, 1880-06-06
THE FAR WEST.
.1ong the Route Of the Denver &
Rio Grande Railroad.
>,,mh;ng the Raton Range, and De-
lending to the Plains Of New
Mexico.
=. p.ns,s Hat Springs Near Las Vegas At1.
ian Land.Grant.

NaQ Lala'hrauls
,x, orr.spondence Of Tht Chicago 71ibune.
~ y. Mex, May 12.-All the way
nonrer to Ell Moro, a distance Of over
to@ t;1ae the line OF the Denver d Rio
- ns.ade % Railroad follows the contour OF the
o.antnin-range, constantly In sight OF 1t,
nounti .aTnrtimes almost touching the bases Of
aisotlills: ~ yet it is for the whole distance
W. ~" nlains. and is comparatively level
o. ~ tts smooth, well-graded track one rides
w. vs.st]s that there is not WEAKNESS, and, as
n .tr;n ts made by daylight, the succession
s1.k.noing scenery diverts and Interests the
.satpr. There are only two prominent and
."aoriant places on this route
lP c;o7oRApo SPRINGS AND PUEBLO.
n+.. former, lying almost under the long
:a,aogs Of Pixies Peak, beneath which is
:e+,ad Colorado's Saratoga, Manitou
s's;nse ssss IS good business-point as well as q
err.ssnent sanitarium. Pueblo, on the ar
p.R u.s.t River, is a business-focus, from which
!.... fines Of the Denver s. Rio Grande Rail-
1s.SdIrerge, . and is also the Colorado term
49, of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa F6
p.;lroad. @ South Of Pueblo the whole region
= oecupied by cattle and sheep ranches,
~ + vatered by cool and limpid streams
ANN the nlonntain-ranse, affordlng
nnd;narily excellent pasturage; but this year
u. hrayens have been "brass,' and the rains
h.ra heen SO entirely withheld that the grass
l. dry, crispy, and almost dead, and cattle and
shsen have died by hundreds.
:is thr same conditions have existed from
wyoming to Southern New Mexico, there has
h.e1 M place to drive them, except to the
sr,nty s|opcs Of the mountains watered by
melting SHOWS, and the losses to cattle-men
haye been fearfuL The beds of Ill the
streams are deep-sunken, with almost YER
t,r,t walls, and are but scantily supplied
nm water. Thus early in the season
tha trafaler from the East notices especially
the cleavage Of the clay banks in Nil this
rap,on. which breaks in vertical sections
FINN the top to the waters edge, sometimes
ten OF fifteen feet below, so that cattle have
often to 20 long way before they can find
plsoe sufficiently sloping for them to reach
the water. There are none Of those pleasant
habhIipr brooks, with gravel and bright shells
cleaning In the shallow waters, which are q
deGght in the East You find them some
times in the mountains (minus the shells),
but not on the plains.
.At Cucharas, a city consisting Of q rail-
load depot and one saloon and general store
combined the rails branch,-the main line
leading under the Spanish Peaks, and over
Dump Mountain and the famous Veta Pass,
at an elevation OF over 5000 feet, into the
Y,,;, v,f3 Tof1
Grande, is its present terminus in that direc-
Con; but this energetic company is
:, FAST PUSHING IT'S LINES WESTWARD.
through the valleys and canons the over the
of Southern Colorado, con
hall wake new echoes at Silyerton before
be winter-snows shall fall again. Its pres.
ut survey passes little way to the south Of
be wonderful pagosa Springs, and will make
his the easiest route TO that phenomenal dis
rict Another and more direct route was
ssE sq5veysa 9 s1o5; bs Sg pTae 2i it at was as
leyation of over 1900 feet, aud where the
taek would be .always in danger of snow
[ides, it was abandoned as lnpractcab}e.
|len SilvertOn is reached, the marvellous
neral resources OF the San Juan country
III be opened to market, and grand de-
-
G carrying of Goals and coke from the
eat beds aud coke-ovens Of Ell Moro,
hence It is distributed to smelters and re-
all over the State
We arrive here Just in the cleaning, as the
In has sunk behind the hills, and take car
ages for our fye-mile ride TO Trinidad,
hose lights soon CLEAN IN the Valley OF u
and mine host of the United
ates Hotel welcomes us to supper and a
ID Trinidad looks beautifully III the noon
ght when approached from the north, with
mountain background, aud the lofty
lsher's Peak with its great square terraces
andng out against the sky, while at
'enght Simpsons Rest looks down upon q
]age Of low Mexican adobe huts, and the
urgatory River, between, CLEANS like a
lrer band and filings back the kisses Of the
'oon. Trinidad, since the Santa Fe Rail-
>ad has gone so far beyond it, has lost most
the, rough element which two years ago
aye 1t all unenrlable reputation, and has
titled down to
4 QUIET, RESPECTABLE TOWN
perhaps 1000 inhabitants, commanding q
god trade with the regions around it.,
Here, after a good rest and ample break
nd take the train Of the -Atchison, Topeka
Santa Fe Railroad for Las. Vegas, Santa
I, and Albuquerque Until lately the trains
aSsed over this portion of the route in the
ight, both going and returning, giving tour
rs no opportunity OF seeing The tine scenery
pom good part of the road; but they
are, now changed their tlme-schedulcs
that the trip both ways is made
daylight, fur which the officers
are the most humble and hearty thanks Of
aMe M travelling public. About 9 O'Clock we
A@b the Ration Range by q winding road |
ooklng down into beautiful green valley, |
long which the old Santa Fe trail for many |
'S 'eaS has wound to reach the Ration Pass; |
W. .a1', .! an ascending grade Of $50 feet to the
1. .llie We reach the completed tunnel, 1900 /
~ elg, By which tile sleeper grades Of the
= onaea1ack over the summit are |
a'naea. sa Some Of your readers may |
,c.ie ,cmemper that i year ago l wrote full ac-
" 1rnl OF tds pass and IT the Uncle Dick, the
t1.tetai - locomotive, said TO be the largest III
~ ~. Eofld, which was built for this railroad
y oaa'aany o'l Tor hauling trains oyor the Switch
y ~ On grade OF BIS feet to the mile AS
;naos.ilo i do% look at these grades from the car
,n,a MGpTs, we wonder that railroad-tralns
'n'o climb such sleeps; yet / don't think
1 t1ous serious accident ever happened there.
ftom ne tunnel we descend swiftly to
TIE PLAINS OF NEW MEXICO,
s pass being the separating line from Colo
~ W ana, over all almost level road, we pass
g gear view of the snow-clad Mexican Cor
ttsi ~ as IN the distance, and the nearer foot
20, olaen capped i'll fantastic shapes with
- taulns, and cones, and abrupt sleeps.
y en 1--WE We reach Otero, which, while it was
sN1mlnus of the road, was bristling with
J.asss ~ anu It's streets crowded With wagon
~ ~, and Which boosted of the two largest
:aaa west Of Kansas City, and
u. w smaller ones. Now its houses are
u IT, down and taken to the front" lis