New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-04-02
LIFE ON A DELTA RANCH.
. GLIMPSE OF A PART OF COLORADO.
. COWBOY IN pEoApwAy-REcALMS WESTERN
EXPERIENCES.

A
EXPERIENCES.
Something thcrc is IN these days 81 a"'ness 'nn
co NJ twcctoid tales and tcdiun. to STIR 'h' D'o'd
"ss ',,cr.r IN, pulsc. tn the life OF any new
~"m,,,v Amcricous spend small thought upon the
y,cuo stretch Of territory stll spared 10 tnem' Vs
upon The hem Of the Rockies but Inc ''"'e'e' "no
Is oncc tesuiIcd within Its BORDERS never oo'' ~.
r,tb thc same mind to the haunts OF me"' a. w
hrs.st bours with his fellows jostibs MS e'"o".
and Trading upon his heels IN the cro"uc" 3D."
' .. ctv visions will rccur to him OF VIDE VIM
went spaces traverscd by cloud SHADOWS o. s""'
s,l.nt rivers hurIyng on their way 10 'he r"'." "
mountain horizons, level as the pam oie' ~
| mr. thrustng their snOw-covered peaks. INV Wv
towers OF GIANTS, into the clear m"' Inv s,r.
q, him once taste the fine. tim ar OF 'n''' "'s
| attitudes and he will forever Ieng 'W IT, -" ~.
In, voorv for the forests Of quaking aspen anu
nr,co his faded sense dwell ongngIy on 'he s'"e'
,rau have diversified II he be sportsman
, nu9 OF smoke the smell OF burning pow"e', w
n, green thing in q shop window. % pair " "''
iers or a foot two OF deers niue S""s"s ,r.
= t,rr,er,s sign will give his nerves gra'e'"I 'nn
no "a looking again through the Hap OF hs zen"
,or tho familiar line OF woods beyond the m'o"''
distance OF russell open. rfmed with Iros'' 'e n'
tho sharp clear cracking OF the ICE u" 'ns 49,.
and feels the blood hy to his cneeN 10 '"' w
woter smitcs It, The wind brings 10 MN Va. ''pre
- tho campGre logs and the incense OF Inc ooh'"s
coffee ,.n,,nu
~. e., ,s man OF love for the simple pleasure OF
wood and stream, Is kindied INTO "e" ''' ~
chance pictures 800, tho o,her day
Tho writer met a man at high noon IN" o'ner VA,
stondIng mt Walst. and Broadway ike " ''cH =. . .s
.a,m Little eddies ard rpplcs In the hnma' uue
showcd where the people turned cut io' n'n' VIZ"
49,, ,ao,opu dance and a smile for his aDstracuo"
:, uos only q hOrseman that his eye 'oho"o'' :
crrous figure In the multitude OF drnys' e"'s a'I
ybusses The horse was brnndel on Els MP. o 49,.
bridl. hung loose upon his dropping heeN' -
..a,. ,rs scorcely bent at the knee, were ehcaseu
:, v1de leather chapercns, f1nged a'"is '"o ~.
Cnrrs With ianclirg chains weic fastened w q "~
=, ,ather across the instep OF his highheeieo ooo'S
mich rode lightly in the clumsy "oode" S"'"p.
occurred With % leather thorg to the 'aod'e oe'o"
ho,, was n closely coiled larat. Inc "l'er ''"e.
from this TO the mans broad shoulders MS "'onN"
ck decorated with q square Of colorcd SILK n"iahe'
chief, his broad brimmed ii'i' VI wv
rattlesnake skin. - ... q.
