777 COLON i t/ University of California Berkeley HOMPSON, srtger Jgent Santa Clara St. ROYAL GORGE. THE OPINIONS OF THE JUDGE AND THE COLONEL AS TO THE VAST RESOURCES OF COLORADO THE MANY ADVANTAGES WHICH IT OFFERS TO THE RICH AND POOR, ITS ATTRACTIONS FOR PLEASURE SEEKERS AND INVALIDS IN ITS CLIMATE. HEALTH RESORTS AND PLEASURE GROUNDS, THE WEALTH OF ITS MOUNTAINS AND THE FERTILITY OF ITS VALLEYS PUBLISHED BY THE PASSENGER DEPARTMENT OF THE DENVER & RIO GRANDE R. R. COPYRIGHTED BY S K. HOOPER. GEN'L PASP. AND TICKET AGENT 1898. COPIES OF THIS BOOK WILL BE SENT FREE ON APPLICATION TO ANY OF THE OFFICIALS OF THE DENVER & RIO GRANDE RAILROAD NAMED BELOW. E. T. JEFFERY, President and General Manager, . . Denver A. S. HUGHES, Traffic Manager, ... . Denver S. K. HOOPER, General Passenger and Ticket Agent, . Denver T. E. SWANN, Ass't General Passenger and Ticket Agent, . . Denver H. E. TUPPER, General Eastern Agent, . . No. 353 Broadway, New York J. \Y. SLOSSON, Gjueral Agent, . . . No. 236 Clark St., Chicago P. B. DODDRIDGE, General Agent, . 102 N. 4th St., St. Louis. Mo. H. V. LUVSTER, Traveling Passenger Agent, 315 N. Y. Life Bldg., Kansas City \Y. H. CUNDEY, Traveling Passenger Agent, .... Denver \V. J. SHOTWELL, General Agent, . .314 California St., San Francisco R. C. NICHOL. General Agent, . . 251 \Yashington St., Portland, Ore. B. F. NEVINS, General Agent, . No. 58 South Second St., Salt Lake City H. M. GUSHING, Traveling Passenger Agent, 58 So. Second St., Salt Lake City WHAT THESE GENTLEMEN TALKED ABOUT. "PERHAPS A PASSING MENTION." PAGE 24 . 20 14 1C 24 Anthracite Coal, Antlers Hotel, . Architecture in Denver A Model " Lunch Room, Area of Colorado, . Agricultural Lands, . . 35 Alamosa, . . . .35 Alamosa Branch, . . .33 Alfalfa, . . . .go Apples, . . . -38 7^ * Arkansas Valley, . . .43 f "'if Animas Cafion, . . .51 "Around the Circle," . . 41 Air Brakes . . . .55 Altitude. . . ' -13 Aspen, 61 Assayer's Supplies, . .31 Artesian Wells, . . .35 Barley, 36 Bath House at Glenwood Springs. . . 60 Beer, 31 Book Cliffs. 61 Breakfast at " Minturn," . . . b7 Brick, . 25 Broadmoor, 20 Brown's Cafion, . . . . .52 Buena Vista 52 Building and other Stone, . . .25 Burnham, 13 Canned Goods, Crackers and Cigaru, . 32 Cafion City, 44 Cafion of the Grand River, . . .60 Cattle, . . . . . . .53 Cement 46 Character of the People, . . . .27 Charcoal, 45 Chain of Parks. . 53 Chemical \Vorks, . Cheyenne Mountain, Churches, Clay, Cliff Dwellings Coal, . . Coke "Collegiate Mountain Range," Colorado's Climate Colorado's Climate vs. Switzerland's, Colorado's Mineral Wealth, Colorado's vs. Switzerland's Scenery. Colorado Springs Colorado Flour, Colorado Fruit Copper Cotton Mills of Denver, . Cottonwood Springs, Creede, Cripple Creek Dairy Farming, .... Deceiving Distances, Delta County Fruit Lands, Denver as a City, .... Denver a Poor Market for Sleighs, . Denver Business Men, Denver Club Houses, Denver's Daily Papers, D. & R. G. Hospital Dining Stations, .... Durango, Eagle River Cafion Educational Advantages, Effect of Altitude at Leadville, Fifty New Gold Camps, . Fire-brick Fishing PAGE . 31 . 19 . 27 . 25 . 43 24, 64 . 24 . 53 . 12 . 13 25, 64 . 62 38, 64 25, 64 . 31 . 52 . 33 . 41 . 39 . 17 . 14 . 12 . 15 . 14 . 27 47 6 PAGE Florence, 40 Florence & Cripple Creek Railroad, . 41 Fort Logan 13 Foundries 31 Fruit Growing, 38 Game Laws, 59 Garden of the Gods, . . . .19 Glass Works of Colorado City, . . 32 Gillman, 57 Glen Park, 16 Grades in the Mountains, . . .55 Grand River Valley, . . . .61 Grand Junction, 62 Granite Placers Mines, . . . .54 Glenwood Springs, 61 'Slenwood Springs Pool, . . . .60 Gold, How extracted from the Ores, . 23 Gold, How much to the Ton, . . .23 Gold, New Discoveries, . . . 22, 64 Gold, Old Camps, 22 Gold, What Ore will Pay to Work, . . 23 Goose Creek 49 Great Divide 27 Hanging Bridge, 44 Hay, 52 Hog-raising, 46 Hops, 36 Hotel Monte Cristo, 47 Hotel Colorado, 60 Hotels of Denver, 14 Hunting Grounds for Big Game, . . 59 Iron, 24, 64 Iron Manufactories, . . . .30 Iron Ore, 24 Iron, Where Found, . . . .24 Irrigation in a Buffet Car, . . .21 Irrigation Ditches, 37 Irrigation, the Advantages of, . . 37 Irrigation, the Cost of 37 Irrigation, the Ownership of (Ditches), . 33 Kaolin, 25 Lake City 49 Lakes of the Mountains, . . . . jg La Plata Mining District, . . .51 Lava Beds on the Grand River, . . 59 Lead, 23, 64 Lead Mining, 23 Leadville, the Carbonate Camp, . . 50 Leadviile, the Gold Discoveries of, . 50 Lime, 4G Lime Rock 46 Lung Diseases, ... 13 PAGE Manitou Waters, 19 Manitou, " The Saratoga of the West," . 19 Manitou & Pike's Peak R. R. . . .17 Marble, ....... 25 Manufactories of Colorado, . . .32 Mesa County Fruit Lands, . . .39 Mild Winters of Colorado, . . .12 Mileage of the " D. & R. G." . . .51 Mineral Palace, 30 Mining Shafts in the Cliffs, . . .57 Mineral Springs 61 Model Bath House 60 Montezuma Valley, 35 Montrose County Fruit Lands, . . 39 Monument, the Potato District, . . 16 Mount of the "Holy Cross," . . .57 Mount Ouray 47 Mount Shavano 47 Narrow Gauge System, . . . .49 Natural Gas 41 Newspapers 27 No Delay of Trains, account of Snow, . 12 Oats 36 On to Utah and California, . . .62 Onyx, 25 Ore, Smelting of 23 Oil Fields, 40 Ouray, "The Beautiful," . . .51 Packing Houses, 31 Palmer Lake, 16 Paper Mills of Denver, . . . .31 Peach Culture, 39 "Peach Day," 17 Physicians Recommend Colorado, . . 13 Pike's Peak, 17 Pintsch Gas 53 Placer Mines at Granite 54 Population of San Luis Valley, . . 35 Population of the State, . . . .25 Potatoes, 35, 64 " Potato Bakes," it> Poultry Farming 39 Prices of Lands, 40 Property Valuation, . . . .28 Pueblo and its Industries, . . .30 Pueblo Depot 28 "Rainbow Route,'' 51 Real Estate in Denver, . . . .15 Red Cliff, 57 Reduction Works at Florence, . . 41 Rents in Denver, . 15 Residences of Denver. . . . .15 Rio Grande Southern Railway, . Rio Grande Western Railway, . Rolling Mills, Round Houses of the "D. & R. G.," Royal Gorge ...... Salida, San Francisco Sleeper, . . . Sangre de Cristo Range, . . . San Luis Valley, Scenery of the Rocky Mountains, . School Houses, Sheep Raising, Silver, ...... Silver Circuit, Silver Still Lives, Silverton, Silverton Railroad, Sleeping Cars into Cripple Creek, . Small Farming, Small Fruits, Smelters, Snow in Colorado, Spanish Peaks, . . . . Sportsman's Paradise, . . . Stage Line ...... State Debt, State Institutions, Stone ....... PAGE . 49 . 02 31 .47 .44 48 .11 .47 33 . Gl 27 45 22, 64 27 22 51 51 . 41 PAGE Siop-Over Tickets, ... .54 Street Car System of Denver, . . .32 Sugar, Beet, .46 Tennessee Pass, 57 Telephone System 32 Trans-Continental Line, . . . .48 That "Third" Rail 48 Trains Run Smooth, . . . .55 Track, Road Bed and Bridges, . . 55 Tillable Lands, 35 Timber and Timber Lands, . . . 4~> Toll Road. .... . . .51 Towns of the San Luis Valley, . . 35 Trinidad, 33 Trinidad Branch, 32 Trout Fishing, . . . . .59 Utah, Resources and Beauties. . . 63 Ute Reservation, 35 Veta Pass, . . . . . . .32 Wagon Wheel Gap, 33 Water-melon Day, 16 Water Power 53 What W T ill Grow at this Altitude, . . 35 Wheat 36 Wool 45 Wolhurst 13 White Lead Works, 31 THIS BOOK is DEDICATED TO THE PIONEERS OF COLORADO TO THEIR DESCENDANTS 4ND AT.T. THOSE WHO HAVE EMULATED THEIR EXAMPLE THUS ESTABLISHING, MAINTAINING AND UPBUILDING THE STRUCTURE OF THIS 3REAT COMMONWEALTH NOTE. Space will only admit of brief mention of the many subjects referred to, but full and complete information on any of the subjects can be obtained upon application to Mr. S. K. Hooper. General Passenger Agent of the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad, Denver. PREFACE ,HIS BOOK is a condensed report of actual conversa- tions, with the added value that every fact stated herein has been carefully verified by a comparison with the latest official statistics. No attempt has been made to give a highly colored narrative, the facts being of sufficient interest to challenge attention, with- out the aid of literary embellishments. The reader can con- fidently rely on these statements, and with the hope that through its perusal many will be enabled to better their condition, either physically, financially, or in both regards, this book is faithfully submitted. CHAPTER I. "THE JUDGE AND THE MAJOR.' THfe MY AFTER T WAS a typical Colorado 1 day. The moderate snows of Christmas night had melted away in the glowing morning sun ; the skies were clear and bine, and the pure, balmy air was bracing and delightful. The mountains to the west were white with eternal snow, but the city of Denver lay basking in the genial warmth, sjig- gestive of a bright spring in the East. At the Union Depot the newsboys were crying the morning papers ; uniformed trainmen hurried through the busy, shifting crowd ; the tireless gateman politely made reply to the hundreds of questions put to him ; the loaded trucks rattled along with mail and baggage, and the west-bound trains were " making-up " for their long journeys toward the setting sun, and awaiting the arrival of the " Rock Island," " Burlington" and Union Pacific trains from the east. Judge Stark entered the depot, and, as the conductor called out "All aboard," walked hurriedly to the Denver & Rio Grande train, ready to start on its journey to the Pacific Coast, and boarded the through San Francisco sleeper. Upon entering the " smoking apartment," the Judge's eye met the florid countenance of Major Preston, who was seated beside the open window, through which he was intently surveying the scenes outside. The Judge seated himself opposite the Major, who was too absorbed in thought to observe his entrance. "Hello, Major; what are you thinking of," said the Judge, after a moment's silence. The Major looked up surprised at this interruption, 12 but reco^nizdng the Jndge, cordially shook his hand, and replied, as the train moved quietly out of the station : "Well. Judge, I was thinking of this beautiful weather you have here. I came from the East ten days ago, and found it very raw and cold every- where I went. The biting winds gave me a touch of the ' Grippe,' but I had not been in Colorado more than three days before I was all right again. This climate is certainly delightful, and very surprising to me. I had an idea that your winters were more severe. Is this a sample of your winter weather ? " "Yes, Major. This is a fair sample. We boast of three hundred and forty-eight sunshiny days in an average year." "Why, it was really warm this morning. I walked down from the hotel, and found that my overcoat was actually burdensome, and yet it is the middle of winter." "Oh, such weather is quite common during the greater part of our winter, and in the middle of the day for more than half the season we seldom have use for overcoats ; in fact, our winters are very mild, as a rule, and this is not an extraordinary day for Colorado." "But you don't mean to say that you never have any colder weather than this?" "Not at all, sometimes it is quite cold in the mornings and evenings, but we always have warm sunshine during the middle of the day, and it is very seldom, indeed, that the thermometer (in what we term the valley towns) ever falls below zero, and then only during the night or early part of the day, and for a short season during the winter, usually about two or three weeks in January." "Well, isn't there a great deal of snow?" "On the contrary, we have very little, except in the mountains ; occa- sionally snow falls in the valley, but the warm sun usually melts it away within a few hours. Denver is a poor market for sleighs ; we have had good sleighing in Denver only three times in the last fifteen years. Why, we actually have to sprinkle the streets in the winter. What snow we have, you understand, usually comes in the early spring." "But the snow in the mountains must interfere with your railroad lines?" "On the contrary, the main line of the Denver & Rio Grande, which is strictly a mountain road, suffers less from snow blockades than the more exposed roads of the east, or in fact, those that are known as the 'southern lines.' The exposed places are amply protected, and the trains run upon schedule time in winter as in summer. Some of the unimport- ant branch lines are troubled slightly in the spring, but I am informed by an official of the road, that there has not been a serious delay ovor Hie main line for eight years." 