The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1880-11-05
Colorado correspondence.
> CoLoRADo sPRINGs, Col. 30, 1ss|

NisItcU u1duitou L arm Nhtcu foS dUoot oO
miles up in the mountains, In the Rocky
mountains, you must understand. any
strip of country which ia not mountain
top or mountain side is called park.
and have no disposition to crit;cise the
nomenclature of the country in this
respect; for when q pIospector or path
finder has been toiling for days up the
rugged sides of mountain and over its
snowy summit aud down again on the
other side, and fnds a valley with shapely
trees and green grass, watered by one OF
those streams which has been described as
'Laugh of the mountain Tyre of bird and treei
Pomp of the meadow mirror OF the morn!
L don't blame him for calling it a park.
Nine thousand feet up we found Manitou
Park to be such IA beautifully timbered
valley, watered with such a stream, with
stretches of bright green meadow, which
would make Bergh's whole herbivcrous
family laugh with delight. The park is
only few miles 10 length with an average
width of probably half mile, walled in
on three sides by high mountains
Through the open side Pixies Peak may be
seen looming up in all its lhoary grandeur
and isolation.
Having heard almost daily reports of
mountain lions, bears, tim Der wolves and
other wild beasts being encountered by
unarmcd ramblers, armed myself with a
gun for both defensive aud offensive use
| But, not bear, nor lion, nor wolf. nor
mountain sheep, nor deer (merk my
ortho2raphy) nor other game did | see.
| Y ct the incursiou was not without adven-
ture. Now there is summer hotel in the
park, at which we expected to fud quar-
ters during our stay. But near the
entrance we unfortunately encountered a
sign to the effect that the hotel was closed
for The season. Taking this only as an
intima,ion that guests were no longer
sought for at the house we proceeded on
our journey. having no thought but that
we could secure shelter aud food. When
| the park had been almost .traversed. there
suddenly appeared above Us threatening
storm cloud, with tortuous veins Of light
ming flashing through it and thunders
reverberating from the sides of tie moun-
taiDs. We drove rapidly to the hotel. but
learned as We approached. that, although
the family who had during the
tsummer dispensed the sunshine of well
come and hash at 81 a day were still
dopiciled in the house, with servants in
attendance. they were rigid in the determ-
ipation 10 receive to more guests, under
any circumstances. There being no other
shelter in the park and storm impending
one of the fairest featured and most mel
Iifuous voiced of the ladies OF our party was
selected to support me IN an assault
upon the inmates of the house, who, We
were glad TO learn, were just then women
and in whose hearts we had no doubt we
could make breach Eunder our united
appeal. The rain beginning to fall il
omniously large drops. we hurriedly en-
tered through an open hall door without
the supposed needless ceremony OF knock
ling We soon encountered our fate in the
form of rather fne looking well dressed
er handsome woman, but under the cir
icumstances [ can't She was a blonde, and
took courage, for ] believe it is generally,
easier ito lodge an arrow in the armol
of blonde than a brunette, Our greet
ing, however. almost laid mo out. This il
not a hotel, but private family" wal
hurled at US from lips from which | had
wished for better things, and this an
nouncemeut was followed by fash of eye
lightning that made me quail. My sup
port, in this trying ordeal of my life, ad
vanced to the attack. however, and in q
most importunate tone, made known the
fact that there were several ladies outside
nearly thirty miles from home. some oil
whom were invalids. and we knew not
whittier to. go to escape the impending
storm. She proposed to accept almos
any attentionsor none at all if We could
but get shelter. for the night, which was
now just settling down upon US. We
were asked If we had not seen the sign"
board before mentioned. and both Of US
being after the sty lie of George Washington
had to confess that our visions had fallen
upon that unfortunate piece of timber.
Thep with oil the. sternness with which
a Judge pronounces sentence upon the con :
fessed criminal, we were told that board
had been put there that people like US
might be warned not TO proceed further
and that we had sinned in the light of
knowledge, and that the rule that had
been laid down to take iu no more guests
must be inexorably enforced against US.
She ADMITTED they had plenty of rooms,
beds and servants, and confessed that it
seemed very inhospitable under the cir
cumstanees to turn US out, 10 which
opinion we most heartily concurred TAX.
| ing this confession as evidence of q dispo>
sitiou to relent if soft spot 10 Gher heart
could be found and touched. / advanced
and told her while it was true we had
seen the sign board We bad not come on
our way in defiance of its warning, but
with the hope and expectation that we
could secure shelter ct neighboring ranch
of which we had heard. whose proprietor
had just assured US that even though she
should refuse us he could not shelter us
4