Mexico weekly ledger., 1897-07-29
A Visit To Cripple Greek.
A TRIP FROM MANITOU TO THE
FAMOUS STATION ON THE
COLORADO MIDLAND.
The Mountain Sides are Full of Pros
pect Holes, Dug by Gold Miners
Missouri Farming Beats Any
Colorado Mining.

Correspondence of the Ledger.
MANTTou, CoLo., July 24.-Notwith-
standing the recent gold findings In
Klondyke the Colorado mining towns
still think they live. The writer
made the trip from Manitou to the
famous Cripple Creek station, on the
Colorado & Midland railroad, a dis
lance of SO miles, in four hours, not In.
Guiding stops, of course.
This road runs through eight tunnels
in crossing the Rockies and then
through Ute pass. 1t leaves Manitou
far in the valley below. The winding
of the train through and around the
mountains Is a sight that I had never
seen before and one which avails the
artist many opportunities to use his
brush, and I must admit that if he suc-
ceeded in copying or producing this
scene as 1t is, he would indeed have a
beautiful picture. You ascend to a
point 11,060 feet high before reaching
Cripple Greek, it being the highest
point on the Colorado & Midland rail-
road. From that point you descend,
reaching Cripple Greek at an eleva-
ton of 10000 feet. What made this
town famous Is more than can be dis
cerned by the ordinary traveller. The
great mining centers are not here, but
at Victor and Independence.
The mountains' sides from Gillet to
Cripple Creek are full of prospect
holes, which represent to me that a
vast amount of money has been sunk
therein.
If the farmers of old Missouri would
work the rich, fertile soil like these
miners do, each 100 acres of Missouri
farm land would produce more than
the average 100 acres of holes in the
ground in Colorado.
The net profits of Missouri soil
would excel by far the actual gain of
the mines in Colorado in any one
year. You say that won't do for
Stratton alone has become worth $780,
OOO, 900. Yes, that is 80, but we only
hear of Stratton. We see a fine
vehicle with bob-tail horses with a
driver on a raised seat behind the
party, and everybody speaks up and
says, "there goes Stratton's turnout"
But we don't hear of the many who
came and dug holes and sank fortunes.
They walk and now are living in
'shacks, grub-staked."
You ask a man out here the time OF
day and he will say: "Well, she is
running from $40 to $50 per ton.
They push their work talk their work
dan advertise their work in newspa-
pers, and they are bound to succeed
Ute pass and Williams canon are
simply nice d%riveways between the
mountains, or rather between the high
rocks-something you don't see every
day, and yet not a thing that would
arouse more than passing curiosity
At the top of Williams canon is the
| Cave of the Winds, GA thing of beauty
and Joy forever. ''They have stafactites
and stalagmites in these, and they
have a fellow who actually strikes
| these curious formations and the
music simply enrapts and charms the
| soul. Just think, you who have never
been here, how much you have missed
| And it don't cost but a dollar to see
these sights.
Up Ute pass is Rainbow Falls. You
see a little stream of water running
down hill and off of a rock about q
feet high and if you get these wonder
full falls between you and the sun yor
can see colors similar to those seen il
| the rainbow. There is no rain and M
! bow. But above all these beauties II
nature, snow capped and terror
frowned and visible from almost any
point, stands old Pixies Peak.
"Since what unnumbered year has
thou kept watch and word,
| And DER this buried land of fear, 81
grimly held thy guard;
| No faithles slumber snatching, stil
couched in silence brave,
Like some fierce hound long watching
above her masters grave"
/ have not and will not make tine
trip to the top of this peak. l ma!
have to pay tribute for this manifesto
ton of disrespect, but I can't go. IT.
like the Ferris Wheel, too high. M!
next trip will be through Cheyenn'
canon.
Ras Pearson and bride are at tn
Antlers in Colorado Springs. Prof
Goodman, of the Clarksville Sentinel
and daughter are at Manitou. an
feeling some better and II l continue
to improve will stay some time yet.
Respectfully,
l.. P. CRIGLER.