4 'By the way," said the Major, as lie lit a cigar and handed one to the Judge, ' ' was there an accident? I saw them carrying some one into the station on a litter." "Oh, no. That was a lady suffering from con- sumption, brought here for benefit from our climate. Such scenes are not uncommon at the Union Depot." "Indeed! Have you any idea where she came from?" "The attendant told me that she was a New York lady, but had come directly here from Davos Platz, in Switzerland." " That's strange has Colorado climate such a high reputation for the cure of lung diseases?" "Most assuredly, many of the most eminent physicians and medical journals recommend it as superior in every respect to the noted places of Europe, and if patients only come in time, a cure is almost a certainty." "In what respect does Colorado's climate excel that of Switzer- land, for instance?" "In its pure dry air and sunshine. Colorado has about twice the hours of sunshine and a higher average temperature, while there is a great deal less rainfall and consequent humidity." "How do the altitudes compare?" "The altitudes of Colorado range somewhat higher, but the temperature also ranges higher, and we have no extremes of heat and cold. Timber grows in the Rocky Mountains at an elevation of from 11,000 to 12,000 feet, while perpetual snow in Switzerland begins at 8,500 feet ; there are many varieties of tender trees and plants that thrive in Colorado that cannot exist at the same altitude in Switzerland just so with delicate invalids, who can only remain at Davos during certain seasons, while they can derive benefits in Colorado through the entire year." The Major crossed his legs, leaned back in his seat, and reflectively puffed his cigar; the train had passed Burnham, where the great shops of the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad Company are situated, and was now bowling along the valley of the Platte. The Judge pointed out Fort Logan in the distance, and explained that "Uncle Sam" had already ex- pended a million dollars upon its construction, with the intention of mak- ing it the model military post of the country. As the train moves swiftly by "Wolhurst" (the beautiful suburban 14 home of Senator Wolcott, a dozen miles from Denver), and as the Judge explains to his friends how, in a few years, irrigation has converted an arid plain into this beautiful park, we will take the opportunity to intro- duce these gentlemen to our readers. Judge Stark and Major Preston had met each other for the first time the week previous at a banquet of Denver's business men. Maj. Preston is a dignified, handsome gentleman of perhaps sixty, but looks ten years younger, and had come to the West as the representative of an Eastern syndicate, with the view of making investments. He was inquisitive upon all subjects pertaining to the resources and investment advantages of Colorado, and found Judge Stark a gentleman thoroughly competent to furnish him much valuable information, because of his wide experience and intimate and varied knowledge of Colorado's resources, for the Judge had come to Colorado during the first gold excitement in '58, and, after having successively worked as a miner, as a newspaper editor in a mining camp, practiced at the bar as a mining and corporation lawyer, and crowning his legal career with a term on the state supreme bench, he is now enjoying the fruits of a well-spent life, as a retired capitalist and honored citizen. The Major threw his cigar out of the window, and a pleasant smile lighted up his face as he said, "Judge, I have visited nearly every important city in America and many in Europe, but this is my first visit to Denver and Colorado, and I am simply amazed at the beauty, the size and cleanliness of your city, as well as its wonderful growth and the magnificence of its public and private buildings. It is a liberal education in architecture to look at your public school buildings, while the Court House and State Capitol are truly mag- nificent. Why, you have many buildings that are not surpassed in Chicago or New York ; and then you have so many good hotels. Take the 'Brown Palace Hotel,' for instance; there is none in the country superior to it, so far as I know, either in architecture or appointments. I I have heard it spoken of as a very fine hotel, by some New York gentle- men, but it far exceeded my expectations ; I was not prepared for so much magnificence." "Are you interested in clubs, Major?" "Yes, I am quite a club man, and was entertained at your principal ones, the ' Denver Club ' and the * Athletic Club ; ' they are housed in exceptionally fine buildings that would do credit to any city ; and, as for their membership, I do not care to meet more cordial ; kindly or intelligent gentlemen. I did not visit them all, but understand that there are several other delightful clubs in your city." ' Did you know, Major, that they build no frame houses in Denver ?" " I did not observe any, now that you have referred to it, but I took OUTSWfe especial notice of the many elegant residences that lie to the east of the 'Capitol Building.' The tasteful and hand- some architecture impressed me very much." " Then you drove about the city?" "No, I learned that I could see the city better by taking the electric and cable lines, and I spent two afternoons in visiting such points as the smelters, stock yards, suburban lakes and the resorts and universities, and thus secured a good idea of the wide extent of your educational, manufacturing and resi- dence districts." " What is your idea of Denver real estate, Judge ?" " Where it is judiciously located, it will certainly see a rise in values on the termination of the present world- wide financial stringency." " How are rents in Denver?" asked the Major. "They have never been out of proportion to the business done, and naturally fluctuate somewhat with the times. At present they are very reasonable." " To be candid, what impressed you most with Denver ? " "Its life," promptly replied the Major. "Compared with the large cities in the East that I have recently visited, Denver seems to be very prosperous, indeed. I had expected, since the silver agitation, to find many more unemployed people in Denver, but I find very few as com- pared with the cities of the East. There is a ' go-ahead ' air about the people that shows a spirit of business push which fully explains to me the secret underlying Denver's marvelous growth." "You remember that one of the speakers at the 'banquet' dwelt par- ticularly upon this subject," suggested the Judge. " By the way, your reference to the banquet," said the Major, "recalls a very pleasant experience. Not only was I cordially entertained, but I had the pleasure of making the acquaintance of some of your brightest business men, and I was especially impressed with the character of the speeches, as well as the character of the men. So long as this class of men have in trust the future of Colorado the prosperity of your state is assured." The train glided smoothly along past Castle Rock, with its pink stone quarries, and on through the beautiful landscape of plain, with the moun- tains to the west. The snow-patched foothills contrasted prettily with the ranches that carpeted the slopes which led up to the " Divide." This is the watershed between the Arkansas and the Platte, and the elevated 16 plain presents a variegated view made bright and beautiful with brooks and rivulets, while the serrated ranges of the Rockies stretch away in the distance. The train slows up, and conies to a standstill at Palmer Lake, 011 the crest of the ''Divide," having imperceptibly made an ascent of 2,000 feet in the fifty-two miles run from Denver. As is the fashion with all passengers passing through Palmer Lake, the two friends join the crowd that throng into the dining-room and refresh themselves with a lunch of coffee and sandwiches, such as is not equalled between the oceans. Experienced travelers know this to be a fact, and that is why this particular lunch-room is called the model one of the continent. After lunch the two friends strolled for a moment along the margin of Palmer Lake. "What a charming spot," exclaimed the Major, "and what a beautiful lake up here on the crest of the mountain. Isn't this extraordinary?" "Familiarity with the wonders of Colorado has dulled my keenness of appreciation, but now that you speak of it, I must admit that Palmer Lake is a wonder, and one worthy of a long journey to behold. It is a remarkable fact that the lakes of Colorado, of which there are nearly five hundred, are almost invariably in the high mountains/' While the gentlemen were engaged in conversation the train began to move off, and the Judge and Major quickly stepped upon the rear plat- form. They remained standing, as the Judge pointed out the hotel and beautiful villas and pavilions of Palmer Lake. And, as the train neared Glen Park (the "Chautauqua of the West"), the attention of the group was called to the grotesque monoliths on the left; among them they found ''Phoebe's Arch," with Monument Park in the distance, and the dozens of tasteful cottages amid groves of trees that nestle among the hills, which blend gracefully away into a billowy valley, and lose themselves in the fringe of the horizon. In a few moments the train went whizzing by the quaint little town of Monument. "This is where we have our 'potato bakes,' Major," said the Judge. " What under heaven is a 'potato bake'?" exclaimed the Major. "Why, the main industry of this community is potato raising, and this product has such a reputation that the people celebrate their harvest in the fall of each year with a 'bake,' which is in reality a grand out-of-doors banquet, and a general jollification, attracting people from all the sur- rounding country, including Denver on the north and Pueblo 011 the souin. it is to us what a 'clain bake' is to your people in Connecticut, only 'more so,' and of the same order as our 'water-melon' and 'peach days.'" "And what are they?" "Well, in one locality, near Rocky Ford, which is especially adapted to the growth of water-melons, we celebrate the abundant harvest once 17 a year in the same manner. As many as 5,000 melons are jj~. given away on occasions like this, and on ' peach day,' which is celebrated at Grand Junction, where the finest fruits are grown, tons of peaches are given away to the thousands of visitors, all of these pro- ducts of the fertile soil being freely con- tributed by the producers." "I beg pardon, sir; you seem to be ac- quainted with the country, will you kindly point out 'Pike's Peak?'" interrupted a voice, which, by its accent, was quickly recognized by the Judge as belonging to an English gentleman. "That is it yonder, sir," said the Judge, pointing south westward to the bald white heap that lifted its head above the neighboring crests. " Oh, that is only five or six miles away," said the stranger. "A little farther than that," said the Judge, with a smile. "It is exactly thirty miles from here. Distances are deceiving in Colorado." "And why?" " Because the air is so clear, and rare and pure, that nothing obscures the view, and remote objects appear as clear cut as if viewed through an opera glass." " This is the highest peak of the Rockies, is it not?" "No, there are several that out-rank it; but Sierra Blanca, in the * Sangre De Cristo Range,' is the highest. Pike's Peak is the better known, however, and is more prominent, from the fact of its being in the front range, and thus the first seen from the plains as you approach the moun- tains, and also from the fact that the district of the early gold excitement took its name frou . the peak." " What is that winding line I see through the snow?" " That is 'Windy Point,' and what appears to you a a line is the Cog Railroad, which runs from Manitou to the top of the Peak. Can you see that little dot on the very summit of the Peak ? " " No-o-o," drawled the gentleman, as he looked closely ; but drawing his field-glass from its case and pointing it in the direction indicated, he said : " Yes, I do ; it is a building." "That is the railroad station. It was formerly the United States Signal Station." " What is the beautiful mountain between us and the 'Peak?'" 19 " That is Cheyenne Mountain, said to be one of the most beautiful in the Rockies. You can easily see the entrance to the famous Cheyenne Canon." ' * What are those towering red walls ? " " That to the right is the gateway to the ' Garden of the Gods.' The other you see are the ' Cathedral Spires.' " The Judge then went on to explain that the gateway, which rises up from perfectly level ground, reached a height of 330 feet, and then told of quaint sculpturings to be found here, carved in stone of various hues, by those cunning instruments in the hands of Nature, the wind, the rain, the sunshine and the frost curious, often grotesque, figures, irresistibly suggestive of forms of life. " Manitou is near the ' Garden,' is it not?" " Manitou is just beyond those rolling hills. It is a beautiful spot, and Nature hid it away in a cup-shaped glen at the base of the Peak. It is easy of access, however, as the Rio Grande road has a branch line there from Colorado Springs, and thousands of visitors yearly spend their summer there. It is frequently called the * Saratoga of the West,' prob- ably because of its superb hotel accommodations. Its many caves and canons, its sparkling waterfalls, charming walks and drives, make Manitou an especially desirable place to pass the summer season. Its numerous springs of delicious waters have a national reputation. These waters, including the ginger champagne manufactured here, are unexcelled as table waters, and are bottled and shipped all over the world." "Yes, some of my London friends spent last season there, and they were better pleased with Manitou than any of your eastern resorts, and in fact preferred it to the Swiss resorts. I shall stop there myself on my return." The three gentlemen then retired to the interior of the car, and in the course of conversation it was developed that the English gentleman was Sir John Moreton. This is Sir John's first trip to America, and he came across the "big pond" to transact some business in the east. Having some spare time upon his hands, Sir John decided to take a trip across the continent to acquire a clearer idea of the breadth and extent of the United States, and, like Maj. Preston, to make a careful study of the country, with a view to investing, and, perhaps, from like motives, he was quite as inquisitive as the