The daily sentinel., 1909-04-19

| than an ordinary amount of educa-
| tion Yet for years this man has
lived alone in the mountains. has
roamed and wandered over every
mountain district within a hundred
miles of this city. He knows the
mountains and forests as few men do.
He is familiar with the whims and
habits of nature as few men are. So
long has he devoted himself to this
out-of-door, hermit-like life that one
could hardly imagine him existing
among any different surroundings.
His is restless, tireless spirit; his
physical endurance seems to be with
out limit. and this man, without
the expectation of a remuneration,
single-handed and alone, has built
a remarkable trail making access to
these canons and gorges possible, Sc
curing from time to time a few dol
lars with which to buy meager sup
plies of provisions, powder for blast
ing, tools. etc, and living all alone
in the canons, miles from any other
human habitation.
This is John Otto, the hermit and
trail builder. 1t is hard to conceive
that man will devote his life to toll
of the very hardest kind, to work
that it does not seem possible for one
man to do without assistance, to
work for which he is not even getting
common laborer's hire. and Yet he
hates to lose a single day from work
he keeps steadily and rapidly at the
big task he has set for himself and
there is no question in the world but
what he is doing ii all simply out Of
love for nature and to realize his
fond dream of having these canons
and gorges and peaks developed into
a great park and playground and
their beauties appreciated. He is as
enthusiastic as if he were getting a
vast sum for his work.
During the past eighteen months
Otto has scaled the walls of the
canons. traversed the benches and
table lands marking out rude lines
and courses for foot trail and also
for wagon road. He, some months
ago, practically finished this crude
survey and engineering work and it
is astounding to view the courses he
has outlined for the trail and wagon
road along the steep and apparently
impossible walls of these canons. But
he has done il and he doesn't claim
to be an engineer or surveyor This
work is nothing short of remarkable.
About February LIST before the
SHOWS had melted in these canons
and mountains John Otto. with no
assistance whatever. other than his
collection of drills. and other tools
and the services of his three burros
and three ponies. began the work of
building the first lap or leg of Ottos
Trail
This was what the gentlemen
found yesterday: After leaving their
carriage i'll little ravine at the end
of the dirt road the beginning of a
trail was found on the steep bank of
little mountain stream Then be-
gan gradual but decided ascent of
the sides and canon walls. John
Otto's trail had been found For an
hour the party kept on up this trail
and the amazement of the party in
creased as progress was made This
! trail built for the accommodation of
a pedestrian or person on horse
back is made of remarkably grad
nal and easy grade yet the ascent is
decided at all times. AS 1t is ascend
ed the traveller from time to time
looks down into deep guiches or
gorges whose depths would be reach
ed very hurriedly and disastrously If
| a stumble or mis-step was made at
various points along the trail that
| Otto has built. Yet SO firmly and so
successfully has this man hewed out.
l 'ttN@eNNA
! various sections of this trail that if
the man or animal is sure-footed
little danger is to be feared. Ever
as the traveller proceeds he can look
out over the vast expanse of the
beautiful valley and to the mountains
that stretch away in every direction.
| Frequently in looking upward and
toward the hillside the traveller views
mighty walls of granite or sandstone
with numerous cliffs rising several
hundred feet in height, with perpen-
dlcular walls. 1t is certainly rare
treat to follow such a trail After
about an hour the traveller comes to
| Evergreen Spring, a spring of ever
lasting, pure and cold mountain wa
| ter. discovered last year by Otto,
named by him.
Otto has walled up this spring in
such manner that there is at all
times a big quantity of the sparkling
49,. - L.. i