The Greeley tribune., 1911-07-20
CHARMS OF MAN|TOU ARE
CONTINUED from Page One)

innings more real than tne WlueoPeu
onnortupities for vacation Delights.
Resorts are almost as thick in
Colorado as mining camps. Anu
they are all charming, each with its
particular and peculiar charm. But
in things mundane there must al
ways be a superlative. FIRST I'M
pressfons are often best, ana IKE
wise first discoveries are 1requentiy
NJ the most value. Colorado's first
horn is still her pet and pride, and
there is no true Coloradoan who
does not speak with caress the
mvstic syllables OF "Manitou."
And OF Colorado's jewels 1t was
first. indeed, Before there was
Colorado-before there was a ma
ton; before Columbus made his
momentous voyage: before, per-
haps. the coming of the Saviour
Manitou was known. 1t was the
name of the deity Of the American
Indians-in the language OF the
Utes, THE Great Spirit" or Great
Healer" for with the aborigines
the idea Of omnipotence and omni-
presence was always associated with
healing. 1t was for this reason, as
/ their legends testify, that they gave
the sacred name to the otherwise
VALLEY OF the Healing Springs"
And, leaving remote antiquity out
of accounting, Manitou was conspic-
uously first. More than hundred
wears ago Lieutenant Pike contrib
uted to geography THE Great Snow
Mountain, in whose guardian foot
hills the modern resort now nestles
so costly. II we, as nation, culti-
yated patron saints, the brave Pike
would certainly be canonized in
Colorado. AS it is. his memory
adorns a lofty pedestal in Colorado
hearts. Yet Pike not only never set
foot on the mountain that bears his
name, but he left no description OF
any exact spot upon which a man
could now with certainty place his
finger. 1t remained for George F.
Ruxton, an adventurous English
man, to do that. He explored the
region in 1s47-for what purpose
other than the pleasures Of discov-
cry is not disclosed-and it is evil
dent from his writings that in his
own mind his most important find
was Manitou, which he pictured
with exactness and enthusiasm.
What is now known as "Manitou
Spring''-the largest of the group,
and even yet the greatest known
soda spring in the world-was de-
scribed and its location noted with
taccuracy; and according to his own
story-though not in his exact lang
uage-the water was so good that
he nearly drank himself to death.
Ruxton wished to linger in this en-
chanting spot, but the Utes. though
not particularly savage, resented his
Intrusion into their Holy of Holes,
and he was obliged to move on.
A quarter century of sunny years
rolled by Then the, at that time,
little narrow gauge pioneer Denver
& Rio Granje Railroad-pushed on
by human genius and energy that is
now recognized as foresight, but
which then must have seemed the
folly of courage-crept out from the
frontier settlement of Denver and
over that vast and voiceless country
toward the Rio Grande. At the
nearest railroad point to the spot
that the Indians had taught the
settlers to call 'Manitou'' was laid
out the now beautiful and thriving
city of Colorado Springs. named for
the fountains that bubbled SO busily
in the Elysian valley at the foot of
the Peak. Already little settle
| Hicut VI MulteS, Nudi Hueu lIOul dldI
by the fame of the climate and
place, and with the close proximity
of a railroad it blossomed immedi-
ately to the dignity of resort-the
only resort for thousand miles
around-and in its pioneer hotels
were entertained many of the celeb
rites of the times-Grant, Sher-
man, Edwin Booth, Conkling, and
other similar and lesser lights.
| And the springs-which really
deserve first place, because all rivals
boast both climate and scenery
the waters of the springs, both in
remedial efficacy and as a delight
| ful beverage, are nowhere on this
continent approached and nowhere
in the wide world surpassed. There
are many springs, in some OF which
soda predominates and in the others
iron. All the waters are heavily
gaseus. with highly valuable per-
centage Of lithia, and are cold,
pungent and refreshing. They are
| bottled extensively by the most ap-
proved processes and shipped to all
parts of the United States.
Climate, scenery. waters-here
are enough to insure the success of
resort anywhere. But the list of
Manitou's specialties is not half re-
cited. Nowhere on earth is there
grouped together such a variety of
attractions. any one OF which is else
where considered enough to war
rant the establishment OF a preten-
tious resort. In Europe many such
thrive solely upon the merits of
railroad running up what we here
would call hill. All things are
great or little by comparison. These
European roads and the hills they
surmount are insignificant only
when compared to the great Cog
railway that climbs from Manitou to
the summit OF the great Pixies
Peak.
| A cave is the nucleus and prin-