The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1892-02-19
Colorado Letter.

Colorado Is big state. Were a person to
go from Detroit to Grand Rapids he would
| travel as far as from the eastern boundary
of Colorado to its capitol. Denver, the finest
| city between Chicago and San Francisco.
Another journey upwards OF equal length
through the passes and canOns of thu
| Rockies would bring him to the western
boundary of the first silver state I'm the
| Union. To a native of Michigan the last
days journey would present features of
which he previously had no conception.
From Denver could be seen in the dis
lance the dim outlines of Pixies Peak tower
ing heayenward amid the encircing clouds,
while all around the city are low foothills
which to the inexperienced stranger look
look like great mountains. AS the train APP
proaches Colorado Springs the mountain
peak becOmes visible in all its glory. A
railway winds its way to the summit of the
peak from which can be viewed scene
worthy ofFthe gods. Far away places draw
near and space seems annihiated in the
clear atmosphere of this high altitude.
They tell good story of an Englishman
who came to this famous locality for his
health. One morning before breakfast he
made ready to take his customary walk.
Pixies Peak rose up before him in all the
splendOr of an early unrise. What could
he more delightful than walk to the top
of that celebrated mountain? The Britisher
began to walk briskly, an hour slipped 10y
and still he j0urneyed on, another passed
but the peak seemed no nearer. Finally,
overcome by heat and fatigue, he reluctantly
gave up the undertaking. Next day his
route led him across one of those little
streams which i'm the summer run like a
silver thread through the dry, dusty plains,
faIN Eal lxyN ~ lan
distant mountains, become broad, rOtOus
| rivers. On reaching its bank he proceeded
| to divest himself of his clothing. A pass
| ing miner enquired the reason for this
strange conduct, to which the Englishman
replied that he had been in Colorado long
enough to find out that distances were very
deceitfu and that he deemed it wise to be
! prepared for any emergency.
Colorado Springs with its broad streets
bordered by crystal streams of running
water, is a very pretty place and is said to
contain more millOnaires than any other
place of its size. Many wealthy eastern
men affected with pulmonary complaints re-
side here and at the dinner table are to be
seen patients i'm all stages of consumption.
Some can scarcely breathe, others cough
continually, while others give no evidence
of this fell disease hey Ond an unusual bright
ness of the cheek and eyes.
Two miles from Colorado Springs. and
connected with it 10y Il line of electric cars,
is ManitOn, in the vicinity of which is sit
uated the Garden OF the Gods, magnii-
cent park filed with wonders from the hand
of nature. This is great resort of tourists
and will well repay inspection. Leaving
Colorado Springs the road makes directly for
the mountains, among which the rest OF the
day is spent. The effect upon stranger is
overwhelming. The grandeur and sublimty
of these TRULY Rocky mountains so far tran
Scend any previous conceptions that, be-
wldered and confused, he can only gaze
upwards i'm silent wonder and admiration
Slowly the train winds its way amid the
rocky fastness, naught disturbS the silence
but the hOarse whistle of the engines and
the dull rumble of the cars upward and on
ward we climb, the mountain pines gloOmily
signing on every side, at one moment cross
ing chasm thousand feet deep, the next
crawling around the edge of some precip-
tOuS height, winding and turning and
doubling on our tracks but ever going higher
and higher, past timber line. through black,
desolate looking snow sheds, amid huge
bouIders and enormous rocks-a dreadful
waste as though hell itself were despoiled
of its saturnine treasures-til at last we
reach the summit of Marshall Pass and
stand upon the rock-ribbed crest of the
American continent Then begins the de-
scent on the other side of the Great Divide.
The full force of the powerful engine is now
employed in preventing the train from OBJ
tanning too great momentum and dashing
to destruction. Perhaps the most remarkable
part of the descent is the passage through
the Black Canon of the GunniSOn River.
Ages ago some primeval CONFUSION rent
asunder the solid rocky mountain and
grUdgngly left room between the narrow
walls of this narrow fissure for the tumult-
Gus waters of mountain stream maddened
by the cOnstraint of the waters rush along,
roaring and boiling, frothing and foaming,
till the spectator can almost feel the agony
Of their wild efforts to escape an inevitable
fate.