News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1886-08-12
Letter from A. o. Gates.


We give extracts from letters writ
ten by A. o. Gates, giving some ac-
count of the G.. A. r. excursion:
We failed to secure a chartered car
from Vermont, but had special car
from st. Adams to Chicago, filled with a
jolly crowd of Vermonters. We reached
Chicago at 10 a. m. Friday and stopped
there one day to make more perfect ar
engagements for the journey. and there
parted with our boy Oscar. who we sent
to his uncle, at Oneida, Ill. | went to
the office of the Pullman Car Co.. which
is under the management of E. A. Jew
EFT, formerly of st. Johnsbury, and
through his influence chartered a car
to the coast for 1926. We reached Rock
Island about sunset and halted for about
half an hour on the new iron bridge that
crosses the Mississippi, where we OBJ
tanned very fine view of Rock Island,
Davenport and the river. We reached
Council Bluffs at $50 a. IN. Sunday and
awaited the arrival of the rest of the New
England contingent. There will be 80 or
40 cars from New England and we start
into the Goddess country" together.
The people here call all east of the Mis-
souri, Goods country" and all west the
Goddess country" We have fair wealth
er every day, mercury reaching so de-
grees at MONDAY; nights cool and re-
freshing. There has been very little rain
west of Ohio since May, and Illinois
crops are in bad shape.
Leaving Omaha Sunday at 6 p. M. we
rolled away westward. up the valley of
the Platte River, and until dark saw some
of the broadest fields of grain, and in
the healthiest condition. of any on the
way. We arrived at Columbus, Neb. at
$50 p. m. This is called the center town
from ocean to ocean. Monday morning
we found ourselves at North Platte, a
beautiful town at the forks of the North
and South Platte. We are now in the
buffalo-grass region; blue, dry and far
stretching prairies, limited in the dis
lance by sharp, rocky bluffs. Villages
of prairie-dogs are numerous; also vast
herds of cattle, held here and there by
cowboys, seeking the best places for
food and water. Thousands upon thou
sands of cattle roam the plains upon each
yer at p. m. Monday, July 26. The at
fractions of this most cosmopolitan city
OF the plains are many and varied, but
an excursion up Clear Brook Canyon was
decided upon as combining the most of
the wonderful and grand that could be
found upon any one days excursion from
Denver. We were ready to start at s a.
M, and divided into sections of eight to
twelve cars, hauled by the MOgul engines
built purposely for hauling trains up this
gorge, with a grade of It's feet to the
mile for 80 miles. This canyon is one of
the widest of the Rockies that cleaves
the hills asunder to form this huge path
way for man. Through this beautiful
and stupendous gorge runs the track OF
the Denver and Rio Grande narrow gage
railroad. In this gulch you are shut in
by rocky sides that find their SUBMITS
far up in eternal snow. Every moment
it seems that the road must terminate
abruptly. Having passed up 81 miles of
the canyon, the grandeur constantly in
creasing, we come to the beautiful town
of Idaho Springs, 1000 feet above the sea,
with a population of 5000. Thirteen
miles further, at an altitude of 5000 feet,
we reach Georgetown, with population
of 1000. As we pass up out of the linn
its of the city, we observe above our
heads an iron bridge, crossing from one
mountain to the other, sc feet above the
track we are on. We soon find ourselves
on the bridge we but few moments be-
fore looked up to, and have formed the
reach Silver Plume, an air line distance
of one mile, but we have climbed 240 feet.
The cost of building this bit of road was
a little over $500, 900, and the whole cost
from Georgetown to Graymont. dis
lance of eight miles, was $685. 900. At
Graymont you are confronted with Gray's
Peak, its peak in eternal snow and our
selves almost up to snow line. Here we
remained an hour for lunch and sight
seeing, when we commenced the descent,
making the trip at the rate of Is miles an
hour, and in good season reached Den
yer. Twenty-four years ago wild beasts
roamed over the site of Denver. which is
now the gateway to the great mineral
and scenic phenomena that have made the
Rocky Mountains famous, and the home
of from 81, 900 to $4,000 inhabitants. Lite
and property are as safe here as else
where. The streets of Denver are long
and wide, and though not paved, are
smoeth and solid, and the buildings are
of the finest in the land. We all leave
here with pleasant thoughts. We have a
splendid party and are we'll united in all
matters pertaining to our journey.
Following is list of the names and
residences of our party: Mrs. X. B.
Walker, Charles Gray and Andrew Ma
galley, of Burlington; Florence Day, of
Bristol; Avery B. Edwards. of Winoos-
XII; r. r. Hathaway, of North Hero;
A. B. Warren, of Ascutneyyille; Eliza
beth a. Wright, of st. Adams; H. p.
Bixby, Ludlow; w. FL. II. Slack, of
Springfield; B. F. Owen, of Middlebury;
Katie Corbett. Springfield; Arthur A.
Allen, Milton; r. II. Barney, Swanton;
c. P. Rhoads. Richmond; DIR. Whitman,
of Bellows Falls; Israel futile, A. c.
futile, Mrs. NJ. L. Benedict, Mrs. Geo.
w. Kinds, Mrs. G. Loveland, of Burling-
ton; A. r. Mairs, Ascutneyville; Mr..
and Mrs. A. o. Gates, Morrlsville; A.
D. White, Huntington; D. l.. Morgan,
Mr.. and Mrs. q. ID. Buchanan, Rutland;
Drenan Q. Ross, Proctorsville.
The Vermont delegation consists of:
Henry Ballard, delegate at large, of Bur-
lington; r. E. Hathorn, Com. pro TEN
OF State department, Ludlow; A. o.
Gates, delegate, Morrisville; S. Fl. Park