The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1895-12-01
sam Jones Describes His Recent
visit 10 the Mountain state.


last, with the exception of one day in
Wyoming. 1t was my first trip to Col
orado, though I had frequently been in
nearly all of the states of the union.
visited the cities of Denver. Cheyenne,
Greedy, Pueblo, Colorado City, Canyon
City, and 80 on.
After all, it Is not much of trip as
far west MS Colorado. Our western
trunk lines are magnficently equipped.
Pullman sleeping cars. dining cars and
fast trains make IA 800 or 1000 miles
Journey but small thing. The Bur
lington, the Union Pacific. the Rock Is
land, the Missouri Pacific and the Santa
Fe railroads are vieing with each other
as TO which shall have the best equipped
trains and make the best time west.
They are now spanning this continent
in about four days, from ocean to ocean.
was charmed with Colorado, her
cities, her plains, her mountains, her
gorges, her canyons. was little sur
prised TO see the rustic and stir among
the people. had heard much and read
more of the dire state OF things by rea.
son OF the fall in silver; but all the rage
in Colorado to-day is gold. At Lead
Vile, at Cripple Creek and the many
other points in the Rockies, the big
Yields of the rich mines have turned the
tongues and hands of the people to the
talking of and the gathering of the
gold. | verify believe that if this state
develops rs much in her gold interests
IN the next twelve months ms she has
In the past. they will be for the single
gold standard. After all, questions of
bime tallism and single standard are
questions of policy, and not of principle
ut all, in my judgment. Denver is a
great city, and a city with great flu
turc. 1t ia midway between st. Louis
and san francisco. 1t is magnificent
~ built up. Colorado Springs is one of
The loyelicst and prcttiest towns of 49,
COO population ever saw. Pueblo is a
manufacturing center. | was surprised
to sce the great furnaces and steel
works in fun blast. One of them is
capitalized at $l4,000,O00, in the city of
Pueblo. The climate is charming.
Wherever irrigation exists it is n garden
spot, Where there is no water it is IL
desert. Irrigation is the rule in Colo
rado, and the yield is abundant and
wonderful Alfalfa, Irish potatoes,
fruits OF ali kinds, such as apples,
grapes, pears, peaches, and so on, come
to the highest perfection.
was charmed with the scenery along
the Rio Grande railroad, the mountains,
the gorges, the canyons. Sometimes
looking up from the rear platform OF
the train the rocks were perpendicular
1000 feet on either side. | did not 70
as far west as Iendyillc; but the most
memorable incident on my trip was the
ride to the summit of pixies Peak, II,
900 feet and more above the sen level, 1t
is eight miles from the base OF Pike s
Peak to it's summit as we go by the cog
roud, MS it is called. This railroad is
built just as our other standard
guagc roads are built, except the
center piece between the two stcc
rails on which our trains run there
is cog rail. The driving wheels OF
the engine have a cog wheel that
works in those c0gs, and the mighty
little giant Of an engine pushes the pas
sengcr coach in front Of it up the noun.
tain, the grade being 800 feet to the
mile. The engine struggles ard puiYs
and struggles and crawls up hills like
stubby black snake winding It's
course. The scenery going up the noun
tain is charming. Higher and higher
we climb until we pass the timber line
and higher and higher until at last we
find ourselves on the summit of Pike.
Peak-snow-ca capped. cold. The atmos
phcre is dry and the pressure upon tn,
lungs severe. Weak lungs cannot stanc
it. Children sometimes come dowr
pale and sick and limp from the noun
tain top. Standing on the summit o.
the mountain we look north and Sc,
Denver 20 miles in the distance; anc
looking west we see the snow-cappet
submits OF some of the Rocky noun
tain ranges. 1850 miles distant. Look
ing east, Colorado City and Manitor
City look To us like little children.
playhouse cities. And stretching on
towards the east is the boundless plain
with 10000 cattle and horses feeding il
! sight
From the top of Pixies peak We &c
vision which we get nowhere else
An hour and 40 minutes ride from
base to top and an hour and 30 min
utcs ride from top TO base. on the COS
road. You ride as smoothly, almost
and M comfortably MS on n passenger
coach on our trunk lines, without losinl
interest moment as you 20 or come
the eye watching, the mind taking in
/ And when you reach the base at last ant
/ board the street car for Colorado Cit,
you feel MS though you had been in ,
! trance. The memories of the trim. TN,
memories of the scenes which NEE
| our gaze as we look from the mountain
top abide with us, pleasant, wonder
| full, sublime. Five dollars for the rom,
/ trip on the cog road seems high at ,
| glance. but man can see more for tn,
! five dollars expended there than any
where l know ON, the top of the globe
Let no one, whose eye runs over thes,
/ lines, fail to make the trip 10 the sum