Putnam County herald. (Cookeville, Tenn.) 1903-1922, 1915-04-15
CALIFORNIA TO TENNESSEE

night the train rocked and jerked so
sometimes almost rolling person out
, of bed. Humphreys Specific abso-
lutely refused to stay down. Still
am able to see all the beauty of the
canon we are entering. We are now
ascending te Rocky Mountains, time
s o'clock a. m. On we 60 through
some grand scenery high above the
mighty rocks as the sun Is coming up
in this canon, the rocks take on the
pre+tiest tints of red, purple, gray and
delicate green. A few cedar trees
here and there and over all light
frost, looking for the world as if veil
of soft chiffon had been lain lightly
over all AS lay looking out upon
this beautiful scene thought in the
language of the poet.
Touched by the light that hath no
name,
A glory never sung,
A loft ON sky and mountain wall
Are Gods great pictures hung.
And how beautiful nature blends her
colors. On and on We 60, each mile
getting more wonderous. Now will
say here for the benefit of my friends
therailroad follows river through the
Rocky Mountains and in some places
there Is perhaps four or five miles ride
of level land and we see nice little
homes, pretty herds Of cattle and
sheep. Cattle are mostly Herefords
All through theRockies are smalltown
Up we go hig' er and higher. We have
two mighty engines pulling up this
grade and travel very slow.
Time IL a. m. the scene has chang
ed somewhat, the rocks taking on a
dull gray mad brown color. We see
numerous prospect holes and mine
dumps. The train is now climbing
more sharply putting and tugging un-
til through tunnel half mile long.
Tennessee Pass is reached at an alti-
tude Of 10240 feet and the Pacific
Slope is changed for the Atlantic
here we mail post cards to friends at
the highest post of1ce in the world, so
they tell us. Still, we travel on now,
ever so many miles. There is no vegeta
tatiOn to speak OF. on'y few scrubby
looking trees. / haven't seen bird.
Again the scene changes and we are
now passing though some very
heavy timber and curve after curve
our train, sill climbs until the Mos
quito Range and Mount Massive and
over two miles in the air the crest is
reached this Is the top of the conti-
mental Divide separating the Pacific
and Atlantic Slopes. At p. m. we
started down the mountain, cannot
begin to describe the scenery. Some
times we seemed just on the crest Of
the mountain, and looking down
thousands OF feetat the ridges of
mountains below and down in the
clouds .nstad of up. 1t makes one
shudder just to look down. AS we
travel on, we see convicts Of Colorado
penitentiary building wagon road On
the opposite side of the river and
what an undertaking. Farther down
We pass the greet silver mines, see
the remains of an old fort, built long
ago. 8 p. m, and we are entering the
Royal Gorge Of the Arkansas river
and hero is the grand climax just
hold my berath lin admiration no
wonder artists go there to paint, but
no human hand could paint the pic
ture one half SO beautiful, none but
dl inc hand could bsend colors SO
beautifully. As our train rolls on
around those curves SO short that in
looking out l can see the engine and
three coaches ahead, whistling every
few minutes and how it echoes. The
height Of some Of these walls is 1927
feet, Of red granite and gneiss spark
ling with mica standing so stern look
ing they seem to defy man, yet they
have been conquered by man, for one
side trails the Denver and Rio Gande
Railroad and over on the other side is
apipe line carrying water toCanouCity
The Royal Gorge is perhaps the most
famous gorge in the world. At some
points only ten feet wide and its gran
ite walls in some places 2600 feet
high what a stupendous upheavel
there must have been in the geologic
ages past. We are now at the mar
rowest point and what a grande sight
It Is dark, almost a twilight, and stars
can be seen at midday. Now passing
over the hanging bridge where the
the road bed had to be built out over
the river, down down we go wind
ing around curves, through tunnels
and under hanging rocks, our train |
travels on.I gaze dumb in wonder and |
o edmonition on the sublime scene. |
Now p. m. and VIC are at the foot OF |
the mighty Rockies and I might say |
in the language Of the poet Bryant,
r,r -. -. .-...,,as4 q - ~ - ,ornf.r