Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1910-09-08
SEEING COLORADO; r'e, .@;s4.: Z ss G..n
e By REV, w. H. SCHROCK.

4 Colorado, with just as lavish a hand
deals out this scenery to every OBJ
serving visitor In every part OF he
) rich and attractive domain. The Col
orado Southern r. r. has lines run
: ming through much Of this magnifi
! cent scenery, and IL splendidly equip
. ped and ready to show the tourist ey
cry courtesy within its power. One
Of the most delightful of the many
splendid trips out Of Denver is that
. through the Clear Creek Canyon TO
Silver Plume, and then over the Ar
gentine r. R. to the summit OF MI,
Mcclellan. WI
leaving Denver early in the morn
ing the train darts off for the noun
tains always interesting to the traV-
eller. Nestled in the foothills is the
town Of Golden, formerly the capital
Of the state and the home Of the
State School Of Mines, one Of the
most noted institutions of its kind In
the United States. Leaving this town
the train suddenly plungeJ into a
rift in the mountain and thuncers
along one side of the narrow canyon
whose perpendicular wall Is SO close
that at many points 1t could easily be
reached by the hand. On the other
side the river rushes madly down re-
mInding one of the description OF a
mountain stream by Helen Hunt
Jackson. 1T foams and shines and
wrinkles and glis.ens, and II tfere
is any other thing which water at its
swiftiest and sunniest can d., that Il
does also" Doubling and twisting
through this narrow gorge, passing
through many gloomy regions, Forks
Creek is reached, where a branch
road leads up to Black Hawk and
Central City, mining camps well
known. Points Of interest pointed
out by the guide are Hanging Rock,
Mother Grundy, and Inspiration
Point. Away in the distance an oc-
casional glimpse is caught of Grey's
Peak 14,441 feet above the sea level.
Here and there the old placer work.
ing are seen where half century
ago the gravel was washed for its
golden treasure which, together with
that gathered by more modern meth
DDS, is said to amount to one hundred
millions Of dollars.
Idaho Springs is the first town
Of Importance reached on going up
Clear Creek, and is one Of the at
trac.ive mining towns OF the state.
This place has great reputation as
a health reiort, the claim being made !
that there is no finer climate In the
world than here. Soda Springs are
found here which are said to rival
the famous Carlsbad Springs. DR.
OFT of our party, though not In failing
health, left our party few days
later, and spent several days here
ostensibly to pay visit to a rela-
tive.
The next fourteen miles OF the
trip, the distance to Georgetown.
presents marked contrast to that
through the lower part Of the can
yon, the banks spreading out grad
ually as the rtain steadily climbs the
grade, and all the while one has the
Of seeing the odd fea-
lures Of mountain line, abandoned {
mines and placer workings, and mills {
at the edge of the stream. I
Georgetown itself is an interesting
community of from two thousand
souls depending entirely upon the re- |
sources of the mines. This is the t
place of the famous Loop" one a
81 the most interes ing feats of rail- S
road engineering, the seeing of which a
Is well worth the price of the trip, /
Here the road winds round and round
rising hundreds of feet above the o
own and the train performs a mar '
'ellous stunt of hill climbing, in C
'redlble except TO those who have t
ieen II. The road passes along the t
,ase Of the mountain side at the p
eft, crosses the stream and returns o
IN the opposite side towards George a
own In a grand sweep. giving beau Il
iful view Of che little city. Ascend o
ng slowly, the road again crosses n
lear Creek on the high bridge. sew Il
nty-five feet above the tracks be- h
ow. A magnificent view Of the val Al
ey in either direction is had from II
his bridge, but one feels slightly d
elleved when the chasm has been Il
rossed. Flooding up the way four &C
niles farther. by wagon road only i'd
ne mile, Silver Plume is reached, Ell