The National tribune., 1883-08-09
DAYS IN WONDERLAND
The Grand Army Excursion Through
COlorado---Inspiring Scenes.
! Correspondence National Tribune:


Surely, as a great American statesman has
said, we are q grand. gior.oas, ald peculiar p-o-
pie. Here in tae he.art Of Gannison county,
are comfortably quartefed hundreds of d le.
gates to the National EDcampIuent, and their
wives. Around them are iii tho evidences Of
civilization the town lighted by gas and sup
pied with water by the Holly system sCheu!s,
churches, banks, real estate Offices; one OF the
brightest newspapers IN the Centennial State;
a better hotel in operation than in the majority
OF Eastern towns Of the SIZE; hardware dry
goods, and well-stocked provision stores; a
mandatory for tin copper, sheetlon ware
and reofag; a new hoteI-the Lewis House-ai-
most ready for occupa ion, and thrifty pepl-
ation coming in And yet only three years
arc the spot upon which Gunnison stands was
a sage brush patch, and the entire vast plains
tAe camping ground of the rude and rowing
Utes. Over the blue-black mountains TO the
west was the scene of the great Thornton mas
sacre less than lG0 miles away, and the entire
country the battle ground between the healthy
forces OF civilization and the wild barharic
hordes OF a degenerate and oOdurate race
Buildings are goia up this season, OF brick with
stone trimmings that would be credit to any
city in the land.
At Denver, through the fraternal hospitality
of the State of Colorado and the b0undless
enterprise of the Union Pacific Railroad wita
It's diverging lines and marvels of modern Gu
campment were divided into two divisions 20
make the circuit Of he picturesque mining
regions. One division left Denver on the Deu-
yer aud Rio Grande, coming yi& Mauitau. Colo
RADIO Springs, the Garden Of the Gods, the
ROYAL Gorge Marshall Pass aud toe Black
! Canon to the UncBnpG- re valley. The other
division, of which the Ohio, Indiana, Illinois,
Kentucky. Iowa. Kansas and Missouri delog.-
gatiUns, wish scattering representations ifon
other States were ga part len DsHver
two DAYS ago, following the beautiful
Platte Canon 10 BueHA VISTA, and thence
to the marvels Of ises!vilic, over a rail-
way carved from solid rock or through the de-
lightfui parks. dotted with the neat cottages ~
the settlers who by careful irrira, ion. are
making the desert to bloom and blossom ike
the rose.
A NATURAL FLOWER GARDEN.
All through the South Park, penetrated by
this strong arm of the Union Pacific Railway
are rich mines Of gold. silver iron, salt aud coal
and with reduction works within easy access,
are develOpiSg their wonderful riches in mar
velous ratio. The plains in their native state,
as well rs the mountains of Colorado are gar
| dens of flowers: the aster suntower piuks,
coiumbne fox-glove, and many varieties cul-
tivated in our Eastern gardens, grow in the
| richest profusion. In some parts the hills were
| o pinkish tinge from the colors Of variety of
! flowers, resembling in general appearance the
cardinal flower, which cover every portion as
! the red clover does our cultivated fields.
Mount Lincoln, TO the foot OF which the rail-
way runs, is Il network of silver veins and it's
celebrated niue, the Present Help. boasts OF be-
| ing the iighestin the world 1t is situated at
| an altitude of 14100 feet above the sea, and
| from its immense ore dumps commands view
| of nearly all of Colorado, looking westward
| $50 miles TO the snowy crest OF the Wasatch, IN
! Utah. Here branch of the Union Pacific runs
| out TO the gold and silver mines OF Breeken-
| ridge where are some of the earliest worked
| gulehes of the Blue. for twenty years lavish in
! their yield of gold, 1t is not long since the
| line opened, the graders cutting through
! some opulent mines, ons ofwhich has been sold
| for handsome sum. Now they are all miners.
/ Passing through the park lands Of Colorado,
/ the tourists see immense herds of cattle
upon the thousand hills and plateaus clad
| with emerald verdure, with the encrcling
| mountains all around them, through which the
| train makes swift flight till it pushes on
| again up the rapid grades. painting and hating
in its wrestling with Obstructive grades and swift
/ ascents At Buena Vista after passing through
| a considerable extent of park lands, the ascent
| TO Leadville begins that marvel of all the min
ing regions, around which in solemn counsel
sit the giants of the Rockies, their garments
broidered with perpetual SHOWS.
BUENA VISTA.
At Buena Vista we happened to strike one Of
the first residents, who came up some three
years ago from Denver after a twenty years
| residence because, as he tod us, he esteemed
| the locality the most heathful in the world
He was former Massachusetts man, Mr.. T.
Monk, and from him we learned that the eli
mate st that point is particularly eqdable. In
| winter the Thermometer seldom falls below
! zero while the snowfall does not exceed two
or three inches while in summer the average
! temperature is about 60o, the thermometer IN
the sun seldom rising above 90o. The sur
| rounding country Is successfully farmed yield
| ing vegetables grains and small fruits OF supe-
rior excellence. Cherries and grapes are among
the wild growth, showing that with more ex-
tensve irrigation the extension of tree culture
| will be more prolific IN results. Peaches and
apples have not been tested, but the cliuste is
undoubtedly too cold for fruits whose ripeuing
process requires prolonged season of sun heat
Excellent dairy products are springing up to
supply in part demand which was formally
met no nearer than Denver.
Bueua Vista, though but two years old, has
population OF 1850. Rich mines all around
it contribute to its growth and its population
Like nearly all the towns along the route
| Leadville not excepted, it was brimful Of
patriotism, aud extended to the tourists right
royal welcome. Returning from Lead ille
where the night was spent, the tourists
after dinner at their excellent railroad dining
room, were warmly greeted by the mayor Of
the city, Mr. G. w Acknowledgement Grosvenor
of Ohio, responding for the Grand Army ex.
cursionists. The Buena Vista hand serenaded
the tourists. The comrades varied the pro
grainme with Marching Through Georgia
and other old camp and battle songs when
with cheer after cheer from veterans ana citi
zens, the train moved on to other scenes of con.
quest Buena Vista is overlooked by Mount
Princeton, which rises to height of ID 20(
feet, and, looming up SO royalty in the cleal
liquid atmosphere, one almost questions ths
fact that it is twenty-five miles from the town
to its summit. The valley at this point is some
eight or nine miles wide, but, owing to tht
extreme clearness Of the air. the mountains tC
the north mile and half away seem within 4
walk oEIeSs than five minutes at Buena Vista
as at Como and some other points, the tables were
served by ladies Of refinement aud taste, who
had specially volunteered their services for thu
pleasure oGsheir honored guests.
THAT SUPPER AT GILAAN's.
And this reminds us that we must not FORGE
Como, where, before reaching Buena VISTA tht
up-bound tourists found o sumptuous supper
awaiting them at Gilulan's Worn and weary
from q very surfeit of sightseeing, 1T was moi
, with the most satisfactory expectations thai
the ladies and gentlemen of the party of 80 ex
!, cursionists entered the low wooden building
even though the American flag hoated proudly
from its apex. But when they entered the
dining hail. with It's white-laid tables garnisheE
with flowers and laden with wholesome anG
well-eooked edibles, while above them wer,
hangiug-haskets, and in tho windows pottet
~ ,,