plains, aud it often hap
pens that they like the place so well
l as to settle in it.
The citizens class are wealthy, leisorely
l people, and although many of them sustain
large business Interests it is the prevailing
fashion not to fret nor hurry things but to en-