National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1881-12-24
HOT SODA BATHS
AND PEOPLE FROM WASHINGTON.
Letter from Our Colorado Correspondent-IdahO
Springs aud It's urroundings-what Is
Going On In the Mines-Queen
City OF the Plains.

IDAHO SPRINGS, Col, Dec. 10-As THE REPuBII-
CAN was always glad to hear briefly from its
patrons ut the summer watering places, wonder
how letter from winter watering. place will
strike your Idaho Springs is just that kind Of
place. with hot soda baths from 9jo to 1909 Of
heat natural, and bathing quite as agreeable with
the thermometer at zero outside as 1t Is in the
summer, you must imagine for yourself the
luxury of bath under such circumstances. We
breathe here the most glorious air known to NOR
tai man; have here the brightest sunny days and
the grundcst moonlight nights IN outside OF the
Rocky Mountains. The mountain peaks that arc
all about us are now wrapped in three months Of
snow that gstens in the sunboams like millions Of
diamonds, or IN the sober moonlight CLEAN, cold
and calm. but glorious.
For the lining up Of mountains
In brightness and in dread;
For the peaks where snow and sunshine
Alone have dared To- tread:
For the dark OF silent gorges
Whence mighty ccdars nod
For the majesty Of mountains
/ thauk Thee, o my Godl
The little valley into which is nestled the
village of Idaho Springs is so situated as to
catch the first rays of the rising sun and the last
of that setting orb, aud, In consequence, snow
shine. Dust flies In the streets all winter. Idaho
Springs is indeed u mountain gem in its present
setting ofcrystalzed snowand ice winter dyl as
II We're Mining is carried on here all winter, same
MS in the summer, while but few miles away, on
| the ranges, the snow Is from two TO twenty feet
deep, aud work ls very difficult and expensive, If
not quite impossible. We have telegraph aud tcle-
| phone connections with Denver, aud two daily
trains each way pass here from Denver to George
| town over the Colorado Central Railroad There
are many valuable mines located here, many of
| them In an advanced state Of development, such
rs the Frceland, lluklc, Mnyhowcr, Specie Pay
mcnt, Tropc, Donaldson, and many others. one
of the great enterprises here is the Idaho tunnel,
| mn immense project, OF which Hon. Thomas d.
Bryan, OK Commissioner of the District Of Column
pa, isthe ruling spirit and principal owner There
| isn Boston company, the HOosac NJ. q NJ Company,
that hasyeveral fine claims that are being worked
| quite vigorously and successfully by
AN OLD WASHINGTON CONTRACTOR,
Major vandenburgh Among the many success.
full men In this camp Is j. j. Elliott, also of your
city, who has been located here six years ana by
bard work and close attention to business has not
only won the reputation fbeng one of the hes; as
suyers and biologists in the State, but is financially
one of our "Solid Muldoons." Elliott landed here
| giving night we had grand ball here ut the Spa
House, and mine host, W. Il. Ssty, State fish com.
missioner, and well known in the Capital City OF
| Washington, proved to us that he Is not n lone
| fisherman" when he undertakes to run Il hotel.
Among the guests was Aleck Stctson and wifc-he
of the old Aston House, New York. AlGck is rum
ming a summer hotel In Estys Park, a most charm.
ing place for hunting and fishing; and with Alecli
Setson running tavern there IL Is well worth the
| trip of twelve hours by railroad and stage from
| GENERAL GEORGE H. COOKE,
! of Washington. has been in and out of our camp
several times during the past summer. ] am in
Forks" He has also won the reputation Of sitting
the saddle % while the bronco pony" brushed q
fly OF his ear with his hind foot, which Is con.
coded to be one OF the greatest feats of horscman
ship known In the mountains The General should
be induced to open riding school in Washington
| this winter. Had Jones been well up In the Cooke
style of riding Guiteau would certainly have been
killed by the horse or rider. Your correspondent
has Just returned from hurried trip East and re.
grotied very much not being able to call on you
but could not make Washington in the limited
time at his disposal. On our return
WE TOOK THE NEW ROUTE,
leaving Chicago at half. past nine p. m. by the
Chicago and Northwestern Railroad TO Omaha and
front thence, by the new Julesburg cutoff, ON the
Union Pacific, reducing the time 70 forty-fou
| hours between Chicago aud Denver. The line runi
| along the Plat River from Omaha to Denver; Is {
delightful ride compared to any other New ears
fine scenery, good road-bed, and running from
twcnty.cipht to thlrty.two miles per hour is new
sensation In crossing the plains, and saving o
twelve 10 fourteen hours In time and about two
hundred miles of ride which Is an important item
in n several days Journey. have mentioned th
rs of interest TO the travelling public. do no
know the management, and consequently am no
subsidized,
AMONG THE wAsIIISGToNIASs NOW IN DENVER
are Joe Williams and Henry Himber. How
can Washington get along without its Himber
You have with you Guitean and new Congress
but you must want your Timber. Captain I. Harr!
Donohuc, Of your city, who has settled II
| business in Denver, is doing very nicely. Cigars
tobacco, and fine reading room a, are the attrac
Colonel Ward H. Lamon and wife are guests ut III
st. James Hotel Denver Colonel LumOn Is doin
n fine business in Boulder gold mines, and is las
becoming one of our bonanza kings. ! know hi
legion Of friends at the United States Capital will
glad 10 hear of his success IT'S mentione'
that Colonel Inmon is not an improbable candl
date for our next Governor of Colorado. The cit
of Denver Is well named the Queen City of tn
Plains, and everything In and about the place is OF
the "boom." Buildings of the very finest order ar
being erected on all sides. Among the many m
ones completed is the union passenger station
the finest one its size in the United States, com
plete In all its appointments and lighted b
electric lights inside and out The Tabor Gram
Opera House, cannot be eXCellcd in the world 70
It's exquisite finish, as is admitted by all VIII
visit II. The Denver hotels are fast becomin
proverbial for their excellence. The latest aCqui
Stion is the st. james, by d, A. Gage and Georg
Walker late oftho Grand Central, and Is the fiji
est hotel In Denver, where studied attention an
| courteous demeanOr from the prOprlCtOrs down
the boo,black is the order of tho day, IT'S sal
that happy Is the man who hath his I'LL of goo
vicluals. And such is the case with the patron
of the st. James. With the compliments of tll
I season TO yourself and readers i am very trul