The Centre reporter. [volume] (Centre Hall, Pa.) 1871-1940, 1878-01-10
A Great Enterprise.

A wonderful Colorado railroad is des-
cribed in an article III ScribHer'5 Ad9d-
zine, by "H. H., who says: Ever
since men began To dig for silver and
gold in Colorado, one OF the many hard
things they have had 10 do, has been
the iourueying into the rich silver re-
gions Of the San Juan country. The
great Sangre di CrIstO range. with Its
amounted peaks, all from twelve TO
fifteen thousand feet high, IL a barrier
which only seekers after gold or after
liberty would have courage 70 cross.
One Of the most picturesque sights
which the traveller IN southern Colorado,
during the past two or three years, has
seen has been the groups Of white-top-
ped wagons creeping westward toward
the passes Of this range sometimes
thirty or forty together. each wagon
drawn hv ten. fifteen or even twenty
mules the slow-moying professions
look like caravan lines IN a desert two.
threr. four weeks ON the ruad, carrying
IN people bv households carrying IN
food. and bringing out silver 10y the ton;
back and forth, back and forth, patient
men and patient beasts have been ioiiiug
every summer from June 10 October.
Tins sort Of thing does not 50 On for
many years before "a railroad comes 10
the rescue. Engineering triumphs
where brute force merely cvadcs the
steam engine has stronger lungs than
mules or men and the journey which
was counted by weeks Is made N hours.
Such a feat as this, the Denver and Rio
Gmaic Railroad marrow gaugel Il now
performing IN Colorado. 4 little more
than Il year ago saw the plowshare cut
the first iurrow for It's track through the
ruchuras meadows at the foot %. the
Spauish Peaks. One iay last week
looked out from the car windows A. We
whirlel past the same spot little
town stood where then was wilderness,
and uu either side of our road we're acres
u suuh1wors whose bruwu-contcred
iisks OF yellow looked hike trembling
faces still astonishcd az the noise. Past
the Spanish Peaks past the new town
IF Veia into the Veta Pass mp, up,
uiuo Thousand feet up, across neck ut
the Sangre di Cristo itself down tie
other side. aud ont among the foot hills
to the vast San Luis valley, the plncky
little road has already pushed. IL is a
notable feat of engineering. As the
road winds among tho mountains lis
curves are 40 sharp that the inexperi-
euced and timid hold their breath. From
one track. running along the edge OF n
prccipice, You look up 10 another which
you are presently 20 reach Il lies high
On the mountain-Side, four hundred feet
above vour head, vet il looks hardly
morc than stones throw across the
rayine between. The curve 10y Which
YOU are 20 climb up this hiil Is thirty
degree curve. To the non-proicssiona
mind il will perhaps give a clearer idea
Of the curve 30 say that It - shaped IKE
a mule shoe-a much narrower shoe than
ahurse shoe. The famous horseshoe curve
on the Pennsylvania railroad IL broad
and easy in comparison with tins. Ihere
are three Of these thirty.degree curves
within short distance of each other;
the road doubles on itself. like the path
of a ship tackiug IN adverse winds. The
grade is very stcep-two hundred aud
eleven feet 10 the mile; the engines
pant and strain, and the wheels make "A
strange sound, at once sibilant and ring-
ing on the steel rails. You 60 but six
miles an hour il seems like not more
than four, the leisurely pace Is so I'M
wonted n one for steam engines. Mlth
each mile Of ascent the view backward
and downward becomes fiuer the Span
ish Peaks and the plains in the distance,
the dark ravines full Of pine-trees IN the
foreground, and Veta mountain ON the
left hand--a giant bulwark flrrowed and
bare. There are 80 many seams on the
sides OF this mountain that they have
given rise to its name, Vcta, which IN
the Spanish tongue means "vein.