The Colorado statesman., 1906-08-04
ARGENTINE ROAD
NEW SCENIC LINE OPENED ABOVE
SILVER PLUME.
THE GOLDEN SPIKE DRIVEN
Fifteen Miles of Railroad, Running to
Top of Mcclellan Mountain-Reach-
es Fourteen Thousand Feet Alti-

Top of Mcclellan Mountain-Reach-
es Fourteen Thousand Feet Alti-
tude.
Denver.-More scenic attractions
have been made accessible from Den
yer by the practical completion of the
Argentine Central railroad. The gol-
den spike was driven Wednesday, at
an altitude of 14,007 feet, by A. D.
Parker, vice-president of the Colorado
& Southern railroad.
Mr.. Parker went up in his private
car, accompanied by ]. H. Young, gem
eral superintendent of the Colorado &
Southern; Edward j. Wilcox, president
and practically the sole owner of the
Argentine Central; w. II. Stillwell
| formerly with the Rock Island rail-
road, general manager of the Argen-
tine Central; Thomas Tonge, Colorado
correspondent of the Mining Journal,
London, and representatives of the
Denver daily papers.
A large delegation of the business
men of Georgetown and Silver Plume
also went by special train to attend
the ceremony.
The primary object of the building
of the new line was to furnish trans
portation facilities to the extensive
| Waldorf group of mines. Having
reached that group, it was obvious that
the extension of the new road to the
! top of Mcclellan mountain would fur
| nish an unsurpassed scenic attraction.
The main line of the new railroad is
| fifteen miles long, with an additional
| two or three miles of switches. 1t is
narrow gauge, being the same as that
of the Colorado & Southern from Den
yer to Silver Plume, so that cars are
| interchangeable. Connecting with the
| Colorado & Southern at Silver Plume,
altitude 9,170 feet, the new railroad.
| by series of switchbacks, climbs the
| north side of Leavenworth mountain
to an altitude of upward of $1,000 feet.
| 1t affords ever-changing birds-eye views
| of Silver Plume and Georgetown and
overwhelming scope of the snowy
range. 1t then passes along the south
| side of the same mountain, looking
down into Leavenworth gulch.
Nine miles from Silver Plume it
reaches the Waldorf tunnel and mill,
altitude II 400 feet Thence, by a series
of switchbacks along the eastern face,
il climbs to the top of Mcclellan noun
tain, altitude 14,007 feet.
The view from the summit is prob
ably unsurpassed in Colorado, includ-
ing Mount Rosalie, Mount Evans
Gray's peak, Torrey's peak, and many
| others of the snowy range.
Near the terminus of the road is a
wonderful ice cave, consisting of an
ancient mining tunnel and Slopes, the
| place where lead-silver ore was first
| discovered in Colorado and in which
| the ice is eternal and in the most beau
| tlful shapes. Practically the entire
party visited this wonderful natural
! phenomenon, and was enthusiastic as
| to its weird beauty.
The new road and its present equip
ment have cost considerably more than
| 100000. Three engines, specially
suited to local requirements, are al
| ready in use, and seven more have
been ordered, as the freight and tour
list passenger traffic will need that
number.
1t is interesting to note that con-
struction work was commenced August
| l, 1905, and that the final spike was
driven on August /, 1906, the work
never having ceased in the interval
for lack of funds, the only stoppages
being on account of weather during
| the winter months.
1t is said the probabilities are that
| the road will be extended, at no dis
tant date to Rathbone, Montezuma,
| keystone and Dillon, on the western
slope.
No trains will be run on Sunday.
Mr.. Wilcox, who is a former minister,
objecting to traffic on the Sabbath.