The Hawaiian gazette., 1883-04-18

II
Gunnison, with its valleys, mountains and
level plateaus exposed in all their grandeur
/ and beauty. From Marshall Pass to Gunni-
son, the road extends through fresh forests,
and over cultivated meadows, until the mount
| surrounded plateau in which the city stands is
reached. At the Pacific slope metropolis of
Colorado, an arm of the railway follows up
Slate river to Crested Butte, the Piitsburg Of
the state and the main line continues down
the Gunnison river to the gorge which is
known from its sombre coloring as
THE BLACK CANON.
This rock-bound chasm is wilder, more pic
turesque and grander than even the canon we
have already encountered. The cliffs are fully
as high, but their sides are broken into narrow
shelves where shrubs, trees, and clinging
vines, have found foothold. In many places
miniature cataracts leap from dizzy heights
into the sea-green waters of the river, or,
broken by projecting lodges, reach the bottom
of the canon in silveTy spray. There is con-
slant variety: now the. cliffs are red colored,
now of grayish white. Here solitary
pinnacle scars upward like a delciately formed
cathedral tower: and again the enclosing
walls hug the road for miles in unbroken
masses The contour of the palisades is
closely followed, the river is constant IN
sight, and its rumble is ever audible. Half
way through the canon, the Gunnison turns
into still deeper gorge to the right, and the
road continues by the side of Cimarron creek,
which leads to where the cliffs are more
rugged still, and whose sides are filled with
| clinging vines and stunted pines and cedars.
The region becomes darker and gloomier,
while the creek flows over its rocky bed, and
among granite boulders, with rumble that
| fills the gorge with deafening echoes. Escap
ing from the canon, the road pursues its vest
ward course under an open sky, until the
Wasatch mountains of Utah are reached.
First comes Cedar divide, climbed by steep
grades, and from whose summit an extended
view is had OF tile Uncompahgre valley, the
river which flows down its centre, and the
San Juan mountains in the distance. The
snow-tipped peaks OF this range form the
southern limits of
THR INCOMPATIBLE VALLEY,
the rich agricultural section of the old Tito
reservation, and, from whatever point seen,
are grand, beautiful and full of picturesque
sublimity Montrose is reached after descend
| ing from the divide. From it an extension Of
the road will soon be built to 0uray, situated
in the very heart of the San Juan mountains,
| and in a region where mineral abounds in rich
abundance. Following the Uncompahgre,
after leaving Montrose, the road traverses a
valley filled with reach farm land to Delta.
| Here the Gunnison river is again encountered,
and the road follows it, through its yellow
| lined canon, to Grand Junction, the extreme
western city of the state, built at the head of
Grand Valley. 4 wide neck of land runs
westward from it between two long lines of
cliffs, and watered by the river Grand, is cap
able of producing every variety of fruit and
cereal. The valley is as level as a floor, the
climate is exceptionally fine, and the view of
distant mountain ranges is one of the finest
which any part of the state affords.
After Grand Junction the railroad enters
upon veritable desert. Low, treeless, dry,
and neglected wastes extend before one for
nearly hundred and fifty miles. The travel
Ter is on an island sea, where the winds have
formed pillows of sand, and the earth is caked
by the heat of summer. Aud yet the ride is
not devoid of interest. There is constant
fascination in studying the unfamiliar scenes,
and later the Sierra La Sale mountains rise
before one in all their beauty of outline.
The range, broken into countless, snow-coy-
cred peaks, rises from out the desert with
hardly 1 foot hill to lessen its height. When
nearly abreast Of this range, the road passes
Thompson's Springs where the Indians have
drawn rude lrieroglyphics on the sides Of
small canon, and later crosses Green river, the
broad but sluggish stream, down which Major
Powell made his wonderful journey to the Rio
Colorado Turning now to the northwest, the
road approaches the Wasatch mountains.
Soon Price river is crossed, tributary of the
Green, and later Castle valley is entered,
where there is more vegetation, and considera-
bic cultivation. At its extreme end, and
reached after long twistings and turnings
among the foothills Of the range, stands
CASTLE GATES,
leading into the very heart of the Wasatch
mountains, and formed by two immense towers
of red sandstone which have a sheer descent
of nearly 500 feet, and are severed ofi-shoOts
from the cliffs behind them. At the base of
the mighty pillars which,
Like giants stand
To sentinel enchanted land So
runs Price river, flowing over sunken lodges,
and through thick growth of underbrush.
The gate posts are like the prows of two i'm
mense ships, and are filled with cracks and
seams and deep holes which the waters of
long ago have worn in the soft and crumbling
sides. They are separated barely enough to
allow the road and the stream to pass between,
and are so high that looking at them from
their base the seem ready to fall headlong up
on the observer Once through the narrow
way, and climbing the steep grades of Price
river canon, the road follows first one stream
and then another, and all the while there are
unbroken forests, vari-colOred rocks, clear
waters, green meadows, tangled brush, and
and vistas of distant, snowy peaks which
render the journey one Of continual pleasure.
The scenery constantly changes. Here it it is
wild, and the eye can rove over vast extent
of country and again the traveller is shut in
by low cliffs or is surrounded only by verdaBt
stretches which are as soft and beautiful
any of the wales of Scotland. At Soldier
divide, on the very top Of the range, the road
takes its eagle-like plunge down the western
slope, and after emerging from the various
gorges encountered, enters Utah valley, and is
almost within sight of Salt Lake City. The
view from this side of the range is one of in-
comparable loveliness. Eastward are the
high peaks which the traveller has but Just
crussed, and whose grandeur is now more than
ever before apparent. At ones feet lies Utah
basin, and beyond it to the north Salt Lake
valley, girded by high mountains. As far as
the eye can see there are rich meadows.
Towns nestle in the midst of green groves, the
river Jordan is displayed its entire length, and
the lake itself, with mountains rising from its
very shores, reflects in the clear depth the
heecy clouds, the tree-covered slopes, and the
distant peaks OF snow. Everything IS fresh,
green, soft aud beautiful. Cattle feed in the
valleys there are waving fields of golden pro-
duce; and the Wasatch range on the cast, and
the 0quirrh on the west, send forth tall spires
which are capped with white, or have their
sides covered with pines, naples, ash and
willows. By the side of the lake stands
Provo, a favorite watering place, and one with
many attractions. At Bingham Junction
branches of the road extend to Alta and Bing-
ham, two important mining towns of the
Territory, but the main line continues up the
valley and soon reaches the famous Mormon
metropolis.
SALT LAKE CITY,
which is built on the lower slopes OF 4 mesa
running down from the Wasatch mountains
toward the shores of the Great Salt Lake The |
streets are broad. shaded and planned so as to
form large squares, where houses stand in the |
midst of green lawns and shade trees. 1t is,
of course, peopled mostly by Mormons, and the |
buildings they have erected, such as the Tab |
ernacle, the unfinished Temple and Brigham
Young's home, are places which are always |
listed. The new Temple is of granite, mas
sive and beautiful. Thirty years the work has
been going on, and many more must elapse
before tho building is finished. The Bee Hive
and Lion House, Brigham Young's former
,ro of Isrrbe ,o1oroJ t,r,,f- 81 -,,-