Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-08-18
NAMES G, A, r. PARTY.
The Trip from Chicago to Beautiful
Colorado Springs.

(SpeciaD-Our line after leaving
Illinois took US through the immense
corn and wheat fields of Southern
Iowa, the southeast part of Nebraska
and northern part of Kansas. we ran
1or miles and miles through these
luXurant fields that it seems would
raise grain for the mutitudes, but stlll
the same kind Of small houses except
in the cities. A short stop was made
| at Lincoln, Neb., where the handsome
residence of VIM. J. Bryan was point
ed out to us.
When we arose Tuesday morning, the
whole aspect of the country mad
changed, instead of the fields of way
ing corn, were miles upon miles OF
level and almost barren land. Not
shrub or tree in sight, and the land was
covered with brown, dead grass or
moss and little tufts of bunch grass.
We saw quite large herds of cattle that
manage to subsist upon the scanty
feed but they did not look sleek and
| fat Irrigation will make this soil
productive and we were fully con-
WINGED. I must not forget to mention
the little prairie dogs Of which we saw
a great many, as their village lay on
both sides of the railroad for several
miles. In fact
THE Prairie dogs in dog town,
Were wagging all their tails
| When they saw the Nantes coming
| a riding on the rails.
At Denver the G. a. r. Post and Re
lief Corps had made preparation to
give the soldiers a royal welcome and,
if delicious food, coffee and lemonade
| nd ind raltnpnt
count for what they should, it was a
grand success. At Denver our party
took the electric cars for Il IS mile ride
through the principal streets of Den
yer, and our guide with many jokes
and puns pointed out all points of in
terest The guide was the right man
in the right place and kept the party
laughing and in good humor all the
| time.
Denver is a wonderful city, all built
since 1870. Fine streets, large hand
! some public buildings, elegant pri-
vate buildings and beautiful lawns.
Our attention was called to what
irrigation does for this land, side
by side were lawns of the most
vivid green with beds of beautiful
shrubs and flowers and tall, graceful
| trees, would be an unoccupicd lot in its
natural state with here and there Il few
weeds and the sandy, barren soil.
We left Denver at 3.45 p. NJ, Tues
| day, and arrived at Colorado Springs
about six O'Clock: On this ride We had
fine view of the mountains, on our
right, and the rocky hills on our left.
We saw q lake and several streams of
clear water, which are a rarity in this
part of the country as most of the
brooks and streams are just thick with
mud. Very little verdure of any kind
grows upon these mountains, some
have patches of scrubby trees and a
bushv growth, called chico is plenty on
the sides and among the foothills. The
Whitish, ledgy SUBMITS of some of
these huge mountains are almost
identical with the pictures of the old
| feudal castles of the old world One
called Castle Rock, especially remind
ed us of those old castles. The watch
towers and strongholds seemed all to
be we'll represented.
At Colorado Springs the Merrick
party is halted for two nights and
, every hour is filled with pleasure. This
) is ft city of twenty odd thousand
great Rocky Mountain range. The
lofty peaks tower above the town
stretching from north to south on al
sides except the east. The view is
/, grand beyond description. Pixies
' Peak, the king of this range is plainly
; seen through a glass fourteen thousand
feet above sea level. Several of oul
I party rose at two o'clock this morning
and went to the summit on the COS
Il, road to see the sunrise. They said the
+ sight repaid them we'll for the effort
3; All the party took carriage drive
! this forenoon, through the Garden o.
, the Gods. No one can imagine an!
l thing like the wonderful and beautiful
sights seen in this place. Borrowing
the words of the old poet, the rough
. and rugged rocks that rear their hoar,
: heads high in the air, in wild, fan
. tastic forms are here seen on all sides
, Mushroom Park, as it is called, is filled
q with huge rocks of red sandstone
t. many of them exactly resembling
mushrooms in shape. Many very goct
= figures of animals are traced in tn,
j., solid rocks. Red sandstone, gypsum
= and many other kinds of rocks arr
[. here and under all is Il formation o
;, solid granite. On one high cliff
r many hundred feet in a very nearl,
perpendicular height, are plainly seel
:. steps cut in the solid rock. Our guild
told us that in the days when the In
> di1ns roamed this region, two tribe
II were at war and the Utes cut thes
steps to lead to q high point wher
they found a foothod and had thei
watch tower where they watched tn
movements of the enemy below.
Returning we visited Glen Eyrie. TIL
;. magnificent home of General Palmer
J, Il retired navy officer, who owns an i'm
mense tract of land here and has use,
his vast wealth to make the wilderness
e blossom like the rose. Words fail t.
V describe this beautiful and picturesqu
j. spot. We all are pleased with gu
4, glimpses of this great, wide breezy ant
o beautiful Colorado. This afternoon
10 several of our number visite,
II Cheyenne Canon and Sevan Falls, be
It tween two and three hundred step
Y lead up the cliff at this point and fey
S rods beyond is the spot where that be
S | loved writer Helen Hunt Jackson wa