The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1881-05-28
THE AMERICAN SWITZERLAND.


pes such people as can afford tho luxury to
commence looking out some comfortable re-
sort at which to dodge the impending sweter.
We know of no way IN which we can do such
Of the readers of the FREE TRADER rs may
be thus inclined better service than to direct
their attention to that land which is, par ca
ceiieact, the Switzerland of America-ColOra-
do. 1t is not so far offs at least Of as easy
access as Saratoga, Long Branch, or any of the
famous eastern summer resorts, while in a
thousand ways it Is more attractive than any
Of them
! The way to get there is to take the G. X. |.
X F., or the G. b. & G. cars at Ottawa and
make quick aud pleasant run to Atchlson or
Kansas city There of course you board the
train of the famous Kansas, Topeka and santa
Fe road, aud in common passenger coach,
or luxurious palace car or sleeper, whichever
you prefer, make delightful run Of some 500
miles to Pueblo, GA the Colorado border
There regretfuly you bid good bye to the
comfortable equipments of the r., I. & s. Fe
road, but are pleasantly surprised to find 1t
only an exchange for others equally luxurious
on what is the only railroad you will find In
Colorado, the DENVER AND RIO GRANDE. But,
though but one road, it Is all sufficient 1t 10
system within itself and has as many limbs
as a spider, winding by the strangcst routes,
with constant displays of amazing engineering
skill, through a succession of the most de-
| lightful valleys and astounding canons, amid
| Of
continent, to all the mos, famous most unique,
most wonderful, most attractive or most desi-
able points or localities IN the state that one
may have any desire to visit. First by pleas.
ant run of 120 miles you may wish TO see Den
YER 1t is worth seeing. 1t is the largest city
and the capital of the state. year agoit had
30 900 inhabitants now it probably has $4,000.
1t is right at the base of the Rocky Mountains
and one OF the most beautiful as well as de-
| lightful cities in the world. You will be glad
you saw ii, but Of course have no thought of
stopping there
You take the back track on the Denver and
Rio Grande and after a pleasant run Of IS
miles stop at Colorado Springs. 1t is beau
.iful town, near the foot of Pixies Peak, and
other equally sublime mountain scenery. and
stands at the gate of the Garden of the Gods"
and the Great South Park but there are no
springs" there. The name Of the town is q
misnomer, for the springs are In lovely glen
five miles away, at Manitou, to which a branch
road has been constructed There is no finer
scenery in the world than right here, and no
l,,I, tlc oty,r hvt
you have come to see Colorado, and this Is but
the entrance gate
Again you take the Denver Il II. G. and pro
coed to Pueblo, the great railroad center of the
state, with extensive steel works, &c; but you
have no time for such things now, and diverg.
ing by the Leadville DIVISION take a plunge
into the very heart of the Rocky Mountain
system The first point you reach Is Labran,
where branch DIVORCES 10 the coal banks;
but you have no interest in coal and hasten on
to Canon city. Though the town, which was
once an important shipping point, has now
finished look on account of the railroad pass
ing beyond it, there are near it such important
bot springs, mineral springs and soda springs,
and the scenery is so super magnificent, that
it will be necessary 10 stop day or two to
take 1t al! In and enjoy it. Besides here
branch road DIVORCES to the famous Silver
Cliff and Rosita, which being but q short run
of an hour or two, OF course must also be tax.
en- in
Then, still following up the Arkazsas-yOu
hurry on amid scenery that is constant
amazement to famous I.eadvllle, just now per.
haps the busiest point in the whole centennial
state But we know all about Leadyille and
spend but day or two there, varying the time
by running up.to Red Cliff and back one day. I
and to Klko0o and Breckenridge the next
all points reached by one or another Of the nu-
merous limbs of the "spidsr-like" Deaver and
RIO Grande.
Then returning from Lesdville as far -
South Arkansas, you branch off to the south
east and make a run of sixty miles to Gunni-
son, that new and marvellous region-rich ID
mineral as wsll as agricultural resources, late
ly barga,ned for of the Ute Indians, aud now
filing up and developing" with a marvellous
rapidlty only equalled by Leadville few
years ago.
But you lave not yet seen half-not o Quay-
ter OF the marvels the wonderful Denver and
Rio Grauds has to show, and you hasten back
by rail via South Arkansas and Canon city to
the startiar point at Pueblo, aud turn soOth-
ward to Cuchara, where you leave the mai9s
road, which runs down to Ell Moro, and dlverge
to the southwest. Hurrying through the "a /
nous Veta Pass you rush on to Antonito, on
the New Mexico border, and then, IS miles
further on, you reach Durango; and not con-
tent to rest there, pursue your explorations
through the famous San Juan silver mines up
Ia sba nrasant Ultima Tbnla IF thu Tapvar