The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-12-08
A Glimpse Of the Beauties of the
Scenic Route.
BOUNTIFUL SAN LUIS VALLEY.
The Recent Conferences-A Large Attendance
The Prosperity That Has Attended
the Settlers From Utah.

held at this point Sunday and Monday, the
25th and Goth ult. l was Joined at Pueblo
by Elder John Henry Smith. We arrived
at La lara station, six miles north and
west of here, at noon Friday. 1 have
Travelled from Salt Lake to Pueblo a num-
Der of times and also from Pueblo to Salt
Lake and yet there was just as much
pleasure in viewing the wonderful scenery
to be found on this route as on any former
occasion. You need have no fears that l
shall attempta description of
THE WONDERFUL SIGHTS THAT ARE TO BE
SEEN
along this line, as 1 would not care to do
this after the many letters that have been
written to our Salt Lake papers on the sub
ject, and the very fine descriptions that are
issued by the Denver & Rio Grande people
from the pens Of those who make their
living by writing. Even if there had never
been anything written to our papers on the
scenery to be found on the route of the
Denver g. Rio Grande, 1 hardly think
would say anything about it, as it beggars
description for my limited abilities. I do not
think that there has ever been anything
written that does the subject full justice.
have never had the pleasure of seeing
any scenery, with the exception of that In
the mountains of Utah, and the adjoining
territories and states, and that tc be found
on the overland routes from Omaha to
New York and to San Francisco, and that
on the Hudson river, but none which have
seen causes me to doubt the right of the
Denver g. Rio Grande to claim that theirs
is the "Scenic Route Of the World.'
The chief delight to me, at the time l
visited the Niagara, was to sit for hours
,Qs1,,f Il hN.lvr NEr NOrs
rolling over the falls. l am sure that one
of the greatest disappointments of my life
would have been Niagara Falls, il 1 had
only seen them for minute or two, or
even for an hour, and have often wished
that could have the pleasure Of passing
through the Grand canon of the Arkansas
with hand-car. l can think of no more
delightful trip than hand-car ride with
party Of friends through this truly
4'Grand' canon.
NIAGARA GROWS ON A PERSON,
and sitting and watching it for half day
one rises with feeling of profound awe at
its grandeur. | am confident that day
in the Grand canon would have the same
effect. A trip through the Grand canon
with hand-car or even on foot, with
party of friends would be simply beyond
description, and 1 am confident that it
would be an incident in a mans life among
the number never to be forgotten, and one
which would be recalled with unalloyed de-
light in future years.
The conference meetings held here were
all well attended, and on account of the log
house in which the meetings are usually
held being completely packed, there were
overflow meetings in the school house Sun
day afternoon and Monday morning and af-
ternoOn. Both meetings, Sunday after
noon, were very much crowded. In addi-
ton to the stake and ward authorities
there were present Moses Thatcher, John
Henry Smith, William Spry, Robert Skel-
ton, jr F. w. Chambers and William r Lee,
so that there was no lack of visitors to adj
dress the people. The instructions given
were listened to with marked attention,
and as near as l could Judge, all were well
pleased with the conference. Elders Spry,
Lee, Chambers and Shelton arrived here
Saturday afternoon, the oath ult., with
company of immigrants from the southern
states Elder Spry started from here with
the other brethren the latter part of last
week for Salt Lake, he to pay a visit and
then return to his lahors at Chattanooga
and the others to remain home after an alb
sepce, laboring in the missionary field of
little over two years.
SAN LUIS VALLEY
is about fifty by one hundred and fifty miles
in extent, the greater length being from
north to south. 1t is located in southern
Colorado adjoining New Mexico on
the south. The valley lies in three
counties. The average altitude is about
seven thousand feet. Antonito, place
about ten miles west and south of here, is
1900 feet elevation. The mountains on the
west of the valley look more like hills than
mountains, this being due to the height of
the valley, as in most places they would be
considered very high. In the east range of
mountains, and about forty miles from this
point, one comes to the foot of the cele-
brated Sierra Blanca, the highest in the
Rocky mountain range. 1t is said to be
IA, 464 feet When was a boy it was gen
orally supposed that the distinction be-
longed to Pixies Peak. This valley is in
direct communication with Denver, as the
Denver & Rio Grande has a line entering
il and running south to Santa Fe, New
Mexico.
There is considerable wind here, and if it |
were not for the cold winds there would be |
little if any difference between the climate
here and that in Cache Valley, Utah. There |
Is less snow here than in Cache county, and |
as a rule the weather is very clear and |
pleasant.
Up to the present time there has been |
almost failure in the raising of fruit and |
shade trees, but it is thought that as the |
country settles up there will be change |
AL ILLS ICSpCCts n lew Ol Tile UdTQlcr
apples have matured 1t has been the his |
tory of all the colder valleys in Utah that |
as they settled up there was a change in |
the success that attended the raising of |
fruit trees. For many years this valley |
was considered too cold to mature any kind |
OF grain, and it was almost destitute of IN |
habitants When the other sections of |
Colorado were settling up rapidly, some |
parts OF which were not as productive as |
this valley, this section was left severely |
alone. When the Mormon people located |
their first settlement here, the old settlers, |
mostly cattle men, laughed and said that |
they would simply
THROW AWAY THEIR SEED GRAINS.
and that the settlement would come IN q |
sad end in one year. These parties were |
doomed to disappointment, and they were |
not even willing to admit the evidence of |
their own eyes when at the end of a year |
the people had raised good crops, but said |
that it had been an unusually good year |
and that next year would seal the doom of |
the settlement; but such was not the case.
Manassa was located in 1875 and soon there
after two other places, Ephraim and Rich
field. About two years ago these last
named were combined in one under the |
name OF Sanford, and new location made |
Tor settlement, 1t having been discovered |
that they were both on land too wet for
permanent towns. People have been COM
ing mere ever since the first location and |
there are now in the valley, of the Mormon |
people, something over two Thousand.
This place has about a thousand inhabi-
tants: most of the people here have come
from the southern state. The majority of |
those at Sanford have come from Utah, |
and good snare of them from Sanpete |
county. Sanford is six miles north of here:
there are two stores at Sanford and two |
story brick chool-house, 2Sx3S, nearly com