Show WON fa for tuf POW CRAGS AND PEAKS op OF SOUTHERN COLORADO SALT LAKE CITY J jane one 22 1895 many of the readers of the NEWS have traveled with me hunting 06 in natural scenery in different parts of the went and KB as my last trip to la over comparatively new ground a few details the most moat interesting points seen been on the RI bt orande grande southern and StI silverton verlon rull road broadi may add a fraction of tion ol of v slue to some ome people at grand junction we take the D R 0 narrow guage railroad the original overland that passed over bl marshall areball pass hut but now abandoned ob ah such snob for the wide guage that follows follow down the canyon of grand river and at montrose Mont roee we leave it from grand function we tollow follow the gunnison river and from montrose the abe ridgway way abe terminus of we BG S ho soon oon reached ouray a mountain town Is ie eleven miles away and to ie the terminal point of the A A B R Q G in i nil ibis section botlon it boasts a population of its ite elevation la Is 1040 7 feet and it la is a city fringed w th tb the tb of abe range whose hi highest best la Is feet aben when one looks upon the vast bodies bodice of water cam composing posing too toe gunnison Gunn lson sou and grand rivers a volume in itself greater that all the rivers alvera ol of uta and to know that most moet oi 01 it jai to waste and that tens tena of thousands ol of acres on the north side aide of grand rihei could be brought under and will be before many years the nucleus of an immense population la in but started in sod and around junction already the fruits tha came from utah etab to colorado are driven out of the markol market you may louk it in vain for boxes from zon now I 1 could not see one grand June junction tion tons ton of rips ripe and luscious fluet equal in quality to the ulan product annually and where years ago nothing but long df dreary eary stretches obea ui oi baked olay clay lauds plentifully covered with alkali wag waa ean now that the magic touch of the irrigator has baa been ap applied tillou miles mila sod and miles ol of lucern ind and ardc line the track the faced of nature to 10 gleam with the joyous tints tinis of green the result of irrigation and civic eivid ased labor the elevation of grand junction la Is 4 feet and the region referred tt to still lower there is considerable talk 01 01 an immense canal being constructed to bring under cultivation the kanuit which the rio bio grande western runs east of grand junction leaving ridgway Rl dway we coma aces to climb the mountains ol 01 leopard crek to the east of the track tile abe immense anuw banks high above timber line hue ore are ever where seen most moat of the ridges are 2000 feet higher that thai out our high peak munt nebo is if nine feet anorton non of eel bocce the snow now simp osite are heavier and abe general greater ana aa mure moire maj maestio ettic than our range ane river alvern are larger mud and more precipitous and the umber timber more plen plentiful tift la in fact the country looks look a good deal like she th foothills of the sierras in california As I 1 looked upon atie great snow now de posits they seemed to have a reddish color and on inquiry I 1 learned that it ii was the red sand band from froin utah brought by the great winds that sweep cheep acront the country in the spring we are climbing towards toward the dallas divide our engine puffing like a gey eer ear some borne of the iD bridges over we pose paes are very high and have tits the lo 10 if k of a spider pit web la in the distance but our track rack is booi gooi the rails are verj ver heavy and our rate of speed a altone tor for we have led lait the flyers flyen behina us we have to travel ravel slow alow a i as to see aee toe country herband here and we see eve patches of land settled upon and used chiefly for stock raising raial ng there to in plenty of grass in the hills hilla and all the timber of small size no needed tided I 1 do oot dot lose the wealth ol of floral attractions we aj mire BO much at home thu spiked flowers ot of the bayonet cactus are seen on the dry ridges and here her and there a kind of iris louka look very pretty io in the swamps once over the dallas divide down we KO go towards the dan miguel river not angelite ang erite in sights wiggling arm lu jo promontories r ri oky city bridges and er criar gaira into deep chasms and out again into the open every tour jr rr new combinations of beauty until we reach the sn situ miguel along whose banks we begin to climb agal soil mil keep until we reach vanoe vance junction from this thia point a branch road ru a to telluride the rho roadway up too tn side to that tow town a is in blasted out of the soli soil rucks rocks and at a distance looks like a rl ri ky piece of railroading but to Is just sei an oaf aad as a road on the plain and touch mure more attractive att atti active by the side of atiat track a foam foaming ilig torrent Is seen one ol oi the worst looking and maddest bo boiler flet of water I 1 lever ever lo 10 kea upon immense boulders en shrouded enshrouded with wilb the waters with a plaun pines as a frame to the abe composition of pictures maue made wit me wish that some oj 01 ur or artists could be there whose palestes palettes pa va lettes letten and pencils could the wealth of color seen all around dome of the peaks are 0 anti anil other r shades where abo now enow ba melted iff rod and nany many of them art covered with low grade ores of diffee ent tints high above the timberline timber line telluride is a mining town located in 1 a bartill with an AD look seldom seen elsewhere elew bre except in kewit s arlind anu snowy peaks of wondrous beauty are everywhere seen the town is 8 feet above the sea ono ana the population about 2600 2500 mining is the source at onerico to keep up tb 9 wn tile of free silver are numerous here As everything but egrass an timber has to corn com irom older loual localities titis the railroad rail 1411 rood does me of supplier although the ped iler s kagous irom from delta and nd moab flud their wiy here and a market 0 J warner of moab utah told time me be took ume mime of big large apples thore there to sail and aad could not dispose of them rho fhe buyers told him that they mantej apples that bat looked like apples and oot not like so 10 when you take a load tier