The National tribune., 1883-09-27
DAYS IN WONDERLAND
Clear Creek CanOn---The Green Lake
Trout Party.
Special Correspondence National Tribune.
DENVER, Colo, August, 1888

A popular mountain route for Colorado tour
lists because of the near proximity of its Won
ders to Denver. is the Union Pacific branch
that traverses Clear Creek Canon. An hours
ride from Denver, on the snug narrow-g gauge
coaches or observation cars, takes you fairly
into the canon, where you begin that wondrous
ascent of forty miles to Georgetown, over as
difficult piece of engineering there is on
the continent. Up and up you go, around the
iutting spurs of dizzy height with swiftness
and smoothness that eycites both wonder and
awe at the triumphs of human intellect and
the handiwork of the Great Architect of all.
On your way up, yoa pass gulches and grot-
toes peaks and pinnacles; pictured rocks and
cathedral walls, from which, at every turn,
start out the grotesque faces OF men and ami
mails and catch far glimpses of topmost tips,
where occasionally may be seen the white goat,
a feck of white against the gray, nibbling the
sparse heritage of the upper blue.
"Whatever else you do, take the trip to
Georgetown" was the parting injunction of
a friend who had made the tour, when setting
out for our western journey So, when that
brave soldier and gallant gentleman-General
C. F. Manderson, of Omaha-said: What do
you say TO trout supper at Green Lake." he
found us fully prepared for the wonders in
store. Green Lake is at the upper end of the
canon reached from Georgetown. the terminus
of the railroad, by steep mountain roadway
extending two miles up and following the
course of the turbulent little stream which
serves as an outlet to the mountain lake.
The advantages Of such q guide as we found
in General Manderson viii be understood when
it is said that he is familiar, from former WIS.,
its, with every point of interest along the Col
RADIO routes; besides being fully informed as to
the geologic, topographic and mineralOgic pc
cuiiarities of the entire country. Add to this,
rare descriptive powers, and that peculiar
| charm, possessed by few fluent takers, which
h; 70 fhIr fc olu7l-
| teer his best points, and you have the ideal of
an agreeable compGgnoa da royage. From him
! we acquired such knowledge of the remark
! able country through which we were passing
! as to feel quite rich for the remainder of our
/ sojourn in the Centennial State. From him
we learned that the cireuitous road over which
we were ascending, followed the steepest grade
| of any yet onstructed-averaging 225 feet to
! the mile-and is one of the marvels of modern
| engineering. The down grade trip is made en-
| tirely without steam
Ascending Clear Creek Canon, the granite
walls or either side, for fifteen miles, rise al
most vertically from 1000 to $500 feet above
/ the track; the canon Itself is very narrow the
! entire length, at many points the road-bed hav-
ing been made by blasting the rocks. Some
eight or ten miles up the canon and twenty
| two from Denver Beaver Brook breaks the
| cliffs on one side, and there cOmmOdious pa
| viion has been erected for parties going into
the mountains for day. No matter how in
tense the heat on the plains below, here is the
GOODNESS of bright October day, with the same
crisp and bracing ozone in the air, whose re-
volving currents kiss the snow SUBMITS at
every circle. Tho American aptness for names
has fitly characterized many striking bits of
scenery in this picturesque vicinity, and we
have Mother Grundy," whose huge disk face,
| with its projecting nose and chin is distinctly
| visible for long distance, coming or going
hrral
| thousands of tons project over the track, the
broken fragments below telling too plainly of
the time when it will be wrenched from its
| dissolying foundations and obstruct the entire
pass with its monster proportions; The Old
Man of the Mountains" an heroic statue tow
ering 500 feet above the road and '1nspira-
ton Point" where an imposing and pictur-
esque sweep of mountain scenery extends away
in bewidering procession Of somber gorges
and snow-tipped heights.
THE SOLDIERS BIBLE.
| Leaving Denver for Clear Creek Canon that
sunny July day was quite large party ofGrand
Army comrades with their wives, although the
Encampment was in progress, many of whom
found seats in the observation car, where TIKI
NATIONAL TRIBUNR party was seated. Al
was so generally the case, their conversation
turned upon their favorite paper not knowing
that any representatives were present.
81 shall miss my TRIBUNE tomorrow" one
of them said. " 1t always comes on Saturday
in time for Sunday reading"
$50 you read THE TRIBUNE on Sunday, dc
you? l hope you don't forget your Bible,
was the response from one.
"No; don't forget my Bible; but, You see
you can read that any day THE TRIBUNE i
| the soldiers Bible true TO the cause and Away
just what a tired old soldier wants to chez
him up like / tell you, my way is to begiI
and read it right through without stopping"
Later we had long talk with this wide
awake Nebraska veteran, whose former hom
, was in Ohio. But for the loss of valuable
memoranda of the day his name wound b
given here; but we know when his eyes Sc
the paragraph quoted he viii know just who
intended His face and his good words ar
pleasantly remembered, though his name vii
not come on call.
Among the many points of interest in Clea
{ Creek Canon are the Idaho Springs, delightful
, summer resort, abounding in mineral water
noted for their medicinal qualities; Chicag
; Lakes the subject of one of Bierstadt's famon
, scenes, "a Storm in the Mountains" Fal
/ River, famous trout-fshing point; Virgini
/ Canon, rich in mining history Central City, tn
greatest gold mining center in the world; til
/ Silver Queen and its hundreds of silve
. veins, and Georgetown, where tourists set on
for Gray's Peak, one Of the highest IN tn
State, and Green Lake, already noted. Gray
ledSilthS eh hiVitNNto va Afiof1 aCOt; SsAi
its companion peaks of the same range, q
/ James Peak, Torry's Peak, the Old Chic
= Mount Evans and Mount Rosalie, are all visibl
!. from the cars at points along the route.
0 | 1t was at Idaho Springs that Past SeniC
0 Vice Commander in Chief Bangs, of Maine
. with his family, spent few days following th
/ Denver Encampment, prior to his departur
: for the Knights Templar encampment at Sa
. Francisco. Here are located comfortable hote
r and bath-houses, supplied with hot and col
4 soda waters. Three streams, abounding /
{ trout merge together at this point The drive
: are fine and lead up to picturesque slopes an
n SUBMITS that glow with the most exquisit
# flowers; while the surrounding mines of gol'
}, silver, lead and copper afford never-failin
q interest where mere scenic glories have los
their power to enchain. Mount Evans, tn
highest peak in Colorado, is in this vicinity
and here, too, art has reached pleasing tr
umph in the miniature stone castle, where on
of the mining princes of the State resides.
i adds to the interest to know that the son an
o daughter of the family designed both the hou
y and its internal appointments, which q
u u quite as unique and pretty as the exterior
u the building.
q GEORGETOWN AND VICINITY.
q Idaho Springs is situated at an altitude
Is 7,512 feet, so that in passing to Georgetow
if thirteen miles and a-half further up the cano
% yoA rise / ,002, Georgetown nesting at the ba
r, of lofty spur at the height of S.5l4 literal
70 inclosed on three sides with mountains. "
l. thus ascend over seventy-seven feet TO Il
l. mile. and cartainiy the ranidly-cooiing atmo