Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1886-04-14
Toacards the Pac19c Slope.

LIcAN the benefit of our rambles and peregrlha-
tions so far. We left Chicago Oh the 23d ult' 1or
the Pacific coast via the Chicago d Alton rail-
road The route from Chicago to Kansas City
is old and re auIres no comment We arrived at
Kansas City at O'Clock, on the morning OF the
oath and had the pleasure OF meeting several
Watsrtown boys, among whom were our old
friends Henry Enos VIM. Manning and several
others, who all gave us a hearty Western well
come. We spent the day and evening seeing
the sights of ridges some of which might be
termed bluffs, but Notwithstanding the broken
and irregular location, it is a remarkable city
for its age.
At 10 O'Clock on the morning of the 10Th we
boarded the Union Pacific train for Denver City.
Eastern Kansas is fine agricultural country,
and there great many fine towns and cities on
the Union Pacific line, but western Kansas
seemed very uninteresting to me, only there
seems to be a great deal of land to the acre."
At day-break on the morning of the 26th, the
conductor of the sleeping car came in and an
n)unced Pixies Peak in view. Of course we all
dressed in hurry, and rushed out to see the
Monarch" but judge of my surprise when the
conductor pointed out. what to me, looked Ike
a. huge, irregular sand bluff, Is or 20 feet high
aud 10 or IL miles distant
The conductor told us that we were at least SO
miles from the base of the mountain. Most Of
us were little sceptical as to what the conduc-
tor told u.s. but after running some two hours
more. aud getting apparently, little or no nearer
nv huge pile of white sand, l concluded that
we had got into the county of "magnlhcent dis
tances" We arrived at Denver, at A. M, none
the worse for wear far. Among the first
Wisconsin people on whom we called, was A.
steck. of the old firm of Waldron Steck, whom
many of your readers were better acquainted
with than L was. We founo Judge Stec& las he
Familiarity known in Denver, and his estima-
BILE wife well, and were very glad to meet US.
When Judge Steck left WATERFOWL of course
was too young to remember much about him,
but father says that he is the same whole-souled
driving, go-ahead man that he was when he
lived in Watertown twenty eight years ago. I
think that Judge Steck did his "level best to
show the attractions of Denver, and also think
that he succeeded most admirably, Both, he
and Mrs. Steck show their age to good advan-
tage, and was glad to learn from Others that
there is no great danger of their children cry
ing for bread" We also called on VIM. Griffith,
Superintendent of the Pacific Express Co.. and
Charles Coe, general agent of the Northwestern
Life Insurance Co., and had the pleasure of
meeting Mrs, Coe in the office We also called
onW. II. Lawrence, cousin to S. M. Eaton of
sBadger State Ginger Ale' notoriety. Mr.. Law
renee, formerly of the firm of Des FORCES d Law
renee, Milwaukee) is in the wholesale and re-
tail stationery trade, and is dong an extensive
business. Judge Steck took US to see Ed. Gill
man, but unfortunately he was absent; however,
we had the satisfaction of seeing Mrs. Gilman.
Last, but not least we accidentally met Guy L.
Cole, who had just arrived that morning to look
after his Denver interests.
Denver is one ofthe finest and fastest cities
have ever visited, and is growing very rapidly,
having population of 10000, and is doubtless
destined to be a great business centre. The state
and municipal buildings of Denver are fine, and
there are scores of her business blocks that
would do no d1shonor to Chicago. Whilst we
were in Denver the weather was unusually cold
and stormy, which detracted from its beauty to
us in a measure.
Saturday morning we boarded the Denver
Rio Grande train for Georgetown and Silver
Plume, in Clear Creek Canyon. In going up
through the canyon, we passed some scenery,
which thought would be hard to beat in point
of grandeur. The railroad curves were so sharp
coupled with the high speed of the train that
father got quite 'sea-sick," and he could
scarcely hold up his head until we arrived at
Silver Plume, which is 80 miles west from Den
ver Here we reach an elevation Of $3.50 feet
above sea level, and 4 297 feet above Denver.
After dinner at the Mountain Delmonico,' we
ran down through the same canyon to Forks
Greek, and took the Central road to Central City,
distance of l. miles. Here our elevation Is
$50 tand in order to get from Black Hawk
g Central City. Gusta short mile by wagon road,)
we had to ride tour miles by rail. In going
over this four miles of road, we rise about 500
feet. We could look out of the window, and
look down, almost perpendicularly 600 feet be-
low. This is a wonderful piece of engineering,
so much so, that could not induce father to re-
turn by rail, for he said that he preferred foot
ing it through the snow for one mile. rather than
risk what little life was left in him, and BESIDES
he said that his life was not insured for enough TO
permit him to travel in such devious paths"
80 we both tramped the mile to Back Hawk
and took the train for Denver, arriving there
safely at P. NJ.
Next morning we took the Denver & Rio
Grand train for Salt Lake City distant 737 miles
from Denver The railroads hugs the foot hills
pretty closely, until within few miles of South
Pueblo. As we were running past the foot hills
of Pixies Peak, we had fine view of the hoary-
headed monarch, whose eternal snow-capped
peak was towering up among the clouds, al
though occasionally one could see the crest
very plainly. Arriving at Pueblo just at noon
and after making sandwich and cup OF coffee
disappear, we sauntered out of the eating house
what is called ''the big tree" This is a Sec
ton of monster cottonwood standing on the
railroad platform. surrounded by an iron rail-
ing, with the following inscription 1egibly
printed on It: ''This tree was cut down June Is,
1883, at cost of $3.50. circumference of section
(minus the bark) is % feet. Height of tree when
standing was rs feet. Age $50 years. The first
white woman who died in Colorado was buried
under its shade. and IA men were hung On one of
its limbs at different times" We run along the
Arkansas valley for 81 miles to Salida. This val
ley, through which the Arkansas river flows ap-
pears to be quite an old settled country with
here and there derrick erected, to show that
they have ''struck OIL" but nothing can be
raised here without irrigation, except derricks