The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1881-10-27
Out West.
THE CENTENNIAL sTATE-ITS BEAUTY AND
ITS BARRENNEss-FRoM COLORADO TO NEW
MEXICO.
Especial correspondence Of vIReINIAN.l

4 OChFCA 10 " OOlOlduO Wlldt dIlS is
France 1t is the great social, political an
trade centre. Its material condition will ev,
be safe criterion by which to guage the pro
perity of the State. 1t is an unusually han(
some city, and contains many costly and ell
! CANT buildings, both private and public
present it is enjoying characteristic wester
boom" Business houses and private res
dences are being erected on every hand spect
lation is rife; corner lots are held at iabulor
| figures commercial men are entering freel
into gigantic enterprises and schemes fc
personal ACKNOWLEDGEMENT, at the expense
confiding enthusiasts, are hourly matured.
remarkable vigor pervades all business pul
suits, and hopes of future wealth incite mel
chants to an activity OF competition which, t
/ Eastern men. would indicate inevitable ruiz
| | left the city with a very confused ide
as to the basis upon which its seeming pros
perity rested, and came south to Pueblo
( Next to Denver, this is the most importan
town in Colorado 1t contains ten thousan
! inhabitants, and is situated at the intersectio
/ OF two important railroads, IN the Arkansa
| Valley. 1t is the dirtiest, busiest, hotties
| most energetic place, for its size, haye We
seen. The most serious obstacles to its ad
yancement are its unfortunate location, whic
prevents healthy drainage, and its unwhole
some alkali water. Two great corporation
are, however, united in the effort to forward it
interests, and many promising manufacture
have recently been established. A bushes
confidence prevails IN most Colorado towns
which is inexplicabe to man who has beer
taught to believe that well developed agri
cultural interest is the only safe basis for ma
terial prosperity.
Farming in this State is farce. The gene
raj character of the soil is poor. 1t seems te
consist almost entirely of pulverized granite
formed by a system of disintegration, which
is still apparent in the rocky districts Few
grains attain perfection; vegetables are ex
tremely rare and fruit is a luxury seldom seen
Irrigation is resorted to wherever possible, and
a copious supply of water is absolutely neces-
sary for successful production. | have travel
ed eleven hundred miles through the State
and its whole surface as far as | have seen
consists, of unsightly ranges of granite noun
tains and dry up-ands whose productive capa-
biities seem to be limited to vigorous growth
of useless sage brush. 1t is now impossible
for the State to raise sufficient food for the
support OF her own population, and the exor-
bitant freight charged upon agricultural pro-
ducts from distance, greatly enhances the
cost of living. The people now subsst on
bottled and canned goods and must continue
to do so unless system of cultiyating land is
discovered which will enable them to dispense
with that hitherto essential requisite-water.
Grazing is looked upon as a growing inter
est in Colorado, but when Eastern cattle men
learn that eighteen acres OF choice land per
head is a moderate estimate for the yearly
maintenance of the herd, and that they must
then be fed through considerable portion of
the winter, they can form correct estimate of
the future development of this industry. There
is no Disgusting the fact that the future growth
and welfare of the State must depend solely
upon the mines; and as | am not capable of
judging of the extent of this interest, will
refrain from adverse prophesy.
AT Pueblo, took the night train on the
Rio Grande road southwark to Antonito and
New Mexico This is the great scenic line of
America, penetrating, as it does, into the in
most fastnesses Of the Rocky Mountains, with
various branches aggregating fourteen hundred
miles in length, and possessing fifteen distinct
termini. 1t is narrow guage, is provid-
ed with all of the modern improvements, and
the sleeping coaches are models of comfort and
elegance At three o'clock in the morning we
reached the Sangre del Christie Range, and
commenced the ascent of the most celebrated
pass in the United States | went to the rear
platform in order to get a good view of the
wonderful scenery. The moon was full, and
not cloud appeared to mar the beauty of the
sky. There was an Undesirable loyeliness
about the night which we never see in Vir-
ginia. At this altitude the atmosphere is so
pure and dry that the moons rays possess a
brilliance which is almost dazzling and the
heavens are Of the same deep blue We SO often
see on cloudless Autumn day.
While admired the glories of the night, the
train passed slowly through narrow valley
rich in yariegated scenery, and we were at the
entrance to the Veta Pass. Suddenly turning
to the left, and rounding the Mule Shoe curve
on the shortest radius known to engineering
skill, we commenced to climb the mountain at
grade of two hundred and seventeen feet to
the mile With an effort which seemed almost
painful, the two ponderous locomotives began
to crawl around the pfecipitous sides of
Dumps Peak, dragging the unwilling train
laden with scores of human lives. The passen-
gers crowded the platforms, and in awed 81
Ience, gazed into the fearful chasm which
broken by the heavy breathing of the iron
horses, and an involuntary shudder passed
over me as thought what might happen were
any part of the machinery to give away. In
and out we toiled, twisting and doubling
among the mountain crags and frequently be-
ing Immediately above the track along which
we had come. Unconsciously | shrunk away
from the abyss below as tho my small weight
might cause the train to careen and dash its
precious freight one Thousand feet below on
the cold granite at the canyons bottom. But
skilled employees, steel rails, rock ballast, and
eternal vigilance" protected US. Up, up we
went higher, still higher, till inspiration point
was reached, and the train stood ten thousand
feet above tide water.
Away to the east the towering Spanish
Peaks reared their solemn heads. In the ear
ly morning flood of soft moonlight poured
upon the Mountain of Christ and illuminated
with a strange vivldness the narrow valley
far below, making its spider lines of iron rails
glitter like FURNISHED silver The massive
outlines of the Sangre del Christie range stood
out with impressive stateliness against the
eastern sky, and by the irregularity OF their
profile seemed to write queer characters on
the parchment of heaven. On the left, Veta
Mountain, robed in mantle of heavenly light,
looked down on us complacently. The
scene was SO novel and so grand the night so
quiet and lovely; the surroundings so pictur-
esque and strange, that feeling OF doubt
Could this weird spot with its brilliant peaks,
and the dark uncertain crevices III the back
+ ions vision snatcbed for an instant from
the II yealms Of f- nnrealtv2 The whistle of the