The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1879-07-17
Letter from Colorado-No. 8.

Even as Pritchard, the engineer!
Lexington, Va.
Letter from Colorado-No. 8.
THE MoUNTAINs-A FoRsAKEN CAMP
| &C., &c.
| Special Correspondence Of the vIRG1NIAN.
OF all the Colorado mountains that love
and there are many of these, from Sierra
Blanca In the south, rearing its three-prong-
ed icy crown higher than any other peak O.
the Rocky ranges, to certain needle sharp
peak in South Park, once nameless, but
now christened Mt. Vsrg,nia, by a party
Of last years tourists-after all this long pa
renthesis, declare that love Cheyenne
mountain the best.
The western boundary Of Colorado
Springs is a short range Of sturdy mountains
capped by Pixies Peak, which is known as
the Cheyenne or Pixies Peak spur. These
mountains are in such close proximity to
us that no sdistance lends enchantment
to the view," or clothes them with its ''pur.
pie hue" save on late summer afternoons
when the waning day draws curtain Of opal
mist over their roughnesses and sharpnesses.
Six or seven miles to the northeast of town,
this range seems to close In the southern
horizon. Neatly tucked in behind it, and
overlapping it, are the Greenhorn Noun
tains, and far, far away, rises the triangular
cones OF the Spanish Peaks, 1900 feet
high. The Cheyenne range then appears a
rich purple the Greenhorn, blue and the
Spanish Peaks Of most tender and ethereal
| azure. I am often reminded of quaint Hugh
| Miller's description of his beloved Scottish
hills, substituting Pixies Peak for Ben We-
| Uis.
"Ben VIEWS rose to the west, white with
the yet unwasted snow of winter, and as
sharply defined in the clear atmosphere as il
all its sunny slopes and blue retiring hol-
lows had been ehiseled in marble. A line
of snow ran along the opposite hills; all
above was white, and all below was pur-
ple."
| As before stated, in the vicinity OF the
Springs the mountains appear within walk
ing distance, and all the way from Pueblo
| one imagines that a hand stretched from the
car window would touch their barren slopes
Concerning this optical delusion, caused by
the extreme clearness of the atmosphere.
the following anecdote is told:
Two men arriving in Denver made an ap-
pointment to scale one OF the neighboring
submits before breakfast. They set forth
on foot with pleasant anticipation of the ap.
petizer that brisk constitutional would
prove. Like Irvine Russell's hero in st
Nicholas, 'sthey KEEP waikiki along, an
waikiki along, and walkin' along" but
apparently were no nearer their desti
nation than at first. Finally the cour
age of No. I, failed; he returned to the
flesh-pots of the hotel, and left undaunted
No. 2to press on alone in the direction o.
the promised land. However, as hour after
hour elapsed, and..No. 2 did not RETURN he be
came uneasy land went out in search of him
this time in carriage. He also ascertainet
en- passant, that the mountains were seventy
miles away. Up hill and down dale lie
travelled, and at length the missing compagno,
de voyage was discovered. The mockin(
mountain wall stretched distant as ever be
fore him, and with rueful countenance hi
was divesting himself of coat and boots
preparatory to a plunge In tiny thread o.
stream which crossed bis path.
s.Hallo!" cried the friend in utter amaze
'That water is not more than few inche
deep! Why, on earth, are you going to try
to swim? 1t is not above the soles of your
boots.''
81 don't know" said the other, turning t.
his interlocutor and shaking his head !; I"
dom know. Judging by them mountains
this here stream may be ac,de as the Ms
sissippi ri0er !"
had not been many days in the State o
Colorado before this anecdote was related t,
me, had recently set out for little stroll
toward bluff said to contain an opal bed
and was turned back by benevolent some
body who informed me that my destination
was five miles away, so it struck me as ap
posite. 1 wrote it home to my friends
but soon it lost its novel charm.
Should 1 comment on the beauty of
mountain; should chance to cross one o
the innumerable bitches with which Colo
RADIO Springs is threaded, was favored by
new edition OF this preposterous story. If !
presuming on my superior knowledge, re
marked to some newcomer, in the words o
the poet, Fittings are seldom what the.
seem," lin Colorado.) bright smile woul
illumine his face, and he would striaghtwa.
rejoin, "sYes, know, that Is so.' Did yo
ever hear the story of the two men who cam
out to Denver, and seteut to walk to the noun
tains before breakfast, &c., &c.," The del
icate irony OF ''Hardly Ever" would clearl
be wasted in such a case, so hold m,
peace.
In Mark Twain's s'Roughing It., - he give
q pathetic picture of his sufferings unde
the recital of Horace Greeley's drive wit
Hank Monk, with which he was besieged s
necessarily that he begged them to give hir
s'the story of George Washington and hi
little Ratchet, for change" am positiv
that Horace Greeley and Hank Monk are n
where in temerity and continuity by the sid
of this hoary anecdote. l have set it dow
here, not that had the slightest doubt of il
having already penetrated to the column
of the VALLEY VIRGINIAN, but that
would be departure from precedent
write a letter from Colorado without its in
sertion.
To return to Cheyenne, which is not a
unattainable mountain, but is within seve
miles Of Colorado Springs. It terminate
the range, and lies to the southwark, wit
its bold outlines and graceful pinnacles
the clearest relief. Some say it is the cour
| terpart Of camel, with his head to tt
north, lying crouched ready to receive b
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