Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1886-08-20

Letter from one OF the Vermont Party,
on Route
DENVER, Col, July IS, 1886.


To the Editor Of the Free Press:
A trip across the continent for Vermont
ers is one of rare interest and not soon to
be forgotten. To say that we are enjoy
ing this Journey would not tell the story
for we are entranced by the scenery and
wonders of this broad land of ours.
Leaving Omaha, Neb., Sunday last at d
D. m, we rolled away westward up the
valley of the Platte River, and until dark
We saw in this new State some of the
broadcast fields of grain, showing the
he1lthicst condition of any we have seen
on our way. At Columbus, Neb., VIII ere
we arrived at O'Clock, p. m, Mr.. John
Hammond formerly from Vermont, came
on board and shook hands with all on
board, being overjoyed at seeing n car
load of NcrmonterS. Right here let me
saw that this town is called the center
town from ocean to ocean. Monday
morning we found ourselves at North
Plat, beautiful town indeed, at the
fork of the Nor'h and South Platte We
are now in the bulfalo grass region, ana Il
strange looking country, blue and dry,
| far-stretching pralries, linn ted in the
distance by sharp rocky bluffs. We anus
!
watching for the villages of prairie dogs
which are numerous all the way, also try
! ing to count some OF the vast herds of
cattle that are held here and there over
| the plains by cowboys, seeking the best
! places for food and water We have read
OF the cowboys of the prairie and of their
raids upon innocent people and to-day we
| have seen them in all their glOry. Thou
sands upon thousands of cattle, Texas
steers, cows and calves roam the plains
! upon either side of the railroad, and al
| though the feed looks short ana dry, yet
it is so nutritious that the herds are fat
and sleek
We arrived at Denver about o'clock p.
m, Monday, got our suppers and at once
took to the beds that we might get a
nights rest and quiet. Tuesday the q. A.
! r. are in the hands of the people of Den
yer, who have prepared to welcome all
with excursion and drive, also have a pub
| lie execution not for our benefit, bu'
which occurs Tuesday afternoon, July =,
You will recUllect the story OF this cruel
cold boOded murder rs narrated in the
new spapers. One Andy Green, colored,
brutally murdered Joseph G. Whitman. a
horse car conductor, for the small amount
of money, SIS which was in the car till.
The attractions of this most COSmOpUi-
tan city of the plains are many aud var
led, but an excursion up Clear Creek
Canon was decided upon as combining
]
could be found upon any one days tx
cursiOn from Denver. Our party are
/ ready for Il start at $ O'Clock, Il. m, and
divided into sections of 5 to - cars, hauled
by the mogul engines, built purpOseiy iOr
hauling trains up this gorge over a grade
of 10 feet to the mile for distance of
| IS miles. This canon is one of the wild
est of he Rockies that cleaveS the hills
asunder to form this huge pathway tor
man. Through this beautiful and stuprn-
dous gorge runs the track of the Denver
and Rio Grande narrow guage, over which
/ the engine darts now one side now the
the other of Clear Creek. 1t hu $ one
| side for an instant, and then the jutting
rock that supports it on the other. Here
! you are in this gulch, Shut in by Rocky
sides that find their submits far up III
eternal snow. Every moment il seems a.
| though the road must terminate abruptly,
| for looking ahead yOu are cut of by the
stern mountain sides, when suddenly To
right or left the little giant engine turns
its course as it follows the way of Gear
Creek in wild flight through the noun
tam. Having passed up - miles, the
grandeur constantly increasing, we come
to the beautiful town of Idaho Springs
1000 feet above sea level, a city of no mean
pretensions fine public buildings,
churches, school houses, car shops round
houses, long, broad clean streets, fine
society, fashion, dress, elegance, a popu-
further we reach Georgetown, another
wonder of such locality, having Il pOpu-
/ latlOn OF 1000 and an altitude of 5000 feet
As we pass up ont Of the limits of the
city we observe above our heads an iron
! bridge crossing from one mOuntu n to the
other 81 feet above the track we are on
| Inc road runs straight on Tor a little way,
then turns to the right, the grade still
going up, and winding around, crosses
the creek up the side of the mountain,
add instantly you are on the bridge up to
| which you looked but n few moments he
| fore, and you have formed the world
famed Georgetown loop" We pass ON,
| up, up, and soon reach Silver Plume, Il
distance in an air line of one mile, but
we have climbed 240 feet. The cost of
building this bit OF railroad was IA little
over 5000, 900, and the whole cost from
| Georgetown to GraymOut Il distance OF
miles, was SiG5, 900. At Graymont you
are confronted with Gray's Peak, the
summit far up under eternal snow and
| ourselves nearly up to snow line Here
we remained one hour for lunch and
sight seeing and gathering of memeutos,
and then commenced the descent, max
| ing The trip at the rate of ID miles per
hour, and III good season are back to what
we call our Denver home. Faces washed,
ears and eyes dug out, and cinders thor
oughly cleaned away, some of the party
| belOOk themselves To the opera house and
| VI i'-lN " tllc VI a II. IcCtptlDI III Clll
hall.
cannot close without saying Il
word about Denver though much has
/ been said of this wonderful city Twenty
! four years ago wild beasts roamed over
| It's site. 1t Is now the gateway to the
great mineral and scenic phenomena that
have made the Rocky Mountains famous,
and the home of siXty-tive to seventy. five
/ thousand inhabitants. 1t is Il rushing
tecming CITY, grows with astonishing rap
/ idlty, but its advance seems even and
! foundation sure. Life and property are
as safe here as elsewhere. The character
of its people is seen in its schools, which,
in elegant and cOmmodious structures
employ the best talent The streets Of
Denver are long and wide and though
not paved are smooth and solid. A drive
on these boulevards will give "A range of
the city, of its rapid growth, picturesque
scenery and wealth of architecture. 1t
boasts of some of the finest buildings in
the land, large, commodlous stores, tue
Iailroad buildings, churches and public
buildings, including the new Tabor
! nnpru houSa than " hich il is sni1 there