Free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1888-1908, 1899-09-30
HOW SPENT MY VACATION.


spent my vacation this year, with
little more expense than the salary
earned during my trip, may not be
amiss. 1t was most delightful change
from the hated and dusty pavements to
roll over the boundlesS prairieS and
view from the car windows of a Mis-
souri, Pacific train the magnificent
scope OF country between here and
Pu~blo. There is no GOODNESS like
that which comes with the shades of
night on these vast plains, filed then
with waving corn and ripening wheat.
There is no more bracing air than
that with which one refreshes his
lungs in the early morning when the
mountains OF Colorado are just COM
ing into view, the mighty Pixies Peak
reaching the vision long before its
FOWLER neighbors. When taken COM
fortably, there is no pleasanter ride
than over this same garden spot Of the
Western world which in our geogra-
phies was laid down as the Great
American Desert. So we rode into
Pueblo and thence by the Denver and
Rio Grande road 20 Denver, a fair city
with all the comforts and handsome
buildings of her older sisters of the
East and lying III NJ altitude far above
the air we breathe in our homes, a
gem in an emerald setting of never
yielding mountain heights. COntinu-
ing our journey over the Denver and
Rio Grande and the Rio GTan1e West
ern roads we started for Salt Lake
City, the capitol of the new state,
which has been aptly termed the
Mountain Walled Treasury of the
Gods And thus we are permitted to
pass through the most varied ard en-
trancing scenery of the Rocky Noun
tains and to witness the wonders Of
the Royal Gorge, where the cunning
of man has overcome the difficulties
presented by Nature in her eff rts at
the grotesque and the sublime. These
chained out attention and drew
breathless expressions, especially when
crossing some chasm on an almost i'm
possible bridge structure with a roar
ing brawling stream beneath us. 1t
is inspiring and grand every foot of
the way to Salida and from there many
other decided attractions we visited.
Perhaps that which will most interest
a large number of my fellow carriers
is MarShall'S Pass, that marvellous
testimonial to American engineering
skill AS the altitude grows greater
the view becomes less obstructed. Miles
Of cone-shaped SUBMITS are in view.
We are in and above the home of the
clouds. We see the snow covered
spires of the Sangre de Christie range.
To our right is the fire SCARED front
Of old Ouray. We reach the summit
at an altitude of 1882 feet From
this point a magnificent view. can be
had of the Sangre de Christie range.
The pass is a scenic and scientific won
der; grades OF 211 feet to the mile are
frequent The streams from the sum-
nit flow eastward into the Atlantic
and westward into the Pacific. We
are impressed with the feeling that
We are on the pinnacle Of the world.
It would require much space to tell
OF all the beauties Of this trip and of
the pleasures of our stay in the City
of the Prophets. There are many
points of interest and among those
that claimed our attention were. nat
urally, the Mormon Temple and Tab
ernacle; Fort Douglas, United States
Military Post. three miles; White Sui
phur Springs, one mile; Beck's Hot
Springs. three miles: Liberty Park,
one mile; Calder's Park, three miles:
together with other attractions and
drives too numerous to mention. Thir-
teen miles from the city IS located the
magnificent bathing resort, Saltair
Beach, on Great Salt Lake, the finest
salt water bathing resort in the world.
Let me urge upon my friends to try
this trip during some vacation. It will
well repay the expense in the reStora-
ton of health, the broadening OF the
mind and the addition it will give to
each ones general information, tend
ing thus to raise his standard Of citi-
zenship and to help himself and his
brothers thereby.
F.P. BAKER