The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1883-08-16
DAYS IN WONDERLAND
GunniSOn and It's Fature---A Dainty
Dinner---MOuntain Heroes.
Special Correspondence National Tribune.


Whole-souled Western hospitality has shown
itself at its best at GunnisoS and not only the
hotels but all private citizens with a bed to
spare or plate at the table have been I'M
sparing in their attention to the travel-worn
excursionists of the G.. A Il. The first Division
of excursionists via Alpine Pass, numbering
236, who spent the night here, were REINFORCED
at noon to-day by the second division, of 115,
via Marshall Pass, who were escorted by the
Post to the Tabor House, with flying colors,
headed by the new Commander-in-C Chief, Gen
eral Beath, of Philadelphia. General Beath
was accompanied by his wife, who is promi-
nent worker in Grand Army Auxiliary work in
the Quaker city The Senior Vice Commander
the eloquent General Warner, of Missouri-was
also OF the party, together with Mrs. e. Florence
Barker, Maiden, Mass, and Mrs s. Fl. Fuller
and l.. &. Turner of Boston, the president, sec
rotary, and treasurer of the Womans National
Relief Corps organized at Denver The ladies
expressed themselves as greatly gratifed over
the interest manifested by the new Commander
in-Chef III their organization and his PROPOSE
ton to set aside an amount from the appro-
priation allowed him for carrying on the work
of the Grand Army sufficient to meet the ex-
penseS OF starting WOmans Auxiliary work in
the various States. General Beath is known as
a systematic and thorough organizer, and his
hearty cooperation with the Relief Corps is of
the greatest possible value in this its chrysalis
state.
a pleasant interchange of fraternal greetings
between the two grand divisions, and once more
they sepaTate-these TO the Union Pacific branch
to scale the white cliffs and snowy summit
and skirt the dizzy canons of the Alpine re-
gions over which their friends and comrades
had fingered in awe and reverence, and these to
breast the keen blast Of the Black Canon and
plunge into the awful mysteries of the Royal
Gorge. The engine of the former line being
disabled after proceeding short distance there
was considerable delay on that line. but the Rio
Grande," under full Roadway and conducted
by Captain Tibbitt5, of Leadville one of the
oldest and most careful conductors of the
Rockies went singing down the Gunnison
River with scarcely plunge or a jar.
ROCKY MOUNTAIN HEROES.
And just here let me say aword for these rail-
road heroes ofthe Rockies, conductors, engineers
and hrakemen, men of nerve and heart, keen of
eye and quick Of hand, whose ears are alert to
every sound of danger and whose lives are the
safeguard set between the tide of travel and the
untold perils of mountain locomotion. Many
are the points we pass made consecrate
| by the blood of some heroic conductor or
engineer, who deliberately, with firm set lips,
in the full face of calamity only to be
appeased by his life, took the risk and saved
| the train. There is one point near the summit
of the Black Canon where two conductors
IIl6LluS, uUNE tuelf lives IN SWllG Success
sion. Sometime, when the grand history of
| this splendid and stupendous mountain en-
| cheering shall be better understood, CRATE
| full people will celebrate the proud achieve
ments of these men in monuments as enduring
as the everlasting hills. In descending the
swift grade from Alpine Tunnel to Gunnison one
of the breaks of our own particular train gave
way, and. had it not been for the eternal vigi-
lance of these mountain heroes, leading to the
immediate stoppage of the train, the plunge to
death would have been swift and sure.
GUNNIsoN AND ITS FUTURE.
But before leaving Gunnison, let Us look
around. And first we are struck with the singJl-
lar contrast between this neat pretty spot and
the grim ugliness of Leadyille just across the
range. OF course the dauce-house is here and
the gambling hell and the many other appli-
ances of the world, the flesh and the devil that
curse the frontier town. But here also is taste,
! thrift, evidences of a purer home-life and the
march of culture. The town has begun right
and responsibility is not hooted to the rear
| The town of G0nniSon, like that of LeadyHle,
| is cup set among the everlasting hills. But
the cup is a brighter cup, and it oyerHows
country of greater diversity of resources. Here
| in the hills OF GunniSon county is not only I'M
told wealth OF gold and silver and lead, but
there is every variety Of rich Rocky Mountain
coal, - anthracite, bituminous and coking
range of paSturage of iuexhaustible resources,
divided here and there into cultivated ranches
| yielding the finest dairy products and the
| sweetest and freshest vegetables of all the
mountain country.
| Gunnison is three hundred miles from DEN
| yer, and it is upon Denver that the noun
tain towns have been depending chiefly for their
shipping; though at this point the products
i of Utah via Salt Lake City and the fruits of
| California are in great demand. California
| fruits are at all times preferred over those Of
the Atlantic or Middle States as they are dryer
contain less Juice and are not so quick to bruise
| or decay In transportation. But, setting aside
| fruits, except small fruits, which attain to
| great perfection in Coorado-it has been dem
onstrated that the best vegetables IN the world
| of the hardy varieties may be grown here at q
| very high altitude, while when it comes TO
| butter it may be said that it is impossible
| to make poor article, even if little care
| be exercised in the manufacture. Thus
! in advantages of market as in wealth of
mine, rests the future of Gunnison county,
| which only awaits the wonderful lever of CAPT
! tai to develop into a community Of interests
| that shall make it the phenomenon of the
mountains. This, it will be remembered, is
| the old stamping ground of the Uncompaghre
/ Utes, with its sweet, clear springs, mountain
meadow lands, and equable climate, free from
| wasting winds The equability Of the atmos
! pnere at THIS point is quite remarkable. On 4
/ summer morning, when the sun laughs above
! the mountain top, the whole plain basks in the
warmth and glow, with not breeze to break
| upon the grateful sun-bath. Then, after two
| or three hours, the rarifed air climbs to the
purple SUBMITS, when ccol eounter-current
| from the snow-banks comes eireling down,
cooling the air and equalizing the temperature
| until it is the most delightful in the world.
| As usual, at all points of progress, it was a
comrade of the G. A. r. whom we found to be
early identified with the development of Gum
| nison-a man who to-day occupies d command
| ing position in the community. and who at his
real estate Office, opposite the Tabor House, has
| a magnificent collection of specimens from the
various mines in the locality and throughout
Gunnison county. We allude TO DR.. Nathaniel
| Jennings, whose entire history is an epitOme
of American progress, patriotism and advent
ure. DIR. Jennings, who is native of Maine,
but who served during the war in n New Jer-
sey regiment, came to Denver after the war,
and thence, in 1877 to Gunnison county, the
year that county was formed. He first en-
| gagged in mining, and located the large claim
| in gold and silver recently purchased by E. A.
| Buch ~ Co. He also owns valuable real estate
and is both school superintendent and medical
| director for Gunnison county. He is yet a
young man and full OF faith for the future.
HISTORY OF GUNNIsoN MINING.
From DIR. Jennings we learned that, although
| placer mining was engaged in as early as 1S61,
/ the first lead was struck in the Gunnison re-
| gion in 1874 and the mine located hv Thomas