Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1886-03-26
A July Trip from San Francisco to
st. Louis.
Special correspondence of The Democrat.
ICOSTINIED FROM LAST WEEK

canyon Oh the bunllISOn WIN us pct
uresque and varied scenery, we come
upon the rich farming lands of the
| Ute reservation, and to the station
| Delta Here we leave the Gunnison
whose ascent to the mouth of Cimeron
river is too great and course too
crooked for even narrow gauge rail
road. Passing along for several miles
we soon get full view Of the valley
and the distant peaks of the San Juan.
/ Then down to Cimeron river. whose
waters abound in trout and the country
around has an abundance OF large
game, and at Cimeron station good
! hotel accommodations, which makes
this place the hunters paradise From
here through the short CimerOn canyon
we again reach the GunniSon and pass
: up its banks through the black canyon.
Probably in all the world there is no
place so magnificently grand, imposing
and sublime that may be SO easily
reached by rail. In many places
along this grand gorge the bed of the
railroad has been made by blasting in
the walls Of granite masonry-walls
that rise 1000 feet in height, so close
together that for much of the distance
through the canyon only streak of
sky appears above. AT times the train
changes sides with the dashing river,
and ever and anon the traveller is pre-
Sented with new scenes of the stipend
GUS walls. Suddenly dashing past the
entrance of another mighty gorge or
turning a sharp curve views stream
of liquid crystal hung like massive
bridal veil from the dizzy cliff to the
bosom of the sparkling pool beside the
road. Now passing spacious am
| phltheater, in whose center, sentinel
like, towering monument of solid
granite, which reaches to where it
tiauntS the tieecy clouds of the sum
mer sky stands the far-famed Cur
recanti Needle. Passing further on
the bluffs grow less, the valley widens,
and we see some good stock ranches.
and after a time reach Gunnison, a
city Of ten thousand population, for
merly much interested in mining.
From here our course is up beauti-
full river, on whose banks the fisher
man is waiting for a bite or is lifting a
speckled beauty from the pearlv
waters OF the crystal stream. Now
another locomotive is added to our
train, and we begin the ascent of Mar
shall Pass, which is at the rate of 21S
feet to the mile. Soon the eve roams
over miles of cOne-Shaped SUBMITS.
The bald tops of the towering mount
aims reminds the traveller that he is
among the cloudy nights. To the left
towers Mt. Ouray, solitary and forbid
ding, seemingly the monarch of the
mountains. Still up and on through
snow-sheds, and EsssAong the curved
mountain side, past wild precipices
over which we view the terraced path
way by which we at last reached the
summit, 1892 feet gh-magnificent
achievement of engineering skill wit
messed by the snow-capped mountains,
and placed by some as the eighth Won
der of the world The river from the
summit is beautiful. and reminds one
| of Argentine and Fremont's passes in
being sloplng on one side, and ap-
parently very abrupt on the other.
Finding drift of snow our party soon
join in an old-time battle Of SNOWFALL.
till the conductors "all aboard" hur
rleS us back to the train, and we are
soon gliding down the eastern slope,
at the rate of 217 feet to the mile.
The only steam power that is needed is
to keep the air boiler well supplied
with power to manipulate the brakes
and hold the train in check. To make
our descent doubly secure, brakemen
are stationed on the platform ready to
apply the brakes in the old way. On
down the west side with beautiful
view of the narrow valley and of the
pleasant health resort. Poncho Hot
Springs. 1t is said that the sick oct
well here i'll less time and with less
medicine than III any other Sanitarium
outside of Colorado. The beautiful
and sublime scenery, together with the
earth-heated and northumberland baths
perhaps has much to do with making
the sentiment a probable fact. One
thing III favor of this result is that
the water of the springs is perfectly
odorleSS and tasteless, and quenches
thirst whether cold or hot Five miles
farther on we come to the beautiful
dining station of Salida-a business
like little burg of 1000 inhabitants.
and an elevation of 1000 feet Then
on through the grand canyon of the
Arkansas, which rivals in some respects
the black canyon of the Gunnison. 1t
was at first doubted whether a railroad
could be constructed through this can
yon, but when surveyed powder and
pick cut out and formed the road bed
| and now the laundering train whizzes
past the dizzy heights carving travel
ers and commerce to the cloud bathed
cities OF the mountains. We think
the railroad has increased the can
yons massive grandeur, and has GER
| talnly made its lovely scenes more ac
ceSsible to all. Here the dark-hued
granite cliffs rise from one to three
thousand feet, the way grows narrower,
the walls seem to overhang and threat
en- to crush all beneath. while the
noise OF the roaring river over its
rocky bed and the whistle lends a
wlldneSs to the scene long to be re-
membered. Deeper and deeper into
the recesses of the rocky caverns with
blue arch of light above, and the
somber shades through which the suns
rays never penetrate, we reach the
Royal Gorge. Here the treeless cliffs
seem perpendicular, the river foams in
its narrow rock-hewn channel. with
no place for the track except the long
iron bridge which hangs suspended
from the smooth walls. Man seems
dwarfed, and drinks in the sublime
scene. Gradually we emerge from the
glories of the lovely scenes. and speed
away through the winding valley of
Canyon City. This place was the out
fitting station for Leadville in the early
days of that eity's growth. The state
penitentiary is also located here. About
fifteen miles beyond we reach Pueblo,
the states second city of Importance.
Here are located the BeSsemer steel
works, and several furnaces for re-
ducing ore. The railroad interests are
also very important. From Pueblo
we travel nearly due north over bar