Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1901-09-04
OUR TRIP.

Editor Index: Since leaving home the 27th,
of June. we have been deluged with letters
from our friends, and wishing to answer them
in the easiest manner possible 1 decided to
write to your paper giving them a short &C.
count of our trip.
We found western Kansas very much like
Barber Co., with the exceptions of the irri-
gated lands near Garde n City, but when we
crossed the Kansas and Colorado line we
found ourselves in the midst Of the irrigated
lands OF the Arkansas valley. Here we saw
no corn. cane or kaffir corn. Nothing to speak
OF but gardens, orchards and Alfalfa fields
and they were everywhere.
We were much interested in irrigation, and
found plenty of time to study the subject, as
we travelled up the Arkansas valley until we
reached Pueblo. In trav cling that distance we
noticed that they had fine gardens and small
fruits, and beautiful alfalfa fields, but we pas
sed orchard after orchard of fine looking APP
pie trees, all barren of fruit. Great healthy
looking trees, acres of them but no apples, ex.
cept around Rocky Ford md Manzanola
They had the finest looking farms about those
towns that we saw on our trip. and they had
plenty of fine apples.
we caught our HrsC glimpse OIL the noun
tains a; Rocky Ford. We were much dIsap.
pointed in them, and on nearing them our dis
appointment was yet keener. We had all read
of towering mountains and lofty peaks, and
as each of us was blessed with fully develop.
ed bump of imagination, we thought the least
they could do was to look larger than the gyp-
sum hills in Barber county, but they didn't.
We had also heard that the top of Pixies
Peak was continually covered with snow.
But it wasn't. When we arrived at Colorado
Springs July 18th there were a few small look
ing patches of snow on the top of
the Peak. but they were gone in a week, and
from that time until we left Aug. Sth, the top
of the famous Peak was as bare as a floor.
However. after we had visited beautiful
Glen Eyre, the Garden of the Gods, Williams
canon. the Ute Pass, Crystal Park, North and
South Cheyenne and Bear Creek canons, and
Pixies Peak. we were willing to admit that the
wonders of the mountains fulfilled our fondest
expectations. OF these, we considered Glen
Eyrie with its lovely trees, viues and Devils
Punch Bowl" the most beautiful; North and
South Cheyenne and Bear Greek canons, with
their beautiful pines and gurglng streams, the
most pleasant; and the Ute Pass with its dam
gerous road, mountainous walls, its beautiful
and tumbling down and finally dissolvng itself
into series of waterfalls, the largest of which
is known as the Rainbow falls, was by far the
most grand.
We, in company with. Mr.. Oliver Rules par
ty. drove up the Ute Pass to Woodland Park,
distance of 20 miles, and reaching an eleva-
ton of 1900 feet. There we had a beautiful
camping ground I'm the Shadow of the
Pines" and walking to pine grove near we
could pick wild strawberries and look at the
snow covered peaks to the north. And here
we discovered that the north slope of Pixies
Peak which was now in view, had plenty of
snow on it. At Manitau we drank from three
mineral springs, iron, soda and sulphur, and
decided that there was plenty of room for i'm
provement in the flavor of the water.
We also saw the ostrich farm at Manitau
and at the foot Of Pixies Peak we watched a
car on the cog railroad start on Its way to the
Peak loaded with tourists, and pushed by its
queer looking engine. We walked I'D the
Peak a short distance and as we returned we
met party of tourists mounted on Rocky
Mt. Canaries," commonly known as burros,
enroute for the top.
In Manitau and Colorado Springs we eniov-
ed visiting the many curiosity shops, Chas.
Dickens among others. At the specimen
house at the gateway of the garden of the
Garden Of the Gods, we saw the petrifed man
but were not much impressed, as we doubted
his genuineness
On July 18th we saw balloon ASCENSION
from the Casino at Broadmoor, but it was
quite disappointing as the aeronaut was not
killed
On August End we attended the Ouarto Cen
tenial and Roughrider Reunion at Colorado
Springs. We saw Vice President Roosevelt
escorted to the grand stand, where we saw
him make speech though we were too far off
to hear what he said. However we have no
doubt he laid it out about right, judging from
his gesticulations. The parade in the after
noon was grand and well worth our trip to
the Colorado Springs.
On August Sth we started home feeling
that the summer had been well spent, put
nrmly convinced that we had seen no place
like Barber county. The Coloradoites are
quite puhed up with their superiority over
Kansas, but it Is air. puff and quite capable of
collapsing,just as the balloon we saw at Board
moor, collapsed. They have fine alfalfa fields
there, to be sure. but they have just as fine
fields at Dodge City without irrigation. The
yield at Dodge City is not quite so heavy, but
they escape the worry and expense of irriga-
ton. And in Kansas we can raise grass-just
grass without irrigation, and that Is more
than they can do west OF Lamar
They all went out of their way to gleefully
inform as that Kansas was burnt up. but we
considered that fattering to say the least. 1t
was quite evident that they had ali heard of
Kansas.
In conclusion wish to say that have no
doubt Colorado is fine state. but there are
others-Kansas for instance.
L. 8. McELwAIS.
For Farm Loans see VIM. Palmer at
Office Of DR.. Moore.