The Ordway new era., 1920-10-08

was Il notable event, Ill lHul lHe
mountain in u way epitonizes the progress of the
west.
Although Lieut.. Zebulon NJ. Pike u S. A., the
Intrepid explorer, first discovered Pixies Peak In
1906, he never scaled the mountain, saying Inc
task was impossible for n human being. But Dr.
Edwin James, a member of the expedition OF
Major Long, in 1870, accomplished the feat
Major Long, in honor of James accomplishment
named the peak james Peak but as early as
1S4o trappers and plairsmen named 1t pixies
Peak and Fremont put 1t so on the map
In 1878 bride path was built; wagon
road to the summit built in 1880 and in 1881
the cog wheel railroad, nine miles long, was
built. The weather bureau established a station
on the summit. In 1916 the present automobile
road built at n cost of 100000, after two
years of construction work. This road is eighteen
miles long rises 6695 feet In that distance has
average grade of seven per cent and maxi
mum grade of 103a per cent with 42 per cent
of the line In curves. 1t is twenty feet wide with
curves as wide fifty feet.
In April, 1919, a government war tank at
tempted to climb the peak over the automobile
highway, but broke down in the deep snow drifts
and did not make second attempt. month
later caterpillar, used for artillery hauling
made the summit without difficulty. August g.
1919, airplnne, poted by Alexander Lendrum
of Colorado Springs made n successful trip over
the summit of the peak.
This brings us to date Now is reforest-
ing the lower slopes of the famous peak.
But first Il word about the nrSt ascent. DE-
james was only % years old at the time. Starting
from Council Bluffs, the explorers reached what
is now Colorado City July IL. 1920. July 10 he
started with four men for the top The late
Frederick s. Deenbnugh. n member of several
government expeditions In the west, wrote this
of the climb of Dr. james:
"Abcut noon they came to the Boiling Spring
the present well-kncwn spring of Manitou, which
gives name TO the stream of which 1t forms a
source. This beautiful spring was of great inter
james and t.ey had their lunch beside IT,
Through its crystal waters could be the
bottom the offerings of beads and trnkets by
the Indians.
"The night of tn. 18th, James and his COM
pnnions spent in most uncomfortable place, and
on the next morning started early with the hope
of making the round Journey before dark About
noon the timber line. II ,T20 feet. reached
and by 4 O'Clock they stood the mighty sum-
nit. a. los feet above the ana 5000 feet above
the plains, and could see the east the prairie
ocean melting into tile lmitless distance. while
on the other hand spread away broad chaos of
peaks, canyons, valleys, finding into the depths of
the unknown wilderness. Vast clouds of grass
hoppers flying the peak, sometimes so
dense almost to obscure the light.
After half an hour on the majestic summit now
reached by Il prosac railway, the descent began
Losing their course they failed to reach the camp
of the previous night and were forced to sleep
out with food shelter comfort of any
kind not after all awful 1t sounds. AS
soon as nBHt c'liHe III lHe morhlhB tley cohtlnueu
and reached their camp only to find it ablaze;
the fire had spread and consumed everything
except a few scraps of food, which they
greedy breatfasted"
The American Forestry Association of WASH
ington estimates that of the 100 million odd
acres of national forests there are seven and
half million acres in need of planting seeding
to re-establlsh tree growth. The yearly loss to
the nation In forest products from lands suited
only for the production of timber and idle is
said to be $G5,000,000 No large have been
specifically appropriated by congress to reforest
the denuded lands within the national forests,
that the acreage planted each year has been nomI-
nal and the work of an experimental character. In
picking the areas in the national forests where