Major. The train rolled onward with slowly slackening pace, beside the stream of the Monument, and parallel with Cascade Avenue, with its continuous row of elegant homes, and came to a stop at the beautiful stone depot in Colorado Springs. A block away was the " Antler's Hotel," a handsome stone structure, parked with splendid trees and walks, and approached by broad and shady drives. RfePLIfeP This delightful city has a pop- ulation of about 15,000 ; many of its most prosperous citizens remain here on account of its excellent society and superior climatic advantages. The dry air, pure waters and continuous sunshine make it an all-the-year-round health resort, and many wealthy health-seekers have their permanent homes here. A number of .prominent gentle- men have established, about five miles from the city, at the foot of the mountains, on the banks of Cheyenne Lake, a most picturesque resort known as "Broadmoor," and erected a handsome club house, called "Broadmoor Casino." During the summer an excellent band is employed, and the musical attractions of the place are such as to secure a large and refined clientele of delighted visitors. CHAPTER II. THE COLONEL JOINS THE PARTY. JHILE the train waited the three gentlemen sauntered up and down the platform, and much to the pleasure of the Judge he met his old friend Col. Norcross, who, upon inquiry, stated that he was going west on the same train. The Colonel .was duly in- troduced to the Major and Sir John, and his free, open manner, quickly and favorably impressed them. The quartet boarded the train and by the time they were comfortably seated, it pulled out. "Gentlemen," said the Judge, "I am very glad Col. Norcross has joined us, because he is thoroughly informed about Colorado, and I am sure he can tell you much that is of interest. Although he is a mine owner at present, and a high authority on that subject, he is also thoroughly posted on farming and irrigation matters." " Well, gentlemen, I see the Judge is disposed to flatter me. We all consider him one of the best informed men in the state ; still I know some- thing of the subjects he has referred to, and I shall be glad to give you any information in my power." "I say, Col. Norcross, the Judge tells us you are posted on the subject of irrigation. Can you tell us where we can get a bottle of ale? I believe that sort of thing is often referred to as 'irrigation' in this country." Joining in the general laugh, the Colonel replied, "Right here in your seat, Sir John." " Why, how can that be ; are such refreshments served in the train?" " Oh, yes. We are very proud of the 'D. & R. G-.' because it is a pro- gressive road, and keeps right abreast with the latest improvements. This is the buffet car, you see, and all you have to do is to press the button, like this." Sir John watched the Colonel's business-like movements and before he had time to speak a white-jacketed porter approached. " What shall it be, gentlemen?" quickly asked the Colonel, who insisted upon being the host. Sir John expressed a desire for a small bottle of ale, the Major ordered his accustomed glass of Manitou water, while the 21 Judge and the Colonel, with smiling coun- tenances and in a confidential undertone, called for something stronger. The Judge supplemented the order by calling for the cigars. In a few moments the porter brought the refreshments, which were disposed of, after which the gentle- men lit their cigars, and Sir John said : "Well Colonel, I presume you felt the depression of silver greatly in your mining business?" "Well, personally, I did not feel it to a great extent, for the reason that the properties in which I am interested are located at Leadville, and run very heavily in gold, and the depression in the value of the silver product was more than counter-balanced by the increase in the yield of gold." "But I thought the ores of Leadville were entirely silver and lead." "No. Leadville was originally a gold camp, and it was not until the carbonate discoveries of '77 that it became known as a silver district. On account of the immense bodies of silver ore that were uncovered, gold mining was completely overshadowed for the time, but through it all gold was found to a certain and almost fixed proportion with silver. Since the depreciation in silver and enhancing of gold, there has been more develop- ment in gold properties." "Has silver mining seen its day?" "No. Most assuredly not. Many of the principal mines are still in operation, and many others are shut down temporarily, because their owners are waiting a better price for silver, which is bound to come in the near future. It is very probable, though, that gold mining will take the lead of silver." "How will it do that?" " By reason of the immense new discoveries. The increased purchas- ing power of gold has stimulated a vigorous search for it in the mountains and in the river placers, and thousands of experienced miners, who were deprived of employment during the closing of some of the silver mines last summer, promptly turned their attention to the search for gold and immediately began finding it in every part of the state, and in such unpre- cedented quantities and unexpected places, that the sum of their new dis- coveries is amazing. Even old gold dumps that were abandoned when the silver excitement of '77 occurred are found to yield handsome profits 23 now, because to-day we have cheaper treatment and transportation, and Because of the fact that gold will buy nearly twice as much as it did then. It is almost beyond belief that over fifty new gold camps have been estab- lished in twenty-one counties in the state since September, 1893, and they are so widely distributed and so independent of each other that it proves that gold will be found in enormously increasing volume for many years to come. The old established districts like Gilpin, Clear Creek, Boulder, Granite, Leadville, Ouray and San Juan, have since last fall enormously increased their output, and the new camps, such as Cripple Creek, Balf our, Goose Creek, La Plata, Crooked Creek, Amizett and Fulford, have added enough new gold to the year's output to place Colorado second only to Cali- fornia. The increase of gold production from September to January was 115 per cent, over the year before, and this ratio is constantly being enlarged, so that it is only a question of a few months when Colorado must be the leading gold producing state in the Union." "What processes are used, Colonel, in smelting these Ores?" "They do not all require smelting. In placer mining the gold is found native by simply washing the earth and sands in the crudest manner. In quartz mining, where the ores are of a free milling character, the gold is extracted by pulverizing the ores under stamps, and in the form of dust it is taken up with quicksilver. The more refractory ores that cannot be handled by either of these methods, are sent to the smelters and treated about the same as silver." "How valuable should gold ores be to make their mining profitable?" "Under favorable conditions ore running $4.50 per ton can be mined and treated under the stamping or milling process at a fair profit. In ordinary placer mining, sands that will wash fifteen cents a yard are con- sidered remunerative, while ore running as low as seven dollars is considered paying mineral under certain smelting processes, and by the new cyanide treatment even lower grade ores can be smelted with profit. Of course you understand that these are very low grade ores, and not by any means an indication of the average, which is very much higher. In some instances ores are discovered that run as high as $10,000 to $20,000 to the ton. By the way, Major," remarked the Judge, drawing his hand from his pocket, "here is a specimen of gold ore from a Cripple Creek mine that runs $25,000 to the ton." "This is all quite interesting, Colonel. The lead industry is also quite large, is it not?" "Yes. Lead is nearly always associated with silver ores, and it is frequently found with gold. Its fluxing quality in smelting sometimes makes lead more valuable than its commercial price. The lead produc- tion though, like that of copper, will keep pace with the gold and silver yield, and over five million dollars worth were produced last yoar. 24 are very few exclusively lead mines in the state, but in many instances lead predominates in quantities sufficient to justify the operation of the mines for lead alone. Then, too, iron is frequently found with gold." "Is the iron found in your mountains always asso- ciated with gold?" "No. The small amount found with gold has no com- mercial value. Our iron ore deposits are measured by the size of the mountains that contain them, and iron is one of our greatest resources, although comparatively undeveloped. Gunnison county alone has more iron than the State of Penn- sylvania, and enough to supply the markets of the continent, and its ores can be converted into steel pig for less than $8 a ton. Iron is also found in immense bodies in Chaffee and Saguache counties as well as in many other parts of the state. Our great iron re- sources are beginning to attract widespread attention, and it is among the probabilities that future years may see our iron interests supersede those of gold and silver." "Are your coal facilities large enough to make this result possible?" " We boast that the quantity of coal in Colorado is far in excess of that of Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia combined, and I do not believe this to be an exaggeration. The supply of coal in Colorado is practically inexhaustible. One particular area of bituminous coal extends from St. Vrain on the north to the Raton Mountains on the south. This great coal measure is about 220 miles in length and varies from 20 to 25 miles in breadth. Extensive developments in this vast field have been made in the vicinities of Trinidad, Walsenburg. Canon City and Coal Creek. And the same kind of coal abounds in Gunnison, Garfield, Huer- fano, Las Animas, Pitkin and La Plata counties. Anthracite coal is found in large quantities in the coal basins of the Elk Mountains in Gun- nison county, of which about 86,000 tons were mined and shipped in 1893, which does not begin to represent the capacity of this one field ; the de- mand is largely increasing, as are also the facilities for production. One of our best informed citizens lately made the assertion that if all the known coal of Colorado, which is over 18,000 square miles in extent, were equally distributed it would carpet the 104,500 square miles of this state three and one-half feet thick. Colorado coal fetches a higher price at Missouri River points than Pennsylvania coal. Of course our coal resources are only partly developed, but the growth of the iron, manufacturing and mining business will stimulate it into an interest of great magnitude; and the coke industry will grow along with it last year's production alone being 360.000 tons." 25 " There seems to be a great variety of mineral wealth buried in your mountains," said the Major, who had been listening attentively, " which ought to be a source of great prosperity to your state." "Yes, a high authority has said that Colorado has every variety of mineral known in the world, in greater or less quantities. The state pro- duces nearly a million dollars worth of copper annually, and also zinc, nickel, mica, mercury, china and pottery clay, gypsum, mineral paint, bismuth, asphaltum, asbestos, alabaster and many more of the like." "Judging from the many massive rocks we have seen, I should infer that you are well supplied with building stone." "Yes, indeed. The quarries of Colorado are unsurpassed for the extent, quality and diversity of its stone. We have granite enough to du- plicate all the public buildings of the world, and tint the structures blue, pink, gray, purple or mottled, the natural colors of the stone. We pro- duce the best of flag stone for sidewalks and also fine paving blocks. The beautiful lava stone you saw in many of the buildings in Denver is pecu- liarly a Colorado product ; it is found in white, pink, blue and gray tints. Colorado sandstone is extensively shipped to Chicago and intervening points for building purposes, also for sidewalks and pavements. The gov- ernment used Colorado granite for the basement of the Post Office in Kansas City, and is using it exclusively for the 'Federal Building' at Omaha ; and our own beautiful Capitol building and Custom house, as well as the principal business blocks and residences of Denver, are built of Colorado granite or sandstone. We have large areas of marble, serpen- tine and in variegated colors, in Gunnison and Fremont counties, and they are now being developed. Onyx, of beautiful mottled and honeycomb design, is an important and recent development. Then we have in various parts of the state a fine quality of clay, from which a superior pressed brick is made, and it finds a market in many remote cities." "By the way, Colonel, clay is a very valuable product. Does it exist in sufficient variety for its many uses ? " asked Sir John. " Our clay banks are so varied that they yield excellent material for sewer pipe, tiling, firebrick, pottery-ware and china, and newly discovered kaolin deposits make excellent whiteware which some day will give rise to a large industry." "Your material resources are certainly wonderful, but even still more wonderful is the energy of your people which