Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1886-05-19
4anonq the Rockies.
MANIToU, Col, May i.

| frends and acuuaintances we have met in San
Francisco, and take the Union Pacific train for
the east. We pass throughla good many villages,
| some of which are of considerable Importance,
but we have no means of cleaning much in for
| nation concerning them When we arrive at
| Sacramento we conclude to stop here day and
look over the city again, as our time was limited
when we stopped here on our way to Los An
geles We visit the hospital of the Central Pac-
| ific railroad, which is good substantial build
| ing, containing all modern improvements for
| lighting and heating the building, and has
| library of 200 volumes 1t can accommodate
200 patients, and was built at cost of $4,000.
The superintendent informs us that SOC month
| is deducted from the pay of each of the COM
panys employees for maintaining this lnstltu-
| ton The railroad shops are very extensive,
covering six and one half acres, and employs
generally over 200 men. The court house,
Masonic, Odd Fellows, Good Templar and Pho
| neer Halls are all very good buildings, ana are
all we'll worth visiting We again visit the state
capitol, and from the dome, which we are told
is 3O6 feet above the first floor. we have ans in
| comparable view of the extended landscape.
We are nearly in the center OF the great Sacra-
mento Valley, over 400 miles long and about
forty miles wide where fertile soil and pleasant
cline have contributed to make the loyellest
view we have ever beheld. Just beneath us lies
the city with many beautiful residences half
concealed in the luxuriant verdure of semi-trop-
ical trees Lovely gardens enlarged into highly
cultivated farms; then wide extended plains,
groves of live oak, long. winding rivers, and
land locked bays, white with the sails of COM
o1o horizon stretch
the rugged Sierras with their foot hills clothed
with their perpetual vendure and the snow cap
ped mountains shining like summer clouds in a
blue sky. We leave Sacramento, and after run
ming 74O miles through country which gave
YOU some description of in a former letter, we
arrive at Ogden at A. NJ. Instead oftaking the
Denver & Rio Grande railroad from here, we
change the route and take the train for Denver
via Cheyenne, at A. NJ. While running through
Weber and Echo canyons, we pass through
some very fine scenery, but in point of grandeur
cannot be compared with the grand canyon on
the Denver & Rio Grande. In Weber canyon
we pass the thousand mile tree, from one of the
limbs of which is suspended sign board giving
the distance from Omaha.
After emerging from Echo Canyon, we find
but little that is interesting until we reach
Green river S45 miles distant from Omaha. This
is undoubtedly the scenic station between San
Francisco and Cheyenne. Here are no lofty
peaks with snowy crests the year round, but an
immense roll over which we glide and never
think that we are crossing the summit of the
rock-ribbed Rockies For several miles east and
west of Green river station, numerous quaint
looking rocks of every conceivable shape and
form are to be seen, towering up sometimes 600
feet above the river below. and have all got
their appropriate names.
The next station of interest we come TO is
Creston, distant 73S miles from Omaha, and
1000 feet above sea level. Three miles west of
Creston we are on the summit of the divide.
which separates the waters of the two oceans.
This is the cfowning ridge in the backbone of
the continent ana q dreary, desolate looking
pace it is.
What was this country made for" asked q
fellow soiourner. ITO hold the rest of it to-
gether," was the ready reply. Laramie, which
we breakfast at, is the end of a division on the
Union Pacific railroad, and is one of the largest
towns on the road in Wyoming. 1t is located
on the Laramie river, in the midst of the Lara
mie plains and is said to conta in population
of over 5000 inhabitants 1t is called the 'Gem
City of the mountains" and its altitude and
close proximity to the hills behind 1t give it a
fair show for the name. We are soon at Chey
enne, where we change cars for Denver and al
ter running south and parallel with the main
range of the Rocky mountains, we strike the
town of Greeley. This town was named in honor
of Horace Greeley. contains some 1000 iEhabi-
tauts, has neither a saloon. night-watcnman,
nor police within its precincts, and from the
railway station, looks to be model of neatneSs
Between Cheyenne and Greeley we have fine
view of Longs peak, being only 40 miles west of
US; it is a. 27l feet above the ocean, and is COW
cred with snow the year round. was told by
''One who has been there" that magnificent
view can be obtained on clear day, from the
top of this mountain, three states, and three
territories being distinctly visible. We arrive
at Denver at P. NJ and at the same hour the
next day, we take the Denver & Rio Grande
train for Colorado Springs IS miles south Of
Denver. Here we have to wait an hour for the
Manitcu train which leaves at P. NJ, and as
Manitou is only six miles west from Colorado
Springs we are at the base of Pixies Peak at $50
Pm. Where we will leave you here for the
present. J.G.F.