Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1901-08-01
NOTES on TRAVEL.

Manitou, Col, July IA. -ThetIaveleis
on the Pacific Coast Tour arranged by
the New York Central railroad, left
New York on Tuesday forenoon, July
9th. The ride up the Hudson was cool
and delightful, pleasant preltde 10
the trip. The finest parts OF the
Palisades near New York and opposite
Sing Sing are being Blasted and de-
faced by private owners and one of the
charms of the Hudson will be destroyed
unless the State comes TO the rescue
and buys them. Mountains rosa one
behind the other, the CatskIlls we're a
dense blue haze in the distance; every
thing was fresh because OF the recent
rains, and all in tine full tide Of sum
mer. In waysitie pools water lilies were
blooming, there were great beds Of
tiger lilies and patches Of yellow ok
eyed daisies Along the beautiful
Mohawk Valley the wheat fields were
thickiy dotted with shocks of grain,
showing fine yield and rything
looked prosperous and thrifty.
After leaving Detroit the heat steadily
increafed the wind from across the
level wheat fields and p4rohed pastures
OF Michigan came heated red hot; the
scarlet lilies, hlazirg by the roadside,
seemed to make it warmer, and the
pretty parks around the railway stations
with their green grass, dumps OF trees
and flower beds were refreshing to look
at from the sitting, dusty train. A
wayslde station was appropriately
named Furnaceville. The only saving
quality OF the heat was its dryness
which makss it less distressing than
the humidity OF our climate.
From behiud its sand dunes Lake
Michigan shone cool, but in appearance
only, for the climax of heat Was reached
at Chicago. Its inhabitants confessed
TO 104 degrees, but we believed the
truth was not all told. The air from
| the streets came like hot blasts from q
| furnace, but the OhicHgoans mist be
used to such torrid conditions, for they
seemed full of energy as ever. For
variety we crossed the city on the
! elevated railway 10 the station of the
Chicago and Northwestern railroad,
and were glad TO miss the old time
malodorouaness of the Chicago River
since the completion OF the drainage
canal.
The Missouri River maintained its
reputation for mud as we crossed it on
/, the high bridge nt Council Bluffs.
| Above our heads was suspended d
carriage bridge. like spider web
across the stream. Beyond Omaha we
began to see the great fields OF corn
stretching far as the eye could see ano
realized the millions of acres of 1t We
had read about In ons field six double
teams were plowing. The farmhouset
we're small and one-story and with
never tree to shade them, must have
been intolerably warm. The Platte
River was merely a wide mud flat witt
an occasional rivulet .riolkling through
it. Great herds of cattle were grazint
in the level prairies with not tree Il
take shelter under, and we thought how
glad they must be when night fell
wfereon there was a windmill the!
were grouped around IL. The farm
house was usually low and earth
colored, otter built of sods. cut il
blocks and built up like bricks and 81
tiny there could be but one small room
There was no door yard, no fence, nj
giants, apr Hrenrly no garden no
chicken coops, nothing We ASSOCIATE
with farm life. Wep wondered tia
never tres was planted TO shade th
doorway, for groves of cottonwoOds hat
evidently been planted as windbreak
or shelter for stock. BESIDES the hous
, there was often a timer barn and SOM
diminutive outhouses. Where severa
, houses we're in sight at once there wa
usually little frame church, bare ant
unshaded; sometimes "a tiny buria
ground with two or three headstones
but always, to their credit as Ameri
cans, a schoolhouse, usually the larges
, building in the settlement, even if a
In one case, but six scholars attended 1t
Life on these Nebraska farms mus
be very bare and lonely, the leve
, country, adding to its munotony. /
the neighbors Welt one another, tn
visited could see,' il far sighted, he
{ visitor issue from her door and persu
her long way toward aher and tn
: element of the unexpected. which add
to the pleasure of social intercourse
/ would be quite wanting. Ii is not SUI
] prising that we hear OF insanity anon
D farmers wives. But everywhere alon
4 our route we have heard OF inoreasin
prosperity and hope of better thing
9 sunsets We have heard OF were not over
! rated. The whole western, sky was
: blazs of vermilion, unbroken by
. single cloud, but shot through. on thi
9 particular evening with heat, lightning
! The level expanse changed to rollin
J J prairies like solidified waves OF the se
4 with here and there oomEing breaker
i For miles the Platte River was but
0 sand bed, not drop of water visible
a At North Platte We saw Buffalo Bill
\ ranch, more pretentious house tina
i its neighbors, with verandas, gaide
and shade trees.
As We crossed into Colorado we bega
d To see the curious, often gruteB1ue,, roo
s formations In terra Gotta reds, the vi
: familiar flowers of brilliant hues, an
I soon, over it's foot hills, green wit
= pines, showed the shoulder Of rnour
o tain, scanned with snow, our firt
c glimpse of Pixies Peak, the beacon b
n which the pioneer gold hunters steere
!. their prairie sohooners into the my
!, terious, unknown west We spent.
!, day at hIanirou, which assemblies
Swiss mountain resort, with picturesqu
hotels. whose shady pIazzas are lille
with tourists and in the oentre OF til
4 town the mineral springs, enclose
9 with pleasure grounds, and sparklin
= and bubbiing from their hidde
/, sources. The principal industry of Il
Is place is climbing mountains, and Il
1t this all means are provided from I'll
n cog wheel railway to herds OF tir
% burros. We saw many of the 'latt,
IA bearing riders whose feet almo
touched the ground aud who looked ;
though they ought to be carrying ii
N burio s instead of the reverse. We mat
}, the ascent of Pixies Peak by the raj
n way. A brawling mountain strea
. came rushing, leaping, foaming, tuu
y bling over rocks, or gliding ,und
IA l..t-s