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

/ tanned and at once closed the bargain. Out into
/ tue cold dusky miuiOn OF the proprietor led
me way to one OF the buildings already men,
TOR Within it were a dozen cots. The bed
/ clot4lni consisted Of a mattress and two heavy
b.anke he. we're one or two dodgers there
ahead OF one and found that they had gone to
bed with their boots on well rs retaining their
oyeTcoats. l Law down and drew the blankets
o'er me, but it still too cold to sleep.
.NcrF soon other dodgers came in and nearly all
;hc cots were taken. TWAS not hong before one
- INC number was taken sick. Has he been
drinking or has he eaten something that docsn' I
agree with his stomach? | ask myself Then
another was seized with the same symptoms,
and then third. felt a slight sense of nausea
u:acH IL was the effect of the atmosphere.
l-r chest grew sore rs | tried to fill my lungs
with the light air, nv pulse became rapid in its
moments. and somehow or other | did not
enjoy the surroundings. The sick dodgers be-
E1n 20 grope around in the dark in search for
s"methlnS they expected to find. but did not
readily tried to go 20 sleep, bat a often % I
did though shaking with the cold, of those
loigers would reich and groan and woke up
again. concluded TO try the open air, and the
rc;hnincer of the night l passed in walking
about In vain effort TO keep warm.
IL was afterward explained to me that every
VISITOR 10 the summit experienced sensations of
;h.7 sors. One man told me he felt as though
he were growing blind. another said he was worry
div. most every one ia affected, too. with a
tendency 10 bleeding at the nose while others
con- plained that they could not catch their
breath. 1t was also said that in that altitude it
would be useless to boil potato; ii never could
be cooked.
4 he sky il the east began to grow brighter
1t vas evident that dawn was approaching [
cocLl now deHry post set mp among the rocks,
which was intended to mark the very summit of
the mountain. 1t was covered with the cards of
visitors. tackled and pinned to the most available
spot IN the wood. In the dim light Of the early
morn 1t was n strengthening object, the
numerous cards looking like so much down or
feathers. Near the building first described as
the signal station was a grave in the rocks. The
hesds.one indicated that Young girl named
HcEin Okeefe buried there. Ii further
stated that she had been killed by mountain rats
n 1876. The remainder of the story was left to
conjecture.
GLORIOUS SUNRISE.
II was not long before the eastern sky indi-
Gated the early rising of the orb OF day. The
object OF nv sojourn on the mountain was at
hand At few minutes to O'Clock bright rays
Of light like those which characterize the aurora
boroaliS began to shoot up from a certain point
at the horizon, gradually becoming brighter
and brighter, slight tints manifesting them
selves now and then. bat only for moment
until finally a silvery lining showed Itself upon
the crest OF the mountain range. One could
scarcely believe it to be the sun, so clear was
I
line OF light growing more and more extensive.
The silver gave place to a golden hue. There
was none Of the haze and mist which one
sees from points at near the level;
al was bright ard clear. Down upon the
plain it still quite dark The electric
lights at Colorado Springs burned as in
the darkest night, while at Denver seventy
five miles north, 1t was evident that the
street lamps had not been extinguishad. and
the flames from furnaces at Pueblo, many miles
10 the southwark, shot NJ into the air and
illumlned the scene. 1t was some time before
the sun had risen sufficiently to shine upon the
mountains surrounding. Then, their crests,
beginning with the tallest, one after another
were bathed in sunshine. it could be seen how
much higher than all its fellows lowered the
peak. The mountains in the west. not so high
as the range wherein / stood. soon emerged
from shadow, the little lakes glistening here
and there on the mountains like mirrors, were
kissed BY the sunshine-every object seemed
aglow. And still the people Of the plain had
not vet seen the SUM- 1t seemed long time
before the deepest valleys below were illumined.
Ii was exactly clock when the sun first APP
peared. 1t would be close to noon before the
first train would leave the summit to go down
the mountain. 1 was anxious to catch the $50
train from Manitou for Denver, so | concluded
to walk down the mountain. The tramp, l
knew would be difficult one, but the air was
cold and thought little hard work Just then
would serve to keep me warm. Ice and frost
were around me and snow reflected back the
sunshine from mountains to the westward.
Once, when not careful in picking my way,
slipped down on the ice ard sustained rather
severe bruises. as fell upon the cog railway.
Each Of the thermometers at the summit house
indicated 80 degrees Fahrenheit. L. mad been
much colder before dawn.
ABIG ATTEMPT AT PEDEsTRIANIsM.
II was the biggest attempt at pedestrianism l
ever undertook. Every time l stepped down
the incline upon tie anchored in the rocks nv
body Was severely Jared. Before i had gone
three miles down was glad to rest frequently,
and BY the time / got to Manitou. ten miles
from the summit, II was with difficulty that /
could move without making very awkward at
tempts. The journey consumed little more
than four hours. Many did it in less time, but
the average WAS greater. 1t was surprising how
many people eSsayed 20 walk to the summit and
back. When / started down left half hun
dred people grouped around bcnhres trying to
keep warm. and before | reached the lower end
of the line Of railway met hundreds Of men
and women, boys and girls, determined on
climbing the mountain. Many we're living ex-
hausted by the wayside. One young lady had
sunk down when within rife shot of the sum
init and her escort had gone to the, top and
&c 'ured for her blanket, in the fold1 of which
she va, sleeping. On the train back ~ Denver
| me. one old couple who had made tte ascent
the day before. Tho husband was easily in the
sixties and the wife not many wears his junior.
They had started up the mountain at o'clock
the DAY before intending only to go short
distance. but by easy stages they reached the
top al O'Clock in the evening. At they
started down again and arrived at the hotel in
blanitou about O'Clock in the morning.
From the summit to the foothills, fully four
or five miles down. but one house was found
and that was occupied by gang of men em-
ployed in keeping the railroad in repair. At
.he next habitation stopped to see ii could
buy a cup Of coffee. Ii was a typical mountain
home. One apartment served az a bed room,
while the remaining one was used as parlor.
kitchen. dining room and railway station. 1t
was called Mountain Dew. ] soon hal a good
breakfast IL was not served in the style OF
Deimonico. but every thing was clean and whole
some. never saw winter bread than the noun
talneers wife set before me.
No game worthy Of mention was seen along
the route. Two or three miles down from the
summit ! saw specimens of strange bird.
which emitted cry similar to that OF the ord-
nary n.uejay 1t was the Rocky mountain jav,
much larger in size than its namesake of the
piala' and forests below. Many hundreds of
squirrels tina; looked like chipmunks Of extra
size ran here and there. Perhaps they were
the rodeats that killed the girl buriel AZ the
summit. VI any rate, saw no other animals
that looked ike rats.
The Old burro trail has not been abandoned
D th.to ding th.lf hat