The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1905-08-18
AN INTERESTING LETTER
From j. G.. Wood, About His
Trip to The Pacific Coast.

Trip to The Pacific Coast.
SANTA CRUZ, CAL, AUG. 8, '05.
w. w. DowN1E,
M1LBANK, S. OAK.
DEAR SIR:-Perhaps some of our
friends would like to hear from us on
our recent trip to the Pacific Coast,
as everything is different this time of
year from the winter trip. The seem
cry and country from Minneapolis to
Omaha is very similar to our own,
with the exception of more oats and
barley and much larger and better
cornfelds, which are we'll cultivated.
They evidently had less rain than we.
Taking a Rock Island train west
from Omaha at noon we strike the old
trail of the '49ers, minus the Indians
and buffalos of those days. The
country Immediately west of Omaha is
we'll guilty ated, with large houses and
barns and splendid herds of cattle.
Later on we strike Western Nebras-
ka and Eastern Colorado, which pre-
| sent the appearance of vast desert,
having only here and there a shanty,
and used for grazing purposes.
In the morning we wake up near
Colorado Springs and are anxious to
get glimpse of Pixies Peak, which
we soon see towering head and should
; ers above all other peaks on the
| Rocky Mountain range, it being over
| Ii, 900 feet high and covered with snow
| the year round.
Colorado Springs and Manitou,
which lie directly at the foot of Pixies
Peak, are great summer resorts, and
thousands of people, including many
school teachers and stenographers,
were here spending their vacation.
Two very noted mineral springs: the
Ute Iron and Manitou Soda, are pat
ronized by all the visitors.
Mr.. Chappell and decided to walk
| up Pixies Peak one afternoon, and,
getting late start, we only made
| about two miles: and as the summit
| was eight or ten miles distant we de-
cided to postpone the trip to some
future time.
They told us that owing to a pecul-
lar lightness of the aii at the top of
! the Peak it took nineteen minutes to
| boil eggs and over an hour to boil
| potatoes. An immense searchlight
| has been erected on the summit which
can be seen $50 miles away.
One of the most interesting side
trips from Colorado Springs was a
| journey to Cripple Creek, forty We
miles on the west side of Pixies Peak:
going over the Midland Railroad and
returning over the Scenic Short Line.
Cripple Creek is about 10000 feet
above sea level and has population
of about 14,0OO. We enioved trip
into a gold mine, where the men were
busy at work drilling holes and get
ting out the rich ore. The return over
the Short Line is considered the finest
scenery in the whole mountainous
section. At one point we look down
1900 feet and out over the eastern
plain some 200 miles.
Our next stop after leaving Colo
RADIO Springs was Canon City, Colo
RADIO, where we enjoyed a days rest
at the home of Mr.. Chappell's sister.
The little valley, some twelve miles
wide and shut in on every side by
towering mountains, is a golden spot,
or oasis, compared with the barren,
mountainous country already passed
through. Here from one to five acres
is called ranch, and contains fruit
trees, principally apple, pear and
cherry.
On leaving Canon City we enter the
Grand Canon of Colorado. A special
observation car is attached to our
train, accommod ating several hundred,
to afford good view of the gorge.
At one point the train runs directly
over the river, the bridge and trestle
work being suspended from above by
large cables. At this point the open
ing is less than twenty feet. and the
perpendicular rock on either side
rises several thousand feet. Here the
| Arkansas river and the road bed pass
through the same opening.
Arriving at Salt Lake City Satur-
day evening at eleven o'clock we hast
en- to hotel, and as we are tired we
manage to sleep some in spite of the
heat and the other occupants of the
room. AS this was Mr.. Chappell's
| first visit to Salt Lake City he was
anxious to see the Mormons-espec-
tally the ladies.
The next day at2 p. m. we find our
selves, in company with other thou
sands, vending our way to the great
! Mormon tabernacle, where the quar-
| terly conference for the State of Utah
was being held. Here we found a
large number of Mormon elders in
charge of the service. After special
music, furnished by the noted taber-
nacle pipe organ and an immense
choir, we heard twoeloquent addresses
upon "Mormonism. The first speak
er took for his subject "The Revela-
tion of Joseph Smith When Boy Of
Fourteen, showing that he was espec.
tally appointed to lead this peculiar
people across the then unknown Amer.
| lean desert. and that they were guild
ed to this particular place. The Sec
ond speaker confirmed all that was
said by the first, with some few addi-
tions. The brother of Joseph Smith,
now an aged man, occupied the chief
seat of honor upon the platform, and
enjoyed fine Sunday afternoon nap,
only being aroused now and then by
the name Of Joseph Smith, when he
! would open his eyes and stroke his
long white beard in seeming content.
We delayed our trip here two days
that we might enjoy the privilege of
bathing in the waters of Salt Lake.
This body of water is located eighteen
miles from the city and is reached by