has produced such a vigor- ous development in so young a state." "About what is the population of Colorado now?" asked the Major, looking up from his notebook, in which he had been making memoranda during the Colonel's conversation. "You'd better ask the Judge about that. He knows everybody in the state." WDLLYOV OTPLY POOOT FIE The Judge brightened up from his quiet doze and responded, "Well, the population in 1890 was 412,000. I presume at least 100,000 more have come in since then, but I've not yet made the acquaintance of all the new-comers." "Where do the additions to your population come from?" "From Ne\\ ^i gland, the Middle, Southern and Central states, ano from Europe. Colorado's people are picked from the best communities in the world, and they come this long distance because here they find the best opportunities for health and wealth, and many are attracted by our superb climate. Col- orado is just far enough from the denser settlements of the country not to attract the indolent and the shiftless. We pride our- selves only on quality, not quantity. We have four hundred churches in the state, and four hundred and twenty-three newspapers, and the intelli- gence and morality of our people is far above the average. Denver alone has seventy-six newspapers and periodicals, the dailies of that city being equal in every respect to those published in the metropolitan cities of the "I have heard your educational facilities highly spoken of." "Yes, there is no state in the Union of like population that ex- cels Colorado in educational advantages. The government provided for this great factor, originally, by endowing the state with ample lands; the State University, the School of Mines, the Agricultural College, and the Normal School are all maintained from the bount- eous school land fund. There are nearly 1,500 school houses in the state, and their average value is $2,500 each, nearly double that of the average of the nation. Nearly every religious denomination has its distinct university or academy. The School Board of Boston has copied features from the Denver High School, Germany adopted the plan's of one of our school buildings, and the Chamberlain Ob- servatory at Denver is a new help to astronomy. Scientific, his- torical, medical and art societies exist in the leading towns and cities, while the 'Silver Circuit' of the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad enables the leading dramatic companies of the country to tour the state profitably on their route to the Pacific Coast." 28 " While I think of it, Judge, what is yonr state debt?" " Only two million dollars, which is about five dollars per capita, and, considering the vast necessary improvements and the valuation of prop- erty, it is extremely low." " What is the property in Colorado estimated to be worth ? " " Because of the peculiarity of our assessment laws, the assessed valu- ation of our property is only about two hundred and thirty-eight million dollars, but, according to the last report of the Auditor of State, its actual value is seven hundred million, or about two thousand dollars for each inhabitant men, women and children." " Excuse me a moment, Major," said the Judge ; "it is about this point where the Spanish Peaks come into view." The Judge looked out of the window, and said, " Yes, there they are. Let us go to the platform, where we can see them better." The four gentlemen proceeded to do so, and as they arranged them- selves in convenient positions to view the scene, the Judge asked : "How far away do you think they are?" "Oh, about twenty-five miles," said Sir John. "Ha, ha, ha!" laughed the Major. "Remember your Pike's Peak experience, Sir John. They are nearer fifty." " Well, Major, I think they are nearer twenty-five than fifty and I am willing to wager another punch of the bell on it." " Very well, Sir John. How far are they, Judge?" "Exactly one hundred miles, gentlemen." The view was as enchanting as its distance was deceiving. Far to the south the level line of the plain lifted itself into the ' ' Twin Breasts " of the " Wahatoya," whose conical curves blended with the dark blue dome of the overarching heavens ; while in the distance to the west the faint blue outlines of the "Greenhorn" range were discerned and to the east the union of earth and sky was unbroken. A sharp turn in the curve induced the gentlemen to return to the inside, and the train sped through the steel bridge over the Arkansas, rat- tled across the countless switches of increasing rails, and rolled past gates and semaphores, and moving trains. The pace grew slower ; the air brakes heaved a sigh of relief and the gentlemen alighted at the Union Depot of Pueblo, the "Pittsburgh of the West." The attention of the Major and Sir John was at once attracted to the handsome depot building of pink stone, with its broad., inviting approaches and elegant interior of hard-wood and brass trimmings, which have given it the reputation of being the finest depot structure west of Chicago. A scene of animation presented itself about the depot as the trains of the " Missouri Pacific," "Rock Island" and " Santa Fe" came in from Kan- sas City, St. Louis and Chicago, and transferred their passengers to the 29 Denver & Rio Grande Railroad to continue the journey to various points of destination in Colo- rado, Utah and the Pacific Coast. The four gentlemen passed into the elegant dining-room, which is managed upon the same high standard of excellence that characterizes all of the dining stations on this popular railroad, and were met by a polite attendant, who escorted them to seats around a handsome dining-table spread with the whitest of linen and laden with an elegant service of china and silver. CHAPTER III. THE COLONEL TALKS OF AGRICULTURE AND IRRIGATION. HE excellent repast was fully enjoyed, and, as there was still some time before the train would proceed, the gentlemen lit their cigars and strolled leisurely about the parked grounds of the depot. "Judge, what gives Pueblo the name of 'Pittsburgh of the West?'" "Its coal, iron and smelting interests. Pueblo has three great ore smelting plants, which in themselves constitute a town of consider- able importance, and besides it is a young giant in the iron and steel indus- try. Here is the great iron and steel plant of the Colorado Fuel & Iron Co., which takes the crude iron ore of Colorado and manufactures it into pig iron, Bessemer steel, castings, merchant bar iron, and a large percent- age of the steel rails consumed in the west. The company also controls many very large anthracite and bituminous coal mines in various parts of the state. Then Pueblo has many other allied interests, such as foundries, machine shops, etc. Cheap fuel and close proximity to raw material are making Pueblo a great manufacturing center, and its growth has been especially marked in the ore smelting and lead refining industries. All of these varied interests give employment to several hundreds of families, and are adding constantly to the population, which is now 50,000. The magnificent Mineral Palace, erected by its public spirited citizens, is an attractive exposition of the state's mineral resources, and the many fine residences on the Mesa! and business blocks down town, make Pueblo a city of metropolitan proportions." "How extensive are the smelting interests of the state?" "There are twenty smelters, all told ; the largest of which are at Den- ver and Pueblo, and they are fully equipped to handle all the gold, silver, lead, copper and zinc ores of the state, besides that of five or six adjoining states and territories. As a rule the smelters of Leadville, Aspen, Du- rango. Rico and other interior points, handle only the ores of their districts. 7 ' "Is Pueblo the only iron manufactur- ing point?" "No. Besides the large rolling mill plant here, there is one at Trinidad, and in addition there are many machine shops and several foundries in Denver, where mining and heavy machinery is manu- factured, which find a market in the ad- joining states, and as far away as the City of Mexico ; and there is also a stove manufactory with a considerable trade." "What other important manufactur- ing interests has Colorado?" "They are varied and numerous, and new ones are being established right along. The only news-print paper mills between the lakes and the Pacific coast are located at Denver, which not only supply the Colorado market, but ship their product for a thousand miles in various directions. A very large book paper mill is about to commence operations ; a sulphite pulp mill has been running for some months ; a manilla and wrapping paper mill and soda pulp mill, all about to be built, the whole represent- ing over $2,000,000, most of it eastern capital, and Denver is alread^ the greatest paper manufacturing center of the whole trans-Missouri country. What has been done in paper making will inevitably be done in the early future as to woolen manufacturing, glass manufacturing, whiteware pot- teries, etc., for which there are as good openings as there were three years ago for paper making. A large cotton mill is also in successful operation, and its fabrics are sold as far as the Pacific coast, with a probability of a trade with China and Japan. Chemical works utilize the pyrites of the mountains in producing acids. Soap is manufactured to a very great ex- tent. Denver has a tannery, together with a shoe factory to handle the product, while it makes beer enough to 'paint the town red' and lead enough to paint it white again. The white lead works of Denver ship their product extensively to Missouri river points and eastward, also to the Pacific coast and Texas. The packing houses of Denver ship lard and cured meats extensively to Washington, Oregon and California. Denver- made fire-brick fetches a higher price in Portland, Oregon, than English- made bricks brought around Cape Horn as ballast, while Denver-made assayers' supplies are shipped in car lots to New York City, San Francisco and the City of Mexico. Denver makes its own street cars, having a plant that cuts off competition from the east almost entirely, and these 32 cars travel the one hundred and fifty-nine miles of street railway lines of that city the best equipped rapid-transit service on the continent. Den- ver also makes carriages, hardware, canned goods, crackers, pickles, cigars and many other articles. While I am unable to give you the total manufacturing result for the state, I can say that Denver alone manufac- tured in 1893 nearly $40,000.000 worth, and Pueblo's manufactures were proportionately large." "Do you have to import your bottles and jars?" "No. The glass works at Colorado City make the bottles in which hundreds of car loads of Manitou water and ginger ale are shipped yearly to the east and abroad." At this point the conversation was interrupted by the voice of the depot master, announcing the time of departure. The Judge requested one of the depot attendants to telephone ahead to the Vendome Hotel, Leadville, to reserve accommodations for himself and the Colonel, having neglected to make the arrangements before. ' To Leadville ? How far is it to Leadville ? " asked Sir John, in surprise. " One hundred and sixty miles," answered the Judge. "I must say that you are an enterprising people. Is it profitable to maintain such a long line as that ? " "Yes, indeed, we could not get along without it. It is almost indis- pensable to the Leadville mine owners residing in Denver and Pueblo, and the same remark applies to the general telephone system which con- nects Denver and Pueblo with cities like Colorado Springs, Florence, Cripple Creek, Canon City, and, in fact, all towns within a radius of 150 miles from Denver." The train moved off and the quartet resumed their seats in the smok- ing apartment. As it gained in speed and rattled over the crossing, the Major detained the passing porter, and asked him: "What road is that?" pointing to the straight line of road leading s ~>nth. "That, sah, is the D. & R. G. branch to Trinidad an' Alamosa," 4 ' How can it go to both points ; are they not wide apart?" "Yes, sah, but they is a branch road dat goes from Cuchara to Trinidad." " Is there much business on that road?" "I really don't know, sah." " Well, then, what's the character of the business?" " I don't know, sah. I'se nevah been on dat 'run,' sah, but I do want to go down dere sometime, and go over Veta Pass." " Why do you want to go over Veta Pass?" " Because dey say it's so purty. De cars jis dim' up till you git 10,000 feet high, den go right down agin like a toboggan." 