New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-07-14
COLORADO'S NEW WEALTH.
GIniPsFs OF GRAND SCENERY.
THREE ROUTES TO LUADvlLLE-srAGE COACH IRA

CANoN CITY, Col, June 1.-THE passenger and
freight Traffic be tween LeadvIle and the East goes
partly over the Denver Sou,h lark and Pacific
Railroad to the end Of the track, which is now IN
the south Park, and thence by Stage or wagon
across the Mosquito Range into the Arkansas
Valley and partly mp the Arkansas valley rom
this point or from Colorado Springs The distance,
by the first of these routes, from the last railroad
station to Leadyille is siXty-fve miles, WhI'h VIZ
be reduced TO twenty-five or thirty ouhh .io
present Summer rs the construction OF inc INC
across the South Park Is going forward very r"piy'
This viii reduce the time required for the journey
bet,ycep Denver and LeadyIe by several hours,
INIT tl,,re will stin remain the steep rugged and
sor,e,vj,,t dangerous wag1n-rOad over the range,
which rises like an immense wall between the
Park and the Arkansas River, aud which can only
be crossed with considerable expense and fatigue.
The South Park route is the one by which i went
10 Leadyille, and was briefly described IN tho first
of this series OF letters 1t is and viii continue to
be the flvorite route from Denver and for al
freight and passengers coming west over the Kansas
Pacific Railroad. 1t is at least tweniy-iour hours
shorter ,han either of the others.
The route by Colorado Springs is through the Ute
Pass and thence into tho Arkansas Valley. Tins
has always been the iavoIito road TO the Twin Lakes
which are only about eighteen miles from Leadyille
year since 1870. The scenery betwoea Colorado
Springs and thc Arkansas River is wild and grand
beyond description and has been frequently written
about during the past ten years. The road crosses
two ranges and one SIDE Of the South Park and fur
uishes a variety of views not to be seen anywhere
on the continent except IN Colorado. The objections
To It a. a stage or wagon route the steep accy-
ties that have TO be passed over in crossing the
mountain and the consequent wear upon teams.
Still there was line Of stages between Colorado
Springs and Leadyilc during the rush to the latter
place i'm the Spring and great quantities OF freight
are still haulcd in that way.
The third route follows he Arkansas Valley all
the way up from this place. where the river comes
out of the mountains upon the plains, TO the mouth
Of California Gulch and. while there are steep and
narrow places in the road and miles that must ap-
proacb IN rouQhncss the road over which Hank
Monk drove Mr. Greeley il Is, taken altogether, the
least difficult of the three. / came ont this way in
one of Barlow aud Sandersons coaches, the time re-
ouircd being thirty-six hours, including a stop over
night at the mouth OF the South Branch of the Ar
kansas.
Fewer people leave Leadyillo b. stage than 90
that way Tney tell q story. the road, OF a young
man from the East who, on the trip over, expressed
great so.icitude lest he should Miss some of the
grand or interesting scenery The driver consoed
| him with the assurance that he would have ample
opportunity to study the scenery when he went
back afoot. Not few of those who seek their for
tunes in Leadye find 1t impossible to raise $l7 10
pay their fares 10 Denver. the two coaches which
left Leadvllle the other morning carried eight pas
senger-. a messenger and a mail agent. Two of the
passengers were "tenderfeet," returning from
weeks stay in Leadyie, one was commercial
traveller and one the wife Of a mining eneineer.
I 81. If he eli
were suffering either from diseases of the lungs or
from rheumatism. The coach that carried the four
sick men was a yertabe travelling hospital. ON
the top was professional gambler whose joints
were swelled TO twice or three times their normal
SIZE and who required the assistance Of two men TO
help to his place. Late hours, exposure to draughts
and destination had left hm in ptiabe condition.
As we came down the valley the warmer sun and
the nldcr air seemed to benefit bin, but shall not
soon forget the distressing groans with which be
filed the house where we stayed over night, until
at o'clock in the morning, when he rose from the
bed which was 80 hard as to keep him in torment
and went down stairs 10 sit by Jnc fire until day
break. His companion had lost his voice and did
not speak above . low whisper daring the ~ hole
journey. The other two were far gone ~ pulmonary
consumption. and one of them coughed until
Thought lie would strange.
The recent SHOWS had left the streets of Le3dyiie
muddy, and wc encountered very little dust the
first day. The road has been built along the banks
of the Arkansas River, and commands Hne view
of the whole valley, winch has average width OF
fifteen or twenty miles The views of tho high
mountains which we obtained during the first day
are not, believe, surpassed anywhere among the
Rockies The recent SHOWS had snrouded their tops
IN WHITE so that there were very few bare spaces
visible above timber linc and when the sun came
4 n, 4
cling brightness. while deep shadows lay in the ra-
vines Mounts Massive aud Ebert which tower
above Leadyile with their snowy crcsts, assumed
a hundred different forms from various
points on the winding river-rOad and il was almost
impossible for me to take my eyes from them, so
grand and majestic did they appear. Before these
two peaks were lost TO view Harvard and Yale
doomed up in the southwest, with the Cottonwood
Pass over into the Gunuison country, between them
and in the afternoon Mounts Princeton and Shavano
took their places. The foothills Of these mountains
have greater elevation than the top OF Mount
Washington and there are Gourishing ranches lying
in the shadow of them that higher than the tim
Der line in the Swiss Alps.
The peaks of the Mosquito Range. on the left are
not as high as those Of the Saguache, but being
nearer present more rugged appearance. At places
where the bed of tho river lies close 10 the noun
tains the perpendicular granite walls have been
worn into all sorts of fantastic shapes by the action
Of the elements. The highest mountains Of this
range are apparently the Buffalo Peaks, about thirty
miles This SHE of Lnadvlc which may be seen from
n long distance in the South Park. in the after
noon from - point where the road rccedcd ten or
fifteen miles from the Mosquito Range, and bend
in the valley afforded view for a long distance to
the south we storm pass along the face Of the
mountains while the sun was shining from the West
ont of an almost cloudless sky. The effect wa,
grand-and beautiful when brilliant rainbow was
- IN frnnI nf he muleatlc hIlI..