The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1880-07-08
Gka Gl.teIL1qenr1r.
LEADVILLE LETTER,


o mnee ws.a,,nr r.n Ha,v We" - az &C. y,
Ieadyiiie.
LEApvILhE, COL, June 20.
Editors intolllGenser.
Having been for some years in which
nav ha coIlad hv Gvnr, foiLD tha ne,
way s 10 ~, - 80. ,oA w :"
Westl tnougutis lnisnt NOT Dc ontot plac'
and perhaps source oil pleasure and in
formation, TO send Won something abou
Tho GREAT Vast 7 AIM have wi,bin M,
sne '"s 49,. 49, 9s AA,s n4 n ~
oosom . lia1etnai ana friendly ieehng iol
the old State that gave me birth, and
among whose valleys and hills first learn.
IN "a Ian INV mo,bsr tor,,o
eu ~ ~ ..sp -! l.osu ~, sonsee.
No where on earth commands SO much
Of my love and respect as Wheeling, the
grand old town when nv earliest foot.
s,ans e,ot trod N. na,i.a al
''SfT - -, - Iss.'s eSs' -,
~ mas peen source Of no little gratih'
cation to me TO meet with numerous
Wheeling men in the West. among whom
na,,a NJ, cns,ld;n, ond N. woolr,g
naine At. epAs'u Anu At' utun
VINO are engaged az this place IN the CON
dictionary business, and with their excel
lent business canacitv are do;ng we'll
80 .Ai,...sr m, M. ~. ~, Sa,..,a,
1onn heailissef' Dip AhoFp anu onai'es
O'Brien, who Just came out, and many
others that time and space admonishes me
not 70 mention. Each OF those mentioned
are doing well, and likewise the entire list,
who try with any reasonable degree oil
energy and perseverance,.
You must KNOWN this country where
people are constantly on their mettle, the
adage oil the early bird" specifically ex-
emplifed.
In my checkered life in the West l have
sought every manner OF conveyance,
known TO the West, from footing
through the regular gradations, from Bur
no, pack pony, horseback, wagon, stage, 10
the glorious and rapid transit OF the iron
horse.
For the information and benefit OF such
OF my old country people as may contem-
plate immigratingto thiswonder ofthe age,
! will attempt in my feeble way to impart
the better way OF getting here, and withal
foreshadow the trip that each one may be
better able to appreciate and enjoy ssub-
Unity and grandeur. name kansas Oity,
Mo-, as the starting point, for indeed,
those who do not know how to reach that
great Chicago Of the Central West, must
be POOR indeed In the knowledge OF the
worth and growth OF this great republic.
In leaving Kansas City you take either
the Union Pacific (kansas DIVISION ior
Denver or the Atchison, Topeka d Sante
Fe for Pueblo. The man, woman or
child who tosses coppers for the choice
will find in the end that nothing is won.
From the starting point to Denver or
Pueblo, one dull monotony haunts the
traveller, with not single thing to break
the spell, save the quasi pleasant retec-
ton OF the advantage OF railroads over the
slow and tedious pack and wagon trains,
which IS now thing Of the past. Across
this level stretch OF six hundred miles,
which but few years ago was named the
Great American Desert, one hnds 1t
dotted almost its entire way with farms
yielding TO the husbandman rich and
abundant harvests. In my young lie |
can well remember the wise" saying that
beyond the confines OF Missouri no soul
could live" But thanks to the energy
and pluck OF true Americanism the
prophecy OF earlier days occupies no
greater or nearer relation to the present
age than witchery to the age oil my earlier
childhood.
From Denver you take the South Park
and Pacific, by which with one change Of
cars the great mining camp is reached:
The proficiency OF engineering skill, OF
twenty-five years back would have stood
in dispuing over at the assertion that q
railroad could be constructed and success
fully operated up the valley OF the Platte
to the summit Of the Rocky Moun.atns,
but time and its influence, and Its de:
mands have worked the problem TO final
and successful termination. 1t may be
said as truthful prediction that one age
cannot say what its successor may bring
forth. This railroad, marrow GAUGE tra'
verses the meanderings Of the Platte river
from the foot hills OF the mountains to
their summit.
A description OF this ride must be lett
to an ADLER pen than mine, for indeed |
feel how futile my feeble efforts would be
in the attempt to rendera perfect descfip-
ton OF its awful grandeur.
Twelve miles from Denver you leave be-
hind the last vestige OF the "arid Des'
ert" and commence the ascent Of the
great Rockies that stand, as 1t were, a
silent and stupendous guard against the
approach OF man. We now enter the
canon, the little engine with its SIX or
seven cars OF human freight, goes screech;;
ing, screaming and climbing along toward
the mountain crest up gravitation o.
over three hundred feet to the mile, with
rapiditY that would put 70 shame some
OF the boosted roads OF the States. UP,
up the rugged and Jagged sides Of these
mighty hills the little creature climbs
with wonderful CELEBRITY. upon the one
side one may see lar above, the bold ana
blackened cliffs oil the towering mountain,