Show OVER THE HILLS TO UTAH the evolution of the mema means transportation from the east to t Q west is wonderful to on and u unless ale se we pay close attention n is the progress of railroad building we shall have difficulty in naming JUA how bow many ways of commini communication am there are across what was oam known as the great american da a ert ten weeks by ox train from the missouri to salt lake was a quick trip six weeks by mule train a good one and as the pulse of the first mg B lore lers began to quicken the pony express wits a grand innovation usaf will remember the anxiety to g the latest news as the pony driven at a breakneck break neck speed w was a u urged ft to the post office the le leather lelh e r hurriedly examined and another puny pony and rider were wem soon out of sight eight headed for the bekus suu sun T this itis became too slow and the bele gra graph h was the next necessity to the united effort of those who dm not arrive with carpet bags tb poles were set up and the news from ocean to ocean was flashed scram theu then came the welcome nowa now that the union pacific was haal ing west and the same that had helped to devela dev elote aw other means of co alm a were bent toward the completion of f the first grand link across the t co in in may 1869 the city at salt lake was ablaze with w fqy each home was illuminated fort se occasion the iron bands ww wen welded at the promontory bato event soon became history in rapid succession camme came taft U northern pacific the atlantic pacific Pac ilic the southern paalo the D B R G to salt lake and tm the canadian pacific other rovas roads A now projected but the most boft labor acting one bearin nearing ik now being built from from I 1 springs via the grand t grand junction take any railroad map shot lines located from denver denvert w you u will see that the colorado midland d runs from colorado springs to glenwood you will also see that the D A B R Q G has a narrow guage line from denver via leadville thence via eagle river and the grand river biver also to glenwood and abill further on to rifle creek about 26 miles west of glenwood springs the colorado midland is a more direct igei road to glenwood but the one vu via leadville is easier on account of the grades this is a part of the D B R G system it follows up the valley of the arkansas to tennessee pass and thence down eagle bagle and grand rivers to glenwood having enjoyed the opportunity of seeing the objects of interest on the projected new road a few items concerning the scenic attractions will no doubt be acceptable to the readers of the NEWS those who have traveled over marshall marshal 1 pass and down the black canyon may think that the new road will lack the novelty of great heights h I 1 ats lud and the deep recesses of ra rocky ex canyons but such is not the case cam having seen them both I 1 am bold to state that the finished part of the B R G W system from leadville west offers the greatest pictorial treat on any line in the same distance in the united states the elevations of marshall pass and tennessee paw pass are nearly the same the difference of elevation being in favor of marshall pass the climb from pueblo up the great arkansas valley carries you through the royal gorge and up brown browns Is canyon near the twin lakes bakes at granite and up to the city of leadville on mch each side of the track huge mountains are seen notably on the west the collegiate range and the peaks near the twin lakes elevation feet form oue one of the loveliest scenes possible lb e to magine imagine bocky heights of granite line each side at e of the track all the way from pueblo distant snow capped peaks keep the mind in constant admiration mi md ration the whole length until Leadville lie adville is reached this is purely arid and simply a city often in the clouds the tee elevation being feet hard on weak I 1 lungs and heart troubles but there is a large population where heart troubles do not seem to be seriously affected by the great height above sea level all the surrounding hills near the tty are covered with shelters smelters sm elters and ft is fe to this industry that the city owes its existence it is cheerless and dreary without gardens and is often covered up by clouds in stormy weather it is very doubtful that it will be advertised as a health resort it demonstrates one fact and that is VW that the human rare rape stops at no elevation in pursuit of the root of all evil so called the midland road runs from here to glenwood via the main range thence via prying frying pan creek arid and the roaring bearing pork fork on to newcastle where extensive coal beds art ar being developed this road is of the standard aa A WA gauge gau e and is compelled to cross biross every high range on its western journey the D B R G leaves leadville and crosses the tennessee pass elevation feet thence down through the pines to eagle valley and from the track a superb picture of natural beauty is had when looking over the valley eagle river Can canyon yonis is reached steep precipitous and rocky covered on all sides with pines then comes red cliff a mining town prom from here the canyon deepens the roaring river and sharp curves giving a constant succession of pictorial combinations all along the sides of the canyon the evidences of mining enterprises tell of the existence of the precious metals at gilman three miles below red cliff the mills and houses are perched upon the pinnacles of the rocks on the edge of the canyon these people are indeed the modern cliff dwellers but of a stripe different from the ancients think of mills being fastened to the sides of the cliffs resting upon wooden uprights suspended feet above the valley below think of with women and children belaying playing around and making their homes on the steep sides of perpendicular rocks and you will glean