Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-08-27

Al.4 =, and / have gained m
experience that instructive as it was
interesting. The railroad to the top Of the
mountain was finished wear ago. IL Is nine
miles in lelgth. though the station at the lower
end o! the line Is mile from Mani:Ou
Springs. which is situated 4. the real base of the
mountain. By the wagon road the distance to
the summit Is seventeen miles The railroad,
for the most part follows the old burro trail
OF the pack mules which transported provisions
and goods To the government signal station at
the top OF the mountain
The little depot Of the Pixies Peak and Mani
ton railroad has simply been overrIn with peo-
pie during the week just closed. II could not
accommodate one hundredth part of those peo-
PIE VINO wanted to hide TO the summit 1T all
hours OF the day or night long lines stood in
front Of the ticket window in the hope Of buy
ing the necessary passport. bat only few were
favored. Many of the Communicates coming 20
the coIclave had arranged for excursions up
the mountain beforehand. and this class were
accommodated first. There were three engines
and as mary clrs. the three running a few min
utes apart. lash car would seat tifty-two pas
sengers. and il sufficient number Of those
already possessed Of tickets applied for ride
the ticket window was Eot opened. This action
OF the part OF the railroad management was be-
cause of an effort Of a lot Of spectators to get
hold Of the tickets. They established q rule
that the ticket window should no. be opened
until a traia vas ready TO start, and then ONLY
a sufficient number OF tickets should be sold to
Ell the unoccuried seats in the Five hours
were necessary to make ths round trip, conse-
quently bat two or three trips day could be
made.
MOONLIGHT TRIP.
Because of the rush il was decided TO inaugu-
rate moonlight trips. 1t was on one Of these
that ascended the mountain Some Of the
tirid passengers wondered WHY the Car was not
lighted. The reason for this was soon man
fest We could the better study the scenery
along the track. For one-third Of the distance
up the mountain side the way led through @
deep gorge with surroundings as romantic as
any that can be found in the country. By this
time the foothills were passed and the climb
began in earnest IL was just at the base of the
mountain proper that the Halfway House" Is
located II pretty glen. as attractive spot as
might be fOund in several days journey. On
the way We met hundreds of people camping
by the roadside. intent on reaching the sum-
nit As man more had made the ascent and
were nov on their WAY down. Many had built
camp fires ard were resting. To those coming
direct from cities where the air was sitting and
the Eea: almost unbearshle it was certainly a
move, sight 10 see people building fires TO keep
warm. but the passengers in the car were glad
enough 10 close the windows and look with en-
vious eyes upon those who were provided with
overcOatS- For more than half the after
the foothills had been passed the track was laid
upon an incline of fully forty-fve degrees
Passengers reached out for the backs of the
seats IN front Of them to get hold lest they
slide toward the lower end of the Car in some
way other.
Two or three stops were made on the way at
wafer stations ana one a little longer than usual
at tie Halfway House for those who wanted
% buy = cup os hot coffee as a means OF pro
lection against the cold air. II was just after
passing out of one of the gorxas characterizing
the earilgr a. The 10 and erarrr abo
the heavier growth OF mountain timber that a
shout went no from the hftv-twO passengers as
the moon Was seen Jast emerging over the
moCnfa.n range in the east From that time
forth The mountain brightly lighted as
though covered with electric lights. The air
being so clear the illumination far brighter
ihssn Is seen at much lower planes of the earth =
surface. The timber diminished a. we Travelled
upward. The grassy slopes gave place to
gravelly banks and the foliage Of the trees Wac
replaced with dry limbs. Finally the trees dis
appeared entirely. We were above the timber
line The G-Gvelly banks and patches Of moss
that served instead of grassy sward were all
gone and only rocks remained. IL looked as
though . shower Of small boulders and stones
had fallen upon the mountain. for very little
loose earth could be gathered anywhere. 1t
must have guszled the engineers to build that
railroad upon such bed.
AIHCSDEE sToEM BELOW
Another strange light presented itself before
We reached the sunmit. Above and around Us
the moon was shining peacefully and the stars
'vinkled even more merrily than when seen
ron the earth beneath but suddenly lash of
lightning to the southwark admoui-hed US that
far different CONDITION of affairs was there
existing More and more vivid the lightning
became. bat II was not near enough for u TO
hear The thu1ter which must have crashed as
the storm passed over the lOwlands. The heavy
clouds we're perhaps a mile below Us. L had
heard OF balloons piercing thunder clouds and
riding above ;he storm. but never before was
such experience riy own. The strange phe-
nomen1n excited every Passenger to the high
Get itch.
~ weapproachedthe suynrli: was seized with
ar uncomfortable desire 70 sleep. Do what
would. those eyelids woald grow so heavy and |
Gould not avoid aOdding. | looked around me
and found tINt others were similarly affected
The old. gentleman who SAT next 20 me was al
most Snoring. IL Wa- a relief to liz when .he
train Stopped on the Sunni: and the con-
dc-tor announced that the end of the tourney
hat ben attained Bur vhew, wasn't il cold,
4 Ia: hardly expected To 20 mp tine mountain
WIEN ! started from Denver, consequently |
hatbrOuSL. I",hing with me in the .!iape of
an 'Eercos4s ~ extra wrap. thoughtful ones
h1L bought ma"kiutoshes and ANYTHING else
the SOC!i lind that promised warmth for the
bod. Wa glad . hurry into the little one
stoE stone building that served a sta ion at
thssumsnlt. Inside wa fire. around which a
do Y people hid'!sd and shook with cold. Nv
tech chartered and ms knees qlaked would
k1e gwen a good premium for = suit of winter
clthiug just then.
here werc two or three rOsms in the build
IL. one wls occupied Il a telegraph office and
hc-a-bFac store. Photographs and little SOU
vn;rs were offered for sale On The wall lust
Res o. tae telegraph operators desk there was
fpi&c-rd suggesting that visitors telegraph 70
lelr friends from the highest telegraph Office
we world The wire WIS run TO the summit
OF INC purposes 81 the weather service Over
ne entrance 70 the building was a small sign
tenotiaS th.a. the building was "a United States
iSiiaI station The telegraph operator told me-
lcwever. that the value OF the summit As a sta.
ton FOR weather observations was rot so great
a. formerly. and the Observer lived down a,
Colorado Springs, six miles from the base Of the
mountain, and only came to the sum
nit tao OF three times "a week. In the
ADJOINING room was lunch counter
where hot coffee and beef tea were sold as vel
a. sandwiches and other elibles. such as NAV
usually be found At "a railway lunch establish b.
menL There was a ;hi-i ROOM which irnag-
fnei was devoted 10 the help employed as well
A. furnishing living room for the eolored pro-
prietor Of the place. | told that he re-
manned a. the summit all the year round In
winter he shuts himself up with plenty O! pro-
visions AID hardly put- his head cut Of doors
until spring. The stone walls of the building
are two or three feet thick and the windows are
- az u.