The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1911-02-07

Pushes Railroad to Top of Mount Me-
cleIIan, In Colorado, and Intends
Reaching Gray's Peak-ore Buckets
Utilized For Passengers by One
Thrifty Mine Owner.
Those enterprising individuals who
have devised so many mechanical de
vices whereby the public is given thrills
at summer amusement parks seem to
have been outdone by western railroad
men
Recognizing the appeal of daring en-
cheering feats to the average mind,
these railroad men are taking advan-
tage Of the natural opportunities af-
forded by the Rocky mountains and
are endeavoring to Guido each other in
the construction of railroads and trans
that will give the tourist mingled
sensation of wonder and fear.
Amusement purveyors of this sort
even have their eyes fixed gloatingly
on the farfamed Royal gorge in the
Canon of the Arkansas. A trolley
line from Canon City. Colo, to the top
of this gorge is planned. A bridge viii
span this cleft in the rocks, which is
almost as narrow at the top as at the
bottom, where the railroad could not
find room to build its track on solid
footing and had to suspend bridge
between the granite walls. When the
trolley cars spin across the chasm and
the tourist looks down on the trans
1S.
of feet below new sensation will be
provided for the tireless American
thrill hunter
Clergyman Starts ThrilIers.
The man who started the work Of
turning the Rocky mountains into a
sort of Coney Island is the Rev. e. j.
Wilcox, who stepped from the minis
try to mine promoting and from min
ing to a new form of railroading Mr..
Wilcox was interested in mine not
far from Silver Plume Colo. A tiny
narrow gauge railroad had been built
from SILVER Plume to the mine. Mr..
Wilcox was enchanted with the view
unfoIded on his first trip over the line,
which was used solely for the trans
j portation of ore
Mr.. Wilcox realized at once the adj
vantage Of extending the rails on to
i the very crest Of Mount Mcclellan,
4 which is a shoulder of Gray's peak.
] and which IS only 200 or 800 feet low
er than that mighty mountain. Rail-
road experts shook their heads, but the
enthusiastic promoter raised the mon
ey for extending the line In series
of switchbacks to the altitude of A.
600 feet. Today the line ends on the
very summit of Mount Mcclellan
It is the highest regularly equipped
and operated railroad in the world
There is a higher line in South Amer
Il lea, which is not used for passenger
service and which is not operated reg
ularly, but this Colorado line to the
top of a mountain peak is used fol
mail as wen as passenger service and
is IN every respect genuine railroad
/ To Reach cray's Peak.
It is intended to pile one thrill or
another. however, by extending this
line still farther From Mount Nc
Clellan it is intended to extend the
line aleng the rocky ridge extending to
Gray's peak itself Gray 5 peak is one
of the highest mountains IN the Rocky
mountain range, and years ago was
used as weather station by the Unit
ed States government The peak is
considerably higher than Pixies peak.
The utilization of the mine railroad
for passenger traffic suggested an idea
to other mine owners on Mount Me
.I clellan who transported their ore il
trans. One Of these concerns, whose
steel cable stretched q mile or more
mp the steep side of Mount Mcclellan
began carrying passengers UP in thu
ore buckets. Here was new thrill
with vengeance, and the mine own
er soon began reaping more profits
from human freight than from bis ore
Now he does big business all sum
mer long. swinging people up ant
down the mountainside in huge, heavy
ore buckets.
John Brisben Walker. former maya
zine publisher, is responsible for /
mile long railroad near Denver tina
has more thrills per foot than any 9th
. or line In the world Mr.. Walker con
ceived the idea Of hauling passen
gers to the top Of the front range d
the Rocky mountains, overlooking thu
plains that stretch eastward toward
the Missouri. He installed powe
plant on the summit Of Mount Nor
rison, that towers over the foothills
west Of Denver BY means Of stee
cables two heavy cars are hauled 4
the top Of this mountain and are low
cred again with their human freight.