The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1883-06-13
"REMINISCENCES OF COLORADO

Taking the train at Denver, one
hundred and twenty miles brings
yon to Pueblo. Here you take the
train on the New Mexico Extension
of the d. & r. g. r. r. for one of the
most wonderful scenes in the state
La Veta Pass. La Veta Pass is
one hundred and ninety miles from
Denver and is one of the grandest bits
of scenery that the Amearican tour.
ist may behold. After running for
miles along the quiet streams the D.&
4. G. Ry begins to ascend the noun.
tain toward the Pass, using a grade
of 211.2 feet per mile, to the summit.
The train winds about the steep hill
sides running up the stream and
turning again and rounding a point
on curves Of the shortest practical
radius, and which a few years. ago
we're regarded as unsafe yet here the
train dashes onward at the rate of
twenty to thirty miles per hour. Af
ter riding for au hour or so you begin
to approach the summit. You may
now look on down the mountain side
and along the valleys dimmed with
feecy clouds, for it must he remem.
bered that here is railway above the
clouds. Rain storms may be below
you and the sun shining brightly
above you in the Pass. Nothing can
surpass and but few scenes equal the
effect that this has on the sight.seer.
1t made me regard myself, when be-
holding all the beauties and the ex.
tent here to be seen, as the very least
mite Of dust imaginable, and l seemed
dissatisfied with myself. Again
lookad ahead and saw the locomotive
painlessly wheeling its way up along
the two slender bars Of steel, laid in
an inclined plane, and in a place
where nature yielded to the mind of
man, an iron pathways bed along
which the machinery, evolved in
principle from his brain, was wheeling
his fellow-man. l seemed to share
his triumph and alike live with him
to share in part his toll.
The feeling of dissatisfaction and en-
thusiasm wore off as we moved along
and few things of beauty or grandeur
or massiveness escaped my view. AT.
ter We crossed the divide we descen.
ded as we asceAded and soon reached
the valley below. 1 then filled sew.
eral pages of my journal with notes
and from memory made a sketch or
two and arrived at my destination,
and nothing but hard work was before
me again, but let that pass. do not
care to recount my trials and my la.
Dor, for though interesting to me in
thought, would be unintereseing to your
readers. Let me say before leaving
that the building of the Denver aud
Rio Grande Railway through La Ve-
ia Pass was among the few feats of
engineering, which SO long as man
shall live, will be remembered and ad.
mired-that of which any man may
feel proud, and upon which the world
may look and learn throughout the
ages yet to come, that there have been
before them those whose abilities,
seeming to be the special training of
the gifts OF God, to degree not sur
passed in their enlightened age.
A short time afterward l took trip
over the San Juan extension of the
ID. d r. G. r. r. to Durango. This
led me through the Toltic Gorge and
over the Sangree de Christie range.
The man who climbs the lofty church
spire and looks down on the world be-
low may imagine that be is at a great
height. Let him undeceive himself by
trip through Toltec Gorge. Taking
The train you ascend like to La Veta
Pass by grade of 211.2 feet per mile
and with very short curves, one hav.
ing radius one hundred and ninety.
four feel for short distance. Riding
along Won can 500 tha ebin;no tbrosd