The Winslow mail., 1911-04-01

mind, these railroad men are taking
advantage of the natural opportunities
afforded by the Rocky mountains and
are endeavoring to outdo each other
in the construction of railroads and
trans that will give the tourist
mingled sensation of wonder and
fear.
The man who started the work of
turning the Rocky mountains into
sort of Coney Island is the Rev. E. j.
Wilcox, who stepped from the minis
try to mine promoting, and from min
ing to 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
unfolded on his first trip over the line,
which was used solely for the trans.
portation of ore.
The railroad to the mine ended be-
fore timber line was reached, how
ever, and Mr.. Wilcox realized at once
the advantage of extending the rails
on to the very crest of Mount Nc
Clellan, which Is shoulder of Gray's
Peak, and which is only 200 or 300
feet lower than that mighty noun
tain. Railroad experts shook their
heads, but the enthusiastic promoter
raised the money for extending the
line, in series of switchbacks, to the
altitude of $4,000 feet. Today the line
ends on the very summit of Mount Nc.
Clellan
1t is the highest regularly equip
ped and operated railroad in the world.
There is a higher line in South Amer
lea, which is not used for passenger
service, and which is not operated reg
ularly, but the Colorado line to the
top of a mountain peak is used for
mail as we'll as passenger service, and
is in every respect genuine rail-
road.
The engines used in negotiating the
tremendous grades to the top of Mount
Mcclellan are of the Shay mountain
climbing type, but are not equipped
with cogs. The sleeper portions of
the climb are negotiated by switch
backs, which rise not unlike series
of steps in a gigantic ladder. By al
ternately backing and going ahead on
these switchbacks the final altitude
of $4,000 feet is reached.
1t is intended to pile one thrill on
another, however, by extending this
line still farther. From Mount Nc
Clellan it is intended to extend the
line along the rocky ridge extending
to Gray's Peak itself Gray's Peak Is
one of the highest mountains in the
Rocky mountain range. and, years ago,
was used as a weather station by the
United States government. The peak
is considerably higher than Pixies
Peak
1t is believed that trains can be
run to the very base of the final pin
nacle of Gray's Peak, and that the
last 200 feet can be negotiated by
means of an elevator. A hotel and OBJ
servatory will be built on top of the
peak and astronomical observations,
will be taken in the remarkably clear
atmosphere.
The utilization of the mire railroad
for passenger traffic suggested an idea
to other mine owners on Mount Nc
Clellan who transported their ore in
trans. One of these concerns, whose
steel cable stretched a mile or more
up the steep side of Mount Mcclellan,
began carrying passengers up in the
ore buckets Here was a new thrill
with a vengeance, and the mine owner
soon began reaping more profits from
human freight than from his ore. Now
he does a big business all summer
long, swinging people up and down
the mountain side in huge, heavy ore
buckets.