The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1902-09-26
At A 0L0RA'DO>. E.: RANCH IAN
Milwaukee Scientist Writes Of
Life in Middle Park.
SOJOURN IN ROCKIES
Interesting Description Of a Vacation
Visit in a High Altitude
Canned Food Diet.

| It has been suggested that some ac-
count Of my summer vacation experience
upon a ranch in Middle Park in Colora-
do might be of interest and it is at this
suggestion that 1 have endeavored to re-
late something of the life which exists
in that remote part Of the country out
side of the beaten lines of travel.
Leaving Chicago at II o'clock p. m.
| we arrived at Denver the second morn
ing at s o'clock. The entrance to Middle
Park is near Empire, on the Colorado &
Southern railroad, for which place, and
beyond, trains leave Denver several times
a day.
In Clear Creek Valley.
| The road winds through the narrow
valley Of Clear creek-in places so narrow
and with such high and precipitous walls
as to deserve the name Of canyon, afford
ing for almost thirty miles very pictur-
esque scenery, with rushing torrent at
the roadbed. This scenery attracts every
! Sunday, during the fine season, ex-
cursionists out Of Denver, who extend
the trip to Georgetown and around the
! loop thus getting in half days ride
a very good idea of the beauties of Rocky
! mountain scenery; for one enters here
right into the high mountains. snow
streaked, many of them, all summer.
Empire has good hotel, where we
| rested over night and started in the
morning by stage over the range, through
| BerthOld's pass, the only one into Mid
| die Park traversable by carriages. The
| attitudes attained are: At Denver, 5000
feet; at Empire, 5000. and at the sum
| init of the pass, 1000. The road con-
tinues for some distance I'D one of the
forks of Clear creek, ever ascending,
with new mountain vistas opening az
every turn, and the stream dwindiing
finally to silver thread, a thousand feet
below. The road soon makes a sharp
turn and we zig Jagged up the steep as
cent for about an hour, finally attaining
timber line" or the limit Of forest
growth, and the summit Of the pass.
Here, we stopped for lunch, and near by
found patch of soft snow. The day
was perfect; mild and clear, and with
most exhilarating air. The effect of the
rariied air was felt but little, except
when exertion was attempted, but on
running out to the snow patch | was
soon stopped by throbbing heart and
shortness of breath, but few minutes
rest quite restored me.
The Descent Into the Park.
! The descent into the park was longer
and rougher, and was made rapidly, and
we were we'll jolted, but it was rare fun
and we all enjoyed the plunge down the
valley of the tortuous Frazier as much
as the more picturesque ascent. The
road winds through dense evergreen for
ests, mostly spruce and pine, with the
foreground made brilliant by bright-hued
flowers.
The stage generally goes through to
Grand lake in twelve hours, but it is a
hard days drive, and we, having char
tered the coach for our own use, stopped
one night at place called Gaskill's,
where we found good accommodations.
There are several such stopping places
along the road-half private hotels-or
simply ranch houses that entertain trav
elers during the summer. The next
morning brought us to our destination,
through valleys and up and down the
hills of pretty undulating country with
frequent views Of the encircling Rockies
| in the distance.
The park is by no means level, but a
| succession OF moraine hills with inter-
vening valleys, that often broaden out to
extensive meadows. The hills are big
heaps of rock and gravel plowed up by
the ancient glaciers, and this evidence of
that stupendOus ice action of former ages
is one Of the interesting features Of the
country to the student of geology.
Something Of Ranch Life.
My companions went on to Grand lake,
remaining at a ranch a few miles this
side, where l stayed a month, and per-
| haps all account of ranch life and pur-
suits may be interesting. First as to the
houses Of these pioneers, for their homes
and life remind one much Of ROOSEVELT
account of the early settlers of the West.
The country everywhere abounds in
| fOrQStS-1U cOniforS-or1 Sc, Il
work for these skilled axemen to fell the
trees and hew the logs more or less, gen.
orally only notching the ends, and in a
day the rough frame of a small house
can be put up. saw a building 16 feet
square thus erected. It takes several
days, however, to cut out and fit in the
doors and windows and put on the roof
of split poles, and then the chinks Of the
Logs are filled in more or less with strips,
and "daubea," or plastered ND outside
with clay. Neighboring sawmills, though
at some distance, had to furnish the
boards for the floor and door and win
dow castings while the finished doors and
is generally mud covered, and such a roof
is found warmer and better than a
shingled one, though eventually shingles
generally supersede it, but the real pic.
neer's cabin has always a mud roof. The
inside walls are left bare at first and
present picturesque rOuGnneSS Well ac'
cording with the life of it's occupants
but as means come the walls are lined
with calico or some course material, and
thereby the dwelling rendered less
drafty, as we'll as Of more tidy appear
ance, for the outside daubing soon cracks
and admits air freely.
| Irrigation is Necessary.
Such rough looking houses make very
comfortable homes, even through the Sc
we're winter. They are generally one
storied, mere huts in appearance. The
stables and outhouses are similarly con
structed. The country is still mostly il
government possession, the ranchme1
only entering the more attractive mead
ows with access, when possible, to 9
stream, and they depend on the wide
open mesas and mountains for ranges FOL
their stock. The homestead is fenced in
to keep up" the cattle and horses, an6
al irrigation ditch is an essential addition
to their ranches, as tame grasses will not
thrive otherwise, and these bitches arr
often several miles long and, with the
fences, represent good deal of labor
Real farming is prohibited by the cold
summer weather caused by the altitude :
about 5000 feet-and frosts are frequent
even in July, and cattle and horse raising
is the sole remunerative occupation; but