Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1895-09-18
A Letter From the Rockies.
COLORADO SPRINGS, Col. Sept. 70. ,a

OoLohADO cfRlNGS, Col, Sept. IL, 80,
We arrived at Colorado Springs on a rainy.
cloudy day. After hearing the many glowing
descriptions of Colorado and of its wonder
full climate, we had not expected such
weather However, we had not been in town
an.hour before the sun was shining brightly,
and not a cloud was visible We learned
from a resident here. that the rainy season
is usually over before this time, but that this
has been an exceptionally long season. AL
though it has ralned a great deal since we
came, we do not feel that dampness that is
SO noticeable on rainy day in Wisconsin.
There are many good boarding-houses and
hotels here, but their rates are exorbitant.
and find that the majority of the people
who come here for their health rent rooms
and do light housekeeping
Now that the tourist season is over, one is
greeted on all sides with the sign Rooms
for Rent" and single rooms that have rented
for from SIC to S25 per month are now rent
ing for about 81 or IS.
The mountains are west of the city, and.
although they are ten or twelve miles from
here, the atmosphere is usually so clear that
they seem much nearer. The rocks and trees
on the sides of the mountains are plainly
visible on pleasant day.
The streets are wide, with rows of shade
trees on either side. Nearly all of the pave
ments are Of sand and gravel in which this
region abounds, there being few board or
stone walks. On either side of the street are
irrigating bitches, in which the clear cool
water flows most of the time
One morning we took the electric car and
rode out through Colorado City, Manitou,
and past the Iron Springs to the Cog railway
station. Colorado City is one of the Oldest
towns in the state and it has a population of
about 5000. AS we rode through its streets,
[ was impressed with the great number of
saloons, nearly every block containing sew
eral conspicuous lager beer signs. During
my stay at Colorado Springs, have not seen
a single saloon and | am told there are none
here.
Manitou is beautiful little town, nesting
at the foot of Pixies Peak Tt is a great sum-
mer resort and contains many large hotels.
II is here that the famous soda and sulphur
springs are situated.
After alighting from the car we paused a
few moments to look about u.s. On all sides
could be seen lofty mountains, many of
whose SUBMITS were hidden in the clouds
Although there is a gradual rise of the
land, all the way from Colorado Springs to
ible from here on.
We started out in the direction Of the rail
way, 7walking and resting by turns; the
higher we got the longer and oftener we had
to rest, as the high altitude caused one to get
out OF breath very quickly. We had walked
about mile, when a party Of ladies and
gentlemen on burros crossed the track.
They were on their way up to the top of the
mountain. / watched them as they slowly
wendell their way up the trail, and thought
how quickly they would be dashed to pieces,
should the burros make one misstep. We
kept on until we had walked about three
miles up the mountain. Then we sat down
and ate our lunch, and drank of the sparkling
water that gushed from the rocks near us
Our long climb of the morning, together
with the bracing mountain air, gave all of
our party rayenous appetite and the great
basket of sandwiches disappeared as if by
magic
We sat for some time enjoying the grand
scenery about us. In front of us was the
wonderful Cog railway. over which trains
pass daily to and from the top of the noun
tain; while on the other side Of the track
was a deep ravine, through which a swift
mountain stream went plunging and tumb
ling over rocks and logs, and causing great
masses of foam to be dashed high into the
air. 1t is from this stream that Colorado
Springs gets its supply of water. To our
backs was an almost perpendicular wall OF
rocks and soil. out of which great forests of
pine and hemlock protruded. AS the
branches of these trees gently swayed to and
fro in the wind, signing, moaning sound
was produced, that seemed in keeping with
the grand but solemn mountains about us.
Suddenly the long shrill whistle Of the train
was heard echoing and re-echoing through
the valleys, and soon the engine was seen
coming around curve. We all scrambled
upon high rock, in order that we might
have q better view Of the train as it passed
us'on its way to the valley below. We then
unwilEng!y began to retrace our steps de-
terminiug that on another time to start
earlier in the morning, in order that we might
reach greater height.
On our way hoIneward. we visited the iron,
soda and sulphur springs. aud, OF course
drank of the water from e2ch. Iii amusing
and sometimes touching, to watch the vast
throngs OF people about these springs. Some
are here simply in quest of pleasure, while
others have come as Il last resort, after their
physicians have given them up as incurable.
Nearly every one brings q bottle with them,
in which to carry away some OF the water.
After resting for time in the beautiful
park near the soda spring, we took a car for
town.
The sun was just sinking behind the noun
tans and the brilliant western sky with its
many tints. of purple, red and golden, to-
gether with the hazy mountains, made q
picture that can never be erased from my
memory.
We arrived at Colorado Springs just at
dusk, very tired, but well satisfied with our
days jaunt up Pixies Peak. @. NJ. P.
Last August while working in the har-
vest field | became oyerheated, was sud
denly attacked with cramps and was
nearly dead. MI Cummings, the drug
cist, gave me a dose Of Chamberlain's
C5lic, Cholera and Diauhma Remedy
which completely relieved me. | now
keep bottle Of the remedy handy. A.
NJ. Bunnell Centerville, Wash. For sale
By John MolZain, druggist