The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1881-08-09

With hated breath the passengers crowd
tl,e platforms. shrinking away from the
awful yawning chasm, lest p.rchancc
their weight cause the train To carrt n. but
there is no danger, for steel rails, rock
ballast, and eternal vigilance guard the
way. Higher, still higher. and Inspira-
ton point is reached. At vets Pass, nearly
eleven thousand feet high, the air is
cool and electrical. The lingering RAYS of
the declining sun tint the SUBMITS Of the
far distant Spanish peaks with an amber
hue. Apprehension vanishes in the
thrilling ecstacy Of . scene whose impress
will remain while memory endures. The
passage over Dump mountain is the
Srandest triumph Of engineering skill ever
attained in tn. history If railroads. From
Veta Pass We slowly descend along numer-
Gus ravines down the mountain into San
Luis park. The snowy summit of Sierra
Blanca, is the most interesting feature oi
the scenery.
Seven miles below Veta Pass We reach
the little town Of Placer, where We get al
excellent supper. and pay one dollar ior
the same There is = smclter near this
town, aud in the mountains. 4 few miles
distant, several gold lodes have been dis
covered, which promise to develop into
valuable mines. From this place We de-
scend beautiful valley to Fort Garland
near which the San Luis park begins t"
unfold panorama Of magnificent scenery.
For; Garland is military post. There
Was squad Vi City "boyS in blue" cane
down ON our train from Pueblo. They
were new recruits from the Fourth United
States cavalry aud came out from Jeffer-
son Barracks. 81. Louis. over the Atchison,
Topeka 4 Santa Fe railroad to Pueblo.
They we're all quite young and seemed to
anticipate jolly time. They were anx-
ious for US to Join the army and help them
hunt Indians, but We told them We hadn't
lo~i any Indians and would rather be ex-
cused.
OF to the right. rising directly from the
valley, the lower slopes, cladin vast forests
Of pine, appears the sublime heights ol
Sierra Blanca, It's grand cluster Vi white
granite peaks, hitting into the SKY their
sharp pinnacles. splintered By the Al
mighty hand Of God. 1t is l4.464 fee,
high. Although part III the range tina,
stands out into the park like monarch,
taking providence Of lordly retinue. two
thirds Oi it above timber line. bare and
de~olate, dazzling white with snow, while
in its sbysinsl g0rges il holds eternal
reservoir Oi ice. To the north and south,
for distance Of over two hundred miles
it Is Aanked BY the serrated pinacles Of the
Sangre de Cristo range. The region tina,
owns its majestic presence Is the gres,
San Luis park, like portion oil the yrea,
plains. larger than the state of Connecti-
cut. set in among the Rocky mountains
twenty miles from the foot Of Sierra
Blanca. Twenty five miles out into the
park We cross the Rio Grande, At Alamosa
$50 miles from Denver, = prosperous lit
tie town If about 1000 inhabitants, at an
elevation Of 1000 feet. The evening
shadows begin 70 lengthen, the setting sun
has turned the vast valley into field 81
the cloth OF gold" and the distant peaks Of
the Sicrras, clad in eternal snow, rise
tinted and glowing and cleave the azure
above rs with q wedge Of FURNISHED silver
This story will have to be continued
We have bit of more than we can chew
We will continue the scenes and incidents
between Alamosa and thi, EOd-iOrsakeu
place in our next rpistlc.
CRCrCH!E FIELD.