Morning journal and courier., 1881-11-30
CORRESPDNDEECE.
Sightseeing in Colorado Mountafns.
 DENVER, Col, Nov. 21.

1T DENVER, Col, Nov. 21.
 To the Editor of the JOURNAL AND COURIER We regaled ourselves on the way with some
 remarkable sandwiches. We declared they were made out of saw1ust from a huge pie 1 which was lying near one of the stations.
 They were still more paIatable CD by having in them ham staler than last years alma l mac, and from their having forgotten to but l ter them at all But we thought we would | be glad to make them all summer long-to I sell-when the modest sum of fifteen cents ! apiece was demanded And the apples! All l that could be said of them was, tIts harder ! where there's none'' Very naturally we ! were hungry, having taken hurried break l fast but the innumerable curves which this sturdy little mountain read takes were too much for us. We all experienced the sensa- tion one has on the ocean. Conversation Jagged and we were dull. Toward noon the | sun was hidden by clouds again. and we had ! not been in the house five minutes when it l rained, and rained every day too during our
 ten days stay.
 l AS we stepped off the train a helping hand l from above pulled upon the rude platform ] which was all the station accommodations. Right up the hill was the hotel, not of logs, ! for which was rather sorry, ass I'd never been in one, but new three-story frame 1 building, resembling similar eastern noun | tain houses for summer boarders The loca- ton is unsurpassed by any on the road be- l tween there and Denver. Looking about 1 from the piazza saw below the railroad ! track, beyond the Platte, bridged by corduroy" then field of grain. Back of | all and hedging us in were the mountains, higher and higher above us, till towering over all was Mount Logan, think it was called, ! nearly 1000 feet high. One has to climb, gircutouslY, about five miles to reach the ! rop. Gentlemen often ascend but, as far as is known, ,buttwo ladies have ever looked from the summit. Before descending they planted staff and placed 8 flag or hand kerchef on 1t which has long ago disappear ed. At the left of the house fine grove If pines, spruce, etc., with swings and ham, mocks Wandering beyond we found hand fuls of delicate wild flowers. High up again at the back were mountains, barren except for the scattering vergreens. How grandly the moon peeped over and shone down upon this lovely place during some of the few
 pleasant evenings which occurred while we were there.
 The proprietor was bachelor, about B, I should judge, most genial and pleasant, ready to do any favor for his guests espe-
 cially the ladies. He had 8 very good house.
 keeper, and we did not lack plenty of good, hearty food, though we missed the mountain trout for which these resorts are famed, be- cause the frequent rains muddied the river so that the fish would not bite
 
 how delicious they were And the
 caspberries from the ''berry patch" on the mountain side, there never any
 of finer flavor. Nearly every morning was
 pleasant and our host would drive up to the ioor with his span of grays before the buggy as he called it. Said buggy was
 strong spring wagon with heavy brakes and two wide seats, none too stout for the
 roads, and we would "take a ride"-perhaps
 to Grant, one and a half miles, for the mail.
 Such lovely, picturesque road 1t was. wind
 ing in and out, up and down over the Platte,
 by banks of rich grasses, leaves and blos-
 soms of wild flowers. Among the latter
 were many old favorites, but more were unS like any had ever seen. The most memor- able trip we took was to Kenosha summit,
 rom which we overlooked South Park.
 These parks are naturally fertile valleys in
 the midst of mountains. Our accommoda. ting host offered to drive us there some
 morning and take along lunch and picnic,
 but we decided it was too long drive, as it was fifteen miles by wagon
 road. On learning that the trains
 passed there, or if belated we should have
 short time to spend we chose that way.
 The ride was but ten miles by rail It was
 up, up, up, all the way, first one curve then
 another, and how admired the faithful little engine as it steadily puffed along as if it felt the responsibility Of holding many lives at stake. As we ascended higher we saw
 above us what looked like a carriage road or a path of some kind, and were surprised to learn that we should soon be there. It was our railroad track. At one point the road makes a grand sweep. It is called the s'Horse shoe Bend" As we went up the mountain side of it looked down the steep precipice. We were at least 800 feet above the valley and the road and few stray cab ins looked so small, and the road and a small stream of water looked like tiny thread.
 vas really frightened so many people had taken their seats on that side of the car to look over, and I found myself leaning to-
 ward the aisle, as if my weight would have made any difference. Great care is exercised and on all dangerous curves an additional cail is placed. We stepped off the train at the summit, seventy-six miles from Denver and 10, 900 feet above the level of the sea, about double the altitude of Denver. We
 walked up the track about half mile till we could look into the park, which lay like an immense and lovely green carpet, surroand-s~ ed by mountains. The stiffness was of that kind that might almost be felt" The grand old Surry range from it's snow banks gave us cool exhilarating breezes, but a passing cloud bursting into rain drops hur- ried us to the only house, the station.
 young couple lived there most costly and at- tended to tue telegraphing, etc. Their near est neighbor was nearly mile away. Just think of 1t in winter time However, they seemed most happy and contented- When the down train came along we took it. Re- Iuctantly, one Dy one, we Ddu to DlQ aQleu to scenes of such remarkable beauty that the memory will never fade from Such soul stirring thoughts arose as we gazed on the everlasting hills" s'What is man. that thou art mindful of him p How small we are compared to all the grandeur of nature?
 One morning we took drive down the valley five miles to call on friends at Slaght's.
 The road was very rough and the frequent rains had washed it so that it was almost impossible in places. Once or twice the gentlemen had to reconstruct little log bridges before we could go on We looked in vain for some of the wild animals, such as mountain sheep and antelopes, which were told frequented these mountains. We saw prairie dog village, but the inhabitants thereof beat such nasty retreat that we should hardly recognize any of them again. We had great curiosity to see mine, and as we passed by an abandoned one we stopped to look at it. All we saw we passed down into it was hole perhaps fifty feet deep, like well perfectly dry. It had been GOV cred up with boards, for fear of accidents I suppose, but we looked through the wide cracks. The rock was so hard that very likely it took two men all one season to get that much stone out and think of the disap- pointment. There was mineral but not in paying quantities. These mountains are just full of such prospecting holes." We gathered some Turks head cacti and flowers, among which was wild cypress. Its blossom is a delicate peculiar pink, and it is not vine, but grows on a stalk foot or two high Nearly every afternoon we had to stay in doors on account of the rain. Then we amused each other as we sat about the fire, which we were glad to gather around, it was so chilly at that altitude. We read, played whist or euchre, and accompanied the cabinet organ with our voices till we were tired out. One evening our kind host prepared prise for us in the way of ''candy pull We called the candy ''splendid'' and partook of 1t even though it did slip from our fingers and fall to the floor once or twice. Another evening Mir. c. kindled camp fire in front of the house. It lit up the valley and was a lovely sight.
 Returning to D. we left about 4 p. m. and didn't get down till nearly eleven, over six hours going the 66 miles. Many washouts had occurred on account of the rains and the trains were all of time We were in the last car, a Pullman, and the heaviest of any in the train. At one point all but our car hRd safely passed over dangerous place. We had nearly passed over when one side of the car went down. We were of the track from the rails spreading. No one was hurt except