The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1891-02-27
Colorado Letter.

DEAR EDIToR:-SOme time has passed
since we dipped our pen in Colorado scenery,
and perhaps 1t is just as well. At all
events we will hasten our trip "Around the
Circle" for fear you will cry ''enough."
Let us see, our last letter ended at Ouray.
on our way from Telluride via the High
Line, aud IL memory serves us rightly, we
were Obliged to go into dry dock for repairs.
At all events in the course of day or two
we were ready to resume our wanderings.
This time stage ride from Ouray to Iron
ton was the early morning attraction. Miss
Carruthers, in her charming letter to THE
TINES, has very ably described the beauties
and pleasures of this bit of staging, so we
will pass on to the Rainbow Route" railroad
which connects IrOnton and Silverton. The
road was built to carry the immense yearly
output Of ore from the Yankee Girl group.
and other rich producing mines of Red
Mountain. The road is sixteen miles in
length, of course narrow gauge; the grade
is $50 feet to the mile, curves are sharp,
while the roadbed nearly the entire distance
runs along the mountain side, high up
among the clouds, thus affording an endless
variety of scenery. The 'switch back" ar
rangement for getting around the corner
of the mountain was as much novelty to us
as the Chinese puzzle.
Red Mountain, the first station on our
time card, enjoys the distinction of being
the highest town in the country, and from
the number of saloons, ''tin horn" gamblers
and hO-bos, we judge the inhabitants have
a high old time 365 nights in the year.
The Yankee Girl station is very busy
place, the group of mines giving employ
ment to hundreds of men, and every month
adding thousands of dollars to the wealth of
the owners. Last month the net profit from
the Yankee Girl mine was nearly $50, 900.
These mines have lately been sold to an
English syndicate for several millions.
From here to SllvertOn was a ride of half
an hour, where we stop for dinner. This
camp, like Telluride and Rico, is ilanked on
three sides by high mountains, which are
dotted with mining camps of all descriptions
from the little white tent of the prOspector
to the extensive outfit of the Polar Star
mine. Like all mining camps, Silverton
has had its ups and downs. At present it
is working in an up, with 1,500 people to
help along the boost. Owing to the altitude
of the town, over 1900 feet, everything you
buy here, from cOrk-screw to jack pot
Except postage stamps) comes high. Three
hours was long enough for us to do the
town, and with our experiences, too sad to
relate, train time found us at the depot
bound for Durango. This time we take
passage in a Rio Grande train, the main line
which connects Silverton and Durango with
Denver. This fOrty-five mile ride is very
pleasant one, passing down the Aurnias
Canon, noted as one of the most romantic
and interesting of any in the Circle. trip.
Durango is a city of 4, 900, and is the natural
supply point for southern Colorado. The
city is situated i'm the heart of an immense
farming country and owing to the close
proximity of the large mining camps, the
farmers always get good prices for their
crops. The city is we'll equipped with all
modern improvements. and the business
blocks, public buildings, residences, streets
and sidewalks all indicate thrift, pride and
enterprise. Two large smelters, Touring
mills, elevators, various factories and four
coal mines are among the industries TO be
seen. A 100000 hotel, The Strater, one of
the best i'm the state, is great attraction to
the travelling public. After very pleas
ant two days stop we again pull out, this
time for Denver. This ride is certainly
continuation of our round OF pleasure, every
hour revealing new sights. There is no
monotony, but variety that delights and
satisfies the eye. First, we pass through an
extensive grazing country, where can be
seen large herds of cattle and horses, and
HoW dliu tucli COW-DOy CtinpluS Oubub Cttii
be seen I'm the distance. Next, we speed
through the Ute reservation, and it is q
novel sight to us to see the Indian teepes OF
tents with the family group I'm the fore
ground to watch the train 60 by. Occasion
ally we pass band of dusky warriors,
mounted on bronchos with rifle and hunting
bags, on their Way to the mountains to hunt
deer and bear. Soon after leaving Amargo,
we pass through the Apache reservation,
the tribe that for years was the terror of the
early settlers Of New Mexico. In due
course of time Chama is reached, our dinner
station. Ii is a lumber town, but j am
afraid the forests(?) and the size and quality
of the logs would provoke a smile to an ex-
perienced Michigan lumberman. From
here to the summit of the Cumbus range
our train is pulled by ''double header"
believe the summit is called the Continental
Divide, waters on the east side finding their
way to the Atlantic, while those on the
west flow toward the Pacific. We are mp in
! the region of snow sheds, I'm fact for time