Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1915-07-07

passion for climbing them TO my
hearts content during the past two
weeks. One of these trips was to
Specimen Rock, up the precipitous
side of the cliffs overlooking Bear
Creek Canon, and on the summit,
where are occasionally found some
rare specimens of crystal and the
smoky topaz, we built a little camp
fire and made coffee to accompany a
very acceptable luncheon we had
carried with us and ate upon the
point of rocks where we could look
almost straight down for distance
of half mile. 1t was only about
two miles from where we sat to the
trail we had left below, but the climb
had been so steep that it took US
about three hours to do the stunt.
Other climbs equally interesting
were made in South Cheyenne and
Williams Canons, at the termination
of the latter of which is located the
beautiful and wonderful Cave of the
Winds, with its spacious and wind
ing caverns reaching out under the
Rockies and it's wealth of splendid
stalactites and stalagumites which the
seeping of water through crevasses
of the mighty rocks have formed
upon the walls of the cave during
the centuries that have elapsed since
the waters of hidden stream had
ground their way through the rocks
and formed these spacious natural
chambers which the hands of man
have since made but slight changes
in and which thousands of people
now pay their one dollar each every
week to see. This cave was discover
ed by two small boys residing in
the vicinity, more than thirty years
ago, while adventuring up the cliffs
in their play. They went but a
short distance into the dark and fear
some hole they had found, more than
two hundred feet up the cliff from
the trail below, but fastened home
to convey the news of their discovery,
and while they are still living and
grown to the age of middle life,
they have failed to realize any
financial benefit from their discovery
while others have reaped a fortune
from it.
A beautiful winding road has
built up Williams Canon by which
the cave may be reached by team
or auto, and some days nearly a
thousand people pay their dollar for
a ride from the city to the cave and
another dollar for the privilege of
passing through the caverns. 1t is
a delightful walk up to the cave in
by canon (although pretty steep
climb, and down to the city by the
winding road around the mountain
side and through famous Ute Pass,
the old Indian trail. to Manitou, and
nearly as many go afoot as by con-
veyance. They can all take their
time for the walk, eat their luncheon
alongside the rushing mountain
streams and feast their eyes upon
one of the grandest panoramic views
of rugged scenery to be found in the
United States.
The Garden of the Gods, located
just outside the city limits of Mani
tou, with its wonderfully queer forma-
tions of gigantic red sandstone rocks,
is a place of worldwide reputation
and we were taken for an auto ride
through it by our friends on our
second afternoon in the city, con-
tinuing through the east gateway
to the Garden of the Gods the road
leads to Glen Eyrie, the former
home of Gen. Palmer, the founder
of Colorado City. He built q
palatial home in the canon there,
surrounded by spacious grounds anc
interesting drives, but did not live
to realize the fruition of his ambi-
tious plans. He was a wealthy man
and gave millions for the growth
and Identification of the city be
created.
Another wealthy man who did
more, perhaps, than any other for the
upbuilding and general good of the
city of Colorado Springs, was "Col.
Stratton. once a poor miner, who
discovered fabulously rich mine at
Cripple Creek and lavished his
wealth in helping to build up the
metropolis of the county in which his
wealth was acquired. He donated
Stratton Park, the finest natural park
in the CITY, equipped with every
thing for the entertainment and
amusement of children. He owned
the city street railway system, which
is still controlled by his estate, and
the proceeds there from are devoted
to the promotion and maintenance of
his various charities. He establish
ed the Myron Stratton Home, an in
stitution for the care and education
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