The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1916-05-04
Western Travels
nv HELEN M. TODD.
XIII.
At Colorado Springs.

At Colorado Springs.
70 Peak or Bust" had been our
y, tlr since first we started on our jour
f nr,.t and next morning being fine
var ar in company with DR.. and Mrs.
''' 90 took the trolley to Manitou
W." the starting place of the cog
FV| ,Aa summit of the mountain. The
",,,ck excursion train was already
'n,th tourists, and on the advice
,Hcjal Of the railway, we waited
nlatform for one of the extras
ros being made up to accommodate
,sr Increasing crowd. To anyone
| bod made the trip to the summit OF
washington by the cog railroad, the
far Pixies Peak was not novel
/ but we heard many of our fellow
-. sxclaiming IN wonderment over
/ ,.sr little engine tilted forward on
1 4,,cks until it resembled small boy
49, 10 turn a handspring, and the OBJ
Er.tion car, with it seats tilted back
/ 5tc the same degree for the comfort
its passengers.
Ebss first train pulled out, and after
/ seemed an interminable wait, an
7rsg m. Thanks to our friendly
k.iaJ who rad told US the exact spot on
4 nlstform that would be the most ad-
sntsgeous one for boarding the train,
occurred our seats without difficulty,
.Ai.s RESPECT we were more fortu-
l. rbsr the great majority of the
,-,sfs vhu were still waiting on the
|. farm when our train left for the
.,,,jt a ride on cog railroad, with
mise and jar is never pleasurable
,u.r,-nce. but the grand views and
H. s.rr5s soon made US forget the dis
,o,to,r. If the trip. Up through the
.Fersrr zones of vegetation we passed,
ennlrg al frequent stations for the
,rs,y engine to refresh itself, and al
Fiaq the passengers ample time to see
/ sights. On the first stage of the
,pr1e7 w. passed many trampers and
e,rg picnic parties, on foot or on the
,agcy little burros that one sees every
here in Colorado Springs. Soon we
h fbe dwarfed and scrubby trees be-
h 4. and rocks and desolation only were
h save as we looked off at the grand
bias that were opening on every hand
w5 went higher. When we passed
l. STOW line the air grew chilly and
/ hastily put on extra wraps and pull
down windows.
Th4 little printing Office half way up
L mountain side, where the Pixies
esk Daily News is issued, containing
L names of the days excursionists,
c.. was oNa of the sights of the trips,
was also lake Moraine, the source of
L aater upply for Colorado Springs,
hct We saw lying below US like a pla-
MIRROR Soon the snow became much
e0s- and vas piled on either side OF
e rack higher than the car windows,
WIZ splendid chance for snowballing
t5r the aagine stopped for water. We
aLz-a ,J some faint degree what
rmllablr task it must be to open the
acE Tie spring, and to keep it clear
rol- sae seasoD.
Wrs Point, at an elevation of II,
le-l ertaInly deserved its name, as
d tails. We gaunt and forbidding assures
1- mountain side known as the Bot
nr- }t and the Abyss of Desolation.
0 lolC agI a half after leaving the
IS ST. M We were arriving at the
nI- +5}4 feet above the sea level.
IL huge snow drifts lowered high
oT5 GIT a=ads, and the fact that the
3 Was The twentieth of June seemed
rcl of realization. The little lunch
sAor al the top, where sandwiches
ic Got coffee were obtainable, was i'm
slatey patronized, after which we
mbea he observation tower for
ght OF the surrounding country. Our
loymeHt If the marvellous panorama
as someRh hat marred by the fact that
e Fi13 hew at such a velocity that it
q necessary for US to cling tightly to
i Ead7g Of the observation platform
Keep from being blown off the top and
'"a l0Jo Colorado Springs. A very
w moments sufficed fer Mrs. Bowers
N lays7t, and we beat hasty retreat
Terra NINA, leaving the doctor and
H 70 follow at their leisure. We found
III 'he altitude affected US very little,
tIrle-ions to the contrary, notwith-
a'a'ag A slight giddiness for the
s'IeW moments on the summit, and a
@flAg pressure on the eardrums after
'S''s NO 900 feet elevation, were all
noticeable effects,
Vuf stay at the summit lasted about
I'uf' al the end of which we boarded
"a'h again and as it chugged labori-
sly Gown the mountain side, we revel-
III 'he wonderful views which could
'eso 10 even greater advantage than
''e upward journey. We could see
.a''- ncilne railway up the side OF
" '' 't'ou, lesser mountain, which,
'0s "a some 5000 feet above sea level,
''e" IKE pigmy in comparison with
gigantic neighbor. The ascent was
SI AMI sleeper than that of the