Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1889-10-02
Descriptive Letter.
OURAY, COLORADO,
Sept. 10th, 1889.

Descriptive Letter.
OURAY, COLORADO,
Sept 10th, 1889.
Editor Spectator:-A few lines in regard
to a trip up the Uncompahgre River.
Arriving at Montrose whence you
Journey southwark by branch line of the
Denver & Rio Grande railroad, if you look
westward from the town your vision will
range across the beautiful valley of the
Upcompahgre river, studded with green
fields and thriving farms, and beyond these
the pine and cedar-clad mesas, which stretch
far away to the horizon, and whose luXu-
RANT grasses nourish, and pine forests and
deep ravines shelter thousands of well-fed
sheep and cattle. Then turning toward
the South you will behold SO me thirty
miles away, the lofty peaks of the Sierra
San Juan, the highest of which, Mount
Abram and Sneffles, and Uncompahgre,
and Stray Horse and Polosia peaks, rear
their hoary crests some $4,000 feet aDd
more above the level of the ocean; and at
their feet, and in the shadow of their giant
forms, lies the little town we are journey
ing towards, Ouray.
As you steam along the valley, when
about five miles distant from Montrose
you pass the home where lived and died
Ouray, the great Chief of the Uncompah
gre Ute indians, whose tepees as late as
'81 were pitched along the river. Two
miles further where you see floating the
stars and stripes, is the Cantonment, where
are quartered some 400 U. s. troops, and
onward over the great Uncompahgre irri-
eating ditch or artificial river, which has
reclaimed thousands upon thousands of
acres of hitherto unproductive soil, past the
adobe ruins of the old Indian agency, and
then passing through canyon you glide
along between sandstone cliffs, through
hourishing ranches, then winding among
sage bush and cactus covered slopes, and
pine and cedar-clad foothills, until within
ten miles of your destination, where you
emerge into the lovely valley known as the
Uncompahgre Park, and now as we ap.
proach the headwaters of the river the
scene changes-pine and cedar give place
to aspen, sage and cactus and bare rock, to
grasses and fruits and flowers. The streams
get clear as crystal as they plunge madly
over rocks, and you enter what used to be
to the Indians land flowing with milk
and honey.
Here were his streams of pure cold
water, beautiful aspen groves, the best of
grass in the greatest abundance and pro-
fusion OF wild fruits and berries. While
the whole country is a perfect flower
garden in this Park, about nine miles from
Ouray, are some very large hot springs,
the temperature of which nearly reaches
boiling point, and are impregnated with
iron, salt and lime, and the alkalies. The
park is bordered on the west by straight
line of cliffs of sandstone capped with vol
canic rock, gradually increasing in height
towards the South, and on the East by
slopes more or less steep, from the I'm
compahgre peak groups and its spurs.
Within two miles of Ouray, this park
narrows into magnificent gorge, bounded
on each side by sandstone Of the carbonif-
erous age, and sloping backward from the
edge, dense forests of pine and quaking
aspen timber, the whole crowned by Jagged
peaks and truncated masses of trachyte,
the SUBMITS of which are ten to fifteen
thousand feet above tide water. From
this gorge you emerge into the beautiful
amphitheatre in which stands the now
Justly celebrated little town of Ouray, and
no matter at what season you visit her,
whether the whistle of the humming bird 8
wing be heard, as he darts through the
aower-scented air of summer, or whether
the snow banners are blowing from her
peaks, Ouray and her scenery are ever
grand, ever indescribably beautiful.
The town numbers about 1000 inhabi-
tants, and lies in an amphitheatre, the
mountains entirely surrounding it, with
the exception of the narrow gorge by
which you enter, to heights of from three
to six thousand feet above it, and being
thus walled in, it is sheltered from the
storms, and as winter residence at such
an altitude, 1900 feet above sea level, it's
equal is not to be found in Colorado.
On the steep pine clad hill west of town
is the water works reservoir fed by Oak
Creek, stream whose waters are pure
and clear and never-failipg. The water is
distributed over the town by pipes with
hydrants at each corner for fire purposes.
and is laid on in stores and dwellings, In
the southwest portion of town where the
headwaters of Canyon creek join those of
the Uncompahgre, are some lovely canyons
and picturesque gorges, and here where
the hot springs flow down over the banks,
the rocks are covered with maiden hair,
and other ferns. One of these hot springs,
which is a favorite one for drinking pur-
poses, contains lime, magnesium, manga
nese, salt and phosphate of iron, and is an
anti-acid, and beneficial in rheumatic affec.
tions, and carbonate of manganese, a
blood-maker. There are two warm SWIM
ming baths in town, the water flowing in
nine grains Of mineral matter to the gallon.
composed of sulphate of lime and a small
amount of the carbonate and chloride of
the alkalies. None but those who have
tried it can imagine what treat it is after
long tramp, drive or ride in summer sun
to relax the muscles and soothe the nerves
by plunging in these delightful waters
The hot springs, all of which flow into the
Uncompahgre, serve to keep that river
without film of ice in the severest weather
in town and some distance below, which,
of course, is great boon to the various in
dustries which use water as their power
On the east side of Ouray, Portland creek
flows in, and from a cliff high up on the
gigantic buttress Of red sandstone which
TANKS the northeastern portion, Cascade
creek rushes down and shoots far out into
space ending in a veil of spray. In the
northern part of town there are more hot
springs, and where they flow into the river
are beds of delicious watercress, which,
owing to the warmth of the water, remains
green through the severest winter Ouray
is supplied with pure water from the water
works, is lighted by the electric light, has
railroad and Geographic connections with
the outside, good hotel accommodations.
and first-class markets, which are supplied
with meat, game, fruit and vegetables from
the pastoral and agricultural valley, which
reaches, you may say, to her very doors, as
well as with California fruits and wines of
all kinds. There is also fine brick
school-house, built at cost of SIC, 900,
and stone hospital costing about the same
aud which, though under the superin-
tendency of the Catholic clergyman aud
the Sisters of Mercy, is not sectarian, bu9
will admit free any one who pays regular
subscription Of one dollar per month. The
new hotel, the Beaumont, is, for its size,
the prettiest and most artisticslly arranged
hotel in Colorado. 1t is built of brick,
facad with s.Ona and rooted with slate