Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1896-12-19

Alpine glory. And to reach this quiet
spot, buried in among the grand and up
lifting scenery of mountains, where even
an anchorite might draw inspiration and
drink in love OF living, one must travel
only thirty eight miles from Denver, in
the elegant coaches of the Union Pacific,
Denver q Gulf Railway. No health re-
sort in the world possesses a finer elm
ate. The air is pure, and without un-
due moisture-what is called, in common
parlance, "a dry atmosphere" adapted
to the needs of those suffering from
bronchial troubles There is no exces.
sive heat in summer, the average tenn
perature being about 80: There are no
continuous, saturating rainfalls, but
rather brief showers, which pass away
quickly, leaving clear skies behind them.
The nights are cool, and without damp
ness from dews. If, however, one de-
sires to experience all that he may
hav- imagined the climate of Colo
RADIO to be, it is into the autumn months
that he should prolong his stay, and not,
as is often the case, hurry away after
the first frost, fearful that winter is
about to set in. The soft haze of Indian
summer is first noticeable in September,
and from that time until near Christmas
the days are all that could be wished.
The skies are clear, or are only covered
with billowy, floating clouds. The TO-
liage on the mountains changes to
thousand varied hues of orange and
brown. The pure atmosphere is 80
transparent that distant objects are
brought into full view. These are the
days best adapted for climbing to the
mountain tops to view the distant peaks,
and it is only after one has had such
trip that he realizes with what scenes of
beauty he has been surrounded. Dur
ing the last of December, winter is ush
cred in with fall of snow, and from
that time until March may be called
winter, though it scarcely deserves that
name.
But push along for Georgetown, four
teen miles distant The engines puff
and hiss and tremble as they struggle
with their load, and cross from one side
of the cailon to the other. now lodging
behind gigantic boulder, now creeping
under threatening ledge OF rocks, then
suddenly rushing to the other side to get
a foot hold on the narrow shelf at the
waters edge, crowding closely to the
tiinty walls of the beetling cliffs, which
rise hundreds of feet above the stream
and form many dome and battlement
at their SUBMITS. There is no desire on
the part of engineer or passenger to
make fast time" on this grade.
Georgetown is handsome town, and
full of queer surprises. 1t seems strange
to find in the very heart OF the noun
tains city Of nearly 1000 people an
active, busy, enterprising place, where
the rumbling of mills, the blasting of
mines, as the long tunnels and deep
shafts are driven into the mountains,
and all the elements Of a busting com
munity disturb the quiet of land that
scarce score Of years ago was known
only to geography and to dreams. The
bright sunshine, the pure atmosphere,
the mountain breeze, the cool, dewless
nights, render life in this portion of the
Rockies a pleasurable and inspiring ex-
istence. During the winter the temper
ature is even less severe and more equa-
BILE than the winters of Denver, the city
of the finest climate on the continent.
The Union Pacific, Denver & Gulf Rail
way follows the water-level of Clear
Creek into the heart of the mountains,
and at the virtual head of the canon,
where Georgetown is situated, every part
of the range is reached, not with undue
exertion, but with comfort and pleasure.
Perched above Georgetown is the fam
GUS LOOP" that wonderful piece of