Semi-weekly herald., 1913-07-28

claiiy the mountains and mou,t.;,
sueaihs unmarried by decorations.
one OF the most attractive na,ks :.
oeaotie and the least expensive i,
one OF this character. There is a driv.
way INTO the park and trails for font
and horseback journeys throupb III.
forests and over the mountains mot
1ar put enough to get into the woods
and mills, as nature made them hovs
been built The park in itself is sav-
eral hundred acres of woods an
mountain side, with small streams
cheap rustic bridges and rustic seats
The golf links and other attractions
have been added by individual effort
summer bungalows and rustic camns
are owned by private individuals
Durango should lose no time in Sc.
curing title to some of the wild seem
cry up Junction creek, build good
roads to it, trails and paths tbrouob
1t-then talk it to everybody, eyerv-
one telling the same tale to strangers
we would soon have reputation for
scenery unequalled.
| | will have covered several tbop-
sand miles of the scenic west when 7
get home and excepting the one at
traction, the ocean, we can Discount
anything have seen from British Co.
lumbia down.
Seattle talks, writes and sings of
the Olympias, the mountains of the
gods, yet the Olympias are extremely
difficult of access and so far away
| have not yet found the person who
has been out among them, and the
view from Seattle can in no way COM
pare with the La Platas from Du-
range, nor the grandeur of the Nee
dies from various accessible points.
We read and hear of Mount Ranier
and while it is true we see it almost
from sea level it is not grander than
the Needles, either from distance
or from the Denver G. Rio Grande
train. In fact l have failed so far
to see mountain scenery that excells
that at Needleton or from the heighth
at Tacoma, or the Orc Fino region.
Yet stranger coming to Durango
stupendously grand upheavals of ma
ture.
l understand the federal government
has made inquiries whether we want a
tract of this grand scenery up juno
tion creek for park purposes and that
it can be had for $1.25 per acre. If
so the commissioners, backed by the
people, should lose no time in secur-
ing it.
If an arrangement could be made
with the Electra club and the power
company by which that beautiful re-
gion could become a public resort,
where boats could be hired and fishing
) privileges paid for, so the public could
: feel free to enjoy it, this could be
made an attraction hard to duplicate.
Then legitimate pressure brought to
bear upon the Denver & Rio Grandc
to grant cheap permanent excur-
/ sicn rate during the season.
We are and have been sleeping or
resources and attractions one may
travel thousands of miles to duplicate
and in many specific features not
find elsewhere.
I have not been to Portland yet.
May find something there worth NEIL
tioning, but as 1 have almost circlcd
the west half of the United States
and also some of Canada's most at
tractive country, which is grand, yet
we have not been outdone in really
rugged, grand or stupendous noun
tain scenery, nor approached in year
around climate.
Whenever / was in the hot belt l
found someone who had been in Du-
range and all without exception eS-
pressed desire to be there. While
everybody had heard of or been in
Colorado or were getting ready to 60.
To them Denver or Colorado Springs
was Colorado, with the exceptions re-
ferred to.
Maybe | will learn some new point
ers when l go to Portland as l 70
100 miles out.
w. w. M'EWEN.