The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1880-07-02
Colorado
IT'S Joys AND SORROWS.

Aside from the Centennial State itself,
the traveller will expect and realize q
great deal Of enjoyment in getting there.
The travelling facilities and accommoda-
lions at this day are so excellent that it
is no longer tiresome journey from New
York to Denver, but is probably one OF
the pleasantest and most comfortable
trips that one can take by rail. 1t is all
ways pleasant to ride through Pennsyl-
vania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Mis-
souri, in the early Summer, but for one
who has never seen the great plains OF
Kansas and Colorado, there is a sense Of
novelty and immensely that claims and
holds the attention throughout the ride
of six hundred miles from Kansas City to
Denver.
| Kansas City is the point from which
half a dozen railroads radiate It probs
ably has more business to the square
inch than any other city in the United
States, except Denver, and that is all
that can be said in its favor. 1t is not a
pleasant place to live in. Its not even
a nice place in which to spend two or
three days. It is very cold in Winter
and uncompromisingly hot in Summer.
1t is situated on bluff over the Missouri
river, and seems to catch all the wind le-
Ultimately belonging to regions within
three thousand miles. 1t is not a cool
refreshing breeze either, but as hot in
Summer -as though it come from that
place in the northern part of Africa.
| The wind itself is not SO Objectionable.
but when it raises a cloud of dust and
gravel, as large as Morristown set up on
edge, and so thick that you can't see ten
| feet ahead, and swoops it down the street
at three minnie gait, sending off de-
taehments wherever there is another
street or open door or window, and
filling everybody so full of sand and
rocks that they feel like walking brick
lSilns, it is annoying. This state Of
things is of almost daily occurrence dur,
| ing the warm season in any given locality
| between the Missouri River and the Pa
eific Ocean, but Kansas City has the
cream Of it. Western people call them
"dust storms" and there is enough of
the dust, if properly managed, to popu~
late the globe. 1t is worse this year than
usual, on account of the exceedingly dry
weather. No rain has fallen in Western
Kansas or Eastern Colorado for year
that would seriously injure 'plug" hat,
and there was very little snow last Wins
ter, which is the Western farmers chief
| reliance for moisture. Consequently
wheat will fall farshort Of full crop, and
in Kansas, where there is no irrigation to
speak OF, the sheep are dying by thous>
ands for want of grass. Sheep raisers are
killing off young lambs in order to save
the mothers. In the Northern part of
Colorado, within fifty or sixty miles of
the foot hills, matters are not SO bad, as
the land is pretty well irrigated, but
even there the grain crop is very much
behind on account of the rivers and
creeks not filing up until about two
weeks ago. A great deal of the wheat
mated to be as much as the whole wheat
crop of New Jersey. That will give some
Idea of the magnitude of operations out
here. Men here do not own land by the
hundred but by the thousand acres. The
ride from Kansas City to Denver, over
1.-THE Kansas Pacific Railroad, is very plea
SAINT. The Pullman cars are new and
elegant, and ia fact it is a general rule,
that the farther West the traveller goes
the more "stylep and luxury does he find
on the railroads. The traiu moves at an
average rate of twenty miles per hour,
through vast expanse Of rolling prairie
OF level PLAIN, utterly innocent of trees
as far as the eye can see. Prairie dogs
and Jack rabbits are the only living
things to be seen for miles and miles.
| At any time of the year except May and
June there are millions Of cattle scat-
tered over the plains. Railroad stations
are from twenty to fifty miles apart. and
in the majority of cases consist of the
depot, water tank, and two or three
houses. Eating stations are at ccnven~
lent distances apart and the meals are
excellent, Buffalo and antelope steaks,
| splendid beef, and all kinds of yegeta-
bles. In fact one would hardly expect
to live so we'll in such thinly settled
country. Meals cost "six bits" each
West of st. Louis everything is reconed
| by "bits," and there is no charge less
than "nickeln Pennies are unknown
except from hearsay. Finally, as the
train approaches Denver, the foot hills
appear in sight, and apparently just bes
hind them the snow capped Rocky Noun
tains. # you take the train leaving
Kansas City at night you will see this at
snnrise on the second morning, which is
the best time. 70 the eye uninitiated
to Rocky Mountain scenery and grown
accustomed to the undisturbed monotony
of the plains, this picture is beautiful.
It is surprising what small things will
anuse travellers. An old lady conVulsed
the passengers and conductor on our car
by refusing to occupy an upper berth
because she said "she heard of man
who slept in an upper berth and when
the train ran off the track in the night
the berth shutup with the man in it and
suffocated him to DEATH" This was pro
claimed in very loud, shrill tone
There being no other berth vacant the
conductor offered to chain it down if she
would occupy it, to which she finally
assented, L.
Denver, Col June 2Sth.
------.-.-.--------.s--
Another Steamboat Catastrophe.