33 The Judge here came to the porter's rescue, and, after describing the attractive trip over this wonderful pass, explained that at Trinidad connection was made with the Union Pacific, Denver & Gulf road for Texas points, as well as New Orleans and all southern cities, and that it also tapped the great coal treasures of Trinidad, which have already been re- ferred to, and that there were seven or eight branches that fed the main line from as many great producing fields, and made an enormous traffic of coal and coke for the Denver & Rio Grande R. R. "By the way, Trinidad is one of our most promising cities, being the center not only of the coal districts of southern Colorado, but also of the sheep raising and wool interests." " Is Alamosa also a coal district ?" "No," interrupted Col. Norcross, anxious for an opportunity to talk on his favorite theme. " Alamosa is the center of a great agricultural and pastoral region. It is the focal city of the great San Luis Valley." " What is the San Luis Valley?" asked the Major. "It is a perfectly level stretch of most fertile land, about sixty miles wide and one hundred and seventy-five miles long, lying between the Sangre de Cristo and Cumbres ranges of mountains. The soil is from six to fifteen feet deep, and the valley lies 7,000 feet above sea level. The Rio Grande River runs down through its center, and the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad cuts it into quarters, with its four branches centering at Alamosa. The branch from Pueblo over La Veta Pass and through the well known Trinchara Estate is the east leg of the quadrant ; the south branch out of Alamosa goes down to Santa Fe, with a continuation of its main line beginning at Antonito and running in to Durango and Silverton, and from the latter point the Rio Grande Southern makes the connection through the 'Silver San Juan,' around to the beautiful city of Ouray. From Sil- verton over the 'Rainbow Route' a second connection with Ouray is made, which completes the famous trip ' Around the Circle.' West from Ala- mosa a branch runs through Del Norte to Wagon Wheel Gap, and thence to Creede, the wonderful silver camp whose extensive silver mines so amaze the country. The north leg from Alamosa runs straight as an arrow to Poncha Pass, and joins the main line at Salida." "Why, Colonel, I had no idea there were such large areas of level plain among the mountains." 35 " Oh, yes. Besides the plain which lies east of the range, there are many of these mountain valleys known as parks, which make the area of level lands in Colorado equal to about 35,000 square miles, or one-third of the total area of the state, which under irrigation are suitable for agricul- ture. San Luis Valley alone contains about 8,000 square miles, and is as large as the State of Massachusetts, while the Montezuma Valley, which is in the extreme southwestern corner of Colorado, has an area of 350 square miles, and is becoming the center of a large and thriving agricul- tural and pastoral population. It is watered by the Dolores river, and an extensive system of irrigating canals. The Ute Reservation, too, near Durango, covers an enormous area which will soon be thrown open to civilized settlement. This is a strip of fertile land fifteen miles wide and eighty miles long, through which the ' D. & R. G.' runs for almost its entire length." "What is the population of the San Luis Valley?" asked the Major. "About 15,000, and rapidly increasing. Alamosa is a thriving town near the center of the valley, and from this place, as has been said before, the railroad branches to the four points of the compass. Antonito, La Jara and Manassa are well established towns on the Southern branch ; Monte Vista and Del Norte (both well built and prosperous places) are on the Western branch ; Villa Grove, Moffat, Garrison and Mosca (all beauti- fully situated and exceedingly thrifty) are on the Northern branch, while Garland (occupying the historic site of old Fort Garland) is on the Eastern branch. "Is the San Luis Valley irrigated?" "Very extensively ; as I explained, the Rio Grande River runs through its center, and from it and several lesser streams extend many miles of large irrigating canals, which have reclaimed this wonderful valley and practically placed it ready for the plow, and in addition there are a large number of flowing artesian wells, with an unlimited supply of water, which are everywhere available for stock and domestic uses." "What can you raise at that altitude?" "Wheat, alfalfa, oats, barley, peas, potatoes, hops, and vegetables; almost everything except corn nights are too cold for corn. Wheat and potatoes take the lead, and potatoes are shipped extensively into Texas, and a San Luis farmer won the' American Agriculturist prize of $500 a couple of years ago for having raised 847 bushels on an acre ; the average yield, however, is about 200 bushels to the acre." "Are potatoes grown elsewhere in the state?" "Yes, indeed. Colorado can produce enough potatoes to feed the population of Ireland. The districts about Monument and Greeley pro- duce $1,500,000 worth a year, and their market is over many states, and their superior quality commanding higher prices in competition with those from the east - The P ossi ' bmties Qf the Colorado po _ tato crop would be hard to estimate ; they grow almost as prolific as alfalfa." "Tell me about alfalfa." "Alfalfa, or lucerne,, is a nutritious forage plant, whose growth is peculiar to the arid region, and its root grows sometimes to eight or ten feet in depth ; it is a perpetual crop, and can hardly be eradicated when once rooted. It usually averages three crops a season, producing two tons at first and second cutting and one ton at the last, or five tons in all per acre. Alfalfa is a fine fattening grass for live-stock and feed for horses ; it is one of the most profitable of crops and is widely cultivated. About 5,000,000 worth was produced in 1893. It is more profitable than hay, although all kinds of grasses grow in Colorado and are largely raised and readily marketed within the state." " Does wheat grow well at these high altitudes?" "Yes. Colorado wheat is an important interest, and Colorado flour is sold in many remote markets, where it is in demand for pastry purposes. Flour, representing 100,000 bushels of wheat per annum, is already shipped outside of Colorado state lines. In the San Luis Valley, which is especially adapted to wheat raising, there is a single field of fifteen thousand acres. The wheat crop of Colorado in 1893 was 3,000,000 bushels. The average yield of wheat in Colorado is twenty-three bushels to the acre, which is the highest average yield of all the western states." "Do oats thrive well?" "Oats grow well in all parts of the state, but the San Luis Valley seems particularly well adapted to the growth of this crop. The yield is from sixty to one hundred bushels per acre ; the weight, which is from forty to sixty pounds per bushel, makes them a very profitable crop. Farmers are giving the matter of oat raising much more attention than formerly." " I presume barley also does well ? " ''Excellent. Barley is grown all over the state, and is one of our staple crops ; it does especially well in the San Luis Valley. It matures early, is of superior quality, and owing to the absence of rainfall in har- vest season, it is always bright and unstained. It weighs fifty pounds to the bushel, and yields on an average of thirty-five bushels to the acre. There is a good local market, as all Colorado brewers are supplied from our own product, and there is a demand for Colorado barley from eastern states." 37 "And hops?" "Yes. Hops do well in Colorado, as the soil and climate are especially adapted to their culture ; however, as yet, it only has a small acreage of hop gardens, and the brewers annually purchase nearly $100,000 worth from other states, although Colorado could supply St. Louis and Milwaukee with hops." " And all of your crops are dependent upon irrigation? " " Almost entirely. There are a few places in the state, like the Divide district, where artificial irrigation is not always required, but it isn't safe to depend on rainfall, which is so limited, and irregular, and comes too early and too late in the season to be serviceable. But artificial irrigation is of such great advantage over rainfall that the scarcity of rain is no drawback to farming." "Then you claim an advantage for irrigation? " "Most certainly." "Why?" "Because, by artificial irrigation you can apply moisture to your crops when it is needed, as much or as little as you want. Then again, you can distribute the water unequally to suit the requirements of the various crops ; some plants, you know, need more moisture than others, whereas, while rain would nourish some crops, at the same time will ruin others." " But isn't it very expensive?" "Not at all. Under ditches the expense is only about a dollar to a dollar and a half an acre a year, and the insurance of a crop makes it worth a great deal more than that. Where is there an eastern farmer who, when he plants his crop, would not pay a dollar an acre to insure it against either drought or an over-abundance of rain? Besides, irrigation acts as a fertilizer, saving this additional expense. The experience of all farmers (and the farmers of Colorado acquired their experience in the rain-belt states) is that artificial irrigation is far superior in every way to a dependence upon rainfall." "How extensive is the irrigation system of the state?" " There are about 12.000 miles of main canals which feed as many more miles of lateral ditches. There are 5,000,000 acres of land under ditches in the state, and 1,600,000 acres are being cultivated, while new irrigation enterprises are steadily adding to the mileage of canals and developing new acres of fertile lands." " Is the water sold by the acre? " "No, it is sold by the inch, and, as a rule, an acre requires about an inch of water, but in many soils a half an inch is sufficient. What is termed an inch is the quantity of water that will run per second through an inch square aperture at a certain pressure. It is easily measured and apportioned along the main canals to adjoining farms." 'Who own these ditches?" ' ' There are sever- al systems of ownership. First : There are large companies, who have constructed canals to irri- gate their own extensive lands, to make them saleable. Second : Purely irrigation companies who build the canals for the purpose of deriving a profit from the sale of water ; then again some of the shorter canals are built by land owners, whose lands are benefited thereby, and they pool together and operate their canals on a pro rata basis of stock ownership." "Are there no individual ownerships?" "Plenty of them. The farmer who lives beside the creek or river usually builds his private ditch, where the supply of water will warrant; if not, he can sink artesian wells, as they do in the San Luis Valley, or lift the water from the stream for his garden, by constructing an ' Egyp- tian Wheel.'" " Is that one of them?" asked the Major, pointing out of the window to a large crude water wheel, with its tin-cupped circumference, that was slowly revolving, propelled by the waters of the Arkansas, along whose right bank the train was speeding. "Yes. It is one of the hundreds used all along this river, and other rapid streams." At this point Sir John, who had been an attentive listener, remember- ing the '-modus operand!" of summoning the porter, leaned over and pressed the button, saying : " Gentlemen. I think it is about time that I was settling that ' Span- ish Peak account.' " This episode was enjoyed all around, and in a moment the porter ap- peared ; at the same time, the train-boy came swinging along, calling out his wares: "Colorado fruit, gents?" The Colonel bought a supply and shared it with his friends. " Do you mean to say this fruit is grown in Colorado? It is very fine, and this apple is certainly delicious." " Colorado grows the best of fruits," replied the Colonel. " Canon City is famous for its orchards, being especially noted for its apple crop. Pears are also grown. All of these fruits thrive well at altitudes of 6,000 feet, and less." " Is Canon City the only fruit-growing section?" "By no means. Montrose, Delta and Grand Junction are very suc- cessful in this direction. Apples and peaches overshadow all other fruits on the Western Slope in their abundance, as well as in quality, while apricots, nectarines and quinces grow well in the last named localities, as do also plums and cherries." The Denver & Rio Grande Railroad runs one hundred miles along the Valley of the Gunnison, through the fruit belt, and sixty-five miles through the Valley of the Grand River. There -is an immense area of land in Mesa, Delta and Montrose counties, which in altitude, climate, soils and water is exceptionally well adapted to fruit culture. These im- portant facts are inducing a large immigration to the Western Slope, where the finest opportunities exist for the horticulturist. At present Colorado can consume more than double the amount of fruit it raises, and / the markets afford a high price for all varieties, but with the immense area of fruit land open for sale in the Valley of the Grand River, and sur- rounding Grand Junction, as well as in Montrose and Delta counties, there will, in time, be a fruit industry built up that will equal that of California. In 1893, a single fifteen-acre fruit farm in the Grand River Valley yielded $3,800 in peaches, pears, cherries, plums, apricots and small fruits. The total product of the state last year amounted to $2,250,000. "I can see, from what you say, that the agriculturist and the horticul- turist have an excellent opportunity in Colorado, but how about the small farmer?" "His opportunities here are of the very best, owing to the great de mand for his products, and the certainty of his crops. Around all the cities and towns of the state are clustered the holdings of the small farmer, varying in extent from five to twenty acres. Vegetables and small fruits are very prolific and command good prices, but at present the garden product does not supply the demands of the cities and mining districts. Owing to these conditions, there are great opportunities in Colorado for the farmer with little capital ; the same may be said of the poultry in- dustry. Why, Colorado imported eggs and poultry last year amounting to over a million dollars." "Is it possible?" "Statistics prove it, and you can gather from this fact what an open- ing there is in this direction, as at present the home poultry product is only about twenty-five per cent, of the demand." "Excuse me for interrupting," said the Major, "but a moment ago you spoke of alfalfa and other forage plants ; this suggests that Colorado should be a good state for the dairyman." 