The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1899-06-16
Merrill in Colorado.
- S1LvERroN, Col,
-. H.. May 80, 1899.

Merrill in Colorado.
~ - S1LvERToN, Col,
Il May 80, 1899.
Over the mountains, around the
mountains, and under the mountains.
How is that for variety, and all in one
trip. 0, there is nothing monotonoue
about mountain life, at least about
mountain travelling. My last jour.
ney took me to the westernmost town
in Colorado: one station more would
have carried me into Utah, but a
wholesome respect for my better half
kept me from that step. *-"% T.
This trip included a Ministerial
Conference at Montrose, a Church
Association at Whitewater, and q two
Sundays supply of the Congregations
al church at Grand Junction. 1t
took three days to reach these points,
for in this part of the country our
trains do not run by lamplight; and
it you could see the places we went
through you wouldn't wonder, for
even an iron horse would he afraid to
make such twists and turns and
climbs and slides in the dark. At
the end of the second day 1 had
travelled by rail 1872 miles, and was
just l8 miles from home; but that
l8 miles meant range of mountains,
and snow perhaps 40 feet deep.
Montrose is in the Uncompahgre
Valley. Don't try to pronounce that
name unless there is surgeon near
at hand ready to set a dislocated
jaw.) Whitewater is in the Gunni-
son Valley, and Grand Junction in
the Grand Valley. These valleys are
all on the Western slope of the
Rocky Mountains and in the very
heart OF most magnificent fruit Sec
ton. 1t was slight change in tenn
perature to have the mercury 4 de-
grees below zero in Silverton on We'd
nesday morning and on Friday be in
the Grand Valley with the mercury
at 80 degrees above zero. l am sure
that l realized that change leaving
home as l had to with my heaviest
winter clothing, and in two days
wishing had my lightest summer
outfit. It was slight change also to
leave home with the mountains and
everything covered with snow and
glistening in the sunlight, and in z8
hours be riding among apple, peach
and pear orchards in full bloom.
Didn't it do my eyes good to look
down from tho bluffs into one of
those valleys and see those orchards
interspersed with the fields of alfalfa
of deep rich green. 1 don't be-
lieve that even an editor with his viv,
id imagination could appreciate the
change from encircling snowbanks
to blooming peach orchards, in such
a short time. unless he had passed
through the experience as I did.
Grand junction is a place of about
5000 people, and seems destined to be
the commercial headquarters of the
Western slope. It is on one of the
main thoroughfares between the East
and California; 1T has four trainsza
day onfthree different lines Of rail.
road from Denver. lis in one OF
the best fruit sections probably of the
whole country. And they are just
starting new enterprise, the beet
sugar business. They have. tested
the matter so thoroughly and are sc
sure of the future of this industry,
that plant is now being put in al
a cost of about half a million dollars
that expects to turn out from ten tc
twelve million pounds of sugar q
year, and they confidently expect te
double this capacity within a few
years. So if you want to get where
you can have all the fruit you wan
to eat, and plenty of sugar to sweet
en- it with, you had better get move
on you and buy your ticket to Crane
Junction.
On my return trip I decided to try
| it over the range instead of of goine
faround all the way by rail. had t
make twenty-five miles by stage, O.
at this time of the year by buck
boark and horseback. I came b,
rail to Ouray. a beautiful town Z
about 5000, nestled in among the tn
mountains so closely that thel
IoOOAo w OO ~ 1OOu 1OI AUILuo
growth without climbing up tn
steep sides of the hills: From ther'
by stage or buck. board it was up, ur
up, until it seemed almost as if W
must have reached the very top O
everything. At the highest point W
were over 1900 feet above sea leYe]
If you want to ''get up in the world,
come out this way. About eigh
miles over the highest part of tn
range we had to make on horsebacl
Here among the mountains they vii
pack anything on horseback from
preacher to case of eggs. Th
other day I saw a burro with cooh
ing stove strapped on one si1e of h:r
a box of provisions on the other side
and the stove'pipe on top. How
that for travelling outfit?
But that trail over the mountaint
Fancy yourself in my place on horse
back on the side of a mountain, on
unbroken sheet of snow hundreds 0
feet above you; another unbroke
sheet OF snow hundreds of feet be
low you; the trail about foot wide
and the side of the mountain 9
a. l.