Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1903-09-07
A VISIT 10 1.-THE GEN OF THE
ROCKIES"
Mr.. EDITOR:

NIX. EDITOR.
In these days OF cheap railroad
rates, anything written about Denver,
Pixies Peak, the Garden OF the Gods,
the Georgetown Loop, the Royal
Gorge, or even Marshall Pass and the
Black Canyon of the Gunuison would,
/ am afraid, be to the good people of
Orleans county like telling them an
old story. Colorado has for many
years been the tourists Mecca, and
It's wonderful scenery has furnished
unlimited themes for the travellers
tales. So there is very little to be
said about it that would be new.
There Is, however, one corner of Col
orado that lies far off the beaten trac K
of travel and is visited by only tn g
favored few; yet it is undoubtedly
the most charming spot in Colorado,
and, indeed, one OF the most
picturesque places in the world.
Taking the train for the west at
Denver, you encircle Pixies Peak,
passing through Colorado Springs,
the great health resort of the Rockies.
Pueblo, the Pittsburg of the west,
toward the Royal Gorge, or Grand
Canyon Of the Arkansas, where in
one place there is not sufficient space
between the walls for the river and
the railroad both to run so the engi-
neers have suspended the railroad
directly above the river; and in about
ten hours you reach a place in the
heart of the Rocky Mountains called
Salida. There you change cars and
take a narrow guage road. The rail-
way engineers are capable of work.
ing wonders, but they seem to have
despaired of running a broad guage
line any further in the direction you
are going. The narrow guage road
runs small, light cars and engines
setting low down on eight small
drivers,-an equipment adapted for
mountain climbing. Two engines
take six cars and go putting up a
grade of 200 feet to the mile, wind
ing in and out among the mountains
until they reach height of 10, 1852 feet
above sea level. Then you are at the
famous Marshall Pass. Then the
road goes down the other side of the
mountain, over another mountain,
through the Black Canyon of the
Gunnison, across a dry sage brush
plain, up the valley of the Unconpa-
ghre river, and finally, after twenty
two hours of travel from Denver, yon
find yourself away down in the south
western corner of Colorado, at the
end of the railroad, in little mining
town called Omay and known as "The
Gem of the Rockies"
You step off The cars and look about
you. Your soul is filled to overflow
ing with wonder and amazement.
towering straight above you and
completely encircling you are cliffs
of dizzy heights o'ertopped with the
majestic sum mits of lofty mountains.
You are in an amphitheater about a
mile in diameter, whose sides are
over twice the height of Mt. Wash
ington in the White Mountains. To
add to the glory of the scene, the /
walls of this grand amphitheater are
all painted in beautiful browns, reds
and grays, while in places they are
tipped with the pure white of the
SHOWS. Here a cataract |
comes tumbling over the top of one
of the cliffs. Spread over the plain
Is the pretty little village of Omay.
Through the middle of the scene
dashes the Unconpaghre, coming
from you wonder where, and you
wonder much more whittier it can be
going. Rising at the head of the
valley and standing sentinel over all
Is majestic old Mt. Abram. You be-
hold nature in her most glorious mood.
Omay was named after Omay, chief
OF the Utes, famous Indian warrior
and statesman. The village is we'll
laid out, it's buildings are we'll built
and kept nicely painted, it has ex-
cellent schools, fine public library,
plenty of churches, and, wlthal, an
intelligent, enterprising, thrifty
people.
The real fame of Omay rests upon
the gold and silver mines scattered
IN the mountains around it. 1t is in
the center Of the famous San Juan
mining district. Eight miles up in
he mountains is the wonderful
camp Bird" mine. Tom Walsh
bought this mine few years ago for
5000. He took a few millions of
dollars of ore out of it and then sold
It for upward of So, 600, 900, and made
poor bargain at that. For it is now