News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1882-08-10
Letter from Colorado.
SLvERToN, Colo. July "a, 80.


Editors NeecS Dc Citizen:
In response to the request of my
friends, l send you a description of
some of the leading points of interest
in Colorado:
First, a word Oh two in regard to
the journey here will be in order.
Nothing of any particular merit at
tracts ones notice until the vast plains
of Kansas are reached. Here the i'm
mense wheat fields stretching away on
either side of the track, as far as the
eye can reach, bespeak for themselves
wherein lies the wealth of that State.
All day our route lies through this
productive region the air is hot, al
most sitting in the crowded car, and
we retire to dream of the golden har-
vest so near at hand. When we rise
in the morning, all is changed. There
is a stiff breeze which chills us as we
alight for breakfast. Everything looks
bleak and barren, and upon asking
why the change since last evening, we
are informed that we have been as
cendiDg a heavy grade all night, and
are now on the high plains of Colo
RADIO. These plains are the most des-
olate region that it has ever been our
fortune to behold. Not a tree or
shrub breaks the monotonous even
ness of the surface. They are occu-
pied only by ranchmen, who have
their little dug-outs OF log huts scat
tered over the country, at a distance
of several miles apart. Occasionally
we can see the herd in the distance
with, perhaps, the herdsman IN
attendance. These are the only signs
of life which are visible from daybreak
till past noon, when we reach Pueblo.
This is a thriving city, n hundred
and twenty miles from Denver, and
one hundred and sixty miles from
Leadville. Here we strike the Den
yer and Rio Grande railway, and be-
gin our journey across the mountains.
This is called the ''Baby Road of the
West" Notwithstanding the fact that it
already has twelve hundred miles of
road in operation, and several hun
dred miles more under construction,
and will eventually connect with the
Mexican Central. The track is eigh-
teen inches narrower than the stand
ard guage, and the locomotives and
cars are proportioned accordingly.
There are several advantages in a
road of this kind through a mountain
GUS country, for while sleeper grades
and shorter curves can be run, the ex-
pense of building and operating is
much less. Six hours out from Pue0-
10, we reach Veta Pass in the Sangre
De Christie Spanish, for Blood kof
CHRISTI, MIS-, which divide the head
waters of the Arkansas from the Rio
Through this Pass the road
winds and twists like a serpent, and
Until the Summit is reached, ascends
| grade of over two hundred feet to
he mile. Leaving the summit we :
descend in the next twelve miles oyer :,
Itteen hundred feet, pass under the l
hadow of Mount Blanco, one of the I
ighest peaks of Rocky MIS-, and en- =
er San Luis valley. Thirty miles >
arther on, We cross the Rio Grande, u
nd our way continues through a val
~ as level as a floor for fifty or sixty
niles, when w again begin to ascend r
ne grade. The next points of inter- =
st are Toltec Gorge and the Monu- b
lents. These latter are single points a.
f rock rising to the height of fifteen u
r twenty feet above their surround
lgs, and so named from the resem-
lance which their forms bear to real 81
Monuments. )
At Toltec Gorge the road leads II
long the side of the mountain, over a.
a chasm five hundred feet in 81
epth, at the bottom of which rolls L
nd tumDies an angry stream, a triB- II
tary of the Rio Grande. On the op- Il
osite side rises a perpendicular wall h
f rock several hundred feet above US, "
nd while it seems but a stones throw
cross, yet it is utterly impossible to
each the other side. A few months e.
GO, a car containing fourteen passen- Z
ers left the track near this point, and O
as hurled down the embankment, t:
illing nine persons outright and SER I
,usly injuring the others. A few o
liles further on we reach the highest I
ONT of the road. This height con- Q
titutes the watershed or divide, be- s,
ween the waters of the Atlantic and Fl
'acifc. fl
We are now in New Mexico, and a
he general aspect of the scene exact 9
Y comedies with the impression we P
ave always had in regard to this ter 2
tory. The surface is covered with Il
oulders from the size Of a mans IL
cad, to the size of a bushel basket, Ii
wing as near together as possible.
low many feet in depth this kind of
oil extends, we do not know, but it
1ust be several, as the railroad grades tt
re built entirely of such matter. tc
Tegetation is not over luxuriant, the es
My plants being sage-brush, which W
ill grow where nothing else can.
a stunted variety of pine, T
nd wild flowers grow in great profu- ST
ion. The few inhabitants are Next G.
ans and Indians. The road extends in
everal miles through an Indian reser- p.
alton, and at this place plenty O. O
lat race may be seen in their wild
nd natural state. q
About seven o'clock, Durango is in
cached. This is a busy town in south in
Colorado, already containing II
lree thousand inhabitants, and it is a,
OF eighteen months since the cree NJ
on of the first house. 1t is destined CT
} become n of the largest inland d,
of the West. Passengers are II
bliged to remain in Durango until
ight in the morning, when the train >,
.aves for the north, conducting peo- v,
lie to lockwood, Rico, Silverton, =
nd other points farther west. "
A few weeks ago the railroad was
0mpleted but a short distance from
durango. From the end of the track
lie journey was continued by stage, L
yer such roads, over stones and rick pl
ty bridges and through creeks, and b'
t every really dangerous place the W
would crack his whip and urge ra
is horses to their utmost speed, in fe
to show off his ability as a fe
,insman. 1t was then that we could II