Morning journal and courier., 1880-09-02


 of the Contfnent'-Pike's Peak a Well
 come Sight-Sights and Sensations Of Travel Among the Mountains.
 MINERAL CITY, SAN JUAN Co.,, ] COLORADO, Aug. 28.
 To the Editor of the JOURNAL AND COURIER:
 have not communicated with you in two years, and then to tell you something of the Paris Exposition. What memories the men, ton of that never-to-be-forgotten association evokesl What fetes and military spectacles! The salon, the Louvre, and all the monuments Gas the French call their objects of sightseeing of renown the Grand Opera, Theatre Fran caise and that lost p1eiad Sara Bernhardt, who from that galaxy of stars has fallen to the standard of the American dollar. The Expo sition !-can we match it ?-and splendid Paris But I am now over five thousand miles from Paris and twenty-five hundred from New Haven, in the great mining camp of the future, San Juan, Colorado. I speak prophetically. Leadville has flashed, the Gunnison has failed to verify expectations, and we turn to the San Juan our substan- tiaI hope for an abiding place, for it's staying properties, it's splendid Assure veins of rich quartz cropping out above the surface in such marked appearance as to be traced for miles, and at some points along the course
 
 these veins are enormous. I paced off one on Lake Mountain, not a thousand feet from where I now sit, measuring forty feet in width, and this is not exceptional. But I am anticipating. Let me begin at the start and speak of the interior, that some brother see ing and following after may verify my i'm pressions, or be warned, and in some sweet, oblivious antidote dull sensibihty at a certain point of his route. First impressions are strong and lasting, and as this was a first trip West it was fraught with much interest in contemplating it, but in the actual experi- ence was not all fancy had painted it. was doomed to be disappointed and to feel well satisfied with thy rocks and rills, thy woods and templed hills, O New England I en- rolled for the camp fire before me by putting on the regulation blue shirt in New York, promising that it would be better for travel than inen and in the six days journey l found it an estimable article for warmth, much in it's favor, and it is so universally the mode here, that have resolved not to return to the t'biled" articles until I reach the land where it does not wave. The Pennsylvania railroad gave us the route to our designation through the valley of the Susquehanna, among the mountains and over the ranges at Horseshoe Bend The trip was charming Sun rise and set found the platform of the rear car occupied by the lovers of nature and in fact most of the day this section is very inviting for summering, combining exqui- site mountain, river and valley scenery, and the best agricultural conditions. Beyond the Allegheny range we bid farewell to such holnelike scenes and enter upon the borders of another world, a world of prairie that as a novelty interests for while, but the dreary monotony of it for three days, through five States, induced that state of mental disquietude termed ''the blues (which were keenly aggravated in cross ing that arid, sterile tract of southwestern Kansas, represented by railroad company that owns a large tract of it as ''The garden of the continent" It is at this point of our journey that traveller who is to follow should resort to the "oblivious'' before men, toned. As your correspondent had nothing stronger than blackberry syrup, which is good thing to have but does not meet this case he had to endure it to a condition of morbid sensitiveness and apprehension; and to make the landscape more cheerful and sug gestive, dilapidated, abandoned camp wagon and dead animals would enliven the scene at intervals. This feature one will frequently meet in this country.
 The productive prairies of the West are wonderful in the extent of their crops to the eastern eye-flling the area Of vision miles upon miles-but for an abiding place-well, I could not abide it. The inspiration that hills, valleys, lakes, rivers and the sea affords to the East must be supplied by the bottle on the western pralrles It was from that source that Joaquin Miller is said to have drawn his inspiration in the prairie life of which he sings, and the West produces the best whiskey. But the POO miles of that prairie of southwestern Kansas-a more des- olate place could not be imagined. No vege- tation appears except along the course of the Arkansas river, which is a shaE low, narrow stream along a portion of the road. Travel on the Atchison. Topeka
 II c&< are too frequent for an express Gin name every little settlement, and through the barren land mentioned at solitary ranch es about every fifteen miles, making this most disagreeable part one of heightened dreariness long drawn out. In this sterile I scene my mind instinctively reverted to the 1 vision of the Ancient Mariner. We found l Colorado partaking of the same barrenness. The appearance of Pike's Peak, 1 A. 336 feet above sea level, though a hun l 1red miles away, and the Spanish Peaks to 1 the left, as we drew near Pueblo, was sight | to make the heart glad; to raise the dropping, | weary spirits. Here was the promised land | hat we were to go in and possess.
 Pueblo has frontier appearance, and the l baggage smasher carries pistol in a full l belt We change cars here for AL | amosa, via Denver and Rio Grande narrow f yauge railroad, and are soon whirling along | tt tremendous speed over the foothills of | he range III 1rOnI or us that we are soon tO { urmount. The landscape still wears the i lgly barrenness and dry, burnt appearance | ,f the plains, and we feel great disappoint- nent and apprehension that Colorado is to present. to us mountain scenery of barreness md furtively ask the settler if it is all the way thus. He reassures us with smile and negative, and we place our West in the be- vond, yet are still morbidly sensitive through his trying scene, and we shall travel by rail md stage quite hundred miles before we zee much green. At Del Norte the refresh ng change occurs, and from there on we are happy. At about o'clock in the afternoonwe commence the ascent of the range. It is earthly grand. Up, up, with labored effort, he two engines pull the light pa senger rain, when we reach Milk Ranche The ,rade is PIT feet to the mile, the incline show ng plainly on the floor of the car. We look ID and trace the line of track 300 feet di- eotly above us, which an hour later we shall ,ass over The sun follows us in golden ra- lance and the lights and shadows the sharp Ieclivity on our left, the darkening ckasm way below, the narrow ledge upon which ve pass upon the face of the cliff, and the teep heights of the mountains that we are ,assing through and ascending, make up cene of sublime grandeur that so affects my eat-mate as to draw forth, in the inspiration