The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1901-08-16

mental figures, can easily inspire
the poets pen and artists brush.
Manitou is a beautiful little city
Iabout three miles west Of the Gar.
den of the Gods, and it is there thai
the health giving springs come oul
Of the earth. Before the "palt
face" invaded this part Of the west
the Utes and Cheyenne Indians
clustered their wigwams around
these fountains of health. They
called it Manitou, for Manitou is the
Indian for God, or Great Spirit
An Indian legend makes it appear
that the Great Spirit, in taking his
vacations from the happy hunting
grounds, to dwell awhile near his
brave subjects, provided this spot
With its health-giving iron and soda
springs, its stately gardens, its great
peak, its Cave Of the Winds, its
caverns, its cathedral spires, and its
delightful climate to decorate in
splendid profusion his temporary
earthly abode. Manitou lies at the
foot Of Pixies Peak, and is called
1.-The Saratoga OF the West"
While there are about twenty five
peaks in Colorado from three to four
hundred feet higher than Pixies
Peak, yet, on account Of the beauty
Of its associations and surroundings, /,
it exceeds them all. On account of
the number Of lower peaks that lead
up to it, its apparent height disap
points the traveller at first sight 1t
is nearly three miles high. Ii is
covered with perpetual snow, and
heavy clouds are torn asunder strik
ing its bald and rugged summit,
while rain storms, snow and hail
storms occur almost daily around its
barren head. The ascent OF the
peak is made by foot, on burros OF
horseback, and on the cog-wheel
railroad, the fare for the round trip
by rail- being five dollars for each
person. The train is composed OF
one engine and a car holding fifty
passengers. The engine pushes the
car up the steep grade 1t is per
feet wonderof engineering skill, and
it required an engineer of daring to
face the proposition. The cog
wheel is on the engine and in the
middle OF the track, between the
two rails, there runs cogged rail
in which the cog-wheel under the
engine works. The track is nine
miles long from top to bottom ol
the peak. People with weak hearts
are not allowed to 90 up on the
train, and the stoutest often faint on
the way. Even in the hottest
weather passengers must take over
coats and heavy wraps when start
ing as you never miss passing
through snow storm, and the cold
chills one TO the bone. One also
gets very hungry from the cold.
You will hurry slowly into the sta
ton to the tire and take, say two
cups of hot cpffee and a couple OF
pieces of cake or pie, and it will
cost you only one dollar. As moth
ing will cook on top Of the peak, all
eatables aud warm drinks must be
cooked below and kept warm above.
There can be no grander sight
than the sunrise or the sunset from
the top Of Pixies Peak. The first
faint light appears in the east, and
the darkness quickly begins to pass
away. Yon are above the heavy
clouds, and, when you look down
upon them in the dim light, il APP
pears as Ihough you were looking
down upon the surface Of the ocean.
Your unusual surroundings inspire
awe as il you were in a nev world ;
everything seems so strange. Grad
ually the sun advances till few red
lrays pierce the clouds, then the red
and the yellow colors seem to fight
for supremacy. Finally the edge
Of that great ball oil fire appears
through cloudland, the mists OF
morning break under the spell, and
'',he king of day" shoots his gold.
en- arrows at you full and fairly on
that glistening summit, which has
received and subdued his influence
for centuries unknown. 1t will he
two hours before those at the foot Of
the peak will see the same sun. A
trip to Colorado now would be in
complete without visiting the great
gold. fields Of Cripple Creek. The
new railroad, finished in the last
few months, called "The Short
Line which connects Colorado
Springs with Cripple Creek, is said
to be the finest scenic road in Colo.
RADIO, il not the grandest in the
world. A gentleman who made a
half dozen tours Of Europe, and who
had visited most Of the west, said il