Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1902-06-25
cl,arIes i. Turner ID coIorado.


kansas river, where the grandest of
mountain scenery exists. 4 party OF
six including myself left Colorado
Springs on the 18th OF June with a
complete camping outfit drawn by q
span OF 16-hand mules. We struck
Ute Pass Manatou and followed it
through the mountains to South Park.
1t is almost continuous upgrade with
wall of mountains on each side and
a beautiful mountain brook ripping
along the roadside. Many of the
craggy rocks are heautitied with fir
and pine trees growing among them.
The ssNfidland' r. r. follows this pass.
In many places there is scarcely room
for it and the wagon road. To my eye
"South Park is not what the name
implies, would call nine tenths of it
a barren waste glazed over with alkali.
Small portions are irrigated and grows
a very respectable crop OF grass. The
altitude is about 5000 IT. No effort is
made to raise grain or vegetables.
Their only resource is grass and stock.
The greater portion of the population
are prairie dogs. However there are a
few fine ranches owned and operated
by intelligent and hos pitable people.
After passing through the Park we
penetrated another range of noun
tains and passed through to Buena
Vista on the Arkansas river. Here
we see marks of civilization. The
valley ranges at that point from three
to five miles wide, altitude 5000 feet.
Only small portions are susceptible to
irrigation and all that is not is almost
worthless for the rainfall is much less
than that of western Kansas. It
would be a sin for congress to deprive
this valley of utilizing the water from
this stream for it is the only means
they have of ever making the grass
grow. I am KanSan yet it looks
like taking the bread out Of ehildrens
mouths to deprive Colorado of the
utility of it's waters. In fact all the
water in Colorado spread out over
Kansas would not be more than a
light dew. We do not advance this
theory in opposition to Congressman
Reeder's irrigation theories but we be-
lieve it to be fact. In many places
the Arkansas river at this point about
Granite. is narrowed down to a small
stream with the Denver s. Rio Grande
on one bank and the Midland on the
other and the wagon road cut around
the side OF the mountain 500 feet
above, in many instances with not
over two feet of space between the
driver and eternity if a wheel should
slip off, there is some mining carried on
there but not extensively. Our party
consists of an old miner who at one
time was KanSan, by the name of
| NJ. P. Lawrence, who is well verSed in
Kansas history and was acquainted
with the Bender family and with
Senator York, of Kansas, and his act
ions with Senator Pomeroy at the
time Senator Ingalls, was first elected
| to the Senate. Mr.. Lawrence gave
Senator Tabor, of Colorado, his first
lessons in mining. Tabor afterwards
became millionaire from his mines
at the Black Hills and finally died
practically a pauper. F. T. Turner
and Tom Reed. of Agra, Ed French,
of Wisconsin, and Morris Sheppard a
lad of sixteen whose father is prom
inent physician of Colorado Springs
and an investor in Thunder mountain
mines, who has given US what we hope
to be valuable information about that
country. We have chartered a car at
that place and will load tonight for
Pocatella, Idaho, after we reach there
I will endeavor to give you sketch
of that country. expect to find the
stock business in which am interest
ed better there than here. l hope to
be brave enough, by coming in con-
tact with the wild and woolly subjects
Of the west, to make very respectable
candidate for sheriff in Phillips county
Kansas, this fall.
ACROSS THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE.
On the evening of the 18th, of June,
we loaded our entire party and travel
ing equipment into box car billed
for Pocatella, Idaho. Having no faci-
lities for loading stock, the section
boss had to make a bridge of railroad
ties to enable us to load the mules.
Notwithstanding the town of Gran
tie is 40 years old, it is about the size
of Agra. An English syndicate own
and operate placer mine, containing
three thousand acres, there. 1t is eS-
timated that they have taken out at
least three million dollars worth of
gold in the last forty years. On one
occasion IN transferring their gold
bricks from the mine to the express
Office they were stolen. About two
hours ride up the valley and we are in
Leadv1lle which is said to be the
highest incorporated city in the world
as we'll as containing the most depray-
ed men and women. The altitude is
near eleven thousand feet. They have
three large smelterS and a population
of $4,000. An eight mile run from
this DOint nm a grade Of three nor cent