The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1908-08-06

bearing strange hleroglyphlcs on thei
faces. The rocks contain the only wriI
lngs that the Cliff Dwellers have eve
left behind them, and as yet no clu
has been found as to their meaning.
During the summer the Cliff Dweller
Canon is the home of Navajo and Puebl
Indians, who weave blankets, make sill
yer jewelry and give their native dance
for the amusement of the visitors. Th|
pueblo in which they live is fashione
after the one at Taos, New Mexico, till
most picturesque in the country an,
gives good idea Of how they live. Bu
none OF it for us, for they are about al
dirty and greasy as one can imagine
The blanket weaving is done by thI
women and they make beautiful blanket
which the visitor can purchase if hi
wants to pay fancy price. From thl
head of the canon trail leads up Il
Mount Minerva AMI the editor mad
the climb just to test his wind, ana
while it was pretty hard work we di,
not suffer any great Inconvenience and
enjoyed beautiful view from abov,
down into the Garden Of the Gods, an,
out on the great plain stretching awaj
to the east.
That evening we we're to have takel
an auto ride to various points of inter
est, including the Garden of the Gods
as guests of the Press Club, but heavI
rain fell, which was the first rain the]
had had for about nine months, and thi
trip had to be abandoned, but in It'd
place they planned thrilling surpris
for us and we took thrilling ride 81
the incline railway to the top of Noun
Manitou, and while we are glad vi
went up, it would take mighty bi,
sum of money to induce us to go througI
the experience again. The Manitou Id
cline railway is the greatest railway d
it's kind in the world, there being abou
twenty five of similar construction i
operation, the most of them in Switzef
land. We were loaded Into open car
or boxes good bit like shoot the chutl
cars, except that they had small wheels
each car containing about thirty people
The track goes straight up the sid
OF the mountain, the cars being pulle,
ny by steel cable, the passengers rid
ing backward so they can see the ere.4
panoramic view as they ascend. M
road is about mile and half longA N
the incline is at 8S per cent SO than u
seems as if you were going straight n
and the earth is fading away below WI
and you can look right down on Man.
tou, Colorado City and Colorado Springs
When 1T is remembered that two pc
cent grade on an Iowa railroad is con
sidered pretty steep grade you cal
form some idea of what 6S per cen
grade is. Well confess that it made uI
feel squeamish, for the fear that tha
slender cable might break was upon I'd
although we were assured that it wa
absolutely safe, the cable being teste1
to capacity of $4,000 pounds, Will
the cars when filed to full capacity di;
not use more than one-fortieth of tI1i
strength. Upon the summit is built
beautiful pavilion and here a deliciou
luncheon was served, and then coupl|
of hours were spent in viewing thI
sights from this high place. An unoh
structed panoramic opened before us
extending from the timber divide on TIL
north, 40 miles away, to the city d
Pueblo, 45 miles to the south, while th]
streets of Colorado Springs looked lik
the meshes OF fine screen wire. 1t wa
an unique place to spend summe
evening, but the fear of an acciden
hung over most of the party until VI
were safely landed at the foot of th|
mountain again, and then all were glal
they had taken the trip.
One of our finest and best enioye1
side trips while we were in Colorad
was the visit to the wonderful Cave
the Winds, and it was great surpris
to us. The Cave is reached by cal
riage drive which extends for abo1
two miles through the beautiful vii
liams Canon, entrance to which is mad
near the Cliff House. For the first, mil
the road winds along the bottom of th
canon in the shadow of rock walls extend
ing upward from 200 to 800 feet, an
in many places the Canon is so narroi
that there is barely room for carriaa
to drive through. The last mile is d
grade all the way by twisting roa
cut right out of the side of the moul
tain, being protected by heavy timbel
or rock walls so that team cannot fa
over, and we arrive at the famous cav
From it's name we had supposed ths
the cave was filed with currents of all
and that it consisted of simply one lara
room, but we were disappointed in bot
cases. The cave was discovered in 18$
by two small boys, and at that tin
there was but a small outside openinl
reached by dangerous climb up tl
face of the rock, and at the entranS
there was quite strong draft of al
from which the cave received it's nam
Some few years after the cave ";
made easy of access by cutting tuI
mel through the stone wall and now it'll
an easy trip to go through it, the i
terror being illuminated with electr
lights since a year ago. Mere wort
cannot describe the beauty of this wol
derful cave. Tho temperature is d
lightful, being always uniform, II
thermometer registering SO degret
during the summer and 81 degrees
the winter. Instead of one large rod
the cave consists of numerous chambel
connected by narrow passages, and ii
journey through the cave covers aboi
three-fourths of a mile. The way is dT
easily walked and in no place does q
altitude vary more than twenty Eel
from that at the entrance. If YOU ha3
never explored natural undergrouj
caves, you cannot even imagine the
appearance. Away in the heart Of /
mountain you would expect the wal
OF the rooms to be of rough bare stor
but just the opposite is the case. 81
stalactites prowi mo- dowv, fro,,, ~ $, .sSf