The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-04-08
MOUNTAIN RAILROADS.
They Are Chasing the Stage Coach out
of the Far West.

They Are Chasing the Stage Coach Out
of the Far West.
The stage with its lolling concord mo-
ton and the merry Jehn with his long
whip have all gone gliHmering down
the misty corridors of time and are no
more forever Most of the time through
the SOS daily lines of stages ran all over
the southwest part of Colorado. Pene-
trating every portion of the rich and APP
parently inexhaustible San Juan and
Uncompahgre mining regions. Lines
along the valleys, in the canyons, on the
mountain sides and through the goTges,
were projected TO Ouray, to Telluride
and other San Miguel points, and across
the range to Silverton. Rico. Durango
and other towns IN that section. Put
nearly al of these stage lines that have
played no small part in the Development
of the rich mining camps scattered IN
the mountains throughout the great
Centennial state have been forced by
the moro feet iron horse To step aside
or retire TO other localities.
The pioneer Bio Gr2ode, the South
Park and the broad gsuGe midland rail-
ways have almost completely wiped out
the last veti9e of every important stage
line that has been operatedfn Colorado.
Though useful IN their dsys-in fact
Indispensable to the travelling public az
the tip1e-the stages finally became too
slow and clumAy for advancing ciyilSza-
ton in this progressive age They were
important enterprises in their day,
lines that Furnished rapid means q
communication to the NUMEROUS lead,
silver and gold camps oprning up and
being developed through Colorado But
most of the stage lines have ended tiheir
days OF usefulness. Railroads. have
scaled most Of the pGzres and ncD reach
nearly every mining camp Cnlessn new
discoveries are made and rCw cxr1pa
opened and developed, the stages VIII
De seen TO more. They have served
their purpose and ssrved 70 well, bycar-
-ying many thousands OF pAsssng-rs
into and out OF the uun,erooE gold and
silver camps Of Colorado. the greatest
mining state IN The union
IN the sprng of 1850 cse b-ilz Of
travel and freight over tho range 70
what Is now known as1hswe<t<Ins!0pe
passed between AlaInosasud G1nndSon-
There were hrdreds Of miners and
prospe~tngz. co1tinuAIly On the rod.
many Of them with their outftspzcked
on the baeks Of brrros. The greA.ez
part of~the travel, however goiDE fho
the Gunnison country WIS 0Ear the
Cochetops pass. The altitude IS but q
trife over 10000 feet above tho sra lE<el
il was often remarked thAG It's pas
Afforded an easy sll-~inteT routosouer
the range, becaIlss al the Tf0nrsr sat-
tiers "a the GuunIsson and TOrIehi rat-
legs went IA and cot OTJT bis IzsRs. ~
though IL was Some dhstsn,e fs1tlB-r
Ecross The rs.nCe TO The railroad 5y Mis-
route than that over &srst<ail IGs-s. The
eItitu5e OF the latter was cols s6erz1ay
higher. being httls over % ysss fret 4
line OF four-ho<se s-ae>e vvH.-n>per put
on between 6A07anhe and &C znssnn. sOT
rhe rts=ou1 that IL Ezs abo1t 10 EztJ>.
from TIE Lsst<.r point 70 q. connection
with tie Denver & Flo GTzEfe rosd a1
ALa-1oss- L ~ns bETts EsoT[ GzneaStrr
the buik5irg of tl,e HAx-stkA pz.as tos1
rood bT Oz.o 2e2rs Until travel GU ~
Cochet0Pa route Sras slEoSs~ entf-rsy
abaDdooed- ezeeP. b. proSpe~-ors ard
movers Four-9ftks - Tie trszfsc tos
Guznzson, the SIC Juan aad San s<ipuseI
regions wa aiEoost from TIE vs<-y frTt
diverted 90 TIE toH road. IL beng Rs
rezrszt aid most accrs<.Ale roTso 20 -
D>u-eT Z Pc Gzzode rSSfwaJ On a.
South ATkazsas, near szHsa--D~rrsr
Fiel6 I'D FEra-