The Greeley tribune., 1907-10-31
ARE PLEASED
OWNERS VISIT WONDERS of
MOUNTAINS
An Interesting Trip By Greeley
and Denver Men to Lost
Park Reservoir
Site

AS Greeiey peOplt die a''"'
terssted in every reservoir or oltcn
proiect a few lines descriptive OF me
Lost Park reservoir site, one OF the
two properties recently purchased oy
Greeley and Denver men, may prove
interesting. Last Tuesday morning
a half dozen of the company's dl-
rectors and stockholders, consisting
of d. c. Wyatt, S. j. Poery, A. j.,
Allen. E. j. Reithnan, Paul Nj.
Clark and myself visited the prop
erty. This required going to Bull
alo, some nifty miles from Denver, on
| the D & S. p, from thence by wagon
to Lake Wellington, distance OF
ten miles, and from Wellington to
the natural dam on Goose creek, in
Lost Park canon, % miles farther.
The original owner OF the property,
Cyrus G. Richardson, deceased. and
his associates. had expended hrst and
last a fortune OF $40, 600 or more on
the property, part of which was de-
voted to building road from Well
ington to the natural dam CT the
| site, at cost of several thousand
dollars. AS this road had ouly been
used by hunters for the past Il years
most of the bridges were unsafe to
cross, necessitating unhitching our
four horse team, leading the horses
across singly or jumping them across
gulches and running the wagon over
10y hand. This we did for some 20
miles of the way when we had to un-
hitch, leave our wagon behind and
90 the remainder of the distance up
| Goose creek to the dam. some four or
! five miles, horseback, which we had
prepared for, having eight saddle
horses and one pack animal along.
The scenery simply battles descrip-
tion. have been all over Colorado,
by wagon, by railroad. stage and
afoot through the Rocky mountains.
yet never during residence OF 81
years 10 Colorado have l seen any
thing like 1t. On our way up Goose
creek we saw bunch OF mountain
sheep on the mountain side across
the canon, two bucks, several ewes
and one lamb. They clambered up
the steep mountain side, away up
in the clouds above timber line, Just
like flies mp a pane Of glass-almost
perpendicular-w the greatest
ease. This is deer country, too,
but we saw none.
We arrived at the Richardson
which Is the natural dam alluded
to, about O'Clock in the afternoon
of the second day out Of Denver.
These cabins are located in beautl.
full little park and are In a good
state Of preservation. Mr.. Richard.
son, l may remark, was lawyer anG
an educated gentleman who came tt
, Colorado for his health (copsump
: tion) and spent many years Of hi'
I life out of doors and in the noun
tains to prolong his life We foune
two fine cabins built for residenc,
purposes, good doors, windows ant
roofs, each with upper stories. barr
with hay loft, blacksmith shop
spring house, etc. He had bull
! board walks from house to houes, t
: the barn. to the spring house. creek
ETC., and these showed the ravage
of time. All his work showe
method and close attention to ever
little detail. Hunters and tisherme
seemed to have used these building
at their pleasure, but they had no
abused the property. We found tn
doors and windows all CAREFUL
. closed and in one cabin two bed
10 made of pine boughs, evidently of re
e cent build.
But as to the reservoir site an
%. natural dam. Here we Witnessed
strange freak OF nature. Lost Par
{ creek, or Goose creek as it is CON
monty called, runs through Lost Par
,r and at the lower end or outlet of til
park enters long canon, some tie
miles In length, part of the way sal
to be impossible. Finally it reacht
- the natural dam, perhaps some seye
Il miles down the canon after the cree
leaves the park. At this point the,
has either been terrific rock sl,f
ages ago, which closed up the canor
or the natural dam or mountai
across the canon was formed durin
the glacial period, which theory
understand scientific men incline +,
but, however, that may be, nat,u
has thrown up a dam across "A
canon, and the flow of water in n
creek having been checked by til
dam has backed up'' behind
ages and ages ago. filling tbo