New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-07-18

kuovn rs .hc meteorological, Soc;.ty, f"c ihe
nurpose of obtaining a twenty years lease from
the Government for the entire reservation or
mountain which at that time consisted of loo,-
ON acres This society proposed to build on
the Peak "a large hotel. and to erect an obserV-
atory there for the purpose OF making scentlnc
observations Of meteors, nebui@ and comets
The society prior to the abandonment or the
reservation filed bill in Congress setting forth
its requests.
In the latter Part of January. 1850. President
Cleveland. among the last of the official acts
of his first term, by proclamation transferred
the reservation from the War Department 10
the Department Of the Interior. thereby pre-
sunahly restoring it to the public domain. oh
the day following this proclamation Ir Lewis
read Of it in the newspapers. and at once TOOK
the view that the transfer made the land the
same as any other part of the pubic uohiaiii'
and he Immediately set out for the top of the
Peak for the purpose Of taking ii as cia'ih'
The mountain at that time of the year was
covered deep with snow, and Lewis was wv"
days in making the summit, he reaching there
on January 80. He at once occupied the apah-
doned Government building as it afforded the
only means Of safety from the cold. ON the
night of the 18th ne slept in ii, letting the
snow beat in upon him through its broken WIN
doWs and doors.
The place at this time had been abandoned
several months ard all the Government instru-
mcnts used at the signal station had been re-
moved Lewis at once posted notices that he mad
taken the claim. and upon the door of the buhd-
ing he tackled the following: Il hereby take pos
session and claim 100 acres oi lana on Top vi
Pixies Peak" After spending the night upon
the Peak he in the early morning began 10
retracc his steps down the mountain anu 81"
February was al the Government l-ahd oiii'
in Pueblo where he made application To HE a
s,ldier's homestead. The Land ONCE, on account
Of having had no official notification OF the Trans
fer by the President. refused to accept the u"c-
tors application for filing. Lewis AT once liI'h d
declaratorv statement and appealed To the 'eh-
cvaI Land OH e at Washington, where the same
answer was given him, and the decision Oh 'he
Pucbl, Land Office was affirmed
Lewis then took his ease to Secretary John H.
Noble Of the Department Of the INTERIOR IN 'he
mean time however, the Pixies Peak cog road
began to build on top of the Peak ana al the re-
ouost If IFS president Lewis called upon the
manag,mcnt Of the road and entered INTO an
agreement concerning the right Of way on the
Peak In this interview Lewis agreed To give
the company free of cost all space necessary for
strictly railroad purposes. The doctor. satisfied
with the arrangements. went back upon the
Peak.
The action taken by the doctor was soon
Loiscd about Manitou and Colorado Springs, and
members IF the Meteorological Society wrote
long letters To him in which they are said to
have threatened him with arrest If he continued
his residence on tn Peak. To these letters the
doctor raid no attention. Numerous kilograms
were sent to Washington advising the President