The Iuka vidette. (Iuka, Miss.) 1894-1912, 1909-09-02
Lamar, Colorado.
Aug. 1909.


published. | suppose | was a lit
tie rabid on stock law which was
at fever heat at the time it was
written. | moved from Graham
to Wichita Falls and worked as a
carpenter and contractor until the
heat OF summer and from Wichita
Falls to Colorado Springs the
most famous pleasure resort in the
world. This city was founded So
years ago by Gen. Vim. J. Palm
'er and now contains about 40. 900
inhabitants and lies midway be-
tween Denver and Pueblo and is
accessible by all railroads entering
the west and has an elevation of
1892 feet. 1t also lies at the base
of Pixies Peak and is protected on
the west by mountain ranges. Its
substantial business blocks and
splendid public buildings are such
as few cities of its size can boast.
1t has 90 miles of electric street
railways that connect all parts of
the city. They also run to STRAIT
ton Park at the entrance to the
Cheyenne Canons and through
Colorado City to Manitou. Man
itou and Colorado City lie between
Colorado Springs and Pixies Peak.
The three cities are connected by
electric carline. Colorado Springs
is said to be the wealthiest city of
its size in the world. They claim
that 30 millionaires live on one
street. The sight of millionaire
makes me mad because know
where they got their wealth. |
hate their ways worse than the
devil hates holy water. The
purse proud devils will drive an
automobile over you if you don't
keep clear of the streets. will
not say anything more about the
rich in this letter for fear this one
will go like my last one to the
waste basket. have several
more letters to write before | can
describe all | saw at Colorado
Springs | will give brief de-
scription of Pixies Peak. Other
peaks in the Rocky Mountain
chain may surpass Pixies Peak in
massiveness but none can surpass
it in granduer nor in historic in
terest. Pixies Peak stands a SEN
tinel in rugged majesty. It's alti-
tude above sea level is 4,147 feet.
1t does not appear to be as high
as some of the others beside it
but after you climb the old giant
and look down you find his mates
are pigmies. Not one of them is
above timber line. Timber ceas-
es to grow above 11O00 feet, There
are many ways of ascending the
Peak. In the old days there was
only trail that was constructed
by the government which for
many years had signal station
on the summit Later wagon
road, then came the cog road.
Many however enjoy climbing on
foot rather than pay the IS to the
cog road. Pixies Peak was dis
covered by Major Zebulon M.
Pike while heading small ex-
ploring party of United States
soldiers sighted tine mountain the
18th of Nov. 1906 and after sew
eral attempts to climb it Pike
abandoned the project. with the
declaration that no human being
could do it. The cog wheel road
was built from Manitou to the
summit of Pixies Peak at a cost of
nearly million dollars. This
road with an average grade of
S46 feet to the mile is an example
of modern engineering skill. You
are ,mfortably seated in an OBJ
servation car and pushed slowly
but surely up this nine miles of
stairway until you reach one of
the highest points on the globe.
1t is said that $4,000 tourists visit
Colorado Springs annually. If l
had the money I wof1ld srend tha