"Do YOU see him 2" said the writer's FRIEND "a
cowboy complete even to the branding ron "ou'.
rive nv profits for to-day 10 BE- where ne came run"
And then as he walked with the throng ne .oia
T., h-,ef the story OF his last summer on ca'tie
ranch I'm Western Colorado
81 shall not soon forget the night III "usus. w."
d,opned from the platform Of the Pullman az the D'@
station few lights showed where the town i'y'
apeyopd. slowly lifted from the rivers rich bottom
lands in slowly rising buttcs OF ADOBE, 10 Piaea" VI
thousands OF untitled acres. saw the leisurey slopes
~ the Grand Mesa dropping down from It's eehy
miles Of level summit In we'll defined reaches OF pruo'
ouakinp aspen scrub oak and cedar Twenty miles
from where the rails OF the Rio Grande ROAD lett 'hs
town on their way TO Deseret. the lana OF the Lh'e'
Day Saints one might hear the bugling OF the Elk OF
the clumsy fall Of 4 cinnamon bears cushiohed Ioo''
To NV excited fancy the wind already bore these
sounds TO me, the Intervening space OF sage
and cactus
II was awake early The next morning. ana On
route for my friends cattle ranch-my guide COWBOY
who might be twin brother to the one yonoer.
(NoddIng In the direction OF the retreating horseman)
II was a ten-mile ride Along the river the dwarf
willows were changing 10 brown. and the heartshapsd
leaves OF the cottonwood dropped harmless gold upon
the soft rich SOIL felt curious sensation IN thus
threading the trails OF virgin country. so late the
hunting grounds OF the red man. even now speaking
OF his sports and occupation In the arrow PITS the
rude snare lad for unwary deer. the ponies grazing
on the range. to whose quick the whizz OF arrows
and the twang OF bow-strngs had been once familiar
sounds
My guide showed seams OF coal on the mcsas
wooded SIDE and pointed out the region Of the lakes.
$50 Of them, unnamed ana unsurveyed, strung like
pearls upon It's summit. Wat part may thev not
play in the future history OF this land Of boundless
resources. as yet unaxed. rather undreamed of
For the touch OF water upon the soil means more
than the Eastern farmer can be brought 10 realize.
save BY actual experiment. II told its story to
in the OF alfalfa and grain that surrounded
my friends loghouse. I'm the orchard OF the nputian
trees groanlng under their weight OF apples aud
pears. in the slender line Of green marking ont the
course OF irrgatIng bitches carried down the Sides
from the same mountain lakes
Indeed, the Grand Mesa is TO the country
gathered at its feet what Fuslyama Is TO Japan. II
one may make con PARSONS In that fashion. Fusyama
Is the coast sentinel, It's graceful coneshaped peak
the first sight that grecs the traveller who enters Its
enchanted land, abe last to gladden. his eyes he
looks upon 1t from the deck OF his outgoing vessel
SO for sixty miles across the plains Of the Gunnlson
on your way to the meeting place Of the two rivers
the Grand and Uncompashre. which have given TO
Delta its name, the long level summit OF the Grand
Mesa lies like a recumbent pillar Of cloud blue as the
sky that broods 1t.
Fire and water, mans twin servants, the mesa
binds to the service OF any who win mine her ribbed
sides and divert to his use her magnificent water
courses Food for his cattle and horses She provides
In generous measure. The government range is free
all settlers, and covers an area Of nearly hundred
square miles; Her crystal streams are alive VIII.
grown to their full size and rpened TO the color q
The salmon, Life upon the Grand Mesa's southern
slope goes forward WITH as yet small heed for what
the future holds In store for those who occupy
1t. The comfortable Lighthouses, warm il winter.
most Western settlements. My friends ranch. set
blacksmlth's shop. carpenters shop. meathouse.
icehousc. grnnaries. corrals, stables all Of logs,
catile.rancher Of to-day is his own carpenter.
blacksmith, tnsmi,h, harness maker. butcher.
iceman, daryman, pOugterer. farmer and physi.
clan. Sometimes he is also hortieultgrist
like my friend who evaportes his own fruit
for his colony Of farm hands and cowboys. Elk
meat venison bear and grouse hung In his meat
house. Beef OF his branding and pork OF his
own fattening swelled the resources OF his larder
Even his bread was made from wheat grown before
his door. Skins OF the mountain Hon and bear COW
cred the floor Of his living ROOM Racks for his rns
and rods. cunningy con,rtved frcm deer feet
hung on the wall The head OF IA sx-point elk
occupied a space over his chimney, and although II
was bachelors ranchhouse. an upright plano
(kept I'm tune BY It's owner who hnd taught himself
The use % the tuning fork divided the honors OF
tha wi N bnm pOrticre md q fine etch