40 ' ' One of the best. There are not yet enough milch cows kept in Colorado to supply the local demand for dairy products, and the state is sending away about one million dollars per annum for butter, cheese and milk consumed. Of course, this demand is increasing with the increase of population, and therefore there is no branch of small farming that will pay better than this, and certainly none that is more needed." "How do the prices of land range in the state?" "Well, fruit lands will run from twenty-five to three hundred dollars per acre, according to location and water. Good agricultural lands, under ditch, will run pretty well from ten to twenty-five dollars an acre, while hay and grazing lands cost from $1.25 (the Government minimum price) to $15. It all depends, of course, upon the character of the land, its location and water facilities." The Major looked out of the window at the turbulent waters of the Arkansas, and said, "I think, Judge, that there is no lack of irrigation here?" "No," replied the Judge. " This is known as the Arkansas Valley ; it is a strip of fine agricultural land extending along the river the most part of a hundred and fifty miles. It is not very wide, but what there is of it is very fertile." The rolling hills to the right, the broken ranges of the Rocky Mount- ain foothills beyond, the river to the left, characterized by peculiar castel- lated rock formations, formed a scene both picturesque and enchanting. As the Judge ceased speaking, the train rolled into Florence and came to a standstill, and the gentlemen stepped out upon the platform of the sleeper in order to get a view of the town. "Gentlemen," exclaimed Sir John, "I am losing confidence in you." "In what respect?" asked the Judge, earnestly, while the Colonel looked his surprise at such.an accusation. "You have apparently been giving the Major and I all the information in your possession about Colorado, and yet I see evidences before me that you have kept back a most important fact." "What evidences?" "Those tall derricks over yonder. They tell me something you have not mentioned. There are coal oil deposits in your state." "Indeed there are," replied the Colonel. "And just at present Flor- 41 ence is the center of that industry, although there are other undeveloped fields in the state. Last year the product of petroleum was 756,000 bar- rels. This is the only section west of Ohio where petroleum in paying bodies is found, having paraffine for its base. The petroleum of Pennsyl- vania and Ohio yields seventy-five per cent, illuminating oil and twenty- five per cent, of paraffine, the latter being, by far, the more valuable product. In the Florence oil the above figures are exactly reversed." " Has any natural gas been discovered? " "Yes, at Grand Junction, quite recently, and the results are going to be of great importance." " This must be a coal district ? "Yes, one of the largest in the state; the Denver & Rio Grande has three or four branch lines radiating from Florence into as many extensive coal measures, and the shipments of coal are very large." " What is the cause of all tr-3 bustle and activity I see here ; the erec- tion of new buildings and the crowds of people in the streets ? " "Florence is the junctional point of the Florence & Cripple Creek Railroad, the direct connecting line of the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad reaching the world-renowned gold fields of Cripple Creek. The interest in the Cripple Creek district has naturally attracted the attention of merchants, smelters, investors and live business men, who recognize the fact that Flor- ence is sure to become a large center of activity in the near future." "Did not the completion of the Cripple Creek road materially assist the Cripple Creek district?" "With the solid through daily train service from Denver, through Col- orado Springs and Pueblo, making Cripple Creek within easy and comfortable access,and the Denver & Rio Grande system open for the carrying of ores from the camps and coal and other supplies in, the cost of transportation has been greatly reduced on both passengers and freight, which has given new im- petus to these wonderful gold fields." "What snow-crowned mountain is that we see yonder?" asked Sir John, pointing to the northeast, as the train pulled out of the station. "That," replied the Colonel, "is your old friend, Pike's Peak. You now see its western slope, however, and this is the last view we will catch of it in our westward journey." "Some time ago, Judge," said the Major, "you spoke of the trip ' Around the Circle ;' will you explain what that is ? " "Certainly. It is an extensive journey of about a thousand miles through the most interesting features of the Rocky Mountains. It is called the Circle, because in making the journey you almost describe a circle. Not having to double back over any of the road, it has become a favorite trip for tourists and is extensively patronized. Originally the journey was from Denver to Silverton by the * Denver & Rio Grande ' road, thence to Ouray by the 'Rainbow Route' and the Ouray Stage Line, thence to 43 Montrose and back the Marshall Pass Line of the Denver & Rio Grande. Recently the Rio Grande South- ern has been built from Durango to Ridgway, so now a choice of routes can be taken between Durango and Ouray." "Is this such a very wonderful journey ? " "It is without doubt one of the most won- derful tours in the world. A well known author has said, ' Take Toltec Gorge as a cen- tral point, and within a radius of two hundred miles draw a circle, and within the confines of that magic ring will be found more grand and won- derful scenery than there is in any similar circle anywhere on the face of the globe.' " " What are some of these wonders? " " It would be impossible to name them all. There are sixty especially attractive features on the trip. The most noted, however, are La Veta Pass, Sierra Blanca, Toltec Gorge, Animas Canon, Bear Creek Falls, Cur- recanti Needle, Black Canon, Marshall Pass, and as a culmination to all this grandeur, the Royal Gorge, which you will see yourself." " The list is certainly attractive," said Sir John. " The journey is a thousand times more so," exclaimed the Colonel. "In addition to the attractions mentioned by the Judge, I would like to call your attention to the marvelous Cliff Dwellings accessible by the Rio Grande Southern from Durango. By this route it is an all-rail journey 'Around the Circle.' By going to Silverton, there is an eight mile journey over a magnificent toll road down the mountains by the ' Concord Stage,' one of the few stage lines left in Colorado. Many enjoy the novelty of the stage ride, but it's a hard matter to determine which route is the more attractive after all, as the scenery of the Rio Grande Southern is magnificent beyond description." "Is the trip 'Around the Circle,' as you call it, an expensive one?" "Not at all. The railroads make an especially low rate for the trip in the summer and fall, from May till November, I believe, and allow plenty of time, with the privilege of stopping off at pleasure at all the points of interest." "What is known of the Cliff Dwellings?" " These are the ruined homes of an extinct race who built their castles If hewn stone in the clefts of almost inaccessible canons. Scientists are greatly interested in these relics of an ancient people, and the Canon of the Mancos, where the dwellings abound, is visited during the summer 44 Dy hundreds of tourists attracted by these prehistoric ruins. Excavations are continually being made and many curious relics are found which give an idea of the manners and customs of this strange people. The interest is growing as more is learned of this lost race, and it is quite a common occurrence now for parties to be made up expressly to visit the Cliff Dwellings." The train stopped and the porter announced : "Canon City, gein'men." "This," said the Judge, "is a very pretty little city, around which are some of the finest orchards in the state and it is a great shipping point for fruits of all kinds, especially apples and strawberries, and is a delight- ful place for invalids and pleasure seekers, both summer and winter." The train proceeded upon its way, and just as it was leaving the suburbs of the city, the Major asked : "What is that large stone building to our right?" "That," replied the Judge, "is the State Penitentiary." "A fine building," said Sir John. "Yes. Colorado's state institutions are all well housed. The Insane Asylum is at Pueblo ; the Institute for the Deaf -Mute and Blind at Colo rado Springs ; the Reformatory at Buena Vista ; the Reform School and the School of Mines at Golden ; the State Agricultural School at Fort Collins ; the Soldiers' Home at Monte Vista, and the State University at Boulder. All have excellent buildings and are excellently managed." By this time there was a great stir in the train, the passengers were eagerly looking out of the windows and clustering upon the platforms of the cars. The porter approached the gentlemen and said : " We's comin' to de Royal Gorge, gem'men. I's fixed some camp stools fo' yo' on de back platform, wha' yo can see de grandes' sight on de whole round earf ." The party hastened back to the place reserved for them by the porter, and in a few minutes the train swung into the shadows of the Grand Canon of the Arkansas. The scene is one that no words can describe, no photograph reproduce no artist paint. Its fame grows greater and greater with each advancing year, for no one can behold it without treasuring its magnificence in his memory, and endeavoring, though vainly, to impart the impressions there received to friends who have not had the privilege of looking upon this masterpiece of Nature's grandest works. The canon is seven miles in length, and through it the Arkansas River pours its waters, gathered in the mountains, out upon the plains. The walls vary in height, but are 2,600 feet at the highest point, reaching the culmination of grandeur at the point where a steel bridge, swung between the walls of the canon and parallel with the stream, gives passage for the railroad : This is the Royal Gorge. 45 After the train had passed through the "Gorge" the party remained seated upon the platform, enjoying the delightful air just crisp by a tinge of coolness blown from the snow peaks of the mountains. The scenery had changed from the wildness of the canon to the rolling pine-clad hills that abut on the eastern verge of the Great South Park. "What are those peculiar conical structures of white?" asked the Major, pointing to the right. "Those are ' charcoal ovens,' " replied the Colonel. " The manufacture of charcoal is widely distributed over the state, and the industry reaches large proportions. Charcoal is extensively used in smelting and all min- eral assaying, which makes the local demand very great. Generally fallen timber is used, free of expense to the charcoal makers, but when- ever they find it necessary to use live trees, they pay the state or the government an agreed price on the amount employed." "Does Colorado produce much timber for general uses, as such?" asked Sir John. "Yes. There is an abundance of pine and spruce timber in the state for all the rougher uses of this nature, such as are used in the mines, bridge timbers, railroad ties, etc. The finer grades of lumber, and all hard woods are imported. Pine lands are well distributed throughout the state. There is one tract of 100,000 acres on the San Juan Mountains, through which the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad passes. The timber lands are being worked to a great extent, and produce about 8,000,000 feet of lumber to each section. There is a steady demand for this product at good prices." " I should think these dry rocky hillsides would be suitable for sheep," said the Major, musingly. " There is no country better suited for that industry," answered the Judge. "Foot-rot is unknown, and the general health of the animals perfect." " Aren't you a long distance from market?" queried Sir John. "We cannot supply the home market with mutton, and as for wool, we are only two cents a head further from New England than the Ohio sheep raiser, and it costs him six times as much to raise his wool." "What is the cause of this difference in expense?" 