The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1920-08-24
Frederic Haskin's Letter


however, and the downward ma.
especially, cannot be made IN
worn brake-bands. As the chans
feur quality remarked, .It's :.
place to get screw loose, either i
your car or in your head"
After we were halfway nm -.
mountain, We began to nesf
whole procession Of other a..
many Of which passed US in ~
directions. our chauffeur cafefS,l,
living up to the safety first buttos
on the lapel of his coat. Then srd
denly at q wide twist Of the road
We came upon . wide log house. ~
in the shadow OF q small pa.I
where, the chauffeur suggested NJ
order dinner for our return : ~
hours hence after visiting the sum.
NIT.
Shortly after leaving this ho,.
pitable inn, the atmosphere h.
comes rapidly cooler and the sprues
trees thinner. Another half hour
and you are passing the timber.
line, trying to look as II you IKEA
the sudden change OF season from
summer to winter, and WISHING
that you had been a little less
scornful Of your friends susges.
lions for carrying heavy wrsps
Most Of our party, with the eYcep.
ton of one of the Florida ladies'
was plentifully supplied with
sweaters and coats, but what was
really needed was a large supply Of
wooden blankets or fur robes. The ,
chauffeur slowed the car while he
pulled on a pair of neece-lined
gloves, and the rest OF US tucked
our hands into our pockets.
We had long since left the sun
behind us somewhere below the
timber line, and now We encoun.
tered a rainy season, at the same
time sighting at the base Of The
peak the first large stretch OF snow.
The sides OF the mountain ct this
altitude are masses of boulders and
Clipped rock, but here and there
are small level stretches, covered
with mountain fOr-get-me-nots.
These dainty blue flowers, which
have a delicious perfume, flourish
in this wintry climate, surviving
constant sleet and snow storms
This is more than some of the tour.
lists do.
At last when the peak became
SO narrow it could no longer sup
port q road, the car made q last
mighty turn and the chauffeur an.
nounced that Pixies Peark was with
US, 14,l09 feet above sea level.
Numb with cold, the party climbed
out and gazed about. In the midst
of the rain and sleet storm, with a
ceiling Of black cloud not far from
our heads, nothing could be seen
beyond the peak but mist. The
countless miles OF the earth's sur
face which were supposed to be eY-
posed to our view, according to the
Pixies Peak booklet, were doubt.
less there, but they were not visible
Occasionally, a particularly oblig.
ing fash Of lightning would dis.
close the BottOmless Pit beneath
us, and light up a large number OF
snow-capped peaks to the west, but
otherwise We seemed to stand on
the top of the world in a sea Of
mist.
The floor of the peak is strewn
with big rocks in curiously even
shapes that look as if they might
have once been part of giant
! building. swept to pieces by fur
ious windstorm. Picking our way
gingerly over these. our party made
its way to stone house, containing
a counter restaurant and a curio
| shop. Also an old-fashioned coal
stove which looked comforting bu,
/! turned out to have no fire in il. A
large crowd of tourists was gath.
cred about the curio counters, buy
ing postal cards, pennants and
near-Indian jewelry, while grea
many others were eating dough
nuts with coffee. Still others wert
leaning upon a counter at the othel
end of the room which turned Ou
to be a telegraph station. busilJ
ticking forth greetings from Pike'i
Peak to their friends and relatives
At the opposite side Of the peal
land the peak which looks so point
ed from a distance is really q
large as a city block is the cog
road station, on the roof OF which
is a tall, steel framework tower
The cog-road officials evidentl,
thought the peak was not higt
enough, and built this additions
structure to make it a hundred
feet higher.
Midway between the cog-road
station and the auto-station is the
Pixies Peak Registry, a somewhat
insecure apparatus consisting OF
large loose-leaf book in wooden
binding, supported by white
painted pedestal. Every touist en-
Enthusiastically inscribes his name 10
this registry, but that the Pixies
Peak authorities are not so enthu.
siastc is shown by the number. Oh
loose leafs which are really loose
and scattered about the surround
ing rocks. Many tourists have got'
ten the best Of this careless system
however, by inscribing their names
clearly and permanently on me
wooden pedestal. =.
The most determined tourists %
not linger long on Pixies Peak 10
q storm. Thus, a little more tnan
armour after We first caught sign
of snow, we were back at timber.
line, dropping hurriedly down y
the log inn and the chicken dinne'
we had ordered. At 2 O'Clock 10 tls
afternoon we we're again In NAM
tou, shading our eyes from the olh.
liant sunlight, and wondering II v.
had not dreamed that a few noaI,
earlier We were In the midst "
February weather. shivering wiz
cold.