The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1933-03-24


Prepared by National Geographic Society.
Washington. d. C-WNU Service.
"HREE additional "primitiv e
areas have just been set aside
by the federal government in the
mountains of Colorado to serve
as vacation regions for those who wish
to enjoy outings in the real wilder
ness. The designation has been made
so that there will remain, even after
further development of highways and
railways, parts Of the rugged noun
tains untouched by the hand of man,
region free from concrete, steel, and
even the wires of power lines and tele-
phones. Each Of the districts will in
addition, be natural preserve for
wild animal life.
Seventy-five years ago all Of Colo
RADIO was a wilderness through which
only a handful of trappers had wan
dered. The region which is now the
state constituted real barrier. It's
vast eastern plains formed a typical
part of the Great American desert,
that geographic libel thrust onto
American maps by forest-minded pio-
neers, there to stay for two genera
tons.
And beyond the "desert" rose an i'm
mense rampant of 'impenetrable"
peaks with barren, rocky crowns. APP
palling sights they were to men who
had grown up among the friendly,
rounded, verdure-blanketed mountains
of the East.
So it came about that the early
rush of trade and emigration that beat
out paths to the West passed Colora-
do. by. Its mountain barrier split this
westward-faring tide of humanity as
q huge bowlder in midstream cleaves
the waters of river. The Santa Fe
trail turned to the south, traversing
only the southeast corner of the area
that was to become Colorado. The
covered wagons Of emigrants Oregon
bound In the early forties, the great
hegira of thousands of Mormons in
AT and '4S, and the rush Of the Cali
fornia forty-niners passed chiefly to
the north. Save for handful of white
trappers, Colorado was left to it's few
bands Of wandering savages.
But not for long. Gold, always a
magnet for men, dragged horde Of
fortune seekers to the edge of the
mountains almost over night in '5S
and so, and soon sent restless pros
pectors with picks and pans scurrying
like ants over the whole mountain
area. They found the mountain re-
gion was not land Of arctic wastes
and icy solitudes. On the slopes Of
bare-topped peaks were noble forests !;
between were smiling valleys with
grassy meadows.
desert" Now a Rich Region.
Here and there the valleys widened
into spacious parks. Streams gurgled
on every side, alive with fish. The
forests teemed with game.
Into this land of unexpected beauty
trickled the van of the emigrants,
some to find other goods than gold.
The barrier had had its first real
breach.
The desert" now Is land of grow
ing crops and fat cattle, criss-crossed
by highways and railroads. Farther
west the vigorous pioneers and their
brothers In spirit who have followed
after have thrust railways through
gorges, even hanging them on arti-
fetal shelves from sheer precipices.
They have gouged their way through
the Continental divide and lesser
ranges to construct long tunnels; and
over the great sea of mountains, along
the routes of Indian trails and the
crude early roads of the miners, that
chung precariously to steep slopes,
they have flung an amazing network
of modern highways.
Now, on any summers day, on the
heights which early pessimists called
cherries polar solitudes, one may see
the gayly colored frocks of women and
children fiuttering from scurrying au-
tomobiles. They belong to visiting
family parties, on picnicking bent, who
are whisked over the mountain roads
In a continuous stream. The once inn
passable mountains are a fair mark
now for the wheeziest flivver.
The story of Colorado's swift devel-
opment in the short space of one life
time is crammed with romance, trag-
edy, and high adventure, with strokes
of good fortune and i'll, as are few
chapters In the national chronicle.
One day the region was raw, vir-
tually untouched by civilization. The
next, almost, men were starting to
make a state out Of thin mountain air
and dusty sagebrush flats; were sell.
ing town lots at auction; issuing news
papers; building homes, churches, sa.
looms, and theaters; organizing stage
coach companies; talking politics!
Good Motor Roads.
AS you explore Colorado's mountain
region, rich alike in gold and superb
scenery, you find excellent motor roads
penetrating the toughest terrain. The
states mountain highway system has
opened up this region of tumble6
peaks only In recent years. Twenty
years ago the states summer land
consisted almost exclusively of the
foothill country and the eastern slope:
of the front range.
Now, with four excellent main high
ways crossing the Continental divide
and with a network of minor road.
and trails available, increasing mum
bers of the holiday crowds are push
ing into the hack country where fht