The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1882-09-13
OVER THE DIVIDE.
From Busna Vista to city
over the Continental Divide.
LEADvILLE, Sept. 10, 1895.

GunnlSon CITY u return, u distance,
all told, of IA miles.
The Gunnison division of the D., s.
p. & p. r. r., is under Ernest Wilbur,
superintendent, an old Cheyenne boy
and who has many friends in the magic
city. 1t was but a little more than two
years ago when Mr.. Wilbur was a brake
man upon the U. p, running out of
Cheyenne. Leaving the main line of
the U, Z. for the South Park Division,
he has been steadily aud rapidly promo
ted until he was recently made superin-
tendent of the Gunnlson division, ~
miles Of the most wonderful railroad
line in the country and of which, more
to follow.
Starting out at six O'Clock In the
morning, our train made up Of three
coaches and G-n'l Supt. Egbert' s special
car, was hauled by q single narrow
gauge engine. A few miles out the
town of Nathrop was passed. Nathrop
is II paper city. 1t is made up Of a 81
600 hotel, bran new and ~unoccupIed,
aud abundant room for other buildings.
The founder of this beautiful nihil
based his hopes on the probable action
of the railroad in drawing up to his
property and leaving Buena Vista out
in the cold, and he ''gUt left" The
brightly wEite and emphatically new
motel has remained unoccupied since its
| pnnat rihpt inn a nNnntinanF m fI,a pp,t
can't mOst-always-tell element of hui
man life.
The next point of interest on the line
and but a few miles further on up the
Springs, similar in their prominent
properties to the Cotton wood Springs
described in a former letter. The wa
ter comes from the ground with a tenn
perature of about 1859, and the baths
are taken in a large tub, large enough
for one to plunge, swim and generally
kick around in. The convenieuces fol
baths for patients are somewhat crude
but the waters are found to possess ex'
~cellent curative properties. Since first
opening the place the proprietor la'
raised early vegetables which ordinarily
require hot house culture, for the tabl,
OF his hotel, in the open air. This car
be done the whole year round by thro Y
lug a sheet or some covering over tn,
growing plants to protect them from
the surface frosts of the night, so warn
, does this hot water keep the surround,
ing grounds. For some distance down
Chalk creek, below the springs, tn,
stream never freezes over because of tn,
warmth of the waste spring water.
Chalk creek is so called from thu
light color of the surrounding cliff
which rise one upon another, hundred
of feet on either side. The bluffs ar,
of II light granite, however, and not o
the soft chalky material they appear
From Haywood, the climb of the jour
/, ney begins, following along the vale,
, of the creek. However, unlike tn,
South Park road through Platte Canon
the way is not with the stream but OF
continual shelving along the side of tn,
gorge, necessitating mile after mile o
continuous blasting and u wonderfully
steep grade for one 80 nearly uniform
After getting well under way up tn,
grade the engine proved unequal to it
task and help was summoned, which
had, the two little engines hauled u!
along the incline without delay.
Along Chalk creek there are two o.
three smelters aud other mining estab
llshmeuts, while the hills are boreC
r here and there by prospects and mine,
rs frequently as the editor ia bored by
the fellow who has Just n suggestion
&C." The leading property of the dis
r trict, the murphy" mine may be seer
from the car windows, shortly after
; entering the Chalk creek gorge, away
up on the mountain side, above the
timber line, barely distinguishable IL
the distance from the shadows which
darken the dim gray peak. The
owners of the mine have constructed {
/ roadway up the side of the mountain t
the mine, so that it may be reached by
carriages, and is seen zig-zagging bach
and forth on the mountain side.
. There are numerous little mining
towns along the gulch, some old ant
more new. Alpine is the most aged o.
them all and that is hardly in its teens
The others are infants, but larger and
more formidable ones than Alpine is al
adult. They all look alike. Paint i.
an after thought which is seldom reach
ed; saloons are upon every side, aud
groceries flourish. The buildings ART
scattered over a vast amount of terri.
tory, and the rush OF people occurs
nights and Sundays when the under
ground ,laborers who delve for the bur
led treasures, emerge from their dark
hiding places and seek to satisfy the
demands of their nee ~essities and their
social natures.
After a long steady pull around a
succession of curves which is endless;
and now across al embankment of
earth; always far above the bottom Of
the valley through which the creek
winds in beautiful, silver CLEANS, &C.
~casionally broken into foam and musical
murmurs by tumbling over a rocky
way, Hancock Is reached. 1t is held in
a narrow valley between the timber
clothed mountains which rear their
H. "a nnn ~ -. - Il