The Arkansaw traveler., 1885-09-05
INTO THE HEART OF THE
 ROCKIES.

l and the next morning about four o'clock were awakened by the porter of the sleep ing-car to take look at Veta Pass, over which we were then climbing. HuIriedly dressing, we took our pest of observations on the rear platform, and there with s&ted breath watched sAe ascent Our own Horseshoe curve in Pennsylvania is remarkable, but the MuIeshoe" ia Veta Pass is much more surprising. I'm. agine curve of thirty degrees on grade of of-2I7 feet to the mile, and with tres tiewoTk immediately in the. center of the turn, while hundreds of feet below you runs the mountain stream. Perhaps it isnt "pokerish," as they say in this coun- try. Well, this is the oft-Fepeated expe- yinne in going over the pass. It was only the assurance of the conductor that even if the train did break, no danger could happen, thanks to the autom atic brake, that kept our nerves in comparatively fair order. Gradually our pantiag engine re- covered its breath, and just as the sun warmed the western slope o( the moun- tain we rolled out into the San Louis val ley and saw the stars and stripes waving over the adobe buildings of Fort Garland
 A quick dash over the road to Alamosa, l taking iR the cattle ranches as we went, and we had breakfast
 Now we began to understand the ne- cessity of irrigation. The great rarity and drynesC of the atmosphere, com oined I with the fact that the rainfall amounts to 1 nothing, while the soil contains much alkali, makes agriculture without irriga. l tion impossible. As it is, it is question if the pursuit can ever be satisfactorily followed away from the creek bottoms.
 A few miles west of Alamosa we ob. obtained glimpse of Mexican life, and when we reached Antonito, about thirty miles distant, the Mexicans crowded the platform of the station, eager to dispose of their baskets of fruit. They were not remarkable for their personal beauty, and gave evidences that water was used for other purposes than personal cleanliness In this valley is Mormon settlement called Richheld. Its inhabitants. how ever, are not polyg amists, and, from all accounts, are hard-working people. A short distance from Antonito is the Mexi- can town of Conejos, a sort of headquar- ters for the sheep interests of the valley
 The wool is shipped almost entirely to Philadelphia for use in making carpets. Leaving this oasis in the desert of sage bush. we began to wind in and out among the foothills of the western slope, and finally, after many wagers as to how many feet we advanced in going a mile, we left the curves, at least some of them, behind us, and at last looked down in o Los Pinos valley. The approach had scarcely anything of scenic interest to claim fhA RffAnfina hnt our narrow-track accommodations cling Ing to perches cut out of the mountains side, while far above us hung grea, masses of rock apparently ready to drop on us at any instant. Across the valley oristling crags frowned on us from every point. The valley gradually narrowed and the river seemed to plough deeper into the dark recesses of canon and gorge. The sight was thrilling in the ex. treme. As we slowly worked toward the crest we looked down from our cuts in the rocks several hundred feet over yawn- ing Preciplces, and as some particularly tnghtful abyss was being passed faces olanched with the thought of awful pos. sibihties. And yet we were but entering the gateway 10 more fearful scenes. Soon we Came to point where speech ceased We were bowed down with the terribly grand, awe inspiring, painfully impressive scenery. The breath was short, gasping and when the far-famed Toltec gorge finally appeared, still towering far above us, the power to move was gone. We were under spell. otill our saucy little engine led the way, and as we wat he'd the fanhful engineer leaning far out from the side of his cab, keeping close look out for the slightest obstruction, our cour- age returned, and then firmly braced against the side of the car, we begin to faintly (the word IS used advisedly) ap preciate the picture before us How ter, rioly insecure appeared the strong bridges which enabled us to clear the torrents We hug the mountain side on a narrow sheli, explore every intending gulch, boldly stride across the water-courses, and move undismayed upon the utmost verge, wheie rough cliffs overhang us, and the gulch sinks away hundreds oi feet beneath"
 When satisfied that we had passed the most striking scenery, we come upon the Phantom curve, with its uncanny groups of rugged, ghost-like rocks-demon att - VI NAS 6'Soe 6Oi6C' n ICW liO- ments, in which the blood almost ceases to flow because of the frigh'ful surround ings, and we slowly wind our way under the vastly scanned and wrinkled face } of the tallest wall of the gorge. A few seconds ot darkness, and we paused as if to prepare for the never-to- be for gotten glimpse into chasm which seems to he cut into the bowels of the earth-1 500 feet straight down. As we dash on throug gh the canon to Amargo the scenery is still grandly attractive, and when about i've o'clock in the afternoon we reached lgnacio, the agency for the southern states, VIC are glad to take look at the red men. We found them but little dis posed to talk, and very digni6ed. Herds cf ponies and 6ccks of sheep the prop erty of these indians, dot the valleys and hillsides. attended only by little ragged urchins in all tho glory of paint and feath- eEs. It is new experience, and one of much interest to the "tender-foot" About eight o'clock the mining camp of