The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1896-01-17
A Ride on a BiCyols from Dem
YER to Canon City.
BY A RYEGATE BOY.

DENvE Col. Die. ~, 1895.
When | first started the weather was fine
and the roads good, but the wheel gave out
when had made about twenty miles. Of
the journey, and | returned on foot and eX.
changed it for another heavier one and
started again the next noon, stopping at
night forty miles south. reaching Colorado
Springs at one O'clock the next day. That
night stayed with MI Goss and as the
next day was stormy we visited Manitou
in company. Sabbath evening there was
such fearful wind that | was afraid the
windows would be blown in but the, We're
not and Monday Mr.. Goss and visited the
C lrdpn of the Gods" There was a slight
snow the next morning and a sharp frost,
several degrees b, low zero | should think.
The sun shOne out in the morning hut the
sky became cloudy later in the day. At
noon reached dead Mans Gulch" which
IS deep, narrow, grassy valley enclosed
by steep hills and mountains. except where
high vertical red rock on one side and a
ravine on the other guard the entrance. 1t
was indeed a weird pl ce within. although
picturesque enough from the high ground
beyond. Farther along the ground was in
spots as red as paint or brick and that
would be followed by common clay and in
the rains this sand alienation appeared in
layers, and noticed the same variations of
color in the rocks on some of the bluffs
which made them look as ii deeply stain d
with blood. Soon came to dots of tree
cacti two or three feet tall, covered with q
thick tleshy, green bark loaded with thOrns
like steel needles, and with numerous short
branches.
arrived at Canon City before dark. 1T
is pleasant village of four or five thousand
people, nestled among the hills in the Ar
kansas Valley. and within mile of the
opening of the canon which few miles
farther west narrOws into the Royal Gorge.
AS the next day was stormy | walked up
through that great nat iral wonder, enclosed
with high mountains on every hand and
in the narrowest place the reddish wrinkitd
rocks stand only about forty feet apart
and at least five hundred feet high, down
through this PUSHES the Arkansas river
with large volume of clear water, and
from this source comes the city supply.
Rent and provisions in Canon City were
much higher in price than in Denver al
though apples and coal are less.
The night after the storm the temperature
must have been little below zero and sew
eral slrlghS were out The next morning
was bright and by noon the two or three
inches of snow that had fallen was fast dis
appearing. The people thought it was very
cold and as bad weather as they ever had
during Wiltt r. >
Besides being 1875 miles farther south and
one higher than Denver this place is well
sheltered from the winds which gives 1t an
evenpr innate. Two mineral springs of
iron and soda and ':h0t spring" of lO2 de
grees are near he town. Apple orchards
are numerous in the valley and the town
Itself is as we'll sheltered as Wells River.
| started back Thursday noon stopping
at farm house at night and continued the
journey next morning on foot through the
slippery mud which clogged the wheel bad
~ The following night | again pnt up
with Mr.. G sS. and the next morning start
I'd before daylight upon the remaining
seventy five miles, and reached Denver
about dark got along well coming mp
to the Divide as the mud was frozen, and
coming down ON this side the roads were
smooth. dry and dusty. | have since learn
ed that there had been no snow here while
| was away. The Divide is more than
seven thousand feet above the sea Level but
did not notice much of any difference IN
the air except, perhaps, got wlnded III
tie sooner there. "a.
Colorado Springs is a neat little city and
its chief attractions are solitude snow MA
ter, magnificent mountain views and she
mineral springs which are located at Man
tuu five miles from the city. The city IL
self IS Ioca'ed at the base of the mOunla aims
near the edge of the plain and Is EXPOSED To
Ihe winds from the east and south whence
the worst storms come. | think the wealth
er is fully as cold at Colorado Springs as at
Denver and its higher altitude would bean
objection health wise Canon CITY seems
TO offer more advantages il we decide to
leave this place. K. s. NJ.