Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1899-10-13
ANNAPOLIS. GD. FRIDAY. OCTOBER ls 1899
COLORADO SPBINGS.
MANITOU-"THE SARATO-
GA OF THE WEST"
Pixies -"The Gem of The
Rockies.

Il AN0s-RA(9s
Special Correspondent to the Evening capi.aa
Here are massive walls of richly Gov
cred granite. rising from murmuring
streams. almost perpendicular to the sky
above. Their bold and rugged cliffs are
split and broken by the never-ending
battle with the elements.
Their lofty domes and towers stand
alone and unsupported after centuries OF
upheaval and commotion. inconceivable
to man. The lonely brook. with its crys-
tai waters. winds in and out in the deep
| ly wooded recesses of the mountains, and
with melodious murner. glides over the
| mossy logs and boulders strewn in its
path. beneath ferns and bushes arched
above IT.
Nav it passes through the solitary
glen, now under the shadow OF the gray
old trees, the keepers OF the secrets of
the ages past, where the tourist may find
undisturbed communion with nature.
The canon is covered with moss and fill
ed with flowers Of every tint and hue,
ladening the air with sweetest perfume.
As one enters South Cheyenn Canon he
beholds great cleft in the granite monu-
ment, as though some mighty hand had
split and welded it apart. that one might
enter and behold the wondrous works Of
time within.
AT the right of the entrance is mas
sive granite shaft towering almost TO the
sky. called Eagle Cliff. II is SO call
ed because our glorious American bird
has chosen it fit place to build his
home. Just before you is another giant.
equally as grand and impressive, and
clinging TO its side. half way down from
its summit, and standing out in bold re-
lief against the sky, are Vacant Chair"
and "Hindo Baby" each curious and
suggestive rock formation. Passing
through the gate, where the toll. pre-
viously spoken OF. is paid. two immense
pillars OF rock stand squarely across the
canon, completely filling it, and de-
manding halt.
The way seems barred. and the tourist
is at loss to know which way to go,
but the brook has found lis way and so
must we. Here we find the most won
derful demonstration in the action of the
water. For hundreds OF feet the canon
at this point has been worn through the
solid granite. On either side the perpen-
dicular walls rise nearly 1000 feet high,
and at one place, are but 40 feet apart,
barely giving room for the creek and the
roadway between them. Not far from
these great pillars Of rock, on the left, is
observatory Point; next we come to a
graceful symmetrical pinnacle of granite,
more than 300 feet high. 1t stands
alone, like watch tower OF the God OF
War. It's foot wrapped in great dark
cloak OF sombre evergreen. The burro
trail leaves the canon here and winds its
way through lhIe kly wooded gulch TO-
Point Lookout and "Seven Falls"
Here nature oui-does herself in a grand
display OF mighty cliffs and rushing wa
tiers. Here is a colossal amphitheatre,
down one side OF which plunges the
ioamng torrent in seven distinct leaps
from a perpendicular height OF 2I6 feet.
10 view this we ascend mighty stair
way ard erjoy the beauties around above
and be> ond. Ii is said there is no place
accessible TO tourists which surDasses
South Cheyenne Canon in scenic beauty,
not even excepting the Yosemite Valley
and Alpine gorges. The entire canon
presents a succession of the grandest
views that can be imagined, while beau
tliul brooks of crystal water. fora un-
surpassed in variety and the finest hills
in Colorado, add to its surprising attrac-
tivencss We must not forget TO say, in
passing. that in this canon we saw the
famous burro"Dick, which Helen Hunt
Jackson, the poetess, has immortalized
in some OF her poems.
| "Dick" is a white burro, SO years old,
and famous for having been used by the
United States government 20 years ago.
| He helped 10 build the cog railway up
Pixies Peak. The grave OF Helen Hunt
Jackson. whose poems are filed with the
glories OF these mountains she loved so
we'll, lies at the summit of Seven Falls,
in quiet Cheyenne Canon. Leaving
Colorado Springs and travelling a few
miles distant by steam or electric rail-
way. one arrives at the woild-famous
Maniiou. Every one has heard of Mani
tou. and hundreds Of thousands have
been 10 this queen of mountain resorts,
which possesses peculiar charm for the
tourist, and casts about him a magic
| spell, under whose bewitching glamour
| he fingers. Manitou. the soit. melodious
Indian name, means Spirit. One readily
recalls those lines Of Longfellow's Hia-
| watha:
''Gitchie Manitou, the Mighty
Give your children, food oh Father
Give US food or we must perish.
Give me food for Minnehaha,
For my dying Minnehaha.'
But Manitou is said to have gotten its
name some other way. A facetitious
stage driver told US quite a different
story for the origin of the Indian name.
A lady had been travelling through this
portion OF Colorado more than quarter
Of century ago when there were few in
habiiants in the present city of Manitou.
Reaching home her folk asked her about
the sights and scenes of the country.
''Well. tell us what you saw there, was
the query of one. "Oh, only saw a
man or f7O0. was the response, and so
Manitou got its name. the story says.
Manitou is called 1.-The Saratoga of the
West" Il is fiye miles from Colorado
Springs. and eighty miles due south Of
Denver 1t lies in a cup-like glen. sur
rounded by mountains. and has for an
impressive back ground. high above the
surrounding SUBMITS. the lonely majesty
of Pixies Peak. Ii is famous for its
mineral waters. picturesquessurroundings
and the cog-wheel railroad to the sum-