Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1880-07-14
VOL. XXXVII.
For the Freeman.
Jonas Goes West.
LETTER No. 2.

of buildings made of old railroad ties, and
surrounded by II picket fence made of the
same material set up endways.
But we soon left Bushnell in its bush
lessness, and the next place at which we
stop is Pine Bluffs, which is in Wyoming
territory. had often heard of Wyoming
as the place where the women vote. The
first person that we saw rs the train near
ell the station was Il man hatless. with his
sleeves rolled up, scrubbing away at Il
wash tub. lie WAS greeted with cries of
" Mclean man, washy; Melican man.
washym l was not very favorably i'm
pressed with the subject of woman's
rights from what saw of its olkings.
Here we saw the first evergreens since
leaving the great lakes the bluffs being
sprnkltd over with small scrub pines,
each about the size of straw beehive.
Shortly after leaving the last named
place we witnessed an act not set down on
the bills; but, nevertheless, it served to
break the monotony of the journey. A
boy on horseback rode up beside the train,
gave friendly salute, and then urging
his horse onward, he beckoned us TO
follow; but AS the train soon fell behind,
he slsckened his pace to give us another
trial. Every window was raised, and the
passengers crowd on the platform to see
the novel race. AS he gives the signal to
his horse, by clapping his hands together,
the animal seems to enter into the spirit
of the race, and goes flying over the
ground at q rate Of speed that soon brings
him abreast of the engine, and as he
wheels his horse and allows the train to
pass, he is greeted with rousing cheers
from the men, while the ladies wave their
handkerchiefs with great enthusiasm.
We met with nothing more of interest
before reaching Chyenne, which is the
capital of Wyoming territory. The place
has some very fine buildings, and contains
about two thousand inhabitants, but is
destitute of shade trees, and lacks that
home.li like and attractive air so inviting
in most of our eastern cities and towns.
Chyenne is quite n railroad place, it
being the end of a passenger route on the
Union Pacific, where new set of men
take the trains and pilot them some two
hundred miles further over the conti-
nent. 1t is also the terminus of the Col
orado Central and the Denver Pacific rail.
roads.
After an hours stop in Chyenne we
again resume our journey, taking the
train over the Colorado Central, which
takes us along close to the foot hills for
about ninety miles. and enables us to feast
our eyes upon the main range of the
Rocky mountains, with its huge snow
drifts that would put Vermont winter to
shame, and its cloud piercing peaks that
frown down upon US from their elevation
of fourteen thousand feet.
Soon after leaving Cbycnne we enter
Colorado, which is called the Centennial
state, having been admitted to the Union
us a state in 1876.
The first place worthy of mention after
entering this state is Fort Collins. Out
side of the mining camps, Fort Collins is
one of the liveliest towns in the state
Situated in the heart Of the best agricul.
tural lands of Colorado, it is surrounded
by fast increasing population of thrifty
farmers. A large percentage of the
buildings now being erected are of brick,
and together with the imposing public
buildings and state agricultural college,
which is located here, the place has per
manent and business like appearance.
The country is irrigated with water
taken from the Cache la Poudre river and
its tributaries, and is carried in bitches
for many miles. Each field of wheat has
its stream Of water by which it NAV be
flooded at any time when thought proper
by its owners; if, in the meantime, his
neighbors who live further up the ditch
have not turned off all the water.
| At rOlt SOllluS II uitu Cdllle aDOaTu Tue
cars who took IL seat next to mine, and |
entered into conversation with him. He
was man past the prime of life, with
hair and beard tinged with gray, and he
had an air of truthfulness and sincerity
about him that at once won my confidence
Says he, Just coming to this countryp''
| answered that | was. "Ah!" said he,
:" n tenderfoot." l said: mo; my feet
are all right" Says he: 1--WE call all
new comers from the east tenderfeet." "
"Oh!" says I, "you do. take it that
you have been in this country for some
little timeP' Well" says he, " l reckon
| have been here awhile-came here in
'59;" and he removed cigar stub from
his mouth and threw it out of the window.
| said to him: 81 suppose that there have
been great many changes here in the
past twenty years He straightened up
as said this, and his eye seemed to kindle
with interest as he pointed with one hand
in the direction of Longs Peak, which was
in plain view, and seemed to frown down
upon US from its elevation of nearly three
miles above sea level; and says he
d" Stranger, you have got it just right.
When | first came to this country that
mountain you see yonder was only hole
in the groundw As he said this he depos.
tied roll of fine-cut in his month and
settled back in his seat with an air which
seemed to forbid any further questions.
AS the train approaches Longmont we
get view of the mountains which is just
splendid; and after two days ride over
the great American desert the change is
of unusual interest.
The foot hills, which seem to be but a
short distance away, are covered with
evergreen trees, mostly pine. and form Il
beautiful setting for the grand old peaks
that rise up from their midst clothed in
robes of perpetual snow, which, with the