Iron County register., 1921-09-15
From Colorado.

~~-<@ @'NAsAA1t OCAOttsaO1 AAaSs scf AoAAs
Dear Mr.. Editor-I want to tell you
something of this delightful place.
This is beautiful little city situated
in the mountains just 1878 feet above
sea level-this Rio Grande river flow
Ing to the side and furnishing water
for irrigation for this beautiful valley
at such high altitude. My first visit
was to Mt. Lookout, overlooking this
city from the south, at the top of
which is planted an observatory for
the purpose of studying Astronomy
(not in use now. The side of this
mountain has many cactuses and
prarie dogs scamper around the side
and base. The air is fine
Then my brother, Rev. J. B. White,
with his family, drove me, first, to
Masonic Park, a favorite camping and
fishing resort about 21 miles from this
place, where we ate nice lunch with
hot coffee-for there was furnace
already hot for the benefit of campers
Fand tourists. After lunch we were
asked to register which we did, I Civ
Ing my sons Lodge, Tyro Lodge, No.
12, Caledonia, Mo.
We again crossed the Rio Grande
river on our way to Wagon Wheel
Gap distance of about 6 miles.
The scenery from this point is grand
and in some places most exciting
The automobile road winding around
the mountain side at distance of as
much as 150 feet in some places above
the railroad track, and the. boiling
rushing water above the cliffs rising
so high that you must look almost
straight up in order to see the top
This road is quite narrow, but there
lis room for cars to pass in safety
every few hundred yards. On meet
| ing a large car coming up grade my
brother drove his car near the noun
tain, in order that the car car might
pass IN safety; the loose rocks
and dirt rolled into the wheels which
had to be removed before we could
pass on. The "Gapn certainly has
the right name, for the mountain
view so high on either side.
But we had not seen all the wonders
yet. Crossing the river again we
soon found our selves at another
place of interest, the Hot Sulphur
Springs. The water looks to be boil
| ing hot, as it boils up out of the
spring, the steam rising from it. On
dipping into it you will find 1t is too
hot to drink, although not quite to
boiling point. This affords an oppor-
tunity for fne swimming pool at
this point. just across the river from
here is the "Flour Spar Mines from
which isingglass and some other pro-
ducts are made.
On our return we sew the wheat
standing in. the fields, not yet ripe
the oats and hay in the shock and
| fields ofpotatoes as ours are in the
month of May, and cellars-made tc
store them in In winter that they
drive into with wagon and team. Or
| the side of the mountains, in some
places, grows small scrubby pine or
which are nnts called "Pinion Nuts, y
about one half the size of haze
nut, but very rich, Of which there are
an abundance this year, denotiDg 8
hard winter, the old settlers say.
Our next point Of interest was The
"Head Gatesp OF the Canal. They
first made the ditch around a higt
bluff leading off into the fertile valley
made SO by irrigation. Then there
was a strong dam built across thu
river in order to hold the water tha
lisneeded for the ditch. The ssGates'
are SO constructed that they only le
the amount OF water they want init
Itha ditch through the Gates, the res
flowing over. the dam with quite
|fall. The irrigation is used in variou
4 directions at distance Of as mucl
as so miles. The river affords grea
opportunity for fishing. IL was GU
pleasure to catch about IS in numbe
/ -7some fine mountain trout. Ms
brother was the fisherman, however
Their yesterday, being Sunday, an
4 also Harvest Home'' day, as the
cali the let Sunday in September, Oh
served by the churches as d Thanks
giving for grain, vegetables AM
i flowers, after Sunday School and
4 short service to the children, W
& drove to Sargent distance Of abor
Il fourteen miles to (wllat we woul
iLcall) Il Union service, for the cor
gregalion Or tic different churcht
were invitedto bring theirlunch an
d take part. The displays Of grair
> vegetables and flowers were 40
They have the most heautifuI tloWe