Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1882-11-25

the climb, as gazed down the seeming
" perpendicular chasm ere reaching the
summit Of tho range which encloses the
northern side Of South Park. There is
a telegraph station and side track locat-
ed here, and here it is the north and
south bound passenger trains pass each
other. aud CHEEKY salutations are cx
changed by those from mountain and
plain.
SOUTH rARK.
Up 10 this time, had faint idea that
the stories Of SNOW storms in summer in
the Rockies favored of Munchauscn,
but ! now experienced the truth of the
tales that were told, rs | saw in the
boundary Of what seemed TO me forty or
fifty miles of Illinois prairie in IL setting
Of ow-clad mountains. Down grade
into the park--a sight for the VIII ole
neurological outfit of Olympus, and be
yond the capacity of number | Faber
in a number hand. Regarded
in a practical standpoint this
| luTK Is HtN olIc 'tSt N"t'iC i'ii' ~
dotted with herbs of cattle, hay
stacks and ranch buildings. Here, in
the early days of the pioneer, the bison,
the elk, the deer and the antelope in
creased and grew fat on the succulcnt
grasses in summer and fed on the nutri-
tous hav cured by Nature for their
especial benefit. The train went through
the park over road which describes Il
Grand curve of over fifteen miles, halt
ing II Como, whore YOUR correspondent
and the other aforesaid Black IIiler.
disposed OF four squarcs-two liquid and
two solid.
BHICEENRIDGF PASS.
Al Como we left the South Park train.
direct for Ieadville, and took seats in a
ear on the Breckenridge cxtcn"ion, a
feeder OF the South Park road. On the
climb once more, with powerful mar.
row -guage engine. with two cars attach
ed The Pacific slope in twelve miles
was the task. and Boreas The point, from
which We could behold the water shed
Of the Atlantic on one side and the
Pacific on the other Talk about steep
grades and railroad climbing, the
kenosha Range was only masher-
and for a ten cent check at that. On
one side | could behold, as the train
slowly crawled up the mountain side
the gulchcs below, with the glistenina
bouders piled on the sides practical
evidence of extensive placer workings OF
ten, fifteen and twenty years ago, while
on the other saw upeuinea of t;iri-
nels. where the miners of the to-day are
working the treasure vaults of Colorado.
4 iter nine or ten miles upgrade, motto
ed decided change in the timber
which at the base consisted Of Il heavy
growth Of pine, straightasan arrow, free
from limbs on the trunk, and of scitab!e
dimensions for the mill We were ap-
approaching timber line, generally con
sidered to denote an elevation of eleven
20 twelve thousand feet; the trees were
becoming scarcer, the growth scrubly,
qrashed, and the general appearance
denoting constant struggle with the
blasts of winter and an absence Of that
calm and lifc-giving influence of the
regular seasons nouris by the suns
rays. Timber line ut last, and the snow
line on both sides of the track. The
shrill shrek of the locomotive whistle
announces our approach to Boreas, the
highest railroad station on the continent
having an elevation Of l2.l"0 feet. The
place is well named, for from this point
Old Boreas furnishes the blasts that
create n demand for ulsters, firewood
and solid winter quarters for those who
dwell on either side Of his lofty noun
| tain eyrie. This point, considered un'
inhabitable in winter few years ago
is now the site of fine large stone
, round-house for engines and cars, sur
rounded by comfortable d0uble-lo;
; cabins, occupied by railroad emplove:
; and miners. \ short distance down on
the Pacific slope is saw-mill, which
; furnishes large quantities of timber fol
mines in the vicinity and for the Denver
, and Leadville market. After breath
ing spell for the iron horse, we started
Gown the Pacific slope over mountains
(, winding from one side of q range around
: one peak to another, travelling fully tif
l teen miles TO reach a point-Brecken
| ridge, scarcely seven miles distant in :
!. direct line-the extra distance being re
; Guired to secure a safe grade. This piece
l of road shows in every mile an engineer
!, ing skill unequaled by any other roa,
5 in the same distance anywhere on God
l footstool. AT one point overlooking
Breckenridge the track of the road cal
be seen at three different elevations be
l. low, showing the rcailroad at four point
a from the top Of Mineral hill to the val
r lev, and during the slow and caution
6 trip on the down grade, on both side
a are to be seen some Of the many mine
y for which Summit county is famous
"A The brakeman on the front platform
l. points out the Spotted Farm on one side
p the Warriors Mark on the other. L