The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1879-05-02
: CVEEGgS PEEN0EENGN CT TEE
PLAINS
Uy ALFRED TERRY BACON.

/ have had to-day an opportunity OF
noticing one Of the most curious sights
Of this new country. Our landscape has
been transformed and gl3Tiied by the
mirage. As m other dry and fiat COUu-
tries remarkable appearances of this
sort 2re common on these plains, esPe-
cially in the spring but ia q residence
Of several months in Colorado | have
seen nothing comparable 20 this last dis
play. To convey an idea Of how COM
pletely - natural scene may X changed
by the Tsfr8ctiou Of light, l viii describe
our iauds>aue % it usually appears.
The South Platte River after lowing
directly north for fifty miles from Den
vcT describes, in turning eastward, an
almost exact arc of = circle ten miles i'm
length, beginning between the villages
OF Evans and Greeley. Two milCE south
of the middle OF this curve is situated
the little cattle ranch in which ! am
wiutgring with two friends from the
East Around us spread the rolling
plains covered with alternate patches of
cactus and the yellow, curling buffalo
grass. and hers and there tracts of sage
brush. To the eye of ''tyuderfoot' H.
e. i'm the dialect Of Colorado "a new COM
er) this grass looks IS if it would be
starvation diet for goat, it is SO low
and sparse and seems SO scared by
drought. ON LiUst entering the Plains
by the Kansas Pacific road / drew down
the wrath of a Coloradian travelling
companion 10y remarkiug that the grass
( looked like poor picking for the cattle
which ne were passing. 1t is the rich
I est grass IN the world, ' he replied indig-
nautly and With perfect truth. Such is
4 the vegetation that surrounds us and
covers all the vast extent OF country
called the Plains.
/ Far away to the east We iimly discern
q low line Of sandy bluffs along the
I Platte. The plains. OF course. are tree
less, but along the course Of the distant
+ river are seen At some points the tops Of
the cottonwood trees that grow thicklv
in the bottom lauds-the most striking
feature which the eys meets until it rests
ON the mountains in the west The
Rocky Mountain range. outlined against
tho sky IN dazzling white and Slopiug
down liz delicate shades of blue. is in
sight for two hundred miles of its length
and redeemS our view from ali rep-Oach
Of mouGlOuy. Nearest of the high
mountains and most conspicuous among
them are the two sharp cones of Long's
Peak. One hundred and twenty-five
miles away III the southeast the range
.
amid Of Pixies Peak. It Is very lew Snd
very blue but maTysl0usly clear for So
great dist ance. Every one has heard
Of the amazing Cle2Tness Of COlUr&doaiT
and vet il IL an aStOnishment to every
new conner. Longs Peak is about sixty
miles from us sS the crow flies, but when
il il viewed in the early morning light
/ il seems impossible to harmonic the
testimony Of ones eye with the map
/ for not only IS the outline seen. but every
striking ridge and rift on its jagged sides
is perfectly clear.
In this neigEbOrhOod there is not the
/ loneliness of the TemOteT plains. Tie
nearest ranch is but Two miles away ana
two other habtati0ns are easily dis
( tiugUished in the distance.
1t is ON such = prospect IS this that
We usually look out from our pleasant
but solitary winter home. but now the
plain has long been white with snow
for this has been winter of extraordiu
airy severity in Colorado.
The distant bluffs and cottonwood
f clumps. the mountains and the plains
s were never more beautiful and cleal
than in The cold still air At sunrise this
morning. when the sun came up attend
ed by clouds enough 30 make his rising
/ gorgeous. Al half-past ten o'clock the
necessary but very irksome h0UsewOTk
( which deyOlyes upon three bachelor,
living alone on q ranch, was completed
and we started from the house to saddle
up and 20 about the more congenial out
door Occupati0uS-Oue to search for lost
cattle another tn hunt one OF the herds
of antelope which are coust zutly grazing
/ within sight and from which our lander
( is kept well stocked On leaving the
house a decided change in temperature
was noticed a glance at mythermOm-
eter. which at sunrise had stood at zero
showed rise of thirty-live degrees
/ Bat temperature and every kindred
thought was suddenly put out of my
mind by loud CRY Of aStoniShmeut from
one Of my companions-''L Look at the
mirage .'' 1t is = strange sensation to
see q landscape which has become IN
delihlv photographed On the mind from