The midland journal., 1912-11-01
Through The Royal
Gorge, Colorado.

Arkansas, is the most remarkable chasm in
the world through which railroad passes.
It is reached by way of the Denver and Rio
Grande, which. from Pueblo. runs due west
parallel to the river, through its valley and Its
canon almost to It's source.
The valley of the Arkansas is bordered on
each side by the barren rock strewn bluffs Of
the alkali covered prairies These bluffs. ON
which nothing seems to thrive except cactus
and sort of gnarled cedar, are worn by the
| forces of nature into fantastic shapes.
Running at right angles to the valley, the
prairies are traversed by arroyos and also by
other dry water channels probably 10 IT, wide.
/ with perpendicular sides cut into the soil to
the depth. of from 10 to II feet, which are as
neatly formed as If wrought by the hand OF
man. These innocent looking waterways be-
come menace to life and property when q
heavy storm occurs in the mountains; disas-
| trous results are only prevented by telegraph
| ing or telephoning ahead.
| Aside from the fertile narrow river valleys
and irrigation bitches, the prairies of Southern
Colorado are so devoid of vegetation. that
bird flying over them would fare about the
same as the proverbial crow. had he followed
Sheridan's troops in the Shenandoah Valley.
The fertile space along the river gradually
widens and is cultivated its entire length to
Canon City. situated at the entrance to the
Canon, from which it derives its name. This,
charming little orchard town, in the spring,
affords one the pleasure Of driving through q
mile of apple blossoms; now (0ct,) the trees
are laden with ripe, luscious. red fruit. pre-
senting picture pleasing to both the eye and
the appetite. We read that these orchards
yield yearly income Of $500 per acre. We
believe the statement, Judging from the fancy
prices the consumer is obliged to pay for fruit
all over the State.
The Royal Gorge belongs to Canon City; it is
included in a grant of 50. miles made by
Congress to the city for a park. A park with
grandeur all its own.
There are two ways of viewing the Gorge,
viz. from the summit and by rail, from the
base along the river side. By driving or
motoring a distance of about miles up the
mountain side, you can reach the famous Sky
Line Drive, a roadway 20 feet wide built by
the convicts Of the State penitentiary at
Canon City.
This drive was at one time sharp ridge of
limestone, SO sharp and narrow that q man
would have difficulty in walking upon It. but
the conyicts have cut OF the crest and widen
ed it into a roadway over which automobiles
travel until noon, the afternoons being reser-
we'd for carriages. From one side OF the dizzy
height of the Sky Line Drive, the tourist looks
down upon Canon City. a picture in q frame Of
foothills; on the other side into the swift
flowing Arkansas over 1000 feet below. By the
other route we view the Gorge from an open
top observation car. The long line Of coaches
drawn by two engines. glides like hugh SER
pent and swerves from right to left as it
rounds sharp curves. The walls Of rock rising
on each side In solid sheets save here and
there broken by hugh cracks. One place,
called the Crevice, the solid rock is split from
summit to base, the separated side leaving
quite an opening, like slice cut from q
hugh cake.
The outer portals are of dark greenish
shade. while within the ruddy and grey pre-
dominate.
Narrower grows the space until at the
Hanging Bridge the passage is bnt 10 yards
wide, while on each side the granite towers to
the height Of 1897 feet, only Is feet less than
one-half mile. The Hanging Bridge Ii
wonderful piece of engineering and mechan-
ism; it is composed Of iron braces fastened in
to each side OF the Canon, meeting at the CEN
ter over the tracks, forming an obtuse angle.
from which the tracks are suspended which
sustain the weight of passing trains
On the left Is st. Peters Dome with its tur-
reted top sharply outlined against the blue
sky; also another peak almost as high from
which floats the Stars and Stripes.
High on one side of the Canon. for miles,
runs large pipe which carries the water sup
ply to Canon City.
The route low gradually widensa and we pass
from the Canon proper into basin-shaped
land.locked valley. Here we alight at small
station, Parkdale. to await Q return train,
while the west bound continues on its way
over one of the Continental Divides to the
coast.
This station, shut in by mountains from the
outside world, is surrounded by few low
houses and tents. Passing down steep in
cline covered by cactus, we discovered on the
bank of the Arkansas bit of the East in the
form of spring of clear, pure, sparkling
water with water'cress growing in its drain.
and nearby one lone wide-spreading tree re-
ssmbling an oak. The tree and the cress had
probably been planted by Eastern hands,
some health-seeker in this lonely, isolated,
sunshiny spot.
On our return trip we enjoyed our second
view Of the Gorge with as keen sense Of
pleasure as the first. One never tires Of look
ing at the Rockies; the play of light and shade
is such that the picture they present is ever
changing. Whether we gaze from their dizzy
heights into their valleys or from their bases
to their submits we are filed with an awe un-
speakable; we dare not attempt q description
Of such colossal grandeur. such beautiful
scenery with, as someone has said, "0nly the
dictionary to back u.s.
Whoever in his heart or by his lips has said,
there Is no God" has never passed through
the Royal Gorge Only the Creator who
fashioned the mighty Rockies could rend their
granite walls and make rift through which
the Arkansas rushes to freedom and the
plains below NJ. e. II.