The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1881-11-18

the ID. 4 K. q. railroad TO Durango,
four hundred and fifty miles distant, in
La Plata Co. Southwestern Colorado.
At Colorado Springs, Pueblo and other
stations largenumbers joined the ranks
of the excursionists. Passing Pueblo
on we sped in Southerly direction I'M
It'll we reached the Sangre De Christie
range of mountains. Threading along
we pass up winding valley rich in
varied scenery by heavy grade, Which
would have been deemed impossible q
flew years ago. But Skyward creeps
our train. two ponderous engines puff
| ing and groaning as we wind around
Dump Mountain. steaming over
bridges spanning fearful and CHASTITY
chasms ground out ages ago in the
GLACIAL period. The timid falter and
turn pale at sight of the awful depths
over and along which we glide on The
shining steel track. The engineer
stands with hand on the throttle ready
| to set the air brakes at the first I'M
usual jar of the train. AdoWn the
gulches in the mountains dash, here
and there, silvery streams that find
their way into the river below. AT
| length we reach Inspiration Point, ten
Thousand feet above tide-Water, and
there in this cool and electrical atmos.
phere we saw the bright sun of the
morning kissing the deW-drops from
lofty mountain crests still high above
us, and nesting below lay the valley
in the hush of a breaking twilight, and
far away in New Mexico the crest of
| the Spanish peaks were baptised with
a halo of glorious sunlight. The men,
ory of the scene will be undying.
Words cannot describe Veta Pass, nor
can the brush of the artist transcribe
| it to canvas. From this on the rail
way passes through the San Luis Park,
giving a view on the right of the
snow-capped peaks of the Sierra Blan.
ca mountains. We pass through Ala
mosa Oh the west bank Of the Rio
Grande, and look out on park or plain,
extending many miles in every direc-
ton. Antonito is soon reached, a town
noted for its gin-mills, and as a resort
for roughs and brigands, place where
men do die, but painfully often depart
with their "boots on" Twenty-three
miles westward Of Antonito we reach
the deep valley of the Los Pinos. The
track follows along the brow Of the hills
| in a snake-like course, sometimes dOub-
ling back upon itself with an astonish-
| ing grade of two hundred and eighteen
| feet to the mile. We pass Lots wife
Phantom curve and scores OF monu-
mental rocks in all sorts of fantastic
forms lifting their heads high into
ether.
Ere this railroad was laid man could
mot ride over these mountain fortresses
or wild goat scale these dizzy heights
The scene for ten miles through the
IToltie Gorge has no equal in the Old
or new world. AS We swept on around
and through these mountain crests
the moon rode high in the heavens
with no cloud to cast shadow upon
the brow of peaks or crags, or upon the
shining waters of the Los Pinos, bur-
nished like silver ribbon, 1900 feet
below us adoWn in the tortuous valley.
Soon we reached an overhanging crest
of rock and the train darts into tun-
mel cut 600 feet through solid granite
rock. Emerging, the train is stopped
upon a bridge built into the rocks and
the passengers with bated breath and
awe-struck with the grandeur of the
scene, creep up the great rocks and peer
into the awful chasm below, the cliffs
Of rocks ON The opposite side rising
heavenward 2,100 feet. A pistol shot
fired by a fellow Bohemian echoed and
re-echoed from side to side of this aw-
full gorge, and a rock rolled over the
precipice went crashing and thunder
ing from depth to depth until the sound
was lost in the silence Of the vast abyss.
For miles we swept on the moon
painted pictures, the widest and wierd-
est, on cliffs, chasms and mountains.
The scenery along the Toltic Gorge
eclipses that of Niagara, and the en-
gineering skill that in spite OF such OBJ
stacles has thrown commercial path
way over, through and along this
mountain gorge, at an elevation of
$4,000 feet, demands the highest rank
among the grandest accomplishments
of this conquering age. Our Jour-
ney westward carried us into New
Mexico, as was apparent by the Adobe
homes of the I" Greasers" here and there
seen among the dense pine forests
that cover the valley of the Rio Chama.
Here are seen vast stretches of land
covered with a wealth of grasses suf1i-
Gent to feed millions of cattle. while
now but an occasional herd are seen.
This section is one of the most invit-
ing to ranchmen, and the opening of the
60 will Of
this whole region into most prosper
Gus grazing region. At Amargo, in
New Mexico, a new experience broke
upon our startled vision. A cloud not
larger than mans hand lay hugging
the mountain at our right, just as the
train swept into the town, composed Of
a dozen shantieS, with cemetery
where thirteen were planted in three
months, ten of whom had gone off with
their "boots on muttering thunder
and the roar Of wind was heard IN the
near distance, which was followed by
rushing waters coming down the noun
tain side, picking up in its mad rage
ties, timbers, boxes and every thing
that came in its way, until the track
and plain as far as the eye could reach
was a vast sea of raging waters. This
was a genuine water-spout of the noun
tain, and for fifty miles washouts
doomed us to spend three days on the
shortest kind of rations. We all
learned the value Of hard tack, and be-
came expert in preparing and cooking
mushrooms and exploiting among
Mexican ranches. During our delay the
Division Superintendent, l.. S. Hamil-
ton, summoned 1000 men to his aid;
bridges were made, new tracks laid,
wash-outs filled, and after delay
which every one regretted, we reached
the most promising mining townin Col
orado. PnAKs