Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1910-02-03

MADEIRA. CAL, jar. 9, 1910


fornis, so decided TO relate /. to
you in . letter nv trip covered a
distance o: $500 miles and was mad
especially pleasant by two stop
overs. one at Kansas City, Mo ADD
the other as Salt Lake City, Utah.
| left W. aingson, Nov. BIRD, and
enjoyed IL /. winding ride through
the App Is? lass immensely. The
deass:y -.neG,c his. made hsap,G-
ful by the many co'ored autumn
foliage and the splashiug noisy
winding streams and blue sky above,
presented q panorama before my
vision which caused me TO marvel
and sense keenly this wonderful dis
play Of nature. The contrast Of
these lovely verdure covered hills
with the suolimely rugged and
mighty Rockies causes one TO think
OF his insignifcance compared with
these mighty landmarks upon the
face OF nature. After passing
through the Appalachiaus, 9 enter
ed the beautiful and fertile valley OF
the Miss ssippi with its endless
fields OF corn, countless homes, and
we'll filed barns, all Indicative OF
the wealth OF this favored region.
/ arrived in Kansas Citv on the
afternoon Of Nov 20. where was
joined by Mr.. Nelson. We remain
cd there for a week visiting friends
and enjoying the pleasures and
scenery of the City. After a week
OF entertainment and pleasure. we
boarded the train and started for
Salt Lake City. The weather was
delightful and warm until we reach.
ed the Western part of Kansas,
where We entered a heavy snow
storm which had been raging in the
Rockies and eastward for several
days II continued srowing heav-
lily until wearrived at Denver where
nearly two feet Of the beautiful had
fallen. We only stopped for a short
time in the mile high City of Colo
RADIO containing 225OO0 people, but
we saw enough fit to become facins
ted with it's beauty and invigorat
ing climate. It is rightly called the
- :. ~ssy ri tie Plains" Itis
locates At the foot hills OF the Rock.
les and from its Capitol building can
be seen 200 miles of that perpetually
snow capped range. Shortly after
leaving Denver. we arrived at Colo
rado Springs where we could plain.
ly see Pixies Peak" towering high
into the armament and also the
mountain OF the Holy Cross"
From here we went south award 70
Pueblo and then turned westward
toward the lofty Rockies which seem
to grow in magnitude and grandeur
as We approached them.
In a short time we reached the on
trance to the Royal Gorge This
is very narrow passage leading to
the summit Of the Rockies. This re-
markable gorge is so named, because
OF the richness OF its scenery. The
red granite and gneiss walls, spark
ling with mica, tower aloft on both
sides nearly 5000 feet. The sky
above appears as thread OF blue
almost obliterated by the Jagged
rauparts and towering peaks, and
the stars may be seen from the
depths OF this chasom at mid day.
At one point, the Hanging Bridge, ;"
the width OF this mighty shasm is
but ten yards and the road bed has
been built out ever the roaring wa
ter OF the Arkansas, This beauti-
ful canyon. famous the world over.
Is ten miles long and at places i,
scarcely wide enough for the rail.
Road track and the foaming waters
OF the river below. With two mighty
engines puffing and tugging away,
turning drst to the right. then to The
left apparently seeking for a passage
through that narrow canyon, we
slowly ascended this creates, OF
America mountains g ranges until
We reached the summit a heigh, of
more than ten thousand feet above
sea level. We had reached the Con.
tinental divide on top OF the bach
bone Of the American Continent from
which waters aow both east and
west into the two great oceans
which wash the shores of the United
States. One Of the engines was de.
tched at this point and we s,arted
do~nward through eighteen miIes
OF the upper Grand Canyon OF the
Colorado" which almost equal IN
beauty the scenery OF the "RovaI
Gorge" for twenty-fou hours we
were passing through that yarisd
and ever changing panorama OF pa.
ture monument after which we kud
denly entered the valley OF the
great Salt Lake. This is a bsauti-
fol valley about two hundred miles
north and south and about SEVENTY.
i've miles east and west we soon an.
tered Salt Lake City and passed