Morning journal and courier., 1881-10-14

and a Glorious CIImate-Horses and
 Their Riders-Bad Sidewalks, Irriga.
 tfon, Etc.-Hoyv a ssTenderfoot''i Is Treat | ed.
 1 DENVER, Col, Oct. 5, 1881. | To the Editor of the JOURNAL AND COURIER: l The first view of Denver, the "Queen City of the Plains" is not prepossessing, like ! many another city which proves on acquaint- ance to be most delightful.
 Scarcely twenty years have passed since the site of this now prosperous city was a 1 barren plain without shade except few cot | tonwood trees along the banks of Cherry creek and the Platte. It is still very sandy and rough on the outskirts of the city, and many small, untidy houses. tents and emi- grant wagons are to be seen, in which people lately arrived are living. It is said that near ly three thousand families occupy tents and many of them look cosy and homelike enough. During the summer it is quite a pleasant way to live, and I don't wonder at
 their trying tent life when rents are so exor- bitant and the weather so fine. One can buy
 good tent for from $50 to $40 and ''squat"
 on any vacant lot, provided the owner of
 the land does not object. I have seen several
 whose location was not surpassed by any res
 idence ia the city.
 l the town were laid out ''across the compass' or diagonally-that is running northeast and southwest and cross streets at right angles Those running northwest and southeast are numbered as 14th, 18th, &c., and one has fine view of Longs Peak, always snow tipped and especially grand sight in winter time I'm told. The way of laying out the streets is especially confusing to stranger. Even after sojourn of weeks one has to puzzle sometimes over which way is direct north, south, east and west. Finally recall ing one's geographical knowledge of the Rocky mountains, and remembering that their general direction is north and south, when the sun drops behind their lofty head we are quite sure that he has gone west to- ward the ''Golden Gate" The sunsets, by the way are gorgeous! Never. twice alike and never to be forgotten sights As the sun approaches the mountain top behind which it presently vanishes from our view, first we see the foothills" looking so very near in this rarified atmosphere, all clothed in light green and dark blue shadows Then beyond the snowy tipped peaks of the royal Rockies away of south can generally be seen Pike's Peak with it's snowy sides glistening in the sunlight seventy five miles away. Does it seem possible that we can see that far Presently the sun is gone, leaving the sky re- splendent with his reflected glory, the colors so brilliant that If we were to see them in painting we would declare that nothing in nature conld be at all like it.. The sunrise is equally beautiful. suppose the only reason why it is less noticed and admired is because people generally dislike early rising and are not awake enough if they do get up to enjoy it. I have been up that early few times and assure you it was well worth the trouble and loss of sleep. The light feecy clouds in the lovely blue sky, changing to rose and gold, then to bright orange color, till
 .ss1owly in all his splendor bright
 The great sun rises to behold the sight"
 And a grand one it is as he bids s'Good morning'' to his old friends, the never changing mountains.
 We are 5,197 feet above the level of the sea. toward mile. The air is beautifully clear nearly always and so very dry. Every tbing appears so near by, even the sky and clouds seem coming down to earth to greet us sometimes. The sunshine of Colorado is famous for it's great brightness, and the suc- cesgion of lovely bright days is a constant delight and wonder to me. arrived here late in May, and for over two months we did not have single rainy day such as we have so many of on the Atlantic coast. The first two or three weeks we had frequent showers with thunder and lightning. During some of them huge haiIstones fell and once quite a handful remained in the corner of the piazza till the next morning. Then for weeks it was pleasant, very hot in the sun and often 90o in nay room. One does not suffer though Wltn Q6at db GIllS dlblGuu0 d5 III u ucsNloI dt- mosphere. Sunstroke has never been known in this climate. There are no depressing days Something in the very air gives hope and courage. It is this which makes Cobra do such desirable place for invalids- At first. it is apt to increase nervousness, but presently they could sleep all the time if they followed their inclination.
 In August we had what is termed the rainy season, and it was rainy indeed. For about two weeks it poured in torrents most of the time, and the streets were terribly muddy. Finally we had few days of cloudy weather, then it cleared of and has been perfectly delightful-warm at midday, cool nights and mornings.
 Most of the streets are well shaded with cottonwood trees. There are two varieties and they form very graceful shade But in the spring, when in blossom, it fills the air with it's bits of plufy cotton which blow in one's eyes and