The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1902-08-09
Editors,

nelQ lIS annual summer mebbluS dU /
Kansas City July 23d and oath. The /
meeting was unusually well attended, I
and about twenty-five new members
we're received into the association.
On Thursday evening a party of
one hundred and twenty, including
editors, their wives, daughters, sisters
and sweethearts, started on an excur-
sion to Denver. Not much was seen
during the night ride through Kansas.
At O'Clock Friday morning the
party arrived at La Junta, Colorado,
for breakfast. A splendid brass band
met the party at the depot, and
continued the serenade while the
train remained at the depot. La
Junta is the point where the Santa
Fe road forks, one branch going to
Ell Paso, Texas, the other branch
going to Denver. 1t is in the best
agricultural part of the state, aDc
only a few miles from Rocky Ford,
the place made famous by the "Rocky
Ford Canteloup." This part Of Col
orado raises very fine fruit, melons
and vegetables, but it is done by
Irrigation, there being no rainfall
worthy of mention. Almost every
thing in the fruit or vegetable line
may be brought to perfection in this
soil and climate if given plenty of
water.
Short stops were made at Rocky
Ford and Pueblo, and about noon the
party reached Colorado Springs and
re mained till four o'clock Saturday
morning.
During the halt at Colorado Springs
the party scattered in every direction,
but nearly all visited Manitou and
drank from the wonderful soda springs
which have ''made Colorado famous. !"
Many visited the "Garden of the
Gods, one Of the most interesting
spots in this wonderland. The rocks
have been thrown up by some violent
cOnvuIsion of nature, leaving some
curious formations. Many of these
formations have been named from
their resemblance to man or beast or
other object, such as Scotch George" "
a pile of stone resembling a Scotch
man; the Buffalo, I" hug formation
presenting a striking resemblance't to
buffalo; Punch and Judy, the
Needles, the Bear and the Seal, Frog,
Turtle, the Castle, and many other
very interesting objects.
After viewing the Garden of the
Gods" we were driven to Glen Eyre,
the home OF Gen. Palmer, two miles
from the Garden, and about four
miles from Colorado Springs. Gen.
Palmer probably lives in the most
romantic spot in the United States,
He is multi-millionair, and keeps a
gang Of men at work improving hi;
home. His residence is surrounded
on three sides by towering rock walls
three hundred feet high; splendid
springs furnish an abundance Of
water; his flower and vegetable gar
dens are we'll kept; he has beautiful
vine covered cottages for his hired
help; has telephone, telegraph, water
and steam heat, and altogether {
lovely retreat. Yet we were tolC
that his wife and daughters spent
but little of the time at home. HI
owns several Thousand acres Of land
including large part Of the "Garder
Of the Guds !"
At Manitou is the depot Of the cog
wheel railroad This road runs K
the top Of Pixies Peak, and is min,
miles long. The Peak is l4,147 fee
above sea level, and is 1878 fee
above the level Of Manitou, 1t cost
50 to make the round "trip BY rail, anC
takes an hour aud half to SO eithe
up or down. Many people mike thil
trip, and feel no III effects, Will
many more are made dealhly sick auC
and have to be hurriedly sent dowI
TO Manitou. Some make the iriI
aioot, and others 60 IN burros, bur
all are glad when they tet safely bacl
TO Manitou.
Colorado Springs Is a pretty town