The San Antonio light. (San Antonio, Tex.) 1883-1886, 1884-05-08
BERT IN COLORADO.
SCENERY ALONG THE LINE OF THE 0 EN-
YER, SOUTH PARK AND PACIFIC R,R.
Disappointed Fortune Hunters at Mount Pisgah--
Bright warm Sunshine and
Heavy Snow


Denver via the Denver, South Park and
Pacific railroad on beautiful bright
morning. the very ideal Of spring. COM
pairing well with the cosy and elegantly
fitted coaches that are run on this much
favored line, to Lcadyile. A few hours
ride over the valley and along the foot
hills of the mountains, takes us up
small ravine, where our attention is
called to the High Line Platte irrigating
canal, constructed TO water a large por-
tion of valuable land. hitherto unused.
adjacent TO Denver. We forget the di-
mansions of this great water scheme,
but at least they are gigantic, and en-
brace beside many miles of wooden
structure, some 20 feet in width n long
tunnel cut through mountain of solid
rock At this junoture we enter
the famous Platte canyon so
largely photographed and writ
ten about. We have said so much
Of canyons heretofore we will not try to
tell of this, whose wondrous magnitude
deserves as much as any yet noticed.
While all may resemble each other there
is something of each that is sublime not
belonging TO the rest. Platte canyon
was once the old wagon trail TO Lead
willie, and though many of the old
pioneers of Pixies Peak fame that took
this tedious route TO cross the range
have now "crossed the range" and the
river beyond never to return again, the
gigantic columns of granite and stone
that overshadowed them on the weary
journey. still stand in monumental
splendor as the gateway to the wealth
of the world, centuries of storm and
sunshine not changing their grim coun-
tenances in the march of time. The
track Is laid for long distances so close
TO the narrow walls that the train barely
misses them, passengers being requested
| TO keep their heads inside the windows
lest they get decuptated. Beside the
railroad train that goes laundering
| down this narrow chasm, the Platte
river, companion to the canyon, is foam
ing and dashng frantically over the
rocks, its half joyous notes echoing from
the gloomy cells and gulches through
the rocky cliffs toward the tinted
! blue above. Higher and higher
the tremendous putting engine takes
us, and above the roar of the
stream the mountain winds whistle
through the caverns like the voice of
nature coming from the rlfted rocks,
asking the appreciative traveller to be-
hold her wonders. Lodges of smooth
shaped rocks, laid in regular order, are
noticed, and as we gaze far up the
nature walled heights, Pinnacle rock is
seen to surmount the whole, its conical
peak piercing the azure blue and the
streak of snow in its rifted summit gilt
tiers, and seems as diamond in bosom
of gray, with back ground of celestial
blue. Along this canyon the telegraph
poles consist of bar of iron mortised in
solid rock, there not being earth enough
to set the ordinary wooden poles in.
The noted Dome rock is passed and our
onward course brings MS where the road
forms loop, and in going distance OF
three miles by n succession of horse
shoe curves. an altitude of about 400
feet is gained. A little higher up brings
us to kenosha summit, on an abrupt
precipice, that reaches 800 feet below.
On the north and west we see n series of
snow covered mountains, weaving them
selves about like garland of white
roses, lowering DER the scene below; to
the east the hills are covered with
spruce pine, and the beautiful green but
snow covered branches bend under the
weight of the previous nights snow.
Up to this point our last two hours ride
had been in the midst of n severe snow
storm. Now we were above the clouds,
the storm continued below, the sun shone
undimmed upon the wonderful scene
around, and seemed to light up in brill
liancy, unfolding to our" vision as we
look to the south the extremely lovely
and captivating South park, one of the
noted grazing valleys of Colorado:
Patches of pine timber strew the broad
expanse and deck the gentle sloping
hills. Streams of water flow in use
fulness and beauty. Across the meadows
and through the wales the snow-crowned
peaks on every side lend inspiration to
the view and as we contemplate what n
delightful, romantic place this must be
in summer to get away from the busy
world and hunt the antelope and deer
that range here, our mind Is exultant,
and-well, perhaps Wen come back
sometime and kill jack rabbit, If the
walking is good. --
J The park contains about 1000 square
miles, and lies at an altitude of neal
, 10000 feet. AT the lower end of this Ii
Mount Pisgah, recently noted for great
gold excitement, which seems to have
been failure. But still thousands o
anxious seekers for the ''ickle goddess o
fortune" flocked to the spot, each, NJ
doubt, bent on making fortune. Among
the many we saw start from Como wal
leading Denver wholesale merchant, 1
prominent citizen and salesman from
Denver and "Chicago shoe fiend." o
course, they got their claims and are al
rich now in experience. Again, on thu
Denver and South Park, Needed fol
Breckenridge, after an almost endless
succession of curves, horse shoe curves
y circles, and turns up the mountains, We
are again in cloudland and right in tn,
midst of the deep SHOWS. This road ha
j been blockaded for some two month
with snow, but is now open for traffic
i Durango, much further south, has beef
shut out from the world for 06 days. /
we mistake not, only having such com
r munications as could be brought in b,
men on snow shoes. 1t, too, is nov
open for travel. As we near the SUNNI
Q our train passes through immense bodie
of snow several hundred yards long, an,
from five to 10 feet deep, reaching abov
the tops Of the cars, just room to pass il
the narrow snowy white walls, some
times rubbing against the car windows