The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1908-08-20
VISITING IN COLORADO
A Trip to South Cheyenne Canon,
the Seven Falls, Helen Hunts
Grave, and BurrO Ride.

While we were taking in the many
sightseeing trips around Colorado
Springs and Manitou we also managed
to take time to call on some former
Leon people now residing there. OF
course we had met II. d. Harvey the
genial travelling passenger agent for the
"Short Line on several occasions for
"Dick" is very much in evidence hus-
tling all the time for business for his
road. We called on Mrs. o. L. Ellin-
wood, who with her husband lives in a
cozy home of their own at Colorado
City, half way between Colorado
Springs add Manitou. Mr.. Ellinwood
was not at home being out on trip
over the Colorado Midland railroad, he
having charge of the telegraph and tel
ephone lines of that road, his territory
extending over several hundred miles
of road. We learned from Mrs. Ellin-
wood that Mrs. VIM. Wise, known to
Leon people as Miss Mary Waring, was
living at Colorado Springs, and enjoyed
pleasant evening at their home. Mrs.
Wise left Leon nearly twenty years ago
when her parents moved to Denver.
Her husband is the proprietor of trunk
and leather goods factory and has an
elegant retail store at Colorado Springs.
They have one child bright little fell
low six years old. Her brother Harry
Waring, an old time Leon boy, is now
the publisher of the Record at Pierce,
Colorado. He is married and has sew
eral children. We found Guy Pryor
who left Leon three or four years ago
and went to work for tho Brown Com
mission Co. at Colorado Springs, holding
the position of city salesman for this
big firm. He has worked steadily for
them since going to Colorado and is
one of the promising young business
men of Colorado Springs. The Sankey
family were nicely located in pleasant
cottage at Colorado Springs which
Newt had rented all furnished for a
couple Of months. Mr.. Sankey, son
Newt, daughters Lois and Ora and
granddaughter Freeda Teale, with Miss
Mayme Sporleder, of Iowa City, made a
jolly party. Newt has been employed
mire, being an expert drill operator and
gets good wages, but was compelled to
take vacation duriug the summer. His
sister Lois is employed as a teacher at
Grand junction and receives 800 per
month. We met two of the Garrett
boys, Frank and Claude. who seemed to
have the contract of supplying all the
people of both Colorado Springs and
Manitou with fresh fruit and veget-
ables. The boys report prosperous
business and are making money. Fred
and Dean are also living there and en-
ployed in Colorado Springs. Their
mother keeps house for the three un-
married boys. At Manitou we called
on Mrs. Clara Phifer, who is sister OF
Judge and J. L. Harvey, Of Leon. Their
nephew Charles Lester is also resident
of Manitou and we had the pleasure OF
meeting him. Just before we were
leaving Colorado Springs we found the
card of George Cowden at our hotel and
learned he was there visiting his daugh-
ter Nina who was married since leaving
Leon, but as he had failed to leave his
address we missed seeing him.
We spent pleasant forenoon in max.
ing trip to South Cheyenne Canon
which is five miles from Colorado
Springs, but easily reached by street
car lines, and we alight at the beauti
full Stratton Park which is one of the
munifcent creations of the late W. S
Stratton, the rich mine owner. From
here it is distance of one mile to the
Seven Falls, and you have your choice
of burrO or carriage. Mrs. Hull de-
clined to mount burro so we placed
her in carriage and with Dorothy W.
chartered a couple of those long earec
sure footed little burros and started
after the carriage, but we were soor
left far behind for neither Omaha o.
Portland, which were the names givel
our burros, seemed to be in any hurry
SO we let them take their time and en-
joyed the beautiful scenery. The roat
up the canon follows winding strean
which comes rushing down from tn,
mountains above, cutting channe
through the solid granite rock which il
many places forms the sides of tn,
canon, and in one place the distance be
tween the walls is only forty feet, jus
wide enough for the stream and tn,
road, and originally the stream occupied
all of this space, the road being crowd
ed in on it, while the perpendicula
walls rise above us to helghth of NOR
than thousand feet. At our right i
seen towering granite shaft which ha
been named eagle Cliff because ou
national bird has chosen it as fit plac
w OuAiN iOo hO"Os We dU llFSU UuOuHQ
we would like to climb up to some O
their nests and secure some youn,
eagles to bring home with us, but JUS
as we were ready to start up we re
membered DR.. Bowman's experience il
bringing back Colorado eagles and w,
gave it up. Many curious rock forma
tions are to be seen along the way
mount Cutler vacant Chair" "Hin
doc Baby" and the two tremendou
cliffs "The Pillars of Hercules" "Pros
pect Dome,'a graceful symmetrical pin
nacle OF granite, more than three hun
dred feet in heighth. Finally we reacl
the end of the burro ride at the foot O
Seven Falls. Here the canon prope
ends in a colossal ampitheatre, dow,
one side of which plunges the foamins
torrent in seven distinct falls from !:
perpendicular heighth of two hundred
and thirty-four feet. Until few year,
ago the trip ended here, but finally {
series of steps were built SO that visit
ors can walk to the top of the falls
That is some of them can, for there are
1886 steep steps to climb and it takes
your wind pretty fast going up and bu,
few make the trin uithout otonn;,o +<