The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1909-08-19
Ross Sanders Writes of His Western
Trip.

CouLEE CITY, WASH, Aug. 49, 1909
EDITOR REpoRTEH:-W arrived at
this place last Sunday evening both al
most worn out by our long trip, but l
think Mrs. Sanders stood the trip better
than did. We have taken in all the
sights on the way, stopping first at
Denver, and then going to Colorado
Springs where we began to gaze upon
the many natural curiosities. We went
out to Pixies Peak. There were many
strange things to see which makes one
who had lived 50 long in good old Iowa
wonder where nature stopped with her
startling wonders. We went through the
Garden of the Gods, and l must say my
curiosity was SO greatly excited by the
many wonderful productions of nature
and the heighth and elaboracy of the
rocks, that it would almost exhaust
ones imagination. Some of the rocks
have names and resemble what they
were named for. There was one called
the Steamboat Rock, and we went on
it's top, where we found many people
all gazing at the wonderful surround
/ ings. They had large field glasses SO
you could look at the marvellous curl
osities as if you were close to them.
This was only one Of the great wonders
of this strange garden.
We also visited the Canyon of the
Seven Falls, and it was here that !
climbed the highest ladder Of all my
lifes experience. The ladder led up
through the canyon by the side Of the
great water sheets which were falling
hundreds of feet, and the roaring water
as it falls is beyond description. The
destination of this great ladder and
trail was at the grave of Helen Hunt,
and many of the readers of The Re-
porter have read her writings. One
cannot understand the grandeur of
these places without seeing them with
your own eyes.
Leaving this wonderful place of won
ders we took up our western journey
and passed through the Royal Gorge
with it high walls, caves and canyons
and this road through the gorge makes
one proud to see what can be accom-
plished by human energy. To the COM
mon mind it looks as if it was fit only
for the wild beasts of the earth.
Next we came to desert. the land of
which was absolutely bare and not a
single living thing to be seen. 1t seemed
to me that it was the dumping ground
for the last gasps of the dead, and it was
Will ucllSuU UudU we FcdCucu CuS
great Salt Lake, which seemed to me
almost a new Jerusalem, with the clean,
cool water flowing on either side of her
beautiful streets. Here we met Mr..
and Mrs. John Keller, Of Leon, and
their son, who lives there. He took US
in his auto and showed us all the sights
of the city, the great tabernacle temple
and many beautiful homes. When we
returned to our room which we had
secured from a good old woman, she
asked us to go with her to the taber-
nacle to their II o'clock recital. We
went and it was grand. The tabernacle
is very large, but the great pipe organ
filled every part of the room with
beautiful music. We did not gain adj
mittance to the temple, but it is one of
: the most beautiful buildings on the out
!, side | have ever seen. We went out to
Salt Air, which is place SO beauti-
full that it almost makes one think OF
| a heavenly home. 1t is eighteen miles
from Salt Lake City, and is built above
the water, and there is everything
there to comfort the tourists for their
F., money. l received one thing there
however that was very pleasing while
l was receiving it but has been quite
burden since, and that was very
: bad cold. took bath and the water
) was cold and have been sick from its
! effect.
Well, will close for the present, but
: hope to give you little sketch in my
: next of our trip through the Cascades
3 We expect to start on from here in {
t few days, and are both feeling bette!
: than when we came here.
: Yours truly,
q Il r SANDERS