The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1882-08-17
LETTER FROM COLORADO.
Special Correspondence.
DENVER, COLORADO,
August, IA, 1882.

The tourist who comes to Colora-
do expecting to ''see all there is to be
SEEM" or to learn all there is to be
learned, of the scenery, resources and
characteristics of the State in a few
days, or even weeks, will be disap-
pointed. Since my arrival 1 have
been constantly on the go, and have
gathered so much material that /
scarcely know where to begin to In
ravel the thread; yet I have but just
commenced my explorations. APP
preaching the Centennial State from
the east, we have been gradually as
cending since we left the Missouri
River, and cross its eastern border
at an elevation of 1000 feet. Up to
the foothills run plains intersected
by streams and by the divide" a
ridge s, 900 feet high, fifty miles south
of Denver-giving room for many
cattle, sheep and farming ranches.
Of these there are many interesting
facts for future letters. Boldly out
among these foot hills comes the
great lateral buttress capped by the
famed Pixies Peak; then comes the
majestic range itself, the backbone
of the continent, describing a tortu-
GUS course through the State, which,
as the slang phrase has it, 'covers
more out doors" than any other State
in the Union, except California and
Texas.
This vast area lies between the
thirty-seventh and forty-first parall
els of north latitude and the one hun
dred and ninth meridians of west
longitude. Its average extent, north
and south, is 275 miles, and eastand
west, $50 miles, the total area be.
ing 104, 500 miles. The plains in
the eastern part comprise about one
third of the area of the State, and
the mountains occupy the remaining
two thirds. The main range of the
Rockies passes through the centre of
the State from the north to the south.
The plains in the eastern part are
drained on the north by South Platte
and on the south by the Arkansas.
The continental divide follows the
summit of the main range from north
to south. In the central part of Col
orado the mountains form four vast
basins, called parke-North Park,
South Park, Middle Park, and San
Luis Park. North Park, with its
area of $500 square miles, at an ell
ovation of about 5000 feet, has a
north-central location. Just south
of North Park is Middle Park, with
its area of 5000 square miles, at an
elevation of $500 feet. Still south
of Middle Park is South Park, with
its area of 1900 square miles, at an
elevation of $500 feet. The fourth
park, San Luis, is near the south line
of the State, has an area of 5000
square miles and an elevation of T.
600 feet. The mountains are drain
ed chiefly by the Arkansas, the Rio
Colorado, the Rio Grande, and the
Platte. The latter runs through the
valley in which Denver is situated,
and through this is said to be a coun-
try where rain seldom falls, and
where agriculture is only possible by
irrigation it has several times gone
on the rampage and caused great
damage. In 1864 one of these floods
occurred, perhaps the largest ever
known, at which time the county
safe was carried down the stream
and has never yet been recovered.
though l saw in the Denver Repub
lican a few days ago an ANONYMOUS
card in which the writer claims to
have discovered it in fording the riv-
er, and promises to have it in Denver
before October. The heavy rains of
this week have done great damage
here also, and caused many land
slides.
The stream of humanity which of
late years annually flows into this
Rocky Mountain region has been
larger this year, apparently, than
ever before, and still the greatest
rush has not begun, if the expec
tations of the Denverites are any
guide. Thousands come here every
summer as pleasure tourists, and
many come in search of health.
though the number of these latter
seems to diminish rather than in
crease, at least SO far as downright
invalids are concerned. From what
l can learn I feel convinced that Col
orado as a health resort is all it has
been "cracked up to be-" but for all
that it is becoming known that per
in the last stages of consump-
ton come to these high latitudes on