a good idea of gilman seen been from the river below it forms one of f the most novel and interesting sights I 1 ever witnessed the mineral productions are gold and silver I 1 was shown a specimen of bromide of silver very rare to find the inhabitants are a generous good hearted people we find that as far as the contents of their homes was concerned they would rather give you a share than sell you anything they were old settlers and had stayed in the country for a long time onward on ward though the canyon the repetition of rocky defiles and seemingly impassable points occur until we open out into the valley of eagle river down which we ride a smooth track well ballasted ballested bal lasted and laid ready for the standard guage the mountain of the holy cross is away to the south each side of the river the pines and cottonwoods cotton woods fringe the banks covered in almost every place with fine bunch grass the views of different peaks and valleys all along the route are per faction as to combination all the way no sterility no barrenness every resource that can aid the settler seems to abound and yet this is sparsely settled this route above all others seems to offer the best natural roadway for a transcontinental line there being a gradual descent from the tennesse pass to green river a distance of about miles and over a country as far as grand junction of the most attractive character about fifteen miles from glenwood the road enters the canyon of grand river near some lava banks the first I 1 ever saw in colorado up to this point eagle river is clear and if full of fish would be a good stream for fishing but all ad verti zed fishing in guide books is something to be received with caution grand river may be full of fish but as some placer gold washings send their debris i nto the stream I 1 imagine it hard work for a sucker t see any bait twelve inches from his nose As it is the great beauty of the river is lost without the beautiful blue instead of which a dirty yellow like a stream im after a cloud burst disappoints the picture hunter without trying to tell of all the attractions of the canyon of grand river biver I 1 am bold to say that it is the peer of any that I 1 have seen in colorado it is in many places as high as the grand canyon of the arkansas and much higher than the black canyon of the gunnison and through the whole run of fifteen miles the mind becomes bewildered wil dered with the kaleidoscopic changes that occur at almost every turn of the road students of geo logy will find the different strata of the earths crust all presented for their admiration the basic granite and the sedimentary rocks above marble porphyry and a whole catalogue of rocks lie around in wild profusion the engineering difficulties must have been stupendous one fact which shows at what cost of life and money the roadway was purchased is the many graves of forgotten ones that hat are found along the track in one place a dozen men are laid away with only the deep roar of the river to chant their requiem and the marble cliffs above for their headstones there are three tunnels in the canyon and they are all located where the finest scenic effects are fo found u nd in some places the clim cliffs are perpendicular in others sloping gracefully to the river bed but all of them ponderous and massive timber abounds and gulches on each side contribute side streams of water that trickle down from the heights wove a ove if I 1 had been the first to pass down this wonderful chasm I 1 should have named it wonder canyon but the canyon of grand river biver is the accepted title and it is wonderful to behold glenwood springs aprin 13 is a railroad town with a beautiful bathing pool and elegant bath houses built on the site of some immense sulphur springs on the bank of grand river biver the elevation being feet above sea level thousands go to bathe in this health giving pool and many say they are cured of rheumatism and other troubles the town itself is nearly all a stores the people kee keep the place from lively by buying from each other there is very little room for farming in the vicinity below glenwood the road at present reaches rifle creek 26 miles west the gap of 65 miles from thence to grand junction has yet to I 1 e constructed ted As the elevation decreases melon patches are seen and ripe tomatoes can be purchased the coal seams at newcastle are but a beginning of the development of this valuable mineral for miles upon miles of it can be found in this region As far as the eye could reach the country in the neighborhood of rifle creek is similar in appearance to the price river biver country if I 1 could hazard a prediction I 1 would say that there is room for teris tens of thousands of people along the valley of grand river and as the elevation in the vicinity of grand junction is about the same as salt lake fruits flowers and vegetables of every kind can be raised by means of irrigation and as water is plentiful there can be no limit to the extent of land cultivable I 1 saw immense peaches for sale raised in grand junction and the potatoe crops will shut out the utah tuber in the future As I 1 have reached this point on the home stretch the reader will ask well who is going to build this gap to complete the link As near as I 1 can find out it looks as though both the midland and the rio grande are going to unite on a junction road certainly the rio grande western which was once the tall tail of the rio grande dog is now the dog that wags the tail on the Cu colorado lorado end this is the way it looks to me but I 1 am not on the inside of facts and figures lt it matters but little who builds the road as long as it is done there can be no mistake that it will be a popular road and everybody will want to ride over it and if they are as pleased with it as I 1 am they will be made happy 0 R SAVAGE |