The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1878-09-20
Shs 9asille Afsn''s',, ).
(Concluded from second PAGE. ]

a. lConcluded from second page.l
line of the road is visible against the hill
sides, and seemingly appear to end out
10 the air as it winds around the profile
of Bobtail bill.
Returning to the Forks of the creek,
we take up our course along the George
town division of the line. The rugged
mountains lift their towering points SO
high as to appear to support the heavens
themselves, and the immediate foreground
is so thiekly strewn with tremendous boul
ders, that one is at loss to comprehend
the great power that dethroned them FROM
their eminences and cast them into the
fierce waters below,
La many places the cliffs are so steep
as to battle all attempt at scaling, and Oft
they appear to overhang the valley.
Passing under Hanging Rock No. 2, We
thunder on into the grand gorge.
| After the succession of surprises passed
up to this point, completely overwhelmed
one naturally asks, What nextl' and al
though we look for limit to all this won
der chasms still open around US, and the
gorge yet walls us 10.
Seventeen miles from Golden upon this
branch of the line and we at last emerge
into beautiful valley, its plateaux cover
ed with the perfume of thousands OF flow
ers.
Floyd Hill up to June Of 1877 was the
terminal point of this branch, but at this
writing the steel has penetrated miles be-
lyond and the place has quietly settled
down into a way station of the Colorado
Central. "f55 ~
The convereing lines of mountains
gradually withdraw and lose their rugged
line, and rounded grassy hills close the
valley, affording relief, to the canon pass
ed. @'t% t~
Rude cabins-homes of the prospector,
unshapelV and consequently picturesque,
closed In with rustic fence add a new
charm to the varied landscape, and oc-
casionally a decaying building remaining
to attest the violence of the great gold fe-
YER ,sreminds US of tho eternal fitness OF
things"
The road is narrow uage and the
name of the canyon is Clear Greek
"a misnomer now, what might DC
clear water is now a thick mixture Of
lead and red clay, from the smelt'
. ing works and stamp mills and siuicine
!. At several places along the creek, piazel
: or gulch, mining is carried Oh quite exten
sively.
D Central is a place OF about 5000 people
n The houses are strung along the gulch ant
e stuck into the sides of the mountains II
!. every conceivable shape and angle, tn
tops of eof the buildings being Amos
in the front yards OF the ones above
They have very fine Catholic seminar
L building, an opera house and severa
quite pretentious business houses. On
Il
$4,000 worth of goods. The peopl
- come from every state in the Union an
some from the Celestial Kingdom
omui-present in this country. When yo
find him mining it is usually in the gulche
where he can see every night, just ho
much he has made. These people are
fair type of tie westernized New Eos
- lander, only more So Their habits {
81 economy are not of the strictest kind. III
= ladies dress we'll if il takes the last Gel
and those who cannot afford it put on ;
ut much style as the wealthiest and whe
there is an excursion anywhere they all g
. and Sunday seems to be the favorite ds
. for this sort of business. This in mea
ure is true of all the places 10 the stat
20 In Conejos county tdon't try to pronouB'
the name of this county because you wou
never call it "Kanaris" the republican
held their county convention on Sunda
. this year. | only mention this clrcuu
stance to show you the condition or Il
party of great moral ideas in this ne
state. AS general thing the people
these mountain towns are wide awake, e
terprising and generous to fault, with
NE polite and ready to give you all the info
nation you may desire. They ask y
n.y. where you come from and If you come
ted stay, how you like the country and I
and people, and, they don't seem to care VII
le' kind of an answer you make. This sect
to be the place for enterprising you
men, but don't come expecting to pick
>. fortune on your arrival, you will be me
- liable to get picked up yourself, The
who have money can make money here
if they don't lose it. The bank inter
. here is II per month and hard to get
that, which certainly indicates profit
the business in which it is invested.
By the way Lew West, son of Fl.
West, and Frank Phileo, son of Asses
lPhiIleo, arrived in Denver yesterd
They came overland by team. On
)S way here they took up farms in Kan
and are going there TO become tarm'
Young West thinks cars will be G
enough for him going back. met yol
Kaufman, son of Kaufman, the mai
dealer, here this morning, Charlie, l th
is his name. He is doing well at
trade, but thinks of tempting fortune
the mines of Ariz1Da Territory in
spring-everybo body catches the mil
I IiS fever here, although not one IN a hund
ever makes fortune. Like all other b
ness it requires capital and no end OF
perieuce But as this letter Is already
long | will close.