Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1890-12-26
A LETTER FROM UTAH.
Unitah. Utah.

never beheld the scenic grandeur of
our mountain country, a brief descrip-
ton of the points of interest on II recent
journey through the mountains of Col
orado and Utah may be of interest.
Leaving Mystic, Iowa via q. NJ. and
st. Z. Railway and taking the Santa Fe
Route from Kansas City for Paeblo,
the route was devoid of points of spe-
cal interest until in sight of the noun
talns; Southwestern Kansas present.
ing very desertlike aud uninviting
picture, here large SUMS of money have
been spent by eastern capitalists in
constructing a system of ircigating
bitches from the Arkansas river, which
is little more than large sand bar
consequently at the season the water
is most needed the river is too dry to
furnish 1t.
AS we neared Pueblo, Pixies Peak,
the landmark of many a traveller be-
fore us, reared his snow covered sum-
NIT to the right We found Pueblo
indeed 1.-The Pittsburg of the West" a
city of $4,000 with all the rustic of a
western metropolis. Here at the union
depot, a superb structure, we took the
Denver and Rio Grande Western mar
row gauge for tho west. A few mo-
:nents ride brought us to Florence, the
petroleum city, a few minutes later
and we were at Canon City, situated
as the mouth OF that stupendous work
of Nature known as the Grand Canon
Of the Arkansas river. Atthe narrow
est point, known as the Royal Gorge,
there is barely room for the railway
and the foaming torrent OF the river,
dashing over the stony precipices to
the left, between the mighty granite
wall reaching skyward over 1900 feet
1t was beautiful moonlight night
and the platforms of the train were
crowded with tourists viewing Ma
lures wonderful works. One can not
help thinking of the Omnipotence that
reared such structures, compared with
which man is the embodyment of
weakness. Leaving the Gorge the
upper Arkansas river is traversed till
the city of Said is reached 7049 feet
above the sea; here the Leadv:lle and
Aspen branch leaves the main line.
The view at this point is delightful;
to the westward rises the Collegiate
range from which rise the snow cap
ped peaks of Yale, Harvard and Prin-
ceton. On the south is the Saugre
Christie range and to the southwest
tower the peaks Of Ouray and Shaveno.
Near Salida are mines Of copper, sill
yer, gold, iron, and, coal while the
mountain slopes are covered with
evergreens. A little further on is
Mears junction where the San Luis
branch joins the main line, from this
point the road begins its tortuous as
cent to Marshall Pass; by a series OF
curves the line follows the convolution
of the gulches gradually ascending
the mountain side until Marshall Pass
is reached, 1896 feet above the sea-
| We are now OH the highest point on
| the line, where the crossing of the
range is affected. The snow was al
J ready quite deep here; the atmosphere
quite cold; above us still tow cred th {
!; bare peaks of the range, while at oul
feetwere gorges thousands OF feet deeI
whose sides were clothedin forests Of
evergreen; while below us the CLOUD
j. curtains hung in graceful drapery a
round the slope. Thence we decendet
the winding Tomichi river to Gunni.
son, on the Gunnison river, city of 2
500, altitude 1858 feet, near which ar
anthracite coal mines, and in the tlltet
strata Of the Gunnlson country ar
found the richest deposits Of gold ant
d silver. Here are large smelters, tn
y d. a. II. &. w., and Drested Butt
s Branch Of same, also the Denver an,
South Park II. r., the former has erec
tel the LaVeta Hotel here at a cost .
. $225OOO. A little further down tn
Gunnison stands Sapinero, named 70
a Ute chieftain, here the train enter
the Black Canon OF the Gunnison onl
surpassed i'll magnificenceb the Roya
Gorge. 1t is fourteen miles long an
the granite and sandstone cliffs riset
perpendicular height OF $500 fesl
The most interesting features Of thi
canon are Chippela Falls and Cure
can't Needle after leaving the Gun
nison the most interesting feature is
sandstone tunnel. over one-quarter Of
h mile long. The last Important tow
in Colorado is Grand junction, I'll
county seat OF Mesa county. Leavin
here the road soon enters the Colorad
desert Of over one hundred mile
The soil is of a yellowish color an
j. is very productive when ir rigated, b
at present is sparcely covered wit
bunch-grass, sage-brush, greasewoo
rabbitbrush, shadescale and other We
citation peculiar to arid regionr. A
Green River station the. ascent Of Il
WaSatch range begins. At Price v