remember mitat to todo do idsal Ija Ting vanoe vanes whish by the to way la Is only a station actton of small adall population with very cold highto highba june at 6 am 22 2 degrees de grere ton tea df of frost not a good place for railing tomatoes we climb the san klan miguel Mi auel skirting a wide vide opeo open valley of all bades hadaa of greeng green beautiful to look upon peaks and orage crags everywhere every where no place seems too high to climb no obstacle too great when once the will of man starts to build a railroad in colorado grades of 4 and 41 4 per cent ophir loop to ie the next place of and tho arandt in pictorially such combination of rocks peaks waterfalls abrupt cliffs cliffa railroad miracles crawling under a cliff here bore and then pawing passing above the track feet higher enough to make one nervous it if so eo inclined bat we pekoe paes it all safely there la Is no aster track soy anywhere where and no better built road near by la is an immense electric plant bat using water an aa the motor bore power abib ia conducted ducted over tte ote mountains to fellur ide ligham that town juria several mille milla anti and also alo illuminate the homes of set dere away as aa for far as aa trout lake jake the town of ophir above toe loop also alao on en toy a of energy that makes the too falling failing waters give us ua back toe the sunlight that lifted the snows to the pes keaka ilig in utan we are netting ready for fora a like ilke result but the Golora Colora doana domos are taeao abbad of us ua our streams are wasting heir power but we are getting them harnessed and will make them do our bidding soon it is ia a abare we are bot abreast of an obscure mining locality we have the power to light every nome and warm it too and run our ora cars and our machines io in atie streams around arouisa i PS is s and the sooner the result is the better for our deputa clun as alive progressive community tile the road from loop leads leada up to trout lake feet above the theseas theada seis oiled filled witti witia that are too wall educated tu to nibble at any kind of bait the lake la is most moat ully located most moat of t by cliffs covered with eternal efi clive mr waggoner controls oon trola its if waters and abid herda hard the trout traut it there were many the locality a botel should be built there but should he coriat visit the pla cebia stay atay must bo be choit tile most moat unsociable men inen oi 01 bu humanity mantLy I 1 ever encountered f i found there lazaru heau head pass nearly feet feel la is the 1116 next climb sod then on down to i town 0 2000 not vry vary A eort of antl antle boom boorn tooling pervades per vadea it plenty ot empty stores anu and empty pockets poc ketr a sori aon of waiting lor for to tura taru up feeling pervades ane tawn wu we are now dow on the the banks of the colores a river and lie aa sets aeta in we set aee very little of the country we stop lop at badour where there are some cormons mormons settled the ane general look of tue too country Is ie 1 the sett settlers lere meem tu to bedding be doing prelay well bishop hal is ia baa charge of too toe Mr mirmon toon peo piebe is ia aline a tane man of good PC prie sence enoe anu intelligent bearing mrs mra hyde keeps a restaurant in all acos the older et ilera will remember her the murmon people are well note nere trio tn was waa entertained to visit the claff dwellings dwell inga solie jojne 25 miles distant but they came too high sa 5 per day for a guide and for horses everything to be packed on horseback ao it may do for scientific parties but to Is too rich for the blood of 0 a landscape photographer NO BO the cliff dwellings were passed paced and allowed to remain unmolested it in ia an all night ride fide from to 0 o durango Dura ogo and from all I 1 could glean nothing of special aenlo Inte interest test Is ia to be seen so I 1 slept dept over it to awake at aw am to in durango Ou and either hunt bout hotel or sit bit in the h depot until daylight which we did my companion prof dayne was wag soon oon wrape in tue arms of morph eua ope on a sumptuous waiting room bench made of the best beat hardwood obtainable durango is ia the largest city in southern rn colorado the sm smelling smelting elting industry indu atry is i ite chief support Bup port it la is beautifully Joca located tedon on the of the animas river elevation lost population the terminus of gou southern abern a road that bat bot a ored IS lous promoter and to thea iwo constructed con it IL it il to i abb to the mormon settlements of la jars jara and dousses mousses ses and the regions where the wonderful cliff dwellers are ar found mr otto oito Is i the be gentleman woo abo opened up this alpine region to the commerce of aus ae world and he guse of the tourist to urlet long may ne he wava look at the map of southwestern colorado you will aee bai it ft laai ISAL ones once a land of wooden wonders from a acenia standpoint tand point innumerable peak of great elevation torm form watersheds to irrigate the he barren and dry regions regelena our ur rounding them each canyon and peak attractions attraction peculiar to itself no one cau can afford to visit this polut point without taking a run up to silverton Bil verton a 14 mining town located ina in a tine line natural basin amid peaks peak and canyons the road from durango up there la in a panoramic succession of alenio acenia wonder it is not surprising the catholic fathers named it the river ol of lost boat louies ric blo do de IM ian animus Perd idaB ids when they looked into the abdeen through which it is runs rune and no doubt gave up for lost any poor soul that might fall into them but we glide today around precipices and in the face of bluffed of higbe with perfect security the D B R Q G runs a branch road up here bore and if you wish to return to ouray without going back to durango you can take the rainbow and then hen a stage abage ride of 00 sixteen miles A to ouray aud you you will then be near your starting arting at point in the words of the old song ong all are talking of utah applies to the citizens we met and with they all want to see aee our favored land and would like to visit iland stay here if they could when we bring out our CA canals harneu harness our streams and develop all ali our grand resources roea we will says ay cume come on C B R SAVAGE BAVAGE |