New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-08-11
OVER THE RANGE.
THE SHUTDOWN SLOPE OF THE ROCKIES.

When the tery rays Of the summer san Degln 10 neat
the earth the heart of man begins TO pant for the
wsterbrooks People east of the Mississippi and those
who have become thoroughly oonventionslzed, CRAFTY
this instructive longing well they can by spend
ing few weeks at the seaside resorts those west OF
the Father Of Waters and those who bear the bones
of conventional and fashionable life restively, fly 10
the mountains of the West There is wide difference
between the Eastern and Western Fairgrounds III
the East man is MASTER fashionable life Is dominant;
nature has been improved upon and made artihciai'
the best you can get-sivc old ocean-is IRON human
designs. In the West nature relgns' the plgmy man
make impression upon the mighty features thSl
present themselves Gods designs lie In virgin mod
esty and bloom before the observer As the sap rises
I'm the spring this Instructive desire TO get near to
natures heart grows and swells in me TIL II becomes
unoOntrolable / take my fate in my own hauos'
the ties that bind me to the daily fOuuhe OF my
occupation. throw conventional HE behind me ana
am prepared to look upon life "a tile aboriginal man
looked upon it, before the race learned 10 DC CAUTIOUS
iudicious and calculating. The motto of my outings
Is: "Tme was made for slaves" / find many days
when there is nothing better TO do than "sun me ana
DO nothing 10 loaf and invite my soa
A person with such tastes naturally seeks the
Rockies And resolved TO pass by, for the time the
velknown N sorts of the eastern side, on which fashion
has set her seal and seek thu unheraded beauties OF
the western slope We entered Colorado frOh Iho
south While speeding through New-Mexico we cs"s"C
our GrSt glimpse OF the mountains. The sn0w-cappeu
Spanish Peaks lOOmeO up olO HOIHiiS Oiodi "'"
I'm the sunlight, while were yet a hundred m'es
sontb NJ them The country through which we were
passing was dry and hot and dusty, almost uese't
region Behind Us memories OF semi-uOpcAi
Texas sun that rarely permits snow 10 reach the ea'h
even in winter, and that at this season OF the wear
renders life almost torpid before u.s. the certain proS
pect of perpetual SNOW mountain streams puIo' 'oo
air-bracIpg winter conditions. The contrast WAS
sharp and was accomplished within a few hours No
later experiences with snOwcapped peaks eau'eu .l0
stimulating effects that this RPst view OF them uuer
The peculiar conditions produced. We raced along lo
many hours In sight of these outpoStS OF INC hoONV
seeming 10 be almost within their shadow ana YET
nnahlc IN get nearer to them. Another sha2 contrast
was caused by our being whred Suddeliy Holn 'n0
desert regions which lay for miles along inc uao" i"
the midst of cities like Trinidad and PueDio' !" dsII
cutural regions farms and farm-houses lie along ue
vav and one can determine his proximity 10 Guy
nv the density of the population of the eS1rOhs' DuU
along this way we roll for miles through DARRELL
scorching almost uninhabited region TO De Droueht u
a sudden halt In the heart of an important
ing town. Agriculture beautlhes anu 80 u sP0"n'
humanizes the face of nature mining burles inc NE
rgoccd in II in the bowels Of the earth, and 1T scarcely
makes mark upon the surface
WINTER WEATHER IN JUNE.
We reached ManitOu Junction, where we were 10
change cars for Colorado springs and the West about
2 O'Clock one evening in June A strong sharp gaze
80 allowing down from Pixies Peak. and we were
Obliged 10 seek our luggage to procure wraps feueS
trans on the streets of Colorado Springs ana guests o
The hotel verandas light OvercoatS ana coahS i"
addition TO the winter clothing they had not |eU us
ca,ded To one from warm climate, the first con-
tact with the cool mountain breeze Is chilling ana de
,ro.s,nc This first night wished the atmosphere
not quite so cool But the next day we TOOK t' ua'n
for the West and in crossing the mountains we encoun
tered real winter weather.
Tbree railroads cross Colorado from the East ana
ce,,re in Grand Junction in the West and all OF tHeh
oriurc ski
ainculties encountered may be gathered by cohpar
son OF the shortest distance between points anu 'e
distance the road must go to reach tieIh' r'''"
Denver 10 Grand Junction. IA the Gro" mes - per
mans 200 miles as the shortest of the ROADS runs
is more than 400 The roads must 20 two miles 70
,,oro ono The variations from the straight line are
moth horizontal and vertical the ascent OF the noun
.tains is made by series of side curves vi COURSE ~
cost of building such snuOus roads through inc mum
tains is enormous and passenger and elght ra'S are
proportionatey high The local passenger rae Is sA
cents per mile. From the fact that rond distance =
rproximatey twice air line distance, and the COLORADO
rate * twice the rate OF the old states the rate -
epalv nearly four times that OF older sates-appoach
ing twelve cents a mile linear distance Ihousahu
mile unlimited tickets may be bought ho"e'c'' io'
$50. - H..
can show onefourh the interest along the routes tat
Colorado roads show. Railroads generally are u7eu
for nothing but for carrier purposes Inc op!c'' III
aVaiing ones self OF them l. 10 NU'H Il" 'N'''''' iN
a. sneedv as possible. on the Colorado roads WIN
80 %, ,ha most magnificent panOIamas of tho world
snrcad ont before the traveller the train cannot move
zoo slowly the destination Is minor mht'ei anu -
reached too soon the chief interest Is along 'le WAY
All the trunk lines are well equipped, the Denver ana
Rio Grande rivaing in this particular the best roa"S
OF the East.
THE REGION OF ICE AND SNOW.
From Colorado springs to Hageiman'S Pass severn
teen miles west of Lesdvie. there j. an ascent Oh
b546 feet. From the cool bracng air OF COLORADO
sptngs one rises to the region of snow ana zee Inc
train as it dashes along shows great variety VI
scenery one moment its path lies along ledge near
the bottom of deep with great towering masses
of rock impending it; another moment II whoS
lsboriously up the side Of mountain, crossing ioa
ing torrents revealing great chaSns, showing the WIG
FEATURES of rugged mountain scenery. The next mo-
r,ent all is shut ont by the abrupt entrance into
tnnel that perces the rocky heart OF some majestic
noak We reached IGadvile, the highest city In the
state one morning late in June. There Is nothing so
rare TO the ordinary mortal as LeadVlle oaN III
Jpne As we left the sleeper TO 90 to the dining
room we shvered with cold, though We had protected
ourselves with our heaviest wrOps. AS we walked up
the platform one of the party said he hoped for
GOOD roaring fire. another thought ham ana eggs WOud'
he about the proper thing while another asserted mat
nothing short OF hot buckWheat cakes would DC III
harmony with the situation We found all these thugs
md more A good coal fire burned in an open stove
near the door. We paused here and warmed our
selyes above the shvering temperature. At the table
we found the ham and the buckwheat cakes ana
many other good things upon all OF which we did tIo
pendous execution. At Leadville another locomotive
was added 10 our train, and with both OF them puhng
away we started up the road for Nagernans Tunnel
This tunnel is 52s feet seevel, the highest
y,olnt AZ which a railroad is operated In tho United
States The object TO get to the top and get
over the Great Divide speedily as possible But
with the best that coud be done the ascent was sun
1aRlI
across the face of the mountain we wound our way,
each ono OF the windlnCs being perhaps quarter OF
a mile long and lifting possibly 200 feet ne
member noticing once during the ascent three tracks
above lis and one below us the one below US we
had Just passed over the ones above Us We "ouu