The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-07-31

Through EgeTia Park
Majestic Peaks in Sharp Out
lines Against the Bluest
of Skies.
SNOW DRIFTSNEVER MELT
NATURES MANY WONDERS IN
THE FORM OF BOILING
SPRINGS.
BEST GAME PRESERVE in THE MOUNTAINS
Denver One Of The Cleanest and Brightest Of
Cities Streams Full Of Mountains
Trout and the Fishing is Fine.


To the Editor:
The ascent from the Missouri river at
Omaha, Nebraska to Denver, Colorado
the latter being just n mile above the
level of the Atlantic ocean, does not inn
press one with its lofty altitude. The
elevation is gained by gradual lines as
if up a gently inclined plane, in fact the
great prairies sweep in almost unbroken
lines from the foot hills of the Rockies
to the basins of the great rivers in mid
continent. The approach to Denver is
both picturesque and interesting. The
Rocky mountains with their burden of
perpetual snow glistening in the blue
distance and the fields of green and gold
at your feet make charming landscape.
The detail is one of monotony-tield after
field stretching into distant prairie. oc-
casional ranches cut with irrigating
bitches. bleak stretches of stubby grass,
cacti and the prairie dogs scurryng hith-
er and thither. This little animal stand
ing upright upon its hind legs looks
most quizzically upon the moving train as
much as to say: what is that noisy
intrusion?' Then seemingly answering
the query for himself, drops to the
ground with an apparent conviction that
it is only moving train and proceeds
in a most tranquil way to the enjoy
ment of it's domestic affairs.
Denver is one of the cleanest and
brightest of cities. Coming from Oma-
ha with stock yards and generally un-
kempt appearance one is most agreeably
impressed with the beauty and cleanliness
of Denver the Queen City of the praires
But it is not of Denver that | wish to
write, but of a stage ride in the heart of
the Rocky mountains. Leaving the Den
yer and Rio Grande railway at a little
station called WolcOtt, and taking a
seat in the stage for Steamboat Springs.
80 miles distant. one cannot but have
some apprehension as TO the final out
come Of such a journey. Nevertheless.
the start is made up. up. steep grade
which the driver says is nine miles long.
The landscape presents little of interest
for some miles. Sage bush and a dry
alkali soil with but sparse vegetation Is
about all, except an occasional glimpse
at the distant snow-capped peaks. AT
last the summit is reached and the
horses are whipped into lope and then
settle down to a long swinging trot down
hill for another nine or ten miles to the
canon of the Grand river, thence up
another long and dreary climb to Il
plateau. known as the Cedar hills. This
region is the most uninteresting and
tedious l have ever encountered. Ina
CINE ten miles of road up and down a
hundred thousand hillocks, ten to fifty
feet high, the ground perfectly barren
save for few scrub cedars from to
Is feet in height The driver has no
mercy-he swings up one and down the
other in q trot until one becomes al
most sea-scS from the swinging OF the
stage. But this does not last always
for soon we dip into the beautiful and
fertile Egeria Park which affords scenery
of the most enhancing character There
are many stately and picturesque
s.butte" formations; or great upheavals
of stone, the finger marks of ages long
asone. s"Taponas'' and Ginger Rock
are striking examples of this feature III
Eeeria Park. The latter rises sheer
above the grass-green undulatlons to
height Of $50 feet. and is said to have
been held i'm deep yenerati0n by the Ute
Indians. now forever banshed from the
neaceful vale. The Park is some sc
miles in length and bountifully watereo
by rivers and creeks Of limpid COO
water. On all sides rise grand noun
tains and majestic peaks in sharp out.
line against the bluest Of skies, and
glistening in the July sun may be seer
great snow drifts, which are perhaps
thousands Of years old, as they remain
from year to year apparently needless OF
the heat of the summers sun. The
hills and wales of this Park are covered
with horses and cattle, the property OF
the thrifty ranchmen who dwell in com
fort there.
From this enchanted region we drive
to Steamboat Springs, where nature ha.
wrought from her subterranean labora
tories many wonders in the form o.
baiing springs, which are forced III
under pressure Of gasses. The mos
noted is the Steamboat Spring, whlel
gave the locality its name, and 1t IS s.
called because of the excess OF carpoii
acid gas. which finds escape III the spfih'
in regular pulsations not unlike the hois
exhaust pipes Of STEAMBOAT. u
Pavilion Spring is most sought as pev
erage; it is a sparkling eifervescen.
water. temperature $50, and by anaiysl
shows the following: :,
Chloride OF sodium. 3S.ol parts y
100000; Chloride of Magnesia' 1o.f-
Chloride of Potassium, DIG; BlcarDona,
Soda. 2O2.4J: Bicarbonate Of Lime
1884: Bicarbonate of Iron, O.oO; SHEA
2.SS. Total solids, 341.2G.
The bath spring is the next In III
portance; it discharges I'D gallons pc
minute at a temperature OF lo3 degree
and affords n most delightful pain, Il
the water is soft with small pc
centage Of sulphur. There are NOR
than fifty other springs in the valley
varying temperatures ana OF diiefi,'
mineral contents, the hottest being tn
boiling spring discharging its bubblin
u.tars at \ temperature Of $50 degrees
,This region, because of its adaptabilit
RI the habits of animal life and of 1t
ramoteness from the centres OF populi
tiop is perhaps the bes
game preserve in all TIL