The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1890-12-12
Colorado Letter.
DURANGO, CoLo.. Oct. h

from IueDlO TWO nafIOW-gduRe engines were
harnessed TO our train, and for the next 40
miles we passed through very fertile
country where ranchmen were cutting their
third crop of alfalfa, and acres of grain yet
stood i'm the shock.
| At Florence the ''oil city, of Colorado.
our first stop, can be seen scores of derricks.
tanks and reservoirs, which gave us faint
idea OF the oil industry; The town is
rapidly going to the front as manufacture
| ing and commercial centre.
Our next stop is Canon City, very
pretty town of 1000, situated i'm the heart of
wonderful fruit growing district. The
principal attraction is the great number of
beautiful young ladies, which gives the city
| an extra inducement to summer tourists,
bachelors i refer to-. Another very strong
attraction for men is the state kindergarten
| (penitentiary) is located here. Here our
| train bitches on to an observation car,
simply an open car with slat back seats,
which gives passengers better opportunity
to view the wonders of Grand Canon. A
short ride through the city and we enter the
Canon with its grand panorama, every bend
in the.road revealing new surprises. Sitting
in the observation car, we look upward and
around, gaze and wonder, as we speed Oh
amid the rocky walls that surround us,
reaching up into the air in many places
$500 feet above the track, seeming almost
| to penetrate the very sky, hiding the sun,
| though the sky is cloudless and not yet two
| o'clock. Add to this sight the roar of the
| rushing water, the laundering noise of the
train, and altogether it is enough to quicken
| the blood of the most Indifferent ''tender-
| foot" passenger. The entire Sc miles from
Canon City to Salida is through an unbroken
| canon, and is one continued change of
scenery.
Solida. 10 nj 10
| the most important town on the Rio Grande
road. 1t is great railroad center, and the
natural supply point for large mining
country. 1t has apopulation of nearly 5000
| people, with good schools, churches, hotels
| and business houses. Here our train is di-
| vided into two sections, each pulled by a
''dOuble header for a climb to the summit
of Marshall Pass. The grade is very steep,
what is called per cent, raise of four feet
i'm each one hundred. The many sharp
curves, as we wind and twist along the side
of the mountain, give us a good opportunity
to Judge of the labor necessary to build the
road. TO give an illustration of the distance
we travel to make given point, we notice
mile post, and less than $50 feet away is
another; in other words to make $50 feet in
| our journey we travel one mile. L might
| add this kind OF travelling soon uses up
mileage book. At the summit, nearly l. 900
| feet above sea level, we stop and take
| breath and look down upon the surrounding
country and speculate upon the great engin-
eering feat that built q road over mountain
so lofty and grand. A gang of men and
teams were grading down the summit,
making way for depot and observatory.
1t is said they are going to build summer
resort up there. There is certainly plenty
of room. 1t would not do for ''lung hunt
er" toube caught up there in a Dakota biz
zard. 1t is poetical and romantic i'm August.
but the winter months will paralyze those
summer dreams.
While wandering about the summit
CHANGED TO notice OH piny0n tree the
initials {. s. w., OwOsso, Mich; could not
have been more astOnished if had met the
gentleman represented. If Charles could
have seen the pasteboard sign underneath
the initials he would certainly have cracked
smile and Joined us in ''rounder." The
whole thing read, &c. s. W., OwOssO,
Mich. For Imported Beer" the balance of
the cardboard sign having been destroyed.
We added a nice little epitaph, but in con-
sideration for an anticipated fee we will not
make il known for the present.
To resume, the train winds down the
long slope to the Gunnison valley, where
can be seen along the banks of the clear,
sparkling river, dozens of men and boys
angling for the beautiful mountain trout.
This part of the country is noted for its
numerous mountains, lakes and rivers, well
stocked with fish, ii is in fact the spOrtsmans
paradise. At GunnisOn we stopped for the
night. The town is q Rip Van Wrinkle
sort of place, noted for its $3.50, 900 hotel
built in the palmy days of the gold excite
ment of 70 and its scores of vacant stores
and dwellings,, now the roosting place of
the bats and owls. We spent the evening
listening to fish and bear stories by some OF
the local sports who hang around the hotel
for want of something better to do. | must
say that some of their stories were quite
thrilling, but think DR.. Parlill could give
them points and then beat them in contest
with his wolf story. AT noon we resume
our journey and in course of time reach the
Black Canon. Again we make use of the |
observation car TO be fully appreciated |
the canon must be seen. 1t is one of the |
widest and most fOrbiddng gorges ever
penetrated by a railroad. The road winds
among the cliffs, many of them 1000 feet |
high, many places overhangng rocks SEEM |
ingy waiting for a chance to sit down on |
some one. The river is SPAWNED by a half |
dozen frail looking bridges, yet as strong as |
steel can make them. At Cimmaron they |
double section the train again and we climb |
another high mountain, from the top we de- |
scend into the Uncompahgre valley and |
soon find ourselves at MontroSe. where we |
hid goodbye to tho main line. We conclude |
TO stay here over night, so meander up to |
the new $40, 900 hotel and engage lodgings. |
The landlord, q very benign individual with |
the traditional hotel smile endeavOred to |
make us feel at home while he told us of |
the beauties and advantages of MOntrOse. |
To sum it up, previous to 1881 the Ute in
dams occupied this entire country, but that |
year they were removed, and the country |
thrown open To settlers. A short nine years |
has sunced to bring together a population |
of 2, 900 in the town and as many more i'm |
the county. This county might he called |
the farmers FL Dorado, for they raise large |
crops of grain, fruit of all kinds in great |
abundance. and there is no better climate
for man or beast. Again, they always have
q ready market with good prices, being close
to the great mining camps. They have a
thorough system OF Irrigation so that failure
OF crops is unknown. Consequently the
farmers always have money, and mercantile |