Wichita eagle., 1889-07-26
THE FRoL1csoME FISHERS.
Where they Are and what they are Doing.

WAGON WHEEL GAP, Col, Jnly 90.
Tothe Editor of the Eagle
The ride from Pueblo to Del Norte over
the scenic Denver & Rio Grande railway
| was very interesting and the scenery was
grand beyond description. Leaving
Pueblo about o'clock in the morning we
had beautiful ride to Cuchara junction,
through forests of cactus and sage brush,
with the Spanish Peaks towering in front
OF us like the sentinels of old. After leav-
Ing Cuchara junction we commenced to
climb Veta pass. To the westward can be
seen with the naked eye the famous Green
horn range of mountains, while to the
eastward the scene is only limited by the
horison. To the southwest we have view
OF Old Baldy mountain. at whose feet lies
that old dreamy town of Santa Fe. We
rise to an altitude of over Is, 900 feet with
the train) and look off into the country be-
low. We stood on the rear of the Pull
man and gazed in wonder at the
beautiful scenery. At the apex of the
mountain we could distinctly see the snowy
tip of Sierra Blanca and the serrated pin
acles of the Sangre de Cristo range
over the range we come into the
great San Luis valley and rode
for sixty miles over an unbroken prairie.
San Luis park has an area larger than
that of the state of Connecticut, wa
tered plentifully by mountain streams and
traversed by the historic and beautiful
Rio Grade del Norte. The soil of the val
ley is very fertile, Passing the houses of
hard working farmers and fields of live
cattle and ranches of potatoes, our train
pulled into Alamosa with a hot box
Here the conductor informed us was
where we had to pay seventy five
cents for breakfast. My eyes water
when | think of the mammoth
formes of speckled trout larded with
Norman potatoes and elk liver fried with
young grouse mountain onions and straw
berries with cream fresh from the ranches.
Joe Allen and eX-chairman county COM
missioners of Sedgwick county not being
OF our party, we took our time in seating
ourselves and did justice to meal that
would put to shame Hoffman house
breakfast. By the way, / noticed that at
several eating houses the proprietor looked
white and uneasy when we would arrive,
and | made myself so bold as to ask him
the reason of his fright. They told me
they understood this was Wichita party
and that year or SO ago they had one
from the same place, and from
their description Of some of the
people l would say that our eX-
of deeds had struck them on their way to
Frisco as G. r. A. The eating house hay
ing just recovered from the shock did not
want any more of it. At Aamosa we took
the branch for Del Norte, where we took
stage for the Gap. The station agent at
Del Norte having been notified of our COM
ing provided vehicles to convey us onward
without delay. In our party was General
Warder and family, Sir Henry Walsh of
London, with his son Charles, and Mr.. and
Mrs Vanderpool of New York After
getting our baggage checked and all Of our
hand luggage in the stages the dri-
yer whipped the horses at 1:30
p. m. and away we went whirling
forward for sixteen miles at aterrible rate
of speed. AT one point on the road the coach
came within six inches of being whirled
over the precipice and down at least one
hundred and fifty feet into the turbulent
stream below. Sir Henry was very cool
but declared he would not make the trip
again with such reckless driver but the
writer who had for several years been
driving over the crossings at W had no
fear of little thing like that. Several
days before a very heavy rain storm had
washed the old road bed away about fifteen |
miles from Del Norte and III making Il
new road they had made it so steep that it
was impossible for the horse to pull us up
the side of the mountain, so we had to get |
Out Oh Une cOacH anu Walk Or I1tHFy |
took the ladies and | took the luggage and t
we carried them around about 800 feet to |
the main road. A bout five miles beyond |
we had to change horses and at this point |
the wind was blowing perfect gale down |
the canon. L lost my hat and can aud Mr.. |
Vandepool was kind enough to lend me |
his checked cap until l could order
another one from home. At the ranch |
here we had lunch at $50; we were again
sailing on our journey to the gap. The |
road from here to the gap is wonderfully |
and fearfully made, there is no paving |
whatever. The scenery Is grand. beyond
description. The air is invlgOrating, |
but the dust is cross between |
the gravel and mountain boulder. AS we
were rounding the mountain and came in
sight of our resting place, we saw gard
ler hoeing cabbages on little patch of
ground about half as large our court
house square. Stopping our team we en-
gagged the farmer in conversation. He
old us he had lived there for thirteen
years; said he used to live in Wichita, and
inding | WAS from the Princess of the
Plains he piled me with more questions
han | ever thought it possible for one
nan to ask. He asked about you, Dear
Marsh, and also about j. r. Mead, Buffalo
Bill, Henry Sluss, Bill Hutch, Red Rowdy
Joe, and balance of the boys; said
le used to work for William Greiffenstein
tlu dO OuC o'SpooS VI bNo
horse thieves near the cemetery. He holds
III interest in a very valuable mine about
EN- miles from the Gap from which he ex-
1ects to make fortune and go back W.
md see the boys l gave him a copy of
he EAGLE and three or four OF the board
If trade folders with a copy of the last an
lual report of the board of trade which l
had put in my grip and l
hink if | could have given him "a few of
hose cigars that Al Thomas is ALWAYS
irving you that it would have made him
md myself even for one hour lost, but
With all that gave him he seemed to be
Happy. We arrived at the Gap at $40.
we're assigned to our rooms and at once
prepared for the bath. / wish, dear
Marsh, you could be here to enjoy this
delightful coolness, and such baths and
casting, well l will tell you something
bout that in my next. Yours, W.
THE PRESENT TROU BILE.
u,I,o -oboN1 hoo ri will hold on1+bo~ 70.