Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1878-08-02
WESTERN WANDERINGS.
No. 5.


Denver to Alamosa, on the Rio Grand
del Norte, over Neta Pass, the ele
vatlon being, as announced in the bills
{, 9,339 feet; expenses for round trip 30
to start at Z A. M. July 10, and return
at 8 P. M. July II. Upon inquiring, w
found that the fare from Denver to AL
amosa was $23 each way. We wer'
siezed with zeal to help the church. 81
we, the Mayor, his father and myself
disbursed to the church treasurer $24
and received each piece of cardboard
on which was printed contract to tax,
us to Alamosa July 10 and return us tt
Denver July II, by that excursion train
We took seats in the cars, and in came
the singing multitude of enthusiastic
devotees to help out the church, unit
five coaches were filled with ladies ane
gentlemen, and one baggage car was
filled with boxes, baskets, trunks, pack
ages, of delicacies for the comfort anG
support of the inner man and woman
At 7:10 we left the depot and sped on
our way south. The sun was shining
brightly, the day was warm and all the
passengers seemed happy.
The mountains to our right showed
their heads, some green with verdure
some sombre with naked rock, some
streaked with banks of snow; all show
ing off to the best advantage under the
rays of the morning sun. These noun.
tains are objects that have not lost their
interest to even the Oldest inhabitants
The Mayor devoted himself to enter.
tail ing lady who had taken seat with
min and l, having no such agreeable
person to talk to, watched the ever
changing scenery that the mountains
= Jesented, and when tired of that, tried
" observation, to learn more OF the sys-
tenn of irrigation adopted in this To-
cality.
My observation confirmed my previ-
ously formed opinion: That nothing can
be raised on these plains without irriga-
ton; that with it, fair crops of wheat,
oats and barley may be raised; that
shade trees will do well if constantly
watered, but will die without such at
tention, and that the subject is one that
should be handled by the State or Ma
tion, and not left to the caprice Of cor
porations organized for pecuniary profit,
or to inefficient Individual enterprise.
I do not know what laws the State now
has on the subject, but presume that it
has received the attention OF the State
Legislature.
The divide is 81 miles south of Den
yer, and is, according to statistics, about
1000 feet higher. | think, however,
this must have reference to the ridge of
land and not to the railroad track. l
should judge that in making this 81
miles we got up about 1900 feet, and
the top of the land east Of the highest
point on the railroad must be at least
800 feet higher than the track. From
the divide south to Pueblo, 68 miles, we
descend nearly 5000 feet, consequently
it did not require much steam to get us
down to Pueblo. The land south Of the
divide, when irrigated, does not bear as
good crops as that north. From the d.
vide south to Colorado Springs, 25 miles,
we have a magnificent view Of Pike s
Peak, and it is grand view. 1t was IT, e
observed of all the crowd. It will bear
looking at, it is the object of interest al
ways; it is something Of which one nev-
er seems to tire. Other peaks may be
higher, but [ doubt if any of them
present more interesting spectacle to
the observer, better or bolder front to
look upon, and certainly no other stands
out as such great and unmistakable
land mark.
From Colorado Springs south to Pu-
eblo, 45 miles, we descend 1900 feet,
and as we descend the lanu grows poorer,
the mountains recede until at Pueblo
we are 40 miles from the mountains.
The air is hot, the land dry, the sage
and grease brush shriveled, the soap
weed hard and thorny, and the prickly
pear even looks fiery. The Arkansas
river rolls its tinted waters, red with
mud, slowly along through the town.
The suns rays seem to have gained an
intensity of heat, and the earth seems
to reflect back or evolve from itself an
additional heat not taken from the sun.
If Canon Farrer, H. w. Beecher, Rev.
johnson and r. j. Ingersol could be
compelled to spend July and August
here, l think it would change their the
illogical views. If it did not as to the
next, it certainly v would as to this earth.
We stopped here 20 minutes for dinner.
In consideration of this being church
excursion, the proprietor had employed
the Sunday school children to wait upon
the tables. They were as ignorant OF
their duties as you generally find wait
ers at church suppers, every one tried
to serve everybody. and the result was
that no one was served; and long before
anyone was fairly waited upon the time
for dinner had expired, and the conduc-
tor politely informed us that three min
utes delay would compel us to stay at
Pueblo three hours. 1t was useless Tor
the pastor or deacons to swear, Tor each
one had been obliged to pay 75 cents be-
fore he could enter the dining room.
We all took to the cars, each wishing
the landlord and his walters anything
but a pleasant future. On taking my
seat in the cars neighbor in the next
seat asked, did you 60 into the eating.
house for dinner?" l said yes. We'll,
said he, Il did not. I went across to
that lunch-house, and got a dfink Of
whisky for Is cents, my dinner 25 cents,
and better one than you had and
two cigars for 25 cents. So, you see,
am the whisky and cigars ahead"
could not deny the truth of this argu:
ment, for anything that could be called
dinner was better than what we had re-
ceived for Is cents.
Our train was soon on the way, and
after running at the top Of its speed for
four miles, took a side-track, and had
scarcely got out of the way before along
came the regular passenger train from
the south. We now felt satisfied that
the conductor had not misrepresented
matters to us, and were consoled in a
measure for the loss Of our dinner. At
ter the regular train passed we backed
on the track, and moved down about a
mile to water-tank, where we took in
water; then started on our way. About
two miles further on we came out on to
some table-lands.
The country had as beautiful face
as you ever saw; it had just nice roll
and was free from stone or brush Of any
kind. As far as you could see, it look.
ed like nice farm country. Away to
the west some 40 miles could be seen
the mountains, to the north were the
Greenhorn Mountains, to the south the
Spanish Peaks and to the east the
plains. But this land looked as though
no water had fallen on it for ages; its
soil was dry and hard; it had a yellowisf
white color; the grass that grew on il
was thin and had a dirty straw color
there WAS nothing green on II. and there