The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1898-10-20

I snOuI0 nave only one Vile.
| A word about Salt Lake City. We were more
| impressed with 1t as place of residence than
any other that we visited during our entire
tour II Is remarkably clean city, with un-
| merous splendid public and private buildings.
| 1t has an altitude of about 1880 feet above the
sea level, giving II a climate equally dry and
| prac1ng as that OF Denver without its extreme
GOODNESS, Salt Lake City being completely sur
rounded by high mountains shutting it off
from the cold winds. 1t is the only spot that
we saw that conforms completely to the arts
| tic ideal OF the perfect landscape in that it
possesses at once the two elements of lofty
mountains and very large body of blue water
The great salt Lake.
| In this city we reve1ed in peaches of even a
more delightful flavor than our Elbertas, while
It's grapes, plums, apples, etc, are unexcelled.
TINS valley produces as large crops of all
kinds as the best lands of the West, and its
mineral-gold, silver and copper-is enormous
Having finished our stay at Salt Lake City
over the Denver d. Rio Grande r. R., proceed
ed TO Glenwood, Colorado. This place is sit
uated on the Grand river and is entirely sur
rounded by towering mountains. 1t is one Of
the most aristocratic and exclusive resorts in
all the west, and its principal hotel, the Colo
RADIO, certainly sustains the reputation Of the
place Here we were allowed to pay at the
rate of five dollars per day for our entertain
ment The season was not over when we ar
rived, and the ladies, guests Of the hotel, for
got their wealth and exclusiveness, took part
III our ball and bestowed upon US their sweet
est smiles. The hot sulphur springs and baths
OF this place really wonderful.
Leaving Glenwood and passing through
fourishing Pueblo, and the famous mining
city of Leadville, we arrived at the celebrated
resort Colorado Springs, Only lew days be-
fore our arrival great fire destroyed the larg-
est hotel of the place-The Antlers-besdes
blocks of other buildings. After a splendid
breakfast at the Alta Vista we took the cars
for Manitou and Pixies Peak. The conduc-
tor on this line collected fare from us every
fifteen minutes, regardless of the rate of speed
at which the cars moved. At the Manitou sta
ton of the Pixies Peak Cog R. R. Co we board
ed the train bound for the summit of this
world renowned mountain. At the first view
of the locomotive of this little train, we were
inclined to doubt its powers. 1t was a queer,
humpbacked little affair, reminding us of
nothing more forcibly than camel kneeling
upon its knees. However, after taking our
seats in the car which was in front, the engi-
neer opened his throttle and our engine, puff
ing and painting, Strengthened itself and be-
gan to.crawl up the frightful incline like fly
on a wall Higher and higher we mounted,
passing tremendous rocks which seemed ready
to topple over upon us, rushing mountain
streams, cliffs and abysses, the track some
times seeming to be almost directly over our
heads higher still, till we look down and see
the clouds below us; higher yet, and we feel
the sharp winds and have little difficulty in
breathing; on we go till we leave all vegeta-
ton and at last reach the Summit House, the
apex of the mountain. The distance from the
base to the summit is nine miles, and requires
about an hour and half to make the trip.
The top of the mountain is twenty thousand
feet above the level of the sea. and the air is
so rarefed that we were compelled to draw
mouths open. The barometer stood at seven
teen inches.
Descending the mountain we took carriages
at Manitou and drove through the Grand
Canyon and the Garden of the Gods The
roadway through the Grand Canyon is so mar
row that only in a few places can two vehicles
pass each other, On each side the cliffs rise
perpendicularly to enormous height.
Emerging from this we enter the Garden of the
Gods, and here the scene is one of weired and
majestic beauty. Far as the eye can reach rise
fha m n a in hni n lIa
outlines are blended with the blue of the heav
ems. Now we pass huge projection rising
perhaps 800 feet above the ground very long
but exceedingly thin and resembling the dor
sal fin of a fish; now a tremendous stone col
umn so acted upon by the elements that it has
the appearance of statue; indeed, in one in
stance without being so told we exclaimed,
Napoleon" And there indeed was the Little
Corporal" wrought by the hand of nature, in
his cooked hat, regarding us solemnly with his
Bonaparte" A little further on we saw the
Sphinx with its ever kept secret.
Returning to Colorado Springs we took our
cars and went to Denver where we staid day,
and then came directly home travelling over
the Union Pacific from Denver to Kansas City,
traversing the beautiful farming lands of Kan
SaS. We covered over five thousand miles in
two weeks time.
Our impressions of the West, while we saw
much that is beautiful and country that has
great possibilities before it, we candidly state
that we believe Georgia is better for Georgians
than any other region that we saw. We think
that only few of our people could stand the
climate of the greater part of the West In
Omaha it is necessary one day to wear heavy
winter clothes and the next you will swelter
with the heat. The West is exceedingly mate
rialistic In the notices of the churches you
will find the Agnostics occupying prominent
position. We were travelling two Sundays and
on both occasions we foundeven in such states
as Kansas and Colorado farmers working in
| their fields the same as any other day. In the
| cities nearly everything, including the thea
tiers, was wide open" The West is not pros
| pering. We saw very little, if any improve
! ments going on and heard complaints OF hard
times.
When we saw the vastness and resources of
our country we were more than ever convinced
| of the folly of territorial expansion We tray
] eled miles without seeing human habitation
! over country that needs only population to
| make it blossom like the rose Why not de-
| velope America before some other country?
When we shall have acquired an overlooking
| population like that of most of the European
| countries, then we like them, can adopt a colo
| NAL policy. but until that time arrives we
| should hold aioof from such course.
| RICHARD H. EARLE.