, 1879-03-22
The Unknown Land Be-
yond the Snowy
Range.
Stories Concerning the Fabulous Min
era1 Wealth of Elk Mountains.
What ytniuresomc Explorers Hare Eeeu...Fer'
tllity Of The GuunLson vallsy.
A New Silver District.

ncstlcs, rolls north and south In endcss btllows,
which seem nt tho farttcss exttcmites to die
out In the faint-bluo horizon. These mountains
bound the known atld the unknown. On thts
t!de cities mo sprnglng up, and railroads aro
creeping their way through gorge and caton to
aid In tho work Of civilization. In tic valleys
here may be seen ranches Vhcro the moro hardy
products Of the soil arc cultivatetl while tho
il,lls around arc tunnelcd and bufroughcl Into
for mineral. But What Is there In tho Great
Beyontl 1t ts, comparatively speaking, mn uu-
explored country. Government survey parties
have, from time to time, penetrated thu passcs,
and made reports upon tho geological structure
Of tic rocks and character Of the soil. Twenty
years ago Fremont, with his adventurous band
Of explorers, after crossing from tho west the
great region OF tho Colorado and Grand Rivers,
entered gorge OF the Snowy Range for the
purpose Of making shortcut TO tl,s States.
1.ooxing from the middle Of Chestnut street,
LealvIllc, otle can sec. the very point whore
THE FREMONT RxrgDITloH
came out. The gate Of Eagle Piss is In plain
sight. But fow arc the people who have ever
rcttaccd tho trail begun twenty years ago. Tile
land beyond tho mountains has remained a.
wild nnd strange as Nature flrstma Il.
but Gunntson county-Ior such Is the official
name OF oil the vast district between this part
OF tic Sierra Nevada Rango nnd the eastcrn
boundary Of utah-wfll not femuin mystery
,nuc.. longer. Tho crowds TINT nre tlocking
into Lcadvllo will overflow from the carbonate
camp a,ld spread 10 all directions rs soou as tho
weather will permit OF prospecting. Already
rumors are abroad of the marvellous richness Of
the land teyonl tho range, und before the Bum-
,ncr Is over 1t will 10 thoroughly explored anl
Inhabited. Nearly II. tile centre Of Guunison
County rise cluster OF peaks known ms
TIE ELK MOUNTAINS.
During last summer pattics OF prospccsors
crossed over tu this polut and met With such
surcess TINT they, with .fow exceptions, have
remained Tiers ever etnce. Among tt,Osc who
have returned Is Afr. Howard Smith, gentle
nan who has had long experience In mining
and smelling, and who is now engaged In erect
ing reduction works In Luadvte. 1t WAS early
in tic Inst summer when he, viii, q party Of
prospcctors, started for Gunnison. They crossed
the range by tho way Of Cottonwood Pass, nine
~ miles south Of Leadvillc, ind close to tic
toll-road from Canon City to this place, 1t is
probable that the route to Gunnlsoa hereafter
will be by the wnyof Marshall pass, which opcns
, out ut Dayles', about half way between hero and
Canon City. The Atchsaon, Topeka & 9anta
Fe Company has already surveyed for q toll
rbaG through Marshall Pass, ant work will be
Il
nut Of tho ynfIeys. a TOWNSHIP has already
been laid out neur Daylcs', under lie numc u
Cieosa. mud # is expected to bccomo an in,-
portant point as soon as tho rai!roa4 to Lead
tlu drpot uf SUPPLIES for Tue whole Of Wratrrn
Colorado.
Lcayluz Clcorn, the toll or stage rouu will fol-
low tho wiudi,gs OK Marshall Pass through the
at listancu Of fortv miles from the startin,,
puint. Thu Gunnisoi, rIses on thr western ada
Of tic Sierra NcvaJa and lows southwest nbont
pn omntes iat" a ran wr IN t, So,ss r,;,s
into thtt Coiorn]o. and thc ,yatefa nrft tii.nrc
carrtcu down into tho (1uif of California.
Tnn va11ry nv Tr,r n,,ns,so~
ne '" "14'+t "e 4.~ "'''.a"H
70 deserioea ~ NJ Mho M nave visited It as n
RaratlSe compared ~isl tlt LeaaVlllo platcan.
Tug altituae -is NOT 60 great " several thou-
ann Tet,, aala lne so,! 10 Us se., as nmt OF any
Of & T.. Illinois nra'fes. !n summer ant winter
we grass giews aS W aSaaaanco s.s q; ~! n rack
luxuriauce. air: Smith tells Of riding through
vast meadows ol th's A. hsfpase which came up
20 hs & hoFses 9rgast' !anapef ta - also PLENTIFUL
tlloae GroWine III thls nelEnuoth9oa, ine val
Icy Is known TO contatn exclusive coal banks.
ntti ihat, zoo, o. superior 4uGAty' uWlng u
elt n p*Gesso y. no 9,seps M ssra aas as yet ose
nal ,J, nut das; te coming summer so1npansa
coal, al OF which Will ilnu ready markct:fn
ref djiTiculies in tte, War ~ s,npitdn,, hero IL
e ,aef ~ :. " 9a eoaa a e1Ks H. ,aa a1 .a..cf ased
,.c ~ eroot, Wv III. ~ ~ ~" ~, a%nnsa lo
Men R.easy aaas ~ ~ sapcuse OIL operating
fenne'Dn n insts @o1xs ,rh ~ neanyS ~, In,
+, tuMms.a wnu , gassrM .nu ~. ~ sunsr on
t IT, aoen1 .,, y Hn.lous oca
sx puan na ~, nt'R . ~ s'aea aretn m willow GreeE
ta are ,u4 ~, ~ ~ ~ Tt x ~ 1e vaua o1
. ss ue' uut' ~ ~ aooheu VIZ, ey KSpt onp
whan wn @ y, % ,in n,a,''sr mmIs 'atv n ~ to season,
W.. ao,'i.',. a"T ~ scI uu.ues volsMueu 70 come
u.' ;saf.E ~ otnsas W gaA5n tiio mtnes aato ~
sas 1ns az ~ "sct; se lmG5 age,osuln2ly pncKeq w
; ~ ~ - use ~ a4Gas ss a!A oTouEht y to LENT
van!o , ~ ~ ussay' tnaL ssal! 4uaht'ty o. ufe
as ~ ~ "s u W oyr @ grs lot ttis
e.io"'ns s III assas VI o'es 'hoVo ounces 10 the
10Y. H., ,,,.
IN 9 tie Tytr yaeo q t G 1on q i;cs
lso G1eot,a, a,,,, neaf!y dae west.. Il consists at
p1SaGp., , s,nS unS q possce ia s'oso s''a Gask
bhlth snop. lwehty-Hse miles north 81 iMn'
nison tlie traveller comes to spur Of tile Eik
Mo- Mountaalls H. name1 Crested Butte. !a and about
Crested huttu thetS sssG thres lttt!a rivers,
ilamed respectively Slate, MvshlnFton. and Tay-
lor, ali o. whicn unite and TOW Into tho Gunnl-
III Tilt. 1lHuH NnIGfA nj t1nMb