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


and about the same number had to
return home. Good-bys we're said, aud
the home-bound crowd left at $3.50 D.
m, on the Santa Fe; while the Salt
Lake crowd divided, some remain
ing in Denver till morning, while |
Others started Sunday night on the |
Denver and Rio Grande for the west.
We were in the latter crowd, and
after sleepless night we watched the
coming dawn as IT broke over the
mountains. At sunrise we we're in
sight Of Leadville and found the
ground covered with frost. A short
ride beyond Leadville, and we went
through a l0ng tunnel called Ten
nessee Pass. This pass is 10, AIS feet
above sea level, and on the east side
all water flows toward the Atlantic
and on the west side the streams flow
toward the Pacific. Leadville is TO-
200 feet above the sea, and it is said
to be the highest town of any size in
the world
After going through Tennessee
Pass we made descent of 1909 feet
10 seven miles, and stopped at Pando
for breakfast. AS the passengers
stepped from the train they reeled
like drunken people, and we had to
hold to the lunch counter with one
hand while taking our frugal and
hurried breakfast.
From Pando through Red Cliff,
Eagle River Canon and Glenwood
Springs the ride was full Of excite.
ment. Mountains on the right and
on the left, and mountains in front
and in rear, 1t often looked as though
we were hemmed IN, but just as often
some Slight crevice was found and the
train glided through Often we
passed under solid granite walls a
thousand feet high; and as often
passed under masses of broken and
crushed rock which seemed to have
broken from the cliff above, and
fallen half way down, and stopped,
needing only slight wind or the
jarring of train to precipitate 1t to
the bottom. Often million tons Of
rock we're hanging over the train
with perpendicular fall of five
hundred feet, and it seemed a miracle
that it could overcome the laws of
gravity till our train could get past.
: In hundreds Of places we saw boulders,
each weighing several tons, which
had rolled half way down the noun
tain and had stopped on the brow Of a
precipice, so nicely balanced that
seemingly a pound or two on the
: outer edge would have sent it rolling
AID crashing to the bottom.
> Mr. Walter Williams, editor of the
3 Columbia Herald, has recently visited
Switzerland, and he calls that coun-
] try the colorado of Europe, and
. then apologies to Colorado for the
t comparison. We have never seer
| Switzerland, but we cannot imagine
4 anything more wonderful, more awe
g inspiring than the Royal Gorge or the
! Black Canon. A mao feels his little.
ness and helplessness while gazing OF
! tue wonderful works of Nature, ant
q his soul goes out in prayer to Natures
h God.
Q After leaving Glenwood SPRING
: there is little to be seen worthy o
k mention except continuation o
4 rocky mountains and barren deser
Q plains For more than hundred
+ miles VIC scarcely saw a house, ant
e the,e was no vegetation on the plain
a except sage brush. On the sides o
Q the mountains there was general,
some timber, but Ia the worst part 0
I
n the desert there seemed to be noun
s tains Of sind, with no sign Of vege a
{ tion Of any kind Grcenriver, small
q station OF few houses, was the onl.
II place in the lower desert that showed
e any signs Of life. II vas also tn
d only place We saw where any one at
tempted to live in the lower level
! In the upper level, one or two thous
= and feet above the desert valley
: there we're occasional houses an,
; green gardens, and sometimes quit
: thrifty looking settlements, will
. orchards and alfalfa grass, with min
: ing camps here and there. Their
! was always running water in th
! mountains, but none in the lowe
7 l.voI