Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1895-09-03
DELIGHTFUL STORY OF CAMPING
ON THE mo eRANDE.
Mountains and Babbiing brook. and
Delicious Brceres-A Place for
the Pleasure seeker.

\ leaNes, existence In the lower climes
OF the Interior is truly one of diseom-
fort. At no time of the year does the
! sentiment of there's no place like
home" find so feeble an echo In the
| hearts OF our citizens. Patriotism
fiags and We long TO HE ourselves to
some cool retreat.
But where shall we go? Greenland
Is refreshing to think upon. but i'm
| practicable. Alaska Is open to the
Same objection Of too-far-awayness,
especially in these stringent times. and
| with limited vacation. The sport
mans pleasures at the resorts of
| Minnesota and Wisconsin are vitiated
| by the ever-present mosquito. and by
the heat as well, for simply to go north
does not bring relief In the summer.
The only recourse then, is to seek q
higher level-to go to the mountains.
So concluded a party OF weather-worn
people who, after duly considering the
several points In view, decided to look
for their comfort in the Rocky noun
| tains of Colorado. and, furthermore. to
make the experiment In camping style.
The Idea was a new and a promising
| one and all meeting 1t with enthusiasm.
the few preparations necessary. such
as buying and shipping the tents and
provisions, We're soon made and the
party started westward
| The journey out was uneventful and
| monotonously warm till the gray peaks
| OF the mountains became visible and
| with their snow-born breezes chased
back the tormenting heat to the plain
below
As our objective point lay along the
| Rio GAnde, we fingered only a few
days In and about Colorado springs
and Manitou. but hurried on, via the
| Denver and Rio Grande railway, to
Pueblo thence through the Royal
Gorge. over Poncha Pass. by Salida
aud beyond TO the southwestern part
OF the state
What glorious countryl How in
vigoratng the air vast What mngni-
ficent scenery What feats of engineer
ingl
Speculation ran riot as to what sort
of a place, the forerunners, who had
preceded us by a few days, had chosen
| for the camp and whether It could
equal those places just passed. Soon.
| however. all doubt was set at rest. for
after an hours ride from Del Norte,
| through n narrow valley. traversed by
the river and hemmed in By the noun
tains, the train stopped and we tourists
stepped to the ground.
As the train left us standing there
and went painting and putting on It's
way, sense OF awe took possession
OF us.
Here around us Nature held her
mighty sway and We, specimens OF
punny man, trembled before her alters
| In silent insignihcence. We in some
way lost our own identy and seemed
to sink away into the rocky cliff or in
| the roaring stream and be once again
| with mother earth.
A welcoming shout In a moment re-
called us, and looking up we saw the
| advance guard OF the party coming to
meet us. and beyond them. peeping up
| from the top OF a knoll, were seven
tents, all snowy white. After a brief
walk we reached the white settlement
and then, amid EXPLANATIONS OF delight
and wonder over the surroundings and
congratulations that we had found so
beautiful spot. the unpackng began
and the arranging OF the tents. At
tentlon was first directed to the beds,
| which instead OF being made-as camp
ers are want TO have them-of pine
boughs spread across the floor of the
tent and covered with blankets. were
zeal bedsteads with straw-fllled ticks,
so that every one was provided with
comfortable place to sleep. The pine
bough beds are more pleasing to read
about than to sleep upon, and aa the
cost and trouble OF the improvement
are no little 1t Is worth while adopting.
At the approach OF night no curfew
was needed to. toll the knell of part
Ing day." but weary limbs gave warn
ing OF the time to rest and soon We
were all In the land of dreams.
So ended the first day In camp, sew
eral weeks ago, and the succeeding
days have but fulfilled the expectations
born OF that first glimpse of this re-
glon. and have sped along In sport and
pleasures OF various kinds.
But before telling you more speclh-
cally of the diversions of camp life In
Colorado. let me tell you something OF
our surroundings-of the scene which
met our eyes the first morning after
pNN.laH al psh tA
the bright light OF the tent we awaken
ed early and looked about us, and
which has met our gaze every morning
since; the same scene, yet never the
same, for who ever saw the colors and
shadows Of this picture before US.
twice aliSe2
In front. to the rear and on either
hand are the mountains, standing
changelsss through the centuries, like
so many stern coloHsl guarding the en-
trance to their godlike precincts. The
sides Of the mountains are in places
barren, steep and rocky with their pro-
files cut and Jagged like great teeth;
while in other places their sides are
covered with the green of the pine,
spruce and aspen. The presence of
the latter betokens moisture. These
little trees always grow along the edges
OF a spring or mountain rill and, how
ever solemn stllless the rest of ma
tuft nOluss tntlI arc ever uhIlC-
ing. And one Is reminded of SCOTS
lines Of
woman, variable as the shade by
the light and uuivering aspen made"
Between the mountains from north
east to southwest lies the narrow val
ley, fertile and green. and courslng
through its midst, the Rio Crande on
It's way TO the gulf. This Is not much
like the muddy saream we see In Tex
as. for at this polnt-forty miles from
its source-lt Is clear and pure and
cold In whatever shape its water flows
Here II twists and turns and winds
and curves, blending itself In graceful
courtesies of FAREWELL to the heights
II is leaving. giving drink 10 the mead
ows at its brim and TO the willows
leaning tenderly over It, as 1t sings the
sweetest OF lullabys; there. II tumbles
over shoals. dashes over fallen trees,
leaps over boulders, as II about 10
break through the confineH OF its mar
row channel: whih yonder. II spreads
out into a broad sheet OF water. quiet
and placid on the surface hut giving
solemn warning Of the angry depths
below.
As has been intimated. the camp Is
situated on a knoll--a miniature foot
hill. perhaps that has an immediate
mountain background. but which rises
by gentle slope from the valley and
commands a view OF the river, the