The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1892-02-17


CoLoRApo SPRINGS, Col, Feb. o, 'g2.-
Here ] am again with two thousand
miles of ice-co1d railroad track sepa-
rating me from my homo. Surely the
life OF drummer Is an unpleasant
one; rumbling away in train, over
trestle and through tunnel, over
bridges and through snow sheds go to
sleep In one State. waken up In an
| other, out OF the train into a hotel,
wrestle with the bill of fare, wink at
the waiter girls, go out and talk busi-
ness an hour or two, tell over the
same story you have been telling for
the last three or four years, back to the
hotel again, write few letters, catch
the next train and away. only see my
family twice year, then it takes me
several days to get acquainted with
them.
o yes. travelling becomes chestnuty,
but 1t has its diversities and fascina-
lions too, and when once a man has
buckled on u sample case and worn 1t
year or two he seldom takes it off till
he makes that gripless trip across the
narrow inbound slip that divides us
from the mysterious land OF to come.
i have travelled from the towering
pines OF Maine-the home OF the Bis
mark OF American poiitics-into mild
hammered, motionless Mexico, and
from diminutive Delaware through
darkest Dakota to tho wild wastes Of
Washington. L have travelled till
strange faces have become familiar,
and familiar ones strange. | have
not learned TO love my home less, but
my country more. | have learned
that that portion of this sublunay
ball, known to scholars as"The United
States, is country of gigantic pro.
portions, unparalleled prosperity and
Infinite resources, Here in this Safe
there 10 sufficient silver iron. prosper
ity and climate to last the entire coun-
try for centuries TO come.
Only think OF it tonight, while | am
one mile in perpendicular height
above the banks OF the sluggish Chris.
tine. What great upheavel, what q
folding in the crust of the earth there
must have been when the primitive
work OF world making was In progress
to have left such citations, such emf
nences. This is literally the platform
upon which rests the gigantic spires
OF the Rockies but few miles away.
| visited yesterday the Garden of the
Gods, four miles from this place. The
Gods have moved out, left in the night
| was told, there Ia nothing there but
the Garden. Ii it were anywhere near
Wilmington some of the real estate
men would nave had o bill on 1t long
ago.
All along the line OF railroad from
Denver TO Canton City one sees some
wonderful figures carved on and out
of tho rocks. 1t does not require
much imagination to think that some
giant sculptor has been here and aftei
chisellng little Oh either side OF the
entire road, had outdOne all his former
efforts in this his Yelitabie studio. The
formation il unlike anything | have
ever seen, being reddish conglUtn
crate; sometimes there are several diff
fcrent colored strata In the same itg
urei had the time d a .o1lle CT +,
tive pen, (tiis one is not would likt
to tall you more infinitely OF the gro
tesque figures which nature, by heI
agencies the wind, the rain the hail
and frost has carved here out Of The
solid rock. Some one. I know MOI
whom, has named ali the figures, ant
they are remarkably true to nature
Tho twins, ''the tower of Babel.
1.-THE crouehing bear tho sisters
and the cathedral spires"
1t really seems that nature had gone
daft here and after cutting loos,
from the conventional and more I'M
poItant business of mountain making
had amused herself for few thousand
years making toys,
love the mountains, they have al
, ways had "a peculiar charm for me
? probably because they are so scare
in Delaware. Bryant tells us 9Th
Groves were Gods first Temples" III,
mountains are His monuments, erect
} ed TO commemorate His masterpiece,
, of planet making. They catch TIN
first rays Of the morning sun and arr
the last to receive his evening bene
dictlon. Down their rugged side
nave trickled the head-waters of al
the mighty rivers OF the earth. The,
gauge the climate OF every land, an,
out OF their bowels have come untol,
treasures, to enrich, TO decorate am
to warm mankind. 1t is not strang
then that primitive man. and to-da
some who arc semi-ciYill2eu, shoul,
| worship them.
But my time Is too limited and m
: surroundings too real to indulge /
sentiment, and beside, the thermomt
: ter marks 30 degrees below. The al
Is crisp and snappyi when one is tall
ing out doors the muscles OF the la
seem to contract and the words sna
and crack as though one We're eatin
: celery.
IL is now five o'clock; here the su
| has set but his long rays are still ting
ing the glittering peaks OF the moul
tain with rich glory of purple.
, little to the north stands Pixies Pea
thrusting his snowy white head far u
: into the regions OF eternal cold, as
proud OF his long privilege OF catch
: ing last look at dying sun.
a They tell me here this is ono of tn
healthiest places west of the Mssis
sippi, malaria with all its concomitan
evils being unknown, but given til
=, right OF choice | would much rathe
have malaria dozen times than freez
to death once. ! leave In tho mornin
J for Montana; II you hear of me freez
ing-ta-ta. NJ.