Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1878-07-26
WESTERN WANDERINGS.
No. 8.
T.AVr CTrv Co1 Tn


10000 inhabitants, perhaps more. It is
finely laid out, the streets run at right
angles and are wide. The ground de.
scends towards the Platte, and its
streets are lined with shade trees. On
each side Of each street is stream OF
water constantly running. This water
is brought from the Platte, some 20
miles or more, around on the hills or
slopes, and is carried to the northeast
of town, out several miles from the riv-
er, and is carried in smaller bitches
down through the town, watering all
gardens and trees and lawns that the
owners expect to have put forth leaves
and verdure in the spring.
In case man wants a sandy yard
about his house, and his trees to die, all
that is necessary is to turn the water
away on the other side of the street.
There is no other way to raise trees,
shrubs, grass or vegetables, except by
irrigation. The city is supplied with
drinking water and water for extinguish-
ing fires, by system Of Holly water
works. The pumps are located on the
south bank of the Platte, where very
large well has been dug in the sand, in
to which the water from the river seeps,
and from this well it is forced into the
pipes by very powerful steam engine
They have no steam fire. e-engine, that [
saw. All they use for extinguishing
fires is to attach hose to the fire plugs
Of the Holly pipes, and the water is
thrown with sufficient power.
Denver is laid out diagonally to the
points of the compass. The streets are
from N. E. to S. w., and n. w. to S. E.
in direction. We found, at Denver, our
former townsman, Ed. Gaylord and fam
lily, all as happy as could be. Ed. is as
energetic as he was % years ago, when
at Independence. Judge Dillon was
there holding the U. S. Circuit Court
for Colorado. He informed me that he
had never been into the mountains,
though compelled to come to Denver
twice year on official duty.
On the morning of the 9th we took
the cars on the Colorado Central for
Georgetown. We went as far as Gold
en- on the broad gauge rail. Then we
change cars and take a train on the mar
row guage. This consisted Of one bag
gage, express and mail car, one passen-
ger car and an observation car. This
latter is an ordinary box car, with the
sides out, from the roof down to about
3 feet of the floor, and a seat arranged
along the sides. 1t gives one a good
chance to see out and get coal cinders
in his eyes, nose, hair and clothes. The
signal was given, and away went our
train. We soon reached the gorge out
of which Clear Greek comes. Looking
at the creek, we appeared to be running
down grade; listening to the working of
the engine, we seemed to be going up a
very steep grade. Looking back at the
track, you could easily see that we were
running up at the rate of at least 100
feet to the mile. On one side was the
creek, on the other side of the creek
precipitous mountain, some thousand
or more feet high On one side mar
row track with two small bands of iron,
and then another mountain. Our train
went whirling around the points OF the
mountains, then turning into recess
on so short curve that you thought
the engine trying to butt the observa-
ton car of the track, or perhaps more
like puppy dog trying to catch his
tail. Then Strengthening out like a
snake, and plunging straight at bank
Of rock thousand feet high, then max
ing a short turn and darting under an
overhanging mass of rock, of such
frightful proportions that every pass
enger held his breath, for fear that the
rocks and mountains would fall on us
then and there, without an invitation.
Again the train would make dive for
the stream, as though it meant to pun
ish it for trying to occupy the same
canon. All the while the engine was
putting, blowing, wheeling, groaning, Ia
boring, tugging, struggling with all its
force, to haul its load up the incline,
and the stream was surging, foaming,
racing, dashing, twisting, squirming,
spluttering, splashing, seething, dashing
on its course, as though impelled by
some mighty force, striking against the
granite rocks, recoiling with whirl and
shower of spray, and then rushing on
its way, as though to gain momentum
so as to knock the next rock from it's
bed, and thus clear the way for it's more
rapid headway to the plain beyond.
Thus contending for the mastery of
the canon, on we dashed, with whiz and
puff, each eye strained to catch a glimpse
of the sights that opened to our eyes
with some new surprise at each crook
or coil of the train, as we passed up this
grand canon to the land of silver and of
gold. Occasionally the mountains would
recede, as though tired of presenting to
our view one vast facade of the eternal
rocks, and up their slopes we could see
green trees and grass, and flowers in
bloom, and, glinting down to add to their
beauty, came the rays of the sun. But
beyond these slopes, away in the dis
tance, we could see crag on crag and
peak on peak, arise, and on some, lay, in
its virgin purity, rejecting back the sun
light, banks Of snow. Then, again, our
train would round a point Of rocks, and
above, below, around. all that could be
seen was the walls of granite towering to
the sky, and the seething, foaming wa
ters, surging on as though to escape the
dreaded company of such adamant
At what IS known as the forks of
Clear Greek, the road branches. Our
road was up the south branch, to Idaho
Springs and Georgetown. The other
to Black Howhe, Central City and Ne
vada. Here we had to switch our train,
and wait until the train from George
town passed, then change again, and let
the train from Central City pass, and
take nm anv naSsenper that might wish
to go up our road. From this point on,
the valley was wider, and presented
some pasturage and potato patches
along the bottom, while trees, grass and
flowers were seen on the slopes. The
gravel beds along the streams showed
that the indomitable Yankee had been
there, and had tried gulch or placer
mining, and that he had not been sue
cessful. The abandoned bitches, wheels
and fumes, showed that placer mining
in this part of Clear Greek was not now
considered success.
We arrived at Georgetown at IL A.
NJ. It is 81 miles from Denver by the
time table of the road We went to
the Barton House. This place has a
large number of inhabitants formerly
from Buchanan county: John McCun-
if and family, from Fairbank; two sons
of Pat McCann, of Newton; one son OF
T. p. Hayes, of Perry township. They
all claim to be well pleased with the
country. We informed the clerk of the
Barton House, that we would like tc
visit Green Lake after dinner, and that
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