The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1902-09-26
WHEN ONE COMES WEST.

It's a fairly long ride from the
Mississippi across the Western
plain to the Rockies. Long and
tiresome and hot and, sometimes,
uninteresting because of the une-
ventful plain. After the weary
tourist has viewed level prairie
until the picture becomes indeli-
bly, stamped upon his mind he
has helpless sort of feeling, and
sort of sensation of longing for
some strong arm to lift him bodi
ly out of the dreary, limitless ex-
panse and thereby put an end to
it. Oh, | was going to say that
the only thing of interest to the
bewildered tourist is the prairie
dog villages. These the little ami
mails have kindly arranged along
the company's right of way ex-
pressly for the amusement of the
languorous passengers. How pat
ronizingly the creatures disport
themselves about the little hills.
OF course one passes innumerable
towns $50 curiously named), but
these are like goodies" in a
child's prize box-yery infrequent
and exceedingly small.
But when one reaches the point
in Colorado where irrigation be-
gins his spirits revive. Indeed,
here the desert blooms with the
purple and green of alfalfa and
plant life generally rejoices in
luxuriant existence. One is Just
coming in contact with the Western
civilization, in which irrigation is
an essential factor. One sees Or
chards boldly thriving and one
must smile approvingly at the
Westerner's hardihood.
Yes, Colorado is another world
to the tourist. Let him come
among her people. And here's a
secret, which is pretty generally
known: While one has been
and talking ones finger
has been pointing over ones
shoulder to the East. The East
The East. ''They don't do that
way down where | came from.
They did this way" But it mat
tiers little to the people of the
West; they have adopted way
largely their own.
But no doubt this peculiar phase
of our country's civilization can
be accounted for by causes found
in conditions of climate and coun-
try.
This is the "dry climate" as it
is called. Very little moisture ex-
lists in the atmosphere as compared
with our damp climate. One en-
Joys breathing the air out here.
1t is bracing, and one inhales it as
! thirsty man drinks at a cool, re-
Freshing stream keeps taking
leep draughts as though he could
lot get enough of the invigorating
luid. 1t does not depress, and
here's seldom day but one feels
'ouyed up by the healthful atmos-
'here. Of course this condition
will produce a result in the lives {
f the people, which is a vigorous, {
heerful activity. {
One may stand at most any !
oint around Pueblo and see the
fountains; the great, towering
fountains. When l thus saw the I
,ockies for the first time looming 9
p before me | felt a sense of pro. $
rietorship. They were my noun d
Tins. Had | not learned of them P
nd dreamed of them when a a
,hoolboy? And now while Il
God and viewed them they were e
old friend, though ! had never II
ZEN them before. They were is
lirty miles away. While Pixies P
eak may be plainly beheld on the al
nth rising above the rest of the p
nge it is distant fifty miles. One u
joys beholding the mountains at "
then when one has d. IL
sted the view thoroughly he lie
ay approach and actually put his W
nds on the massive wall of gran Of