Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1881-07-30
A SPARKLING LETTER FROM
aHMLDA" ATOP COLORADO,S
mOUNTAINOUS HEIGHTS.

the East I am luxuriating in the
cool atmosphere of Burrows Park.
Leaving Lake City last Monday, for
a fortnight sojoarn among the
mountains, / find myself two thou
sand five hundred feet nearer
THE NEW JERUSALEM,
Lake City having an altitude of
eight thousand feet and Burrows
Park of ten thousand Ave hundred.
In honor 10 custom, here's word
for the weather. Long, cool, bright,
breezy days are our portion. 1t is
the season for rain, but here as else
where the weather clerk is a tickle
judge, and for once we approve the
Inconsistency. Callto mind one of our
| first bright spring days in Tennes-
see aud you have the prototype Of
Four usual weather. Burrows Park
is headed by the American basin
and within stones throw of the
Pacific slope. Shut in by noun
tains Of stupendous height, it lies in
a sunny, sheltered valley, down
which the Gunnison river comes
with 4 "never ceasing roar" The
hotel stands at the base of Edith
Mountain, granite giant, towering
up over two thousand feet. About
fifty yards from the door is the
river, and beyond, directly opposite
to us, is the Norcross Mountain,
covered with the straight, beautiful
spruce pines. The next in the
chain as they tend toward the sun
set is White Cross Mountain. So
called because of the large white
quartz cross formed ia the gray
stone of the summit. Standing out
white and pure against the dark
background it seems a holy shrine
fresh from the hand of God before
which we may kneel and worship.
If the divine peace is within us, we
may find sure comfort and joy in
singing the Lords praises in a
strange land. The next is
RED CLOUD MOUNTAIN,
a mountain rich in iron ore, and it
tells the story on its broad face as it
stands fiery red against the pale
blue of the sky. st. Mary, Driver,
Del Norte and Ida complete the
chain which surrounds the Park.
And more imposing chain never
lifted hoary heads toward the great
good Maker. All day long you can
hear the ring of the drill and the
blasting of the mines, for, besides
the grand effect of picturesqueness
these mountains present, they are
scanned and belted with precious
metal. Many Eastern capitalists
are visiting the Park, examining
the mining claims. The miners
present quite an odd appearance in
their rough overalls and spiked
boots, but beneath the slouched
hats we see many fine, intelligent
faces. Young men of the South
and East who, for want of employ
ment and enterprise in their homes,
had the strength and courage to
take up a pick and hammer and dig
in the Rockies. Note the parallel.
Our towns and cities of the East are
crowded by white-faced, feminine
youths, who eagerly accept clerk
ship at forty dollars month.
Here, these brown and sturdy
miners dig for four dollars a day or
one hundred and twenty dollars
month. And a more noble or gen
erous class of people you cannot
well find.
- must describe a Burro train
which passed the hotel on yester-
day. These little Burros are called
the miners friend, and well de-
serve the name. They can climb
the steepeSt and most dangerous
trail, and carry pack with the
safety of a man. They were NOV
ing a frame house from the Park
up to the Broadway mines on Ida
Mountain, and the little Burros
were doing the work. There were
thirty in the train, each with its
burden of lumber strapped to lis
back and trailing on behind. /
could but notice the patience of the
beasts as they were dashed and
goaded up'the sleeps by their Mex
lean drivers. 1t was, indeed, gro
tesque and novel scene. The poetic
element in my nature will not al
low me to pass unchronicled the
beauty and glory of these nights.
The first night of my arrival, luck
lily, was that destined for the full
moon. Long before it rose, the
western peaks were white and bur-
nished with its rich light. There
they stood, great mountains of
brightness, veined by the dark
gulches and Swallowed by the pines.
At length the queen appeared, with |
a full white face and crown of light.
Adown the eastern knobs the radi-
ance streamed, filling the canons
and valleys with its beautiful pres
ence. The scene would have been
the despair of painter.
En- route to this place we passed
lake San Christobal, the pride of
Hinsdale county. 1t is three miles
long, and lies nestled in it's blue
beauty between some of Colorado's
Hottest mountains. Still and I'M
ruffled, with scarcely a muir muir
along its length, it would be diff
cult to describe its perfectness.
About two yards out from the bank
the waters are shaded almost white
by the white stones at the bottom,
and the banks are fringed with the
fragrant eglantine. Moored at the
were the new pleasure
boats. Notably among them were
the ''Lake Bird" and the ''Mining
Register" named for our popular
Lake City paper.