The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1909-10-14
LETTERS OF MISS
\. WALBR|DGE
INTERESTING
Description of the Grandeur of
the Colorado Mountains
is NOW VISITING IN DENVER
Miss Harriet II. WaIbridge Has Visit
ed Mountains in Vicinity and
Tells of Journeys

The following extracts are taken
from letters written by Miss Harriet
II. Walbridge, now visiting friends in
Denver Colorado. The letters were
not intended for publication, but feel
ing quite confident that the many
friends of Miss Walbridge would be
interested in her descriptions of one
or two trips she has recently made.
the recipient of the letters has asked
permission to send portions OF them
to the Banner:
Sept. 81. Last Friday our party
started on trip to the wonderful
Barker Dam, now in course of con-
struction. We went up the famous
Moffat Road and leaving the train at
Rollinsville drove or miles to
camp This dam will be one of the
great ones of the world, $50 feet high,
it is as yet only partially completed
Returning, we drove down the Middle
Boulder canyon, in a covered noun
tain wagon behind four mules. The
road followed the bed of the stream
all the way, and the sheer walls of
rock, and the grandeur of il all, were
magnificent.
Since | began writing G. has tele-
phoned that we will start on an auto
trip this afternoon for Colorado
Springs, a 70 mile drive. From this
point we will go by train to Glenwood
Springs and Shoshone. This trip will
take us over the Great Divide, Sept.
80.
We left Monday at 1880 p. m. for
Colorado Springs. We were in Mr..
puncture, one blow out" and other
experiences which attend the joys of
automoboling-for my benefit, (You
may be Interested TO know that this
was the same car in which President
Taft rode, when in Colorado Springs)
OF course we saw Pixies Peak, and
Old Cheyenne, and as we left the
Springs we saw Manitou in the trans
forming moonlight. We went on the
Midland route, which is very rough
| felt the effects Of the altitude and
that combined with the rocking of the
train kept me from sleeping So
spent large part OF the night looking
out of the window, watching the won
ders in a light almost like day. |
saw the old familiar consultations,
and said to myself 1T is the same sky
over us all"
We reached Leadylle little before
dawn, and looking out, down, down
far below | saw the lake, and at first
could not tell whether it was water or
not. At places the pines seemed to
come right up out of it, and it was
like a picture of Dantes Inferno. All
around those towering ranges, and be-
low this water (Lake Turquoise,-ar-
tificiall and on the immediate slope
bare poles of pines that had been
swept by fire. Then we began to go
through snow sheds. and finally
tunnel, and then was called to dress
and go out onto the rear platform and
see the wonders around us.
Can you imagine me standing there
hanging on to the rail for dear life,
and drinking it all in / shall never
forget the freshness of the air, and
how cold my hands were-trivial
things amidst such grandeur. This
was the Tennessee Pass, elevation
about 1000 feet. Mt Soprio doomed
up before we reached Glenwood. This
is considered by many travellers, one
of the most impressive of all the
many peaks.
From Glenwood we proceeded up
the Canyon to Shoshone, % miles, be-
hind a span of horses, This is where
the Power Co. is building the two
mile tunnel (for water) right through
the solid rock. 1t runs about $50 feet
back into the cliff This Shoshone
canyon is said to be equal to the Roy
al Gorge, but not quite as narrow.
They built the highway, and made
some of the land on which the camp
rests: and for the rest there is the
river, and the sheer cliffs 10000 feet
high on each side. There were near
ly 1000 men at this camp last year,
and they served meals at the rate Of
100000 per month. These engineers
are such fine men, and they are max
ing history!