Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1906-01-10
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II axe Andrew Scribbler'' Tells Of the
Interesting Sights on His Journey.

I AtS1estI1& S1&ntS on MS Journey
..-ss-es-s-s-s-ee-s-s-.-. .-.-.s 1911
We left the TRIBUNE readers last
week at Kansas City. In the evening
of Dec. q Robert Stene left for Chi
cago and twenty minutes later I took
the U. P. for Topeka and on to Den
yer. The first part of the run being
made in the dark I could see nothing
OF the country. In the morning 1 be-
held naked desert. No farms could
be seen, but cattle were grazing here
and there. The country was very
fiat; locomotive headlights could be
seen 30 to 40 miles. Getting further on
I noticed water basin walls built on
little slopes like Notifications, holding
back the water and providing drink
ing places for the cattle. Gradually
farm houses appeared here and there.
1 asked the conductor why all that
fine level land was lying idle and he
said the drought during the summer
was too severe for crops. While talk
ing with him noticed something that
looked like Minnesota straw stack
covered with snow, and I said to the
conductor: "l believe I see a straw
stack" He smiled and informed me
that was looking at Pixies Peak at
a distance of $50 miles. Coming up
towards Denver I could see chain of
mountains which continued on to
Colorado Springs. There were plenty
OF peaks, but the big fellow was stick
ing up above them all, and it seemed
impossible to get him out of sight.
At Denver I changed cars and took
the D. &. r. G. road to Colorado
Springs. That is a very beautiful
place. That it is dependent upon
tourists for it's support is evident as
soon as you come from the cars. A
dozen hands grab your satchel and
your arms, tearing in all directions,
and there is a great bowling about
good hotels, good busses, good beds
in fact everything good. If you
don't show them that you know your
own business you are liable to pay
heavily for the ''good" things. "He
who does not keep his eyes open will
have to keep his purse open," is an
old saying, but there are circumstan-
ces when it is hard 20 do it.
Arrived in Colorado Springs at 5
p. M, Dec. 20. Took trip up to see
the Seven Falls, wonderfully beau
tiful sight. Seven waterfalls in be-
tween mountains sticking up sky high
on both sides. Stopped at hotel
over night and got up early to go to
the Garden of the Gods This is spoken
of as warm country and I did not
bring my Minnesota fur coat, but
found would have enjoyed it until
the sun rose. think that what I saw
at this place is the wonder of wonders.
Truly, it is indescribab1e. The wrink-
led-faced, grayhaired and worry-worn
northern farmer has no idea how much
good trip thru this Ind can do him.
The Cave of the Winds is an entrance
ing underground journey of nearly
three-fourths of mile, right into the
heart of the mountain. The way is
dry and easy to walk on, the air is
pure, and at no place does the altitude
vary 20 feet from that of the entrance
of the cave. This is Natures studio
or darkroom and in the numerous
rooms and halls, hundreds of feet
from the last rays of daylight, are
developed beautiful colors and rare
crystallized formations, from the ex-
quisite cypress, slender Towering ala
baster, to the immense carbonate
stalactites six feet long, hanging from
the ceiling. These stalactites have
some time in the past been formed by
water trickling down and carrying the
mineral substances with it, just as
icicles are formed by water dripping
from window Lodges, but they are now
as hard as flint. Viewed in the
lights we carried they displayed all
the colors of the rainbow, and the
guide played on them as on a we'll
tuned piano. A, person has to see
these things to form any idea of their
beauty.
Then come other scenic places, too
numerous to mention, where the
wanderer may find supreme rest and
undisturbed communion with nature
Before you everywhere are grea' clefts
in the granite mountains, as if some
mi hty hand had split and wedged
them apart that one might enter and
behold the wondrous works of time
within. Over by the rugged walls and
just without the break of the foothills
lies Colorado Springs, an emerald
checker board midway in the picture.
Far beyond are the great plains, roll
ling away like the waves of the ocean
to meet the sky.
| There was pointed out to me the
place where Miss Crawford climbed
the red bluff two or three times a
week. She died from consumption
and was buried at the top of Red
Mountain at her own request. Also
a place where a couple of years ago a
! traveller fell down from the cliff, q
distance of 100 feet, dying Instantly
He landed at the foot of the rock, just