The Elk Mountain pilot., 1881-12-15
RAILROAD OVER MARSHALL
PASS.
PASS.

! fASS.
| A Correspondent Of the Denver
Nras speaks Of his trip to Gunnison
over Marshall Pass in the following
astute manner:
! One of the most noted examples ol
railroadins enterprise is the road owe,
Marshall Pass, between South Arkan.
sas and Gunnison, by which We pas
from the eastern to the western Sopt
Of the Rocky Mountains. This is ,
tip that everyone should take, anc
yet one that the timid do not enjo,
more than once. Up, up, backward
and forward. round and round We 20,
up, up, until We are over ten thousand
eight hundred feet high,-we are a,
the summit Backward We turn
and look at part of the scrpentine
course we have travelled, while in
front of us We see the water tank, only
one-hslf mile distant, but which We
travel four miles to reach.
In passing from one point to an.
other, one on eachside of the summit,
not over seven miles apart, we make
an actual circuit by rail of sixteen
miles. This will indicate to some ex-
tent the zig gag course travelled. The
average grade of the sixteen miles is
217 feet per mile, and in some places
nearly thirty degree curves. Yet with
all these curves, grades and mountains,
no accident of importance has ever
occurred on the Pass, so carefully is
the ascent and descent made and so
good the condition of the road.
70 add to the interest and excite
ment Of the trip, if the tourist has not
too weak nerves, he wants to encoun-
ter severe rain and hail storm, ac-
compgnied BY wind that threatens to
overturn the train, and as he nears
the summit be able to look down on
the clouds and hear the roaring Of
Ithe Iaia and thunder below, and see
the lightning flashing far down the
mountain, whiie he is entirely above
them basking in the sunshine. These
extras the railroad does not guarantee
to furnish on every trip over, utsemi-
occasionally and then without any
previous notice. From the summit
of the Pass the scene is grand be, ond
the power of language. The artist
may imperfectly present it on canvass,
bur to comprehend it in all it's gran
deur 1t must pass under ones own ken.
Away to the east lies the Arkansas
Valley with its swift running water,
reminding one of "How does the
water come down at Ladore ?" as it
rolls, splashes, dashes froths and
foams along, while in front the Tomichi
moves sluggishly onward, as if it
had long journey before it to reach
the Pacific and did not desire to tire
itself out at the start then to the left
you take peep into the great San
Luis valley, with her thousands of
cattle grazing. while to the right
Ouray Peak raises its head, ,hoary with
the SHOWS of many centuries, COW
cred with a cap of ethereal blue.
You look North, South, East, West,
all around, above and below, when
you realize how inadequate your
powers to convey to Others an idea of
the grandeur of the scene; in fact you
feel that you do not, can not COM
prehend it yourself in the short time
the train stops, until the cry is sound
ed, "all aboard" and you are off for
Gunnison. Such was our experience.
The Gunnison Valley is one of greater
magnitude than many have imagined,
in fact it is one of the very best and
largest in the State. Gunnison City
has had a marked degree Of prosperity
and now claims 1000 inhabitants. 1
am of the opinion she has a bright
future before her, for she is surround
ed by a country rich in natures pro-
duct,ons. This was evidenced at the
late State Fair, when this county car
RED of first premiums on building
stone, coal, iron, silver and gold.
1his city may not grow to any great
SIZE, but she will be a good, sul,stan-
tial towa, an Quitting point for all
this country Here the Denver and
Rio Grande' and the Denver and