Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1902-07-31

NANIIoU. Colo. July ISL


Thinking you might not object
10 letter telling you Of my trpl
up Pixies Peak, l shall entertain
you for a short while. Pixies
Peak. 'old. centuries old stands a
mammoth monument ofages gone.
Serene and bold II stood through
out the myriad years that spanned
the cycles OF antiquity, and the
Hrst glad sight OF lie grand snow
crowned Crest, evidenced to the
toiling pathfinder. the glad sign
that there vas a limit TO the xea-
~ waste OF plain. Oblivion wells
It's mystic past, Yet men in lis
time have lived, wrought and van
ished, while this great white noun
tain, watching the history making
of II all has locked their secrets
IN Its mighty breast, leaving to
posterity no thrilling tales, only a
hushed romance Authentic dates
OF this sentinel begins Nov. Is.
1896. when Maj. Zebulon n. Pike.
a soldier and daring adventurer.
With a small exploring party Of
United States soldiers first sight
ed the distant crest far across the
plains, be was ten days in reach
ing its base. and made MANY at
tempts to scale its height, but
gave It up with the declaration
that. mo human being could ever
ascend to it's summit All, little
did he know of the wonders of
the nineteenth century, for since
then the widest decisions of j ules
Verne have evolved into veritablr
fActs. Since then Pixies Peak has
passed through many viciseitudes.
and Its shadow nov covers an EN-.
pire, immense riches Turk about
It's base. and the breeze 10 filed
with the hum of industries. The
Cog wheel Route that speeds You
TO the summit of this tower OF
greatness vas completed in 1900.
and is one of the most remarkable
IN the world, for il climbs to an
elevation of 14.I47 feet above the
sea level, overcoming in nine
miles, one and one.haif vertical
miles, o. standard guage, and
where bed Is not cut in solid rock
II is thoroughly ballasted, in the
center are rack-rails which are
doubled from valley to summit.
made from superior Bessemer
steel. The engines are novelties
of powerful mountain climbers
weighing thirty tons each, having
two double-eog wheels under
meath catching on the rack rails
and are provided With four hand
steam. water and automatic brakes
Each coach seats afty passengers
the coach precedes the iocomo-
tive on the ascent and follows on
the descent, thus being always
protected by the engines. they
however, are never coupled to
gether. The start up this wonder
of wonders is made from the Mani
tOu station close 1t Its base righ,
up q narrow glen, this soon wid
ems into q canon like defile. and
the train on left hugs the tower
ing wall while on right is a yavn-
ing gulch, through which the lit
tie stream Ruxt0n splashes thro
a narrow bed beneath confuse.
masses of rock and over giant
boulders, foaming, clamoring, riot
ing Minnehaha, being the first
stop, beautiful spot, where tie
falls by this name Ill the ar with
soft, sweet melody. Next, the
Lone Fisherman is called, and
far above can be seen in plain
outline, the crnde form of what
seems d man, cap on head, in sit
ting posture, waiting tits said, not
Micavber like. but for a .bite. :
1t is a very positive representa-
ton and easily recognized by all
on board. Next through much
beautiful senic beauty comes the
Half way House, a rustic noun
tain hotel amid a grove Of stately
pines, near which is Hell's gate.
through which the trains pass
further on Among the surprises
is a printing Office perched on the
mountain side, here a daily paper
10 issued containing the names Of
the visitors IN each section a. it
passes and from which many
dimes are coined, ~ We all like
to see our names in print % Nov
the hills shrink back, the trees
desert the landscape a. Ne are