46 "One of the prime advantages is that this is largely a land of free grass. The sheep can graze iipon this for eight months in the year, and be fed with hay from cheap lands during the winter. In the East and Middle States grass costs money and the sheep have to be carefully fed for at least five months." " How important is this industry?" " There are about two million head of sheep in Colorado now, produc- ing ten million pounds of wool annually. The profit is estimated at about twenty per cent, on the amount of money invested." " How many sheep can Colorado support?" " At least twenty-five millions. They can be raised in any part of the state, either in great herds upon the range, or in small flocks upon the farm." " Do they raise swine to any extent?" asked Sir John. "Hog raising," replied the Judge, "is an industry quite new to Colorado, but it is becoming an important branch of farm production. Hog cholera, the bane of the Mississippi Valley, is absolutely unknown, and on account of the altitude and climatic conditions cholera could not exist even if imported. It has been discovered that alfalfa is even better than corn for fattening purposes. Peas are extensively raised and are considered cheap fattening food, as is also the sugar beet. Recently this matter has been given more attention on account of the large profits in pork and the industry is certain of a very large increase." " Do you raise sugar beets ?" "Oh, yes, although this also is a new industry. Satisfactory experi- ments have been made in this direction in Montrose and Delta counties, and the beets are shipped to a sugar factory at Lehi, Utah, with a satis- factory profit. It is quite likely that a factory of this character will be established in Western Colorado, as the soil of Mesa, Delta and Montrose counties is especially fitted for this purpose, as is also that of the San Luis Valley. Because of the high per cent, of sugar in the beets which these lands produce capital has become interested in these particular localities." "Is that a mine on the hillside yonder?" asked the Major. "No, that is a limestone quarry, and although it is not a mine, its product is largely used in the mining industry. Limerock is one of the most valuable of fluxes and each smelter in the state uses from four to six car loads a day of this product. Probably ten thousand tons of this rock are mined each year. Lime is also manufactured from this rock, and, of course, vast quantities of it are used in building. By the way, we also manufacture a very fine quality of cement in Colorado." Here the conversation was interrupted by the Colonel, who is an en- thusiast on the subject of scenery. He called the attention of the party 47 to the grand view which opened before them. The serrated summits of the Sangre de Cristo range, crowned with perpetual snow, rose clearly denned against the western sky, while to the northwestward swept the magnificent peaks of the Collegiate range. In the center of the picture towered the fire-scarred summit of 'Old Ouray,' an extinct volcano, supported on the left by Shavano, a brother mountain, whose fires had died out long ages ago. While looking at this magnificent spectacle, the train rattled over a countless number of switches, and on either side innumerable tracks were seen. "What's this?" asked Sir John. "The freight transfer yards of the D. & R. G-.," replied the Colonel. " We are now about three miles from Salida." Soon the train passed the handsome hospital building erected by the ' D. & R. G.' road for the care of the sick and injured employes of the road, and, rolling by the immense round-house of the company, came to a stop at the depot, and the party walked into the refreshment room of the Hotel Monte Cristo another one of the elegant dining stations of the road. Attracted by the inviting appearance of the dining-room, the gentlemen regretted that the train arrived at such an hour that it was not possible for them to take their dinner here. CHAPTER IV. THE INTEREST DOES NOT FLAG. FTER leaving the hotel the gentlemen walked up and down the platform for a few moments, while the baggage and express were being taken off and put on. They paused at the upper end of the long platform to obtain a view of the handsome town of Salida, lying along either bank of the Arkansas river. The town pre- sented a very attractive appearance, and called forth many ex- pressions of praise on the part of the Major and Sir John, both of whom were charmed by the magnificence of the mountain view, and sur- prised at the evidences of thrift, prosperity and good taste which lay be- fore them. They were especially pleased with the appearance of the elegant residence portion of the city lying on the Mesa. The conductor called "All aboard" and the party resumed their places on the rear platform of the Pullman. "Colonel," exclaimed Sir John, "I've been wondering what that third rail in the track means. It has been with us all the way from Denver, and I see it is still with us." "And it will stay with us until we get to Leadville," replied the Col- onel. "That rail makes this both a standard and a narrow gauge railroad, and is necessary, because the Denver & Rio Grande has many feeding lines extending all through the mountains to mining towns and shipping centers that are built with the narrow gauge. Originally the entire line was but three-foot gauge. The third rail enables the road to maintain a through service from Denver and Pueblo to all points on its system, though they may be situated on a narrow gauge branch. The geograph- ical situation of the D. & R. G. road, making it a very important link for the conduct of the trans-continental traffic of the country, made it neces- sary that it should be of the standard gauge. With the customary enter- prise which characterizes this company, this emergency was promptly met. Therefore the line was broadened from Denver to Grand Junction, by way of Leadville, and in 1890 the D. & R. G. became equal in all re- spects, as to its through service, with any of the other trans-continental 48 lines of the conti- nent. This sleeper goes through to San Fran- cisco, you know." "Is the through line the only standard gauge that the road has?" "No; in addition they have a standard gauge to Trinidad, and to all the connecting coal branches in that section, besides being standard gauge into Manitou and Aspen, and the coal branches in the vicinity of Florence." "What particular districts are reached by the narrow gauge lines?" " The mining districts on the Blue River above Leadville, and from Salida there is an extensive system running in the San Juan country and radiating through the southern part of the state. I have already described the various branches in the San Luis Valley terminating at Santa Fe and Durango. From Salida to Grand Junction extends what may be called the main trunk of the central portion of the narrow gauge systems, which after passing over the Continental Divide at Marshall Pass and through the famous Black Canon, descends into and penetrates a very rich agricultural, pastoral and horticultural region, with Gunnison, Montrose, Delta and Grand Junction as the leading towns and shipping places. This line is deservedly famous among tourists for its glorious scenery, and forms a part of the wonderful trip 'Around the Circle.' There are several feed- ing branches connecting with the main trunk ; that from Poncha extends to Monarch, in the Monarch mining district, another from Mears over the range to Alamosa and the San Luis Valley, a third from Gunnison to the anthracite mines of Crested Butte and the new coal district of Ruby, and one from Sapinero to Lake City, with its great gold and silver mines, as well as the new gold discoveries of Goose Creek. From Montrose a branch fol- lows up the fertile Vcaiey of the Uncompahgre River, penetrates the Uncompahgre Canon and terminates at Ouray, one of the most beautifully situated towns in the world. This branch also connects at Ridgeway with the Rio Grande Southern road, which passes through some of the most magnificent scenery of the Rocky Mountains, extends to Durango, thus forming a double line to this important city." "You have mentioned Durango so frequently in your conversation that I infer it must be a place of some note," said the Major. "It is the metropolitan town of southwestern Colorado," replied the Colonel, " and has great prospects for the future. It has a population now of about 8,000, and is growing rapidly." 51 " What is the cause of all this prosperity?" "Its great advantages as a business center. It is situated near one of the great coal fields of the state, and has an abundant supply of excellent timber. It is the commercial center of the vast grazing and agricultural regions of the Montezuma Valley and the Ute reservation, as well* as the mining districts of the Great Southwest. This, with the recent discovery of large and rich gold deposits in the La Plata district, which will be vigorously developed this spring, must make Durango one of the most prosperous cities in the state. It has two smelters in full operation, which are kept constantly busy reducing the ores of the Silverton,Red Mountain and other San Juan districts. It is also largely engaged in the manufac- ture of coke. It has eight business establishments carrying stocks of $100,000 in value each, and as many more that carry stocks valued at $50,000 each. The wholesale and retail business of this town during the last year exceeded $4,000,000, so you see Durango is not only a town of great expectations, but really a place of great achievements. It is a delightful place of residence, and has an inexhaustible supply of pure water. From here the 'D. & R. G.' road extends through the Animas Canon, one of Nature's greatest scenic wonders, to Silverton, a thriving mining town filled with prosperous and enterprising people." " Silverton is the southern terminus, is it not?" "Yes, it might be termed the terminus, but it is, after all, more properly speaking, a point in the great circle of this narrow gauge system, for from here we take the Silverton Railroad, known as the 'Rainbow Route,' over Red Mountain to Ironton, from which point the stage road leads down to Ouray, at which point we again strike the narrow gauge system of the 'D. & R. G.' I have already spoken of this stage road, but 1 want to say right here that if you ever have the opportunity, or can ever make the opportunity, don't fail to take this ride ; it is the experience of a lifetime." " You spoke of Ouray as a beautiful place?" " Yes, it is considered one of the most beautiful towns in the mountains. It is situated in a little valley surrounded by great cliffs of rocks banded with variegated colors, and is a most delightful summer resort. As a business place it is the center of a large and rich gold and silver mining district." "I had no idea that the 'D. & R. G.' had such an extended system," said Sir John. " How many miles has it?" The Judge hesitated for a reply, when the Colonel exclaimed, "By the way, Judge, I had occasion to look that up the other day, and am happy to say that we are not checkmated yet in this game of questions." " Well, give it to us," replied the Judge, smiling. " There are six hundred and seventy miles of standard gauge; nine LI HWT hundred and eighty-seven narrow gauge, belonging to the . during the night." "Why not stop over in Leadville, Sir John, and resume your journey by daylight to-morrow?" suggested the Colonel. " But my ticket won't allow that, don't you know ; I made no arrange- ments to stop off when I secured it." "I think that can be fixed all right," said the Colonel, pressing the button, to which the porter promptly responded. "Charley," said the Colonel to that sable servitor, " won't you ask the conductor to step this way a moment ? " " Certainly, sah," answered the porter, departing quickly on his errand. Sir John looked rather surprised at the familiarity of the Colonel's ad- dress to the porter, and, in response to the look the Colonel said, "For convenience we assume that all the porters are named Charley, and they answer cheerfully to that designation." The conductor entered at this moment and the Colonel said, " This gentleman would like to stop over at Leadville to-night, provided you can arrange it ;" as he spoke he gave him Sir John's ticket. The conductor glanced at it and replied, ' ' Stop-over-privileges-are-allowed-on-all-through- tickets-when-the-limit-of -time-permits-it." With this remark, which was evidently a familiar formulary, the conductor made a few hieroglyphics on the back of the ticket and returned it to Sir John. The Major, catch- ing the idea, suggested that if the Judge and the Colonel would consent to go on with the party, he would also stop off and they would resume the journey from Leadville in company. The suggestion was accepted unanimously, and the conductor arranged matters for all concerned. The Colonel and the Major expressed their regret that on account of darkness they could not show their friends the great gold placers near 55 Granite station, which have been profitably worked for the last t-w-e-n- t-y y-e-a-r-s. . The train stopped at Malta, where an extra engine was put on to pull it up the grade into Leadville. Sir John, who was quick to observe, noticed this addition and said : "There must be quite a stiff grade here to require two of these enormous engines ? " "Yes," said the Colonel, "this, as I remember, is a three percent, grade." "How many feet would that be to the mile ?" "About 168 feet, one per cent, being 52 feet 9 inches." "Are there many grades on this line as heavy as this?" "No, this is the heaviest on the standard gauge line ; that over Tennes- see Pass being the next heaviest, about 152 feet to the mile on its western slope." "How about the grades on the narrow gauge lines?" " They are very much heavier, those over La Veta Pass, Marshall Pass and the Cumbres range being four per cent, or 21i feet to the mile, and on a short branch to the Calumet iron mine, the grade is 409 feet, the heaviest grade in the world operated by a traction engine." "Are not such grades productive of danger?" "Not at all. Every train is supplied with all the latest inventions to secure safety, including automatic air brake, also water and hand brakes, and the best proof is that there has never been an accident to passenger trains on account of grades in the entire history of the road. Due credit for this state of affairs should be given to the careful management of the road, who never allow an engineer to drive a passenger engine until he has had a most thorough and exhaustive education in mountain train ser- vice. Observe how our engineers handle this train, no jerking, every- thing smooth and quiet, and so skilled are they that we take a curve at the rate of forty miles an hour and scarcely notice it." "I have particularly noticed that," said the Major, "and also the extreme smoothness of the track." "And I," remarked Sir John, "have been much surprised at the sub- stantial construction of the roadbed, track and bridges ; it reminds me more of our English roads in that respect than any I have seen." The train was now passing through the suburbs of Leadville, and the Colonel called attention to the fact that since leaving Pueblo they had been steadily ascending and now were 5,530 feet, or more than a mile, higher than they were at lunch time. The train stopped at Leadville station and the gentlemen took car- riages for the Vendome Hotel. CHAPTER V. THE JUDGE TELLS OF THE HEALTH RESORTS, HUNTING AND FISHING GROUNDS. ALL TAR0V6A FTER a good dinner at the hotel the party took a stroll through the city, curiosity concerning which being greatly excited in the minds of Sir John and the Major. The fact that it was the great silver camp of the world, and that a city of 15,000 people with metropolitan advantages had been built at the unprecedented altitude of 10,200 feet above the sea, filled them with pro- found astonishment. The life and bustle on the streets, the unfamiliar figures of the miners, the talk of veins, fissures, lodes, carbonates, por- phyry, dykes, the excitement over new gold discoveries, all interested and entertained them greatly. "I have heard a great deal about the difficulty experienced in breath- ing at this extreme altitude," remarked Sir John, as they entered the hotel after their walk, "but I must say I find myself very little affected." " These matters are greatly exaggerated," replied the Colonel. "The fact is that such troubles are the exception and not the rule ; it is by far the minority who feel the effect of the altitude to any extent, except after violent exertion, and all persons, unless troubled with heart affections, soon become acclimated and do not notice it." After their exercise the gentlemen found comfortable accommodations for the night at their hotel, and retired with the understanding that they would catch the early train west out of Leadville in the morning, and take their breakfast at Minturn. As the bright sun rose above the mountains, the gentlemen boarded the train and resumed their journey westward. The scene was one of grand- eur and was greeted with many expressions of delight. Leadville lay 56 57 cradled among tremendous mountains, captained by Mount Massive, that towered above her, and the sunlight transformed their silver crowns of snow into diadems of shining gold, as if symboling the transformation of the famed silver camp into what is bound to become an equally famed gold producer. The Colonel pointed out many of the famous mines which dotted the hillsides on every hand, as the train sped rapidly on its west- ward way. Soon the ascent of Tennessee Pass (the Continental Divide) was achieved and the tunnel threaded at an altitude of more than 10,000 feet above the sea. Descending the Pacific Slope, through a beautiful valley, the Colonel called attention to the range of mountains to the right, as containing the famed Mount of the Holy Cross. The train rolled between the red walls of a picturesque canon into the town of Bed Cliff. "This," said the Colonel, '4s a thriving mining town, and if you would like to see some of the mines, I would suggest that we adjourn to the rear platform of the car." The suggestion was adopted, and the Colonel pointed out the shaft houses of mines on Battle Mountain, perched like eagles' nests on the very verge of the cliffs, and the mining camp of Gilman, seemingly tipped ready to topple over upon them as they passed. " What canon is this?" asked the Major, as the train dashed on under it and out of view between butting cliffs. " This is Eagle River Canon, the walls of which are fully 1,000 feet from the level of the track, and some of the greatest silver mines of the state are under those rough looking buildings that we have seen hanging on the cliffs." " This is certainly one of the most beautiful and interesting scenes I have ever witnessed," exclaimed Sir John. "Not so grand, perhaps, as the Royal Gorge, but surely worth a journey especially to see." Retiring to the smoking compartment the gentlemen made their pre- parations for breakfast, and by the time they were ready the train pulled into Minturn. The party entered the eating station and were soon enjoying a most appetizing meal, a special feature of which was a boun- tiful supply of most delicious mountain trout Returning to the train, Sir John, who, like most English gentlemen, was an ardent sportsman, turned eagerly to the Judge with the remark, "I enjoyed those trout very much. Has Colorado a good supply of fish and game?" "It is the sportsman's paradise," replied the Judge, with much enthu- siasm. "The forests, which cover so large a proportion of the state, are the natural covert for elk, deer, antelope, the Rocky Mountain sheep, as well as a variety of smaller game, while the streams and lakes, in count- less number, are teeming with mountain trout, those speckled beauties that so delight the heart of the experienced Nimrod, while the more common varieties of fish ply the waters in ample swarms." * ' Are trout especi- ally abundant?" "Yes, indeed; there are 6,000 miles of the finest kind of trout streams, and the supply is practically inex- haustible. There are nearly 500 lakes which are alive with fish and water fowls. Trout fishing is almost the universal pastime, because of the great abundance of the opportunities, the ease of access to lakes and streams, and the comfort with which this delightful sport can be pur- sued." "How about large game? " "The great parks and valleys, forests, streams and lakes of Routt, Grand and Garfield counties are the favored region for elk, deer, antelope, rabbits, duck, geese, prairie chickens, grouse, quail, and other varieties of game, including the wolf, mountain lion and bear." " Is your game protected?" "Certainly. We have stringent game laws. The laws permit the killing of game birds from August 15th to November 1st, water fowl from September 1st to May 1st. Deer and elk may be killed from August 1st to November 1st. The killing of buffalo and mountain sheep is prohibited. It is lawful to take fish with hook and line from June 1st to December 1st. Netting and explosives are prohibited." The train was now speeding along down the valley of the Eagle River, which was dotted here and there with the comfortable homes of farmers, showing that agriculture had here an established footing. Soon the scene changed, the further bank of the stream gloomed darkly with the black- ened scoria of some extinct volcano. Exclamations of surprise from the Major and Sir John greeted this phenomenon, and their wonder was excited greatly at beholding the barren rock-field which swept away from the river up to the distant foothills. "I see no sign of a volcano," said the Major ; "how do you account for this lava deposit ? " " It is a strange fact," replied the Colonel, " that the foothills show no signs whatever of volcanic action, yet beyond them there is an extinct volcano, which, no doubt, is the source from which all this lava originally 60 came. Bnt we are approaching the Canon of the Grand River ; let us take onr post of observation on the rear platform, for, I assure you, the sight is one of a lifetime." w The gentlemen quickly complied with the Colonel's request, and the train was soon whirling through one of the most wonderful canons of the Rocky Mountains. As compared with the Royal Gorge, there is more of variety and less of that stupendous, awe-inspiring grand- eur which overwhelms the beholder. Here are weird forms of rock, suggestions of pyramids, towers, turrets, even statues of wind-carved, water-worn and earthquake-riven stone. Spires and pinnacles climb towards the sky on each hand, and towering walls of living rock seem to bar the way, but a quick curve avoids these apparent barriers, and the train svnngs into and through a long tunnel and stops at Glenwood Springs. "This place," said the Colonel, "is one of the most noted watering places in the West. In some respects it is unsurpassed in the world. The famous hot springs, the great swimming pool and the unique cave baths are unequalled anywhere." " In what way is the pool you speak of peculiar ? " asked Sir John. "First, in size; it covers more than an acre of ground, and is three and one-half to six and one-half feet deep. Second, in temperature ; the hot water pours in from the spring at a temperature of 120 degrees Fahr- enheit, at the rate of 2,000 gallons per minute. In this pool you can bathe out-doors both summer and winter." "Are there any other bathing facilities?" "Yes, an elegant bath house which has been erected at a cost of over $100,000. Its walls are of the beautiful peach-blow sandstone, and its interior arrangements are the handsomest and most complete that money can buy or taste devise." "Such accommodations indicate that a great many pleasure seekers and invalids visit Glenwood Springs." " It has become a very popular pleasure resort and sanitarium." "I suppose this explains the existence of that magnificent hotel yon- der," remarked Sir John. "Yes, so great was the demand that ' The Colorado,' a hotel containing two hundred guest-rooms and built of peach-blow stone and Roman brick at an expense of 350,000, had to be built. Its dimensions are 224 feet front and 260 feet front to rear. The hotel is built around three sides of a large court 124 feet square. This court is terraced and is adorned with paths, grass-plats and beds of flowers. The accommodations and furnishings are unsurpassed by any hotel of a similar character in the country. The town of Glenwood Springs is attractive, beautifully situated and thriving." 61 IQRft " Colorado seems to abound in min- eral springs?" - "Yes, it has more than any other state in the Union. There are eighteen resorts in the state that are fully developed, pos- sessing medicinal springs and supplied with hotel accommodations. Fourteen of these are hot spring resorts. Each of these places is fortunate in the possession of from five to one hundred springs, varying among themselves as to their medicinal qualities and of different degrees of temperature, no two springs being alike. In addition to these there are myriads of springs all through the mountains that possess the highest medicinal qualities which, as the population of this state increases, will be developed and add their healing influences to the sum of Colorado's health-giving appliances. The mineral springs of Colorado are equal in all respects, and superior in many, to the famous watering places of the Old World." The train pulled out of the station, and a section of it was switched on another track and a locomotive attacKed. "What is the reason of this?" asked the Major. "That is the Aspen section," replied the Colonel. " Aspen is a mining town, is it not?" " One of the most prosperous in the state. It is situated most advan- tageously for business and is surrounded by many of the richest mines in Colorado. It is second only to Leadville in the out-put of its mines. It also has its own smelter, and in addition is a most delightful place of residence." The train followed the course of the Grand River through a rich valley and amidst the most entrancing scenery. On one hand the hills rolled up from the river side, while on the other the broad valley extended back to the Great Book Cliffs, which walled it in with ramparts of vari-colored rocks carved into manifold forms by the action of the elements. " Truly the scenery of Colorado presents great variety," said Sir John. * ' The most varied, I believe, in the world," replied the Colonel. ' ' Every mood finds here some scene that touches a responsive chord. Among the mountains Nature asserts herself in ecstacy, rising to the highest expres- sions of grandeur and sublimity. In the foothills and by the sparkling rivers, quiet beauty reigns supreme, while on the plains, the vastness of 62 the sea is vividly suggested and in the valleys the calm content of peaceful prosperity broods like a benediction." "Amen," said the Judge. "lam an enthusiast on this subject," said the Colonel. " It behooves us to show the world what we possess. The Via Mala cannot compare with the Royal Gorge. The hundred peaks of the Rockies, each exceeding 14,000 feet in height, more than compensate for the grandeur of Mount Blanc, the beauty of Monte Rosa or the splendor of the Jungfrau ! No, we need not fear comparison with Europe. One